The Shadow
ATLANTA – Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, who enters his fifth year at the helm of the Volunteers, has been named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., announced Monday. Heupel is one of 26 head coaches nationally and eight SEC head coaches tabbed to the list. The Dodd Trophy celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, the award was established to honor the NCAA FBS head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.
The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program’s Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2025 season. Heupel, a two-time National Coach of the Year finalist, has guided Tennessee to its winningest three-year stretch since 1998-2000 with 30 victories during that span and berths in the 2022 Orange Bowl and 2024 College Football Playoff.
Heupel’s revival of the Volunteers has seen him produce a 37-15 overall record, 11 victories over Top 25 teams and three straight top-20 poll finishes. The 11 ranked wins are sixth nationally among FBS head coaches during that span and are already fifth in UT history. Heupel’s .712 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last five decades. His 37 wins are the third-most through the first four full seasons by a UT coach, trailing only Bill Battle (39 from 1970-73) and Phillip Fulmer (38 from 1993-96). The Vols’ on-field success has correlated in the classroom as Tennessee has shattered the program record for GPA in four consecutive fall semesters under Heupel. The Vols produced semester records for GPA in the fall of 2024 (3.18) and the spring of 2025 (3.25).
Heupel and the Vols will appear at SEC Media Day on Tuesday, July 15 in Atlanta, a city where UT opens its season against Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff Game on Aug. 30 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Vols begin practice on Wednesday, July 30.
2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List
Bret Bielema, Illinois
Jeff Brohm, Louisville
Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Mario Cristobal , Miami (Fla.)
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Spencer Danielson, Boise State
Ryan Day, Ohio State
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Eliah Drinkwitz, Mizzou
Mike Elko, Texas A&M
James Franklin, Penn State
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Brian Kelly, LSU
Brent Key, Georgia Tech
Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
Jeff Monken, Army
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis
Kalani Sitake, BYU
Kirby Smart, Georgia
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
