Can times be any better for Larry Fedora right now?

The UNC head football coach coming off a school record 11-win season, ACC Coastal Division Championship and a brand new contract extension added another honor to his list last Friday.

He was one of just 24 coaches selected to the preseason Watch List for the 2016 Dodd Trophy, which is the most coveted coaching award in college football.

It is a distinction given to a coach who is not only successful on the field, but also one who stresses the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity–the three pillars of the award’s namesake, former Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd.

Other nominees for the award include Alabama’s Nick Saban and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer–two coaches who have made the sport their own personal playground in recent years.

Georgia’s new head coach Kirby Smart, who will coach the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game against Fedora on Sept. 3, also found his name on the list.

The Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl–along with the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation–is one of the trophy’s two presenting sponsors.

Although widely recognized as a great football mind and recruiter, the former Alabama defensive coordinator has never coached a single game.

Now though, UNC’s season opener–sponsored by Chick-Fil-A–can be billed as a matchup of top 25 teams and coaches.

For those counting at home, that game between the Tar Heels and Bulldogs is just over seven weeks away.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Football Single Game Tickets Go On Sale Monday
Beginning on Monday at 9 a.m., single-game UNC football tickets for the 2021 season will be available to the general public. Season tickets have already sold out according to the school, as the Tar Heels look to meet the high expectations awaiting them for the upcoming campaign. Limited quantities are available, with pricing starting at […]
Sam Howell Selected to Davey O'Brien Award Watch List
Preseason accolades continue to roll in for UNC junior quarterback Sam Howell, who was named earlier this week to the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award. Howell was one of 30 players on this year’s watch list for an award which has been presented annually to the top quarterback in the country since 1981. […]
Ty Chandler Selected to Watch List for Doak Walker Award
Ahead of his first year with the Tar Heels, Tennessee running back transfer Ty Chandler was named Wednesday to the watch list for the Doak Walker Award. The award is presented the top running back in college football. Chandler arrives in Chapel Hill ranked fifth in Tennessee history with 3,245 all-purpose yards — 2,015 of […]
Former UNC Kicker Noah Ruggles Transferring to Ohio State
Through a post on Instagram earlier this week, former UNC kicker Noah Ruggles announced he has accepted a scholarship offer to take over the kicking position at Ohio State. Ruggles will join the Buckeyes as a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility remaining — filling a desperate need on special teams for one of […]
Kick-Off Times and TV Info Revealed for Five UNC Football Games
The UNC football program revealed Thursday that it has received the game times and TV information for five games in the upcoming 2021 season. First is the season opener in Blacksburg against Virginia Tech, which will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 3 and air on ESPN. The Tar Heels then move on […]
UNC Agrees to Home-and-Home Football Series With South Carolina
UNC announced Monday that it has agreed to a home-and-home football series against South Carolina, with the games set to take place during the 2028 and 2029 seasons. The first of the two games will happen in Columbia, SC on Sept. 2, 2028. South Carolina will then make the return trip to Kenan Stadium for […]
New York Jets Select Michael Carter In Fourth Round of NFL Draft
Day Three of this year’s NFL Draft began very similar to Day Two, with a Tar Heel running back taken off the board early–as the New York Jets selected Michael Carter with the second pick of the afternoon and 107th overall. Carter’s partner in the UNC backfield last season, Javonte Williams, was taken with the […]
Javonte Williams Selected No. 35 in NFL Draft by Denver
UNC junior running back Javonte Williams became the first Tar Heel off the board in this year’s NFL Draft on Friday night, as the Denver Broncos selected him in the second round with the No. 35 overall pick. Williams ran for 2,297 yards and 29 touchdowns during his three years at UNC, including setting a […]
Washington Football Team Selects Dyami Brown in Third Round of NFL Draft
In the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Washington Football Team used the 82nd overall pick on UNC junior wide receiver Dyami Brown. Brown spent each of the last two seasons as the top deep threat for UNC quarterback Sam Howell, and became the first UNC receiver to ever post back-to-back seasons of […]
UNC Football Game at Notre Dame to be Nationally Televised in Prime Time
The UNC football program announced Thursday that its game at Notre Dame on Oct. 30 will be nationally televised on NBC in prime time at 7:30 p.m. It is likely to be one of the toughest games of the season for the Tar Heels, who are expected to begin the year among the top 15 […]
›