Ole Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin has been given high recognition ahead of the upcoming season.
The fifth-year frontman was named one of 21 head coaches on the 2024 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list. The Dodd Trophy highlights the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also emphasizing the importance of scholarship, leadership, and integrity – the three pillars of the late 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 academic progress rate (APR), graduation success rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2024 campaign.
Kiffin has led Ole Miss to four consecutive bowl berths, including two New Year’s Six appearances, and boasts an overall record of 34-15 with the Rebels. He catapulted Ole Miss to the program’s winningest season in history in 2023, cementing an 11-2 overall record with a Peach Bowl victory over Penn State. The program’s lone pair of 10-win regular seasons (2021 and 2023) have occurred under Kiffin’s leadership.
Looking ahead, Ole Miss is projected to have one of the best, if not the best, campaigns the program has ever experienced. Kiffin and company took to the transfer portal in the offseason to land some of the hottest commodities in the sport, including top-ranked defensive tackle transfer Walter Nolen out of Texas A&M. The new talent was brought in to pair with returning veterans, such as senior quarterback Jaxson Dart and standout wide receiver Tre Harris as well as newcomers from the high school ranks to construct a roster suited to compete in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
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The full Dodd Trophy preseason watchlist includes:
- Jeff Brohm (Louisville)
- Mario Cristobal (Miami)
- Ryan Day (Ohio State)
- Dave Doeren (NC State)
- Eliah Drinkwitz (Missouri)
- Kirk Ferentz (Iowa)
- James Franklin (Penn State)
- Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame)
- Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
- Josh Heupel (Tennessee)
- Brian Kelly (LSU)
- Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)
- Chris Klieman (Kansas State)
- Lance Leipold (Kansas)
- Mike Norvell (Florida State)
- Brent Pry (Virginia Tech)
- Lincoln Riley (USC)
- Steve Sarkisian (Texas)
- Kirby Smart (Georgia)
- Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
- Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
The 21 coaches have combined for four national championships and 39 FBS conference titles while simultaneously securing 2,135 career wins.
A midseason watch list will be released in the fall, adding to or narrowing the field of candidates. The winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta, Ga. during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
