Eli Drinkwitz earns spot on Dodd Trophy midseason watch list

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The leader of the No. 19 Mizzou football program is in the running for a prestigious college football honor. The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation has announced head coach Eli Drinkwitz made the cut for the 2024 Dodd Trophy's midseason watch list.

The Dodd Trophy is considered to be college football's most-coveted national coaching award. It is given to a head coach who achieves success on the football field while emphasizing the three pillars of hall-of-fame inductee Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy: scholarship, leadership and integrity. A panel judges the winner based on a variety of criteria, including each program's graduation rate, Graduation Success Rate (GSR), Academic Progress Rate (APR), community service and on-field success.

"The 2024 season has already been filled with historic upsets, thrilling comebacks and outstanding performances from coaches and players alike," Jim Terry, the chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, said in Thursday's press release. "The coaches named to our list have begun to set themselves apart, but their successes go beyond results on the field and extend to the communities they serve and through their commitment to academic excellence."

The Dodd Trophy's panelists will narrow their midseason watch list, which features 20 different head coaches, down to a small group of finalists at the end of the regular season. The winner will be announced at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 1, 2025.