ATLANTA (Oct. 1, 2024) - 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 stunned No. 6 Ole Miss with a 20-17 victory on Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. Late in the game the Wildcats were backed up to their own 20 facing a fourth down with the game on the line. Kentucky junior quarterback Brock Vandagriff then converted on a 63-yard bomb to Barion Brown to put the Wildcats in scoring position. Two plays later, the Wildcats found the end zone to score the final points of the game when Ole Miss later failed on a 48-yard field goal attempt as time expired. The Kentucky defense held the high-powered Ole Miss offense to a season-low 17 points and 92 rushing yards. Vandagriff meanwhile had a career night that included 18 completed passes and 243 yards in the air to help cap off the victory for Kentucky. It marked just the fifth time in program history where the Wildcats beat a team ranked in the nation's top six.

"Coach Stoops and the Wildcats put on one of the best defensive performances of the season," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "The fact that he has now received this honor three times in the past year is a testament to what he's doing with the Kentucky football program."

Now in his 12th season at Kentucky, Stoops has the longest tenure of any coach in school history and the longest term of any active coach in the Southeastern Conference. He is the all-time winningest head coach in the history of the Kentucky football program and also holds school records for wins, home wins, SEC wins and wins over ranked opponents.

Off the football field, Stoops' players have had success in the classroom during his tenure, recording a 973 Academic Progress Rate and a 69 Graduation Success Rate during the 2023 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 is a supporter of the Kentucky Children's Hospital, helping raise more than $500,000 annually. Stoops has raised more than $2 million in support of 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 welcoming environment for patients and their families.

"Coach Stoops continues to set new milestones at Kentucky each season and has become a staple when it comes to being named a Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week," said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan. "He's built a lasting culture around the Kentucky football program and continues to strive to reach new heights both on and off the field."

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 2024 season. The winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.