Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl have announced the finalists for the 2015 Dodd Trophy. Finalists include six of the nation’s top coaches in college football.

“The head coaches named as finalists represent programs with the highest ideals of scholarship,  leadership, and integrity on and off the field – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy,” said Gary Stokan, President and CEO of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. “Each of the finalists sits at the helm of programs with winning records, the nation’s top APR scores and graduation rates, and a strong commitment to community service.”

 “We’re honored to recognize these head coaches whose teams have enjoyed successful football seasons, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character,” said Jim Terry, Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “The Dodd Trophy celebrates all aspects of the football program, not just on-field success, and our finalists have certainly knocked it out of the park.”

This year’s finalists represent five conferences and have combined for a 2015 record of 67-9. Overall, the six coaches have a combined 58 years of head coaching experience and 469 wins between them. 2015 Dodd Trophy Finalists:

Coach	School	CFP Ranking	14-15 APR
Mark Dantonio	Michigan State	No. 3	973
Kirk Ferentz	Iowa	No. 5	966
Jim McElwain	Florida	No. 19	971
Ken Niumatalolo	Navy	No. 21	974
David Shaw	Stanford	No. 6	987
Dabo Swinney	Clemson	No. 1	984

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 ultimate winner of the 2015 Dodd Trophy will be selected from the list of finalists by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, and will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.