Hawkeyes' Kirk Ferentz wins Dodd Award as nation's top coach

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Kirk Ferentz is going to need to clear some space on his mantle.

The Iowa head coach earned his fourth national coach of the year award Wednesday when he was named the recipient of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, which annually recognizes the nation's best coaching job.

“It is an honor to be recognized with the Dodd Trophy, knowing what this award represents in college football on a national level,” Ferentz said in the announcement. “I appreciate the recognition for the hard work of our entire coaching staff and every member of our football program and appreciate the acknowledgment of our accomplishments. I am honored to share this recognition with our staff, our players and our great fans, and I am grateful to the University of Iowa for providing the necessary support for our success.”

Ferentz's Hawkeyes turned in a remarkable season, completing an undefeated regular-season schedule and winning a Big Ten West Division championship before falling to Michigan State in the final minute of the Big Ten Championship Game. Iowa boasts a 12-1 record, already the winningest season in program history. Holding the No. 5 spot in the season's final College Football Playoff rankings, Iowa will meet Stanford in the Rose Bowl on Friday.

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“On behalf of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, we congratulate coach Kirk Ferentz,” Jim Terry, chairman of the Dodd Foundation, said in the announcement. “His success on and off the field this season made our decision an easy one. He represents the pinnacle of coaching achievement and loyalty and has built a program that is admired by many throughout the country. His leadership has prepared a community of young men to be leaders in the world, ensuring that coach Dodd’s legacy will continue for generations to come.”

Ferentz has also been named the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the Woody Hayes Coach of the Year and the American Football Coaches Association Region 3 Coach of the Year. He was also named the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Ferentz is the first Big Ten head coach to win the Dodd Award since Michigan's Lloyd Carr in 2007.

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