Clemson University Head Coach Dabo Swinney Named Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year for 2011

ATLANTA (Dec. 31) – Officials of the The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award Foundation, Inc.  announced during halftime of the Chick-fil-A Bowl that Clemson University  Head Football Coach Dabo Swinney was unanimously selected as the 2011 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year presented by the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

“Everyone associated with the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation is thrilled at the selection of Coach Swinney for this prestigious coaching award,” said Jim Terry, Chairman of the  Dodd Foundation. “Coach Swinney has an outstanding reputation, and we respect his leadership on the field, as well as the many accomplishments of the team in the classroom and in life. He definitely fulfills the stringent requirements set for the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. Congratulations, Coach Swinney.   And, congratulations to the entire Clemson University football team, staff, administration, students and fans.”

“We are excited and proud to be associated with this prestigious coaching award, and we are thrilled at the selection of Coach Swinney as the winner of the 2011 Dodd Trophy,” added Gary Stokan, president of the Chick-fil-A Bowl.  “He is an impressive, enthusiastic and successful young coach who has exhibited strong leadership, scholarship and integrity skills in all his coaching experiences.”

The annual Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year winner, presented by the Chick-fil-A Bowl,  is determined by votes from all previous recipients of the award, plus  votes from members of a blue-ribbon panel made up from the “who’s who” in college football.

In addition to a successful 10-3 season and a trip to the Orange Bowl on January 4, the Clemson football program has been honored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for its Graduation  Success  Rate (GSR).  Coach Swinney’s program is one of  the top institutions nationally with a GSR of at least  75 percent.  This marks the fourth time that Clemson has achieved this academic recognition.

The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Division 1 football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year 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.

The formal presentation of the 2011 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Chick-fil-A Bowl, to Coach Dabo Swinney will be made on the Clemson University campus in March 2012.

Additional information about the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation can be found at bobbydoddfoundation.