Penn State head football coach James Franklin was named to The Dodd Trophy preseason watch list. He joins 25 other FBS head coaches as a potential winner of one of the best awards a college football coach can receive.

College Football’s most coveted coaching award.

The 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watchlist is here

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— The Dodd Trophy (@thedoddtrophy) July 7, 2025

The Dodd Trophy is given in honor of legendary coach Bobby Dodd to the coach who showcases winning on the field while also maintaining scholarship, leadership, and integrity. This year marks the 50th time the award will be presented.

“For 50 years now, The Dodd Trophy has set the standard for collegiate head coaching awards through its continued emphasis on scholarship, leadership, and integrity,” Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan said. “Although our sport has continuously evolved over the years, these three pillars have stood the test of time and continue to be hallmarks of what makes a coach successful on and off the field.”

In this season’s watch list, football coaches representing all Power Four conferences, as well as the AAC, Mountain West, and an independent, were included. Joining Franklin from the Big Ten are Bret Bielema, Curt Cignetti, Ryan Day, and Dan Lanning.

A midseason list of coaches will be released during the fall before a final list is presented toward the end of the 2024 season. The winner of the Dodd Trophy will be announced in the lead-up to the Peach Bowl. In 2024, that was Marcus Freeman from Notre Dame.

Franklin is headed into his 12th year with Penn State with one of the most talented rosters he has had during his tenure. Under the former East Stroudsburg quarterback, the Nittany Lions are 101–42 overall, with a 64–33 mark in Big Ten play.

The only Penn State coach to win the trophy was Joe Paterno in 1981 and 2005.