Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
No. 21 Texas A&M beat fourth-ranked Florida 41-38 on Seth Small’s 26-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. The Aggies were led by running back Isaiah Spiller’s 174 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Kellen Mond became Texas A&M’s all-time leader in career passing yards after a 338-yard performance. The victory over No. 4 Florida is Texas A&M’s first win over a top-five team since defeating No. 3 Auburn in 2014 and the first top-five win at Kyle Field since knocking off No. 1 Oklahoma during the 2002 season.
“This was a marquee victory for the Texas A&M football program and one of Jimbo Fisher’s biggest wins since arriving in College Station,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “After a tough loss, Coach Dodd knew how important it was to over-prepare his teams for the next game. Coach Fisher clearly had the Aggies refocused and ready for the Gators.”
Jimbo Fisher is one of only six active head coaches to win the national championship and ranks as the third-winningest active head coach in the Power Five. Fisher was hired at Texas A&M on Dec. 4, 2017 after eight successful seasons at Florida State, which included the 2013 BCS National Championship. His .775 career winning percentage ranks top five among active head coaches (with a minimum five years).
Off of the football field, Fisher has been instrumental in leading the Aggies in the classroom, boasting an impressive Academic Progress Rate of 965. This past season, he also had 20 members of the football team named to the 2019 Fall Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll.
In the community, Fisher has been very active with his foundation Kidz1stFund. The non-profit was founded in 2011 to raise awareness and funds to find a cure for Fanconi anemia, a rare blood disorder that affects thousands, including Fisher’s youngest son, Ethan. Providing funds to the doctors and researchers is crucial to making this goal a reality, which is why Fisher is committed that 100 percent of the funds donated will go directly toward research. Kidz1stFund also hosts bone marrow donor drives throughout the year, has registered more than 7,000 new potential donors into the National Marrow Donor Registry and has had at least 10 matches go on to save a life. In total, the organization has now raised almost 10 million for FA research since its creation.
“Coach Fisher’s resume on the football field speaks for itself, but it’s his work outside of football that has made a lasting impact both with his student-athletes and in the community,” said Gary Stokan, CEO and president of Peach Bowl, Inc. “His Kidz1stFund foundation is already saving lives and is truly making a difference for thousands of people with Fanconi anemia.”
The Dodd Trophy presented by the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – 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.
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 2020 season. The winner of the 2020 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of this year’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
