Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker on Dodd Trophy preseason watchlist
Michigan State football head coach Mel Tucker has been added to the preseason watchlist for the 2023 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.
The Bobby Dodd Trophy is awarded annually to the coach whose team "enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity."
The first winner of the award was Georgia's Vince Dooley in 1976. Zero MSU coaches have won the award. The award is voted on by a selection committee consisting of industry experts and previous recipients. Winners of the last two are ineligible along with first-year head coaches at their current program.
Tucker enters his fourth season at the helm of Michigan State. After 32 career games with the Spartans, he has a record of 18-14. Of course, the most successful season of his head coaching career thus far came in 2021, when he led MSU to an 11-2 overall record and a Peach Bowl victory over Pittsburgh. Prior to his time as the head man in East Lansing, Tucker spent the 2019 season as head coach of Colorado, and the Buffaloes went 5-7 that year.
Last year's winner of the award was Tulane head coach Willie Fritz.
Also added to the watchlist includes Baylor's Dave Aranda, Boise State's Andy Avalos, North Carolina's Mack Brown, Wake Forest's Dave Clawson, Ohio State's Ryan Day, NC State's Dave Doeren, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Minnesota's P.J. Fleck, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Tulane's Fritz, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, UCF's Gus Malzahn, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire, Florida State's Mike Norvell, Arkansas' Sam Pittman, Alabama's Nick Saban, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, Oklahoma's Brent Venables and Utah's Kyle Whittingham.
It's unclear as to why Fritz was added to the watchlist despite him being ineligible per the award's own rules.