ALLEN SELECTED DODD TROPHY FINALIST

ALLEN SELECTED DODD TROPHY FINALIST

Credit Source: Indiana University Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Tom Allen has been selected as one of five finalists for the Dodd Trophy, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl announced on Tuesday afternoon. Allen is also a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award.

Finalists include five of the nation’s top coaches in college football who embody the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, both on and off the field.

One former winner of The Dodd Trophy was named a finalist as Brian Kelly (2018) was selected to this year’s list. This represents Pat Fitzgerald’s third selection as a finalist (2017 and 2018), while Allen, Matt Campbell and Luke Fickell are finalists for the first time.

“This has been an unprecedented year, but these five coaches have found a way to overcome numerous challenges by leading their teams to successful seasons,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “Each of these coaches have left a significant mark on their respective programs, both on and off the field, and truly embody the guiding principles that this award stand for.”

Allen was named the Big Ten’s Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (coaches vote) and Dave McClain Coach of the Year (media vote) last week. He was also recognized as the American Football Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year, and he is a candidate for the Dodd Trophy and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards.

The Hoosiers are ranked No. 7 in the country with a 6-1 record and will face Ole Miss in the 35th Outback Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 2.

Below are some of the program’s notable 2020 achievements:

•Indiana is playing in consecutive January bowls for the first time in school history.
•IU is ranked for a program record ninth-consecutive week, coming in at No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 and at No. 8 in the Amway Coaches Poll presented by USA Today Sports.
•The Hoosiers have been ranked in the Top 10 six times in 2020, the second-most in school history (9 weeks in 1945).
•Indiana collected its first Top-10 ranking in the Nov. 8 AP Poll (No. 10) since Sept. 22, 1969 (No. 10).
•IU’s No. 7 rating is its best in the AP Poll since Nov. 27, 1967 (No. 4).
•The Hoosiers three Top-25 victories are tied for the second-most in the country behind Alabama’s four.
•Their three Top-25 wins also matched the 1945 team’s program record.
•Indiana’s 6-1 record is its best overall start since 1993 (7-1).
•IU is 14-6 overall and 11-5 in league play since the beginning of the 2019 campaign. Its 14 victories share fourth and its 11 Big Ten wins share third among all B1G teams during that span.
•With their victory over Maryland, the Hoosiers clinched a winning league record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1987-88 and for the sixth time overall (1967-68, 1944-46 and 1936-37).
•Indiana’s six conference wins are tied for the most in school history (1967, 1987).
•IU’s 11 Big Ten victories are tied for the most in program history over a two-year span (1987-88).
•The Hoosiers collected their first win over No. 16 Wisconsin (14-6) since defeating the Badgers in back-to-back seasons on Oct. 6, 2001 (63-32) and on Oct. 12, 2002 (32-29), the former coming at Camp Randall Stadium.
•Indiana recorded its first road victory over a ranked opponent since No. 18 Missouri on Sept. 20, 2014 (31-27), and its first B1G road win over a ranked opponent since No. 22 Michigan State on Nov. 10, 2001 (37-28).
•Wisconsin’s six points marked its lowest total against IU since Oct. 24, 1992 (3), and it was U-W’s first game without a touchdown since Oct. 3, 2015, against Iowa.
•The Hoosiers matched a school record with five-straight league victories (1967) before losing at No. 3 Ohio State and have won 11 of their last 14, their most successful stretch in conference games in program history.
•Indiana defeated Michigan State, 24-0, to reclaim the Old Brass Spittoon for the first time since 2016 and earn its first win in East Lansing since 2001.
•IU’s 38-21 victory over No. 23 Michigan was its first over the Wolverines since Oct. 24, 1987 (14-10).
•The Hoosiers 36-35, overtime win against No. 8 Penn State in the season opener was the sixth against a Top-10 opponent in school history, with the last coming at No. 9 Ohio State (31-10) on Oct. 10, 1987.
•It marked Indiana’s first Top-10 victory at Memorial Stadium since Nov. 25, 1967 (No. 3 Purdue, 19-14).
•IU has defeated PSU, U-M, MSU and UW in the same season for the first time in program history and beaten the Wolverines and Spartans in the same year for the first time since 1967.

“The Dodd Trophy is the sport’s most coveted coach of the year award because it looks holistically at all aspects of what a coach’s position should entail,” said Gary Stokan, Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & president. “These five finalists have set themselves apart due to their success on the football field and in the classroom with their student-athletes, as well as their work in the communities they call home.”

Finalists were selected by a panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member. The winner of the 2020 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during bowl week at this year’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

About the Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd’s teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football’s legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found atwww.TheDoddTrophy.com. For news, updates and insider information, follow us on Twitter at @DoddTrophy or find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/DoddTrophy.

About Peach Bowl, Inc.
Peach Bowl, Inc. operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, one of the New Year’s Six Bowls selected to host the College Football Playoff. The Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the country, with 52 percent of its games being decided by a touchdown or less. Peach Bowl, Inc. has disbursed $280.7 million in team payouts over its 53-year history. Peach Bowl, Inc. also leads all other bowl game organizations in charitable and scholarship contributions, having donated or committed $57.2 million to organizations in need since 2002. Peach Bowl, Inc. also created and manages the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, manages The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award and led the relocation and financial foundation of the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta. For more information, visit Chick-fil-APeachBowl.com or follow us on Twitter at @CFAPeachBowl and find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CFAPeachBowl.