ATLANTA — Florida State’s Mike Norvell has been recognized with one of college football’s national coach of the year awards, receiving the Dodd Trophy after leading the Seminoles to a 13-0 record so far this season.
The Seminoles, fourth in the current AP Top 25 and fifth in the final College Football Playoff rankings, will face No. 6 Georgia (12-1) in the Orange Bowl on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. ESPN will televise the 4 p.m. game, which is being played at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.
The award announced Friday honors scholarship, leadership and integrity, as well as success on the field. First-year coaches and winners of the award the last two years are not eligible. Willie Fritz won the 2022 award as Tulane’s coach, while Luke Fickell won in 2021 as Cincinnati’s coach.
“The values of athletic success, academic excellence and character represented by this award align with what we emphasize in our program,” Norvell said in a news release. “Those characteristics have been on display through some truly challenging circumstances this season, but I am so proud of how our team responded each and every time.”
Norvell, who led the Seminoles to their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship since 2014, is the second Florida State coach to win the Dodd Trophy. Bobby Bowden won in 1980.