BLACKSBURG –Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente is one of only 20 head coaches named to the 2018 Dodd Trophy Watch List, the award's committee announced on Wednesday.
The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy.
Fuente is one of three ACC head coaches on the list, joining Miami's Mark Richt and Clemson's Dabo Swinney. This year marks the second consecutive season that Fuente has been tabbed to the Dodd Trophy Watch List.
Fuente enters his third season as head coach at Virginia Tech after leading the Hokies to their second consecutive season with nine-plus victories. The 2016 ACC Coach of the Year, Fuente is one of only six FBS head coaches whose teams have eclipsed nine or more wins over the past four seasons, joining Nick Saban (Alabama), Bryan Harsin (Boise State), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and Mark Richt (Miami). Fuente's 19 wins in his first two seasons in Blacksburg are a program record.
The Hokies enter the 2018 season seeking to extend a streak of 25 straight bowl appearances – the longest active streak recognized by the NCAA. The Hokies finished the 2017 season ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25, marking the first time since 2010 and 2011 that Tech has finished in the final AP poll in back-to-back seasons. The Hokies were also ranked in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, checking in at No. 25.
