Mike Gundy Named Dodd Trophy Candidate

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is one of 19 coaches in the country included on the preseason watch list for the 2017 Dodd Trophy, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl announced Wednesday.

The Dodd Trophy honors the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the field, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity, which were the three pillars of coach Bobby Dodd's philosophy.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, taking into consideration each program's graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the 2017 season and Academic Progress Rate (APR). The coaches on the preseason watch list were selected based on their success on and off the field.

All Power 5 conferences are included on the list, with Gundy and Kansas State coach Bill Snyder representing the Big 12.

Under Gundy, OSU is one of only seven schools to appear in every set of College Football Playoff rankings since 2015, joining Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State and Utah.

Since 2010, the Cowboys have has five seasons with at least 10 wins, an outright Big 12 title (2011) and a share of the Big 12 South title (2010). They also reached the top 10 of the Associated Press poll in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Gundy has coached the Cowboys to four New Year's Six bowl games since 2010. Under his direction, Oklahoma State has been ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll in eight of the last nine seasons and has posted 10-win seasons five of the last seven years.

Additional watch lists for the Dodd Trophy will be released throughout the fall. A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2017 season. The winner of the 2017 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.

2017 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List
Paul Chryst - Wisconsin
James Franklin - Penn State
Justin Fuente - Virginia Tech
Mike Gundy - Oklahoma State    
Jim Harbaugh - Michigan
Clay Helton - USC
Paul Johnson - Georgia Tech
Butch Jones - Tennessee
Gus Malzahn - Auburn
Jim McElwain - Florida
Urban Meyer - Ohio State
Ken Niumatalolo - Navy
Chris Petersen - Washington
Mark Richt - Miami
Nick Saban - Alabama
David Shaw - Stanford
Bill Snyder - Kansas State
Dabo Swinney - Clemson
Kyle Whittingham - Utah