Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Communications
ATLANTA (December 30, 2015) – Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz has been named the winner of the 2015 Dodd Trophy.
Presented annually by the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted coaching award, honors the head football coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field throughout the season.
“On behalf of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, we congratulate Coach Kirk Ferentz,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Dodd Foundation. “His success on and off the field this season made our decision an easy one. He represents the pinnacle of coaching achievement and loyalty and has built a program that is admired by many throughout the country. His leadership has prepared a community of young men to be leaders in the world, ensuring that Coach Dodd’s legacy will continue for generations to come.”
“It is an honor to be recognized with the Dodd Trophy, knowing what this award represents in college football on a national level,” said Kirk Ferentz, head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. I appreciate the recognition for the hard work of our entire coaching staff and every member of our football program and appreciate the acknowledgment of our accomplishments. I am honored to share this recognition with our staff, our players and our great fans and am grateful to the University of Iowa for providing the necessary support for our success.”
Ferentz has been very involved in his local community, having served as the honorary chair of the University of Iowa’s United Way campaign and currently serving on the National Advisory Board of the Bethesda Family Services Foundation. He and his wife, Mary, have given multiple major financial gifts to the University of Iowa, including a $400,000 gift to the University’s College of Liberal Arts and University’s Children’s Hospital and a $100,000 gift to the University’s College of Liberal Arts. They have also served as advocates for the Children’s Hospital across the state by hosting and speaking at events to raise support for UI Children’s Hospital, to their personal generosity in establishing the “Ferentz Family Pediatric Research and Education Endowment Fund” in 2007.
With a head coach leading by example, members of the Hawkeye squad have also thrived in the community. A crucial component of character building for the Hawkeyes is community service. From 2013 to 2015, the Iowa football team combined for more than 1,500 community service hours. That includes May 2—one of the most anticipated events of the year—when Camp Courageous, a year-round camp for individuals of all ages with disabilities, makes its trek to the Stew and LeNore Hansen Football Performance Center in Iowa City.
While Ferentz has guided the Iowa program to great success on the field, the Hawkeyes have also made their mark in the classroom. In the most recent release on academic standings, Iowa’s football team compiled a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) that ranked above the national average. The 2014-15 Academic Progress Report (APR) showed a score of 966 for Iowa football, a score that ranked 10 points above the national average for football programs.
In addition, defensive back Jordan Lomax was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America second team. The senior who finished third on the team in tackles earned academic All-Big Ten honors each of the past two seasons. Lomax carries a 3.49 GPA, has been a member of Iowa’s Leadership Group the past three seasons and was named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week in November. The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
“We’re proud to present college football’s most prestigious coaching award, and strongly believe in the tenets it represents,” added Gary Stokan, president and CEO of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. “Coach Ferentz has long exhibited the ideals that are emblematic of Coach Dodd – scholarship, leadership and integrity – so we are honored to recognize him and the impact he has had on his student-athletes and in the Iowa City community.”
On the field, Ferentz led the No. 5 Hawkeyes to a 12-1 season in 2015, highlighted by Iowa’s first undefeated regular season since 1922 and a berth in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1991.
Completing his 17th year as head coach, Ferentz is the longest-tenured head coach in the Big Ten and has guided the Hawkeyes to 127 wins over that time. Iowa has now reached a bowl game in 13 of those years and Ferentz’s six bowl victories put him in a tie for third all-time among Big Ten coaches.
Six of the nation’s top head coaches (Mark Dantonio, Kirk Ferentz, Jim McElwain, Ken Niumatalolo, David Shaw and Dabo Swinney) were named finalists for this year’s award by a panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member. Ferentz was selected as this year’s recipient by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation.
Presented annually by the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, The Dodd Trophy, college football’s most coveted coaching award, honors the head football coach whose program embodies the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, while also having success on the playing field throughout the season.
“On behalf of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, we congratulate Coach Kirk Ferentz,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Dodd Foundation. “His success on and off the field this season made our decision an easy one. He represents the pinnacle of coaching achievement and loyalty and has built a program that is admired by many throughout the country. His leadership has prepared a community of young men to be leaders in the world, ensuring that Coach Dodd’s legacy will continue for generations to come.”
“It is an honor to be recognized with the Dodd Trophy, knowing what this award represents in college football on a national level,” said Kirk Ferentz, head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. I appreciate the recognition for the hard work of our entire coaching staff and every member of our football program and appreciate the acknowledgment of our accomplishments. I am honored to share this recognition with our staff, our players and our great fans and am grateful to the University of Iowa for providing the necessary support for our success.”
Ferentz has been very involved in his local community, having served as the honorary chair of the University of Iowa’s United Way campaign and currently serving on the National Advisory Board of the Bethesda Family Services Foundation. He and his wife, Mary, have given multiple major financial gifts to the University of Iowa, including a $400,000 gift to the University’s College of Liberal Arts and University’s Children’s Hospital and a $100,000 gift to the University’s College of Liberal Arts. They have also served as advocates for the Children’s Hospital across the state by hosting and speaking at events to raise support for UI Children’s Hospital, to their personal generosity in establishing the “Ferentz Family Pediatric Research and Education Endowment Fund” in 2007.
With a head coach leading by example, members of the Hawkeye squad have also thrived in the community. A crucial component of character building for the Hawkeyes is community service. From 2013 to 2015, the Iowa football team combined for more than 1,500 community service hours. That includes May 2—one of the most anticipated events of the year—when Camp Courageous, a year-round camp for individuals of all ages with disabilities, makes its trek to the Stew and LeNore Hansen Football Performance Center in Iowa City.
While Ferentz has guided the Iowa program to great success on the field, the Hawkeyes have also made their mark in the classroom. In the most recent release on academic standings, Iowa’s football team compiled a Graduation Success Rate (GSR) that ranked above the national average. The 2014-15 Academic Progress Report (APR) showed a score of 966 for Iowa football, a score that ranked 10 points above the national average for football programs.
In addition, defensive back Jordan Lomax was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America second team. The senior who finished third on the team in tackles earned academic All-Big Ten honors each of the past two seasons. Lomax carries a 3.49 GPA, has been a member of Iowa’s Leadership Group the past three seasons and was named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week in November. The Lott Trophy is the first and only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player.
“We’re proud to present college football’s most prestigious coaching award, and strongly believe in the tenets it represents,” added Gary Stokan, president and CEO of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. “Coach Ferentz has long exhibited the ideals that are emblematic of Coach Dodd – scholarship, leadership and integrity – so we are honored to recognize him and the impact he has had on his student-athletes and in the Iowa City community.”
On the field, Ferentz led the No. 5 Hawkeyes to a 12-1 season in 2015, highlighted by Iowa’s first undefeated regular season since 1922 and a berth in the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1991.
Completing his 17th year as head coach, Ferentz is the longest-tenured head coach in the Big Ten and has guided the Hawkeyes to 127 wins over that time. Iowa has now reached a bowl game in 13 of those years and Ferentz’s six bowl victories put him in a tie for third all-time among Big Ten coaches.
Six of the nation’s top head coaches (Mark Dantonio, Kirk Ferentz, Jim McElwain, Ken Niumatalolo, David Shaw and Dabo Swinney) were named finalists for this year’s award by a panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member. Ferentz was selected as this year’s recipient by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation.