Josh Heupel named to 2026 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list

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Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel was named to the 2026 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List.

He is one of 20 coaches to be recognized on the list, released by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl, Inc.

The award, which is managed by the Peach Bowl, Inc., the Dodd Trophy is college football’s most coveted coaching award. It celebrates a head coach of a team that enjoys success on the field, while also emphasizing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity, the three pillars of Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.

The award was established to honor the NCAA Bowl Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.

Heupel, who is entering his sixth season as the Vols’ head coach and ninth as a NCAA FBS head coach, has a record of 45-20 in Knoxville. Tennessee was 29-31 in five seasons prior to his arrival. In nine years as a head coach, Heupel has recorded a .723 winning percentage (73-28) and ranks 10th nationally among active FBS head coaches with a minimum of three seasons coached.

Academically, Tennessee posted a 3.26 team GPA in the fall of 2025, following with a 3.28 GPA during the spring semester in 2026.

Heupel is one of six SEC coaches on the 2026 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch list, joining Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Kirby Smart (Georgia), Brent Venables (Oklahoma), Mike Elko (Texas A&M) and Kalen DeBoer (Alabama).

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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Josh Heupel named to 2026 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list

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