FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas head football coach Sam Pittman has been named to the preseason watch list for the Dodd Trophy.
The Head Hog is one of 20 coaches included on the watch list for the national award, which is handed out to the FBS head coach who enjoys success on the gridiron while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd’s coaching philosophy.
The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc., taking into consideration each program’s graduation rate, commitment to service and charity in the community, projected success for the upcoming season and Academic Progress Rate (APR).
Pittman enters the 2022 campaign on the heels of one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Razorbacks won nine games in 2021, including all three of the program’s trophy games for the first time in history in addition to the Outback Bowl, after totaling just eight wins in the three seasons prior to his return to The Hill.
Arkansas rose to as high as No. 8 in the AP poll – the team’s highest ranking since 2011 – and checked in at No. 21 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, tying the Razorbacks’ highest-ever ranking from the committee and marking their first time finishing the season in the Top 25 since the CFP’s inception in 2014.
A midseason watch list – adding to or narrowing the field – will be released in the fall. A panel consisting of previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2022 season. The winner of the 2022 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Pittman and the Razorbacks open the season at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, against Cincinnati on ESPN. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by clicking here or by calling the Razorback Ticket Center at (479) 575-5151.
