ATLANTA (Nov. 27, 2023) - Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today announced that Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops 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.

Stoops and the Wildcats captured their fifth-straight Governor's Cup victory with a 38-31 win over in-state rival No. 10 Louisville on Saturday at Cardinal Stadium. It marked Kentucky's 20th consecutive win against regular-season non-conference opponents, which is the second-longest active streak in the nation behind only Georgia with 24. Kentucky wide receiver Barion Brown returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, while running back Ray Davis broke free for a go-ahead, 37-yard touchdown run with 1:02 remaining and caught two second-half touchdowns to lead the Wildcats. Defensive back Jordan Lovett then made the game-clinching interception with two seconds left to secure the victory for Kentucky.

Earlier this season, Stoops was also named The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week when the Wildcats defeated No. 22 Florida in October.

"Coach Stoops and the Wildcats pulled off a massive upset on the road against their biggest rival this weekend," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "The fact that Stoops has now received this honor twice in one season is a testament to the job he's done building the Kentucky football program into a consistent winner."

In his 11th season in Lexington, Stoops is the all-time winningest head coach in the history of the Kentucky football program with a 73-64 record, including a 4-3 mark in bowl games. The Wildcats now end the regular season with a winning record for the seventh time in the last eight years under Stoops.

Stoops' players have had continuous success in the classroom during his tenure, recording a 970 Academic Progress Rate and an 88 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, Stoops and his staff are a part of The Coaches for Kids Foundation, which is dedicated to creating partnerships to support the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital. Coach Stoops has helped raise more than $2 million to support the KCH and the creation of the "Hall of Champions" – a hallway within the hospital dedicated to UK football and other Kentucky athletes that offers a fun and welcoming environment for patients and their families. 

"Coach Stoops has continuously strived for excellence during his 11 years in Lexington, both on and off the field," said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President, Gary Stokan. "After capturing the program's fifth-consecutive Governor's Cup victory and the program's seventh winning season in the last eight years, coach Stoops is most certainly a worthy recipient to have received this honor multiple times this season."

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.