Curt Cignetti Named to 2025 Bobby Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List

Indiana Hoosiers head football coach Curt Cignetti has been named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy preseason watch list, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. announced Monday.

Cignetti is one of 26 coaches selected for the list, which honors Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches whose programs excel in the areas of scholarship, leadership and integrity values associated with Hall of Fame coach Bobby Dodd.

The Indiana head coach swept all of the national coach of the year honors in 2024 except the Dodd Trophy, because you have to be with a team for more than one year to be eligible.

Curt Cignetti led the Hoosiers football program to an 11-2 overall record making the College Football Playoff as the No. 10 seed, but eventually lost to No. 7 Notre Dame in the first round.

Cignetti and Indiana are looking to make another splash and show they weren't a fluke in year two as they bring back the majority of there coaching staff and three All-Americans including Mikial Kamara, Aiden Fisher and D'Angelo Ponds on defense.

The watch list was created through a selection process by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. taking into consideration each program's Academic Progress Rate (APR), Graduation Success Rate (GSR), commitment to service and charity in the community, as well as projected success for the 2025 season.

Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc. and presented by PNC Bank, The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity– the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, the award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.