Wolverine Digest

Michigan's Jim Harbaugh Makes Preseason Watch List For Coveted Award

Entering his ninth season as head coach of the Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh is everything Michigan fans hoped he would be when he returned back in 2015.

Christopher Breiler

Entering his ninth season as head coach of the Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh is everything Michigan fans hoped he would be when he returned back in 2015. After years of coming up short by failing to beat Ohio State or compete in Indy for the Big Ten Championship, Harbaugh's Wolverines have gone on an incredible run over the last two seasons - beating Ohio State in back-to-back years, winning two consecutive Big Ten Championships and making two appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Jim Harbaugh

On top of all of the on-field success that is occurring in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh has built a culture within the program that is arguably the best in the nation. His coaching staff made up of a diverse group that have completely changed the environment within Schembechler Hall, and the players he's brought into the program are high-character guys who excel in the classroom and give back to their communities. 

Given how good things are in Ann Arbor, it's no surprise that Harbaugh was recently named to the Dodd Trophy watch list on Thursday. 

Per the Dodd Trophy press release:

Coaches named to this year's preseason watch list were required to have an APR higher than 980. Additionally, coaches in the first year with their current teams were not included as they are ineligible to receive The Dodd Trophy until their second year with their program.

"The Dodd Trophy is the most coveted coach of the year award because it holds coaches to a higher standard of commitment beyond their team's success on the field, but also to their involvement in the community and their student-athlete's achievements in the classroom," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Boddy Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "This is why we only consider coaches whose programs have earned an APR above 980, and also require coaches to have at least two years of experience leading their current programs, so that they have had time to establish a precedent, both on and off the field."

Harbaugh is joined by 20 other head coaches from around the country, including four other coaches from the Big Ten conference - Ryan Day (Ohio State), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), PJ Fleck (Minnesota), and Mel Tucker (Michigan State).

Here's a look at the full preseason watch list:

Big 12

  • Dave Aranda, Baylor 
  • Gus Malzahn, UCF 
  • Joey McGuire, Texas Tech 
  • Steve Sarkisian, Texas 
  • Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Big Ten 

  • Jim Harbaugh, Michigan 
  • Kirk Ferentz, Iowa 
  • P.J. Fleck, Minnesota 
  • Ryan Day, Ohio State 
  • Mel Tucker, Michigan State 

ACC

  • Mack Brown, North Carolina
  • Dave Clawson, Wake Forest 
  • Dave Doeren, NC - State 
  • Mike Norvell, Florida State
  • Dabo Swinney, Clemson 

SEC

  • Sam Pittman, Arkansas 
  • Nick Saban, Alabama 

Other

  • Andy Avalos, Boise State - Mountain West
  • Willie Fritz, Tulane - AAC
  • Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame - Independent
  • Kyle Whittingham, Utah - Pac-12
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Christopher Breiler
CHRISTOPHER BREILER

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