COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz and Illinois coach Bret Bielema were among the 26 coaches named to a preseason watchlist for the Dodd Trophy, which is awarded annually to the best head coach in college football.
This is the second year in a row that Drinkwitz has received the nod from the Dodd Trophy. Though he wasn't a preseason candidate in 2023, he wound up a finalist for the award that season.
Bielema did not make the list in 2024.
The SEC placed eight of its 16 head coaches on the watchlist, including Drinkwitz.