ATLANTA (Jan. 9, 2026) – The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will induct four members into this year's Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame including former college football head coaches Ralph Friedgen, Nick Saban and Tommy Tuberville, along with Peach Bowl, Inc. CEO and President Gary Stokan.
Established in 2002, the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame honors former players, coaches and contributors, as well as staff and volunteers, who have had a significant impact on the Bowl during its 58-year history.
Ralph Friedgen delivered one of the most remarkable program turnarounds of his era, compiling a 75-50 record over 10 seasons as head coach at Maryland and elevating the Terrapins back onto the national stage. Taking over a program that had not posted a winning season or reached a bowl game in a decade, Friedgen immediately engineered a resurgence during his 2001 debut, leading Maryland to a 10-2 record, an ACC Championship and the program's first major bowl berth in more than 20 years. His decisive 30-3 win over Tennessee in the 2002 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl was Maryland's first bowl victory since 1985. During his first three seasons, Friedgen became the first coach in ACC history to post three straight 10-win campaigns, earning a sweep of national Coach of the Year honors, including The Dodd Trophy, in 2001 for his program's remarkable rise. Over his decade at Maryland, he coached numerous All-Conference standouts, revived the program to consistent postseason prominence with five bowl victories and firmly established himself as one of the most respected offensive minds in the sport. Friedgen later continued his distinguished career as a successful coordinator at Georgia Tech, Rutgers and with the Chargers in the NFL.
Nick Saban is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport, compiling a career record of 292-71-1 over 28 seasons. Saban built championship-caliber programs at every stop in his career, beginning with LSU, where he captured two SEC titles, the 2003 BCS National Championship and three bowl victories, including an early career Peach Bowl win over Georgia Tech in 2000. His legacy reached its pinnacle at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide to six national championships, nine SEC titles and 16 postseason wins over 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa. Under Saban's leadership, Alabama made an appearance in the 2016 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where the Crimson Tide defeated Washington to secure a spot in the CFP National Championship Game. Across his career, Saban coached four Heisman Trophy winners, developed numerous All-Americans and first-round NFL Draft selections, and earned multiple National Coach of the Year honors, including The Dodd Trophy in 2014.
Gary Stokan has served as CEO and president of Peach Bowl, Inc. since 1998. Under his leadership, Peach Bowl, Inc. events have generated an economic impact of $1.53 billion and $96.7 million in direct tax revenue for the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia. The organization has also distributed more than $361 million in team payouts and donated $70.7 million to charitable causes under Stokan – making Peach Bowl, Inc. the most charitable bowl organization in the country. He was instrumental in securing the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl's position as one of the New Year's Six bowl games in the College Football Playoff and was the central figure behind relocating the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta. Stokan also created the Aflac Kickoff Game, which has established itself as the leader in season-opening games, as well as the nation's premiere collegiate coach golf event with the Southern Company Peach Bowl Challenge. Under his guidance, Peach Bowl, Inc. also oversaw the management and operations for college football's most coveted head coaching award, The Dodd Trophy. Combined, these accomplishments have helped earn Atlanta its label as the "Capital of College Football."
Tommy Tuberville compiled a 159–99 overall record during his distinguished head coaching career, leading programs at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. Tuberville first earned national prominence at Auburn, where he guided the Tigers to eight consecutive bowl appearances, including five New Year's Day bowls, a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl appearance in 2001 and an overtime victory in the 2007 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Clemson. He captured the SEC title during a perfect 13–0 season in 2004, capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Virginia Tech, and earned five National Coach of the Year honors for that campaign. Known for his aggressive "Riverboat Gambler" style play calling, Tuberville led Auburn to six straight wins over rival Alabama, coached 19 NFL Draft picks and eight All-Americans, and developed numerous All-SEC standouts. His sustained success and big-game prowess cemented his reputation as one of the premier coaches in the Southeastern Conference with a lasting impact on the sport of college football.
With this year's inductees, there are now 71 members in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Hall of Fame, including players such as Mike Singletary, Reggie White and Jim Kelly, as well as coaches such as Bobby Dodd, Vince Dooley and Lou Holtz.
