ATLANTA (Oct. 24, 2024) – The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, PNC Bank and Peach Bowl, Inc. will celebrate former Duke Head Coach Fred Goldsmith's 30th anniversary of winning the national coaching award on Oct. 26 at the Blue Devils' home football game against SMU. Representatives will honor Goldsmith during the first half with an on-field presentation at Wallace Wade Stadium.
 
The Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank is the most coveted national Coach of the Year award in college football and celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also representing programs with the highest ideals of scholarship, leadership and integrity on and off the field – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's philosophy.
 
Coach Goldsmith was awarded The Dodd Trophy in 1994 during his first season at Duke after leading the Blue Devils to an 8-4 season that was capped off with the program's second bowl bid since 1961. During that season, Goldsmith's Blue Devils strung together seven straight wins and spent six consecutive weeks in the AP Top 25 poll.
 
"Coach Goldsmith had an immediate impact on the Duke football program, leading the Blue Devils to their first winning season in five years," said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. "It's an honor to celebrate Coach Goldsmith's 30th anniversary of winning The Dodd Trophy on Saturday in front of the Blue Devil faithful."
 
"Coach Goldsmith had a standout team and season in 1994," said Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan. "His leadership and style of play led us to select him as the recipient of this prestigious award and now it's an honor to go back to Durham and recognize his accomplishments from that season."
 
Since 2014, officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. have celebrated the major anniversaries of previous winners of The Dodd Trophy by honoring them during a game on their campus. Coaches such as Vince Dooley (Georgia), Bobby Bowden (Florida State), Bobby Ross (Georgia Tech), Dick Sheridan (NC State), George Welsh (Virginia), Dick MacPherson (Syracuse), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech), Ralph Friedgen (Maryland), Bill Snyder (Kansas State), Lloyd Carr (Michigan), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Ken Hatfield (Air Force), Tom Osborne (Nebraska), Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin) and Paul Johnson (Navy) were all recognized at their respective schools.
 
The winner of the 2024 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during bowl week of this year's College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. 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.