James Franklin makes midseason coach of the year watch list

Although the last game he coached resulted in a loss, Penn State head coach James Franklin has succeeded enough this season to earn some praise midway through the college football season. On Thursday, Franklin was included on a list of midseason coach of the year candidates by The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl.

Franklin was one of 16 college football coaches named to the midseason watch list for The Dodd Trophy, which is one of the coach of the year awards in college football.

Franklin was originally part of the preseason watch list released by The Dodd Trophy over the summer leading up to the start of the 2021 season.

The Dodd Trophy was first awarded in 1976 to Georgia head coach Vince Dooley. Penn State’s Joe Paterno is one of two coaches to ever win the award twice. Paterno won the Dodd Trophy in 1981 and again in 2005. Kansas State’s Bill Snyder is the only other two-time winner of the award.

2021 Midseason Dodd Trophy Watch List

• Jamey Chadwell, Coastal Carolina

• Dave Clawson, Wake Forest

• Mario Cristobal, Oregon

• Ryan Day, Ohio State

• Dave Doeren, NC State

• Kirk Ferentz, Iowa

• Luke Fickell, Cincinnati

• Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M

• James Franklin, Penn State

• Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

• Brian Kelly, Notre Dame

• Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma

• Nick Saban, Alabama

• Kirby Smart, Georgia

• Mark Stoops, Kentucky

• Mel Tucker, Michigan State

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