Announced Tuesday, Colorado State Head Football Coach Mike Bobo has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
The Dodd Trophy 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 and is named via officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
Coach Bobo and the Rams claimed their first win of the season against Arkansas in Fort Collins on Saturday. Colorado State rallied in the second half to overcome a 27-9 deficit late in the third quarter with 25 unanswered points and the game-winning touchdown with only eight seconds remaining in the game. The victory represented the Rams’ third win in school history against current SEC programs.
“A comeback like this against a Power Five opponent only happens with the right type of coaching and leadership,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “Coach Bobo is the type of coach who exemplifies the dedication and attitude necessary to lead young men on the field.”
Mike Bobo was named CSU’s 22nd head coach in 2014, after spending 14 years at the University of Georgia under former Head Coach Mark Richt as both a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. At CSU, Bobo has become the first head coach in CSU history to lead the Rams to a bowl game in each of his first three seasons. During his first three years in Fort Collins, the Rams’ offense has been explosive posting three of the top seven seasons in school history for total yards and scoring. The 2017 Rams ranked 11th in all of FBS in total offense (492.5).
The 2018 season started with an unexpected obstacle for Coach Bobo. Just two weeks before the season-opener, Mike Bobo was hospitalized for peripheral neuropathy. Bobo experienced numbness in his feet after a team scrimmage on Aug. 11. After undergoing multi-day medical testing and treatment, Bobo was able to return to the sidelines for the first game of the season against Hawaii on Aug. 25.
“This is just a great example of leadership in the face of adversity,” said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO & President Gary Stokan. “Coach Bobo led his team to a victory when the odds were stacked against them, all while battling his own health issues. Coach Dodd would have been proud.”
In addition to his efforts on the field, Bobo has helped lead his program academically with an Academic Progress Rating (APR) score of 970 last season. The Rams represented the fourth-highest score in the Mountain West Conference.
Bobo also actively contributes to RamStrength, a foundation created by former CSU Head Coach Sonny Lubick. The foundation supports local cancer survivors by providing financial assistance for basic needs, scholarships, programs and services.
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 2018 season. The winner of the 2018 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Week.
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.TheDoddTrophy.com.