Larry Fedora Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week
Fedora recognized for success on the field, as well as the classroom and community.
ATLANTA (October 4, 2016) – Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that North Carolina Head Football Coach Larry Fedora has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
The Dodd Coach of the Week Award honors the football coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field during the previous week.
“Any time your team can go on the road and snap a 22-game home winning streak, it certainly qualifies as an impressive feat of coaching and Coach Fedora did just that this weekend,” said Jim Terry, Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “Coach Fedora continues his success both on and off the field during his tenure at North Carolina and is a deserving honoree for this week’s award.”
North Carolina traveled to Tallahassee to face the No. 12-ranked Florida State Seminoles as double-digit underdogs. While the Tar Heels led most of the game, Florida State took a late lead before North Carolina kicker Nick Weiler drilled a career-long 54-yard field goal as time expired. The win, North Carolina’s fourth straight, catapulted the Tar Heels back into the AP Top 25 Poll, coming in at No. 17 following Week 5.
Fedora is coming off one of the best seasons in Tar Heel history, winning 11 straight games a year ago and earning a birth in the ACC Championship. His on-the-field success has been matched in the classroom as North Carolina earned an impressive Academic Progress Rate score of 952 last year.
Since arriving in Chapel Hill, Coach Fedora has also done his best to give back to the local community. He hosts an annual charity golf tournament that raises money for the Volunteers for Youth organization. This off-season, he also held an event to benefit the Fisher DeBerry Foundation, as well as the Federation of Christian Athletes.
“The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl is excited to honor Coach Fedora after such an impressive road win,” said Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Chairman Percy Vaughn. “Coach Fedora joins a renowned list of honorees for this prestigious award and we wish him continued success this season.”
The annual Dodd Trophy – along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award – celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
The winner of the 2016 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week. A panel consisting of all 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 2016 season.
Fedora joins Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), Bret Bielema (Arkansas), Urban Meyer (Ohio State), and Gus Malzahn (Auburn) as previous Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week honorees.
About The Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd’s teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football’s legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player. Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at www.bobbydoddfoundation.com.
