ATLANTA (Nov. 20, 2023) - Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today announced that Washington head football coach Kalen DeBoer has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Presented by PNC Bank.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award's three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
DeBoer led the Huskies to a 22-20 victory over No. 11 Oregon State in Corvallis to secure the program's 18th-straight win, which is now the second-longest active streak in the country behind only Georgia. Washington is now 11-0 for the second time in school history and has clinched a berth in the 2023 Pac-12 Football Championship Game on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, while wide receiver Rome Odunze finished the game with seven catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns, marking his seventh 100-yard receiving game of the season. The Husky defense also held the Beavers in check all night, forcing three turnovers led by Jabbar Muhammad's two interceptions.
"Coach DeBoer laid the foundation of success from the moment he stepped foot on Washington's campus," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "He prepared his team well to go up against a ranked Oregon State on the road in inclement weather and pull out the victory. Coach Dodd would have applauded his program's consistency and tenacity finding different ways to win games during this impressive 18-game win streak."
Now in his second year leading the Huskies, DeBoer is 22-2 as the head coach of Washington. In his first year at Washington, he led his team to an 11-2 overall record, including a 3-0 mark against ranked teams, earning him 2022 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year and the 2022 Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. DeBoer then became the first UW coach to win a bowl game in his first season with his win over Texas in the Valero Alamo Bowl. He previously served as head coach at Fresno State, and also spent time at Indiana, Eastern Michigan, Southern Illinois, Sioux Falls and Washington High School.
DeBoer's players have had continuous success in the classroom during his tenure, recording a 986 Academic Progress Rate and an 87 Graduation Success Rate during the 2022 season. The Graduation Success Rate measures the number of student-athletes who graduate from their school within six years of entering.
In the community, Washington's offensive linemen recently cleaned up the streets of Seattle as a part of their ongoing service projects in the city. In March 2022, DeBoer also spoke to fans and members of the community at the Kitsap Athletic Roundhouse in Kitsap County, Washington, where proceeds from the event supported youth and amateur athletics in Kitsap.
"Coach DeBoer has taken his teams at Washington to new heights, both on and off the field," said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President, Gary Stokan. "The fact that two years in he already has Washington positioned atop the Pac-12 standings and has the Huskies in CFP contention speaks volumes to the type of job he's done thus far in Seattle."
The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank – 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 2023 season. The winner of the 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
