The honors for the No. 8 Texas Longhorns continue to accumulate as midseason watch lists are announced. On Thursday head coach Steve Sarkisian was one of twenty coaches named to the Dodd Trophy Midseason Watch List. The Dodd Trophy, named after former Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd, is the most coveted national coaching award in college football. Dodd Trophy recipients are selected for their leadership, scholarship and integrity and this year, are required to have an Academic Progress Rate (APR) of at least 965.
Sarkisian has the No. 8 Longhorns sitting at 5-1 on the season with the team’s lone loss coming to rival Oklahoma. Texas is ranked 13th in the country in total offense (486.5 yards per game) and 25th in the country in total defense (323.3 yards per game).
Following the team’s road win over No. 3 Alabama in week two, Sarkisian was named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week. He was named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award Watch List earlier this week.
The winner of the Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta towards the end of December.
The 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank Midseason Watch List:
| Coach | School | Conference | Current AP Ranking | Current Record | APR |
| Mack Brown | North Carolina | ACC | No. 10 | 6-0 | 982 |
| Troy Calhoun | Air Force | Mountain West | No. 22 | 6-0 | 992 |
| Curt Cignetti | James Madison | Sun Belt | N/A | 6-0 | 970 |
| Ryan Day | Ohio State | Big Ten | No. 3 | 6-0 | 993 |
| Kalen DeBoer | Washington | Pac-12 | No. 5 | 6-0 | 986 |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | Mizzou | SEC | No. 20 | 6-1 | 989 |
| Mike Elko | Duke | ACC | No. 16 | 5-1 | 983 |
| Kirk Ferentz | Iowa | Big Ten | No. 24 | 6-1 | 968 |
| Marcus Freeman | Notre Dame | Independent | No. 15 | 6-2 | 989 |
| Willie Fritz | Tulane | AAC | No. 23 | 5-1 | 981 |
| Jim Harbaugh | Michigan | Big Ten | No. 2 | 7-0 | 987 |
| Lane Kiffin | Ole Miss | SEC | No. 13 | 5-1 | 995 |
| Mike Norvell | Florida State | ACC | No. 4 | 6-0 | 983 |
| Lincoln Riley | USC | Pac-12 | No. 18 | 6-1 | 972 |
| Nick Saban | Alabama | SEC | No. 11 | 6-1 | 995 |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | Big 12 | No. 8 | 5-1 | 974 |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | SEC | No. 1 | 7-0 | 965 |
| Jonathan Smith | Oregon State | Pac-12 | No. 12 | 6-1 | 973 |
| Brent Venables | Oklahoma | Big 12 | No. 6 | 6-0 | 967 |
| Kyle Whittingham | Utah | Pac-12 | No. 14 | 5-1 | 988 |
![X-Factors to watch in Texas’ game against Sam Houston [VIDEO]](https://hornsports.com/wp-content/uploads//2025/09/USATSI_27017097_168380999_lowres-350x250.webp)
![Naming our midseason Texas Longhorns award-winners [VIDEO]](https://hornsports.com/wp-content/uploads//2023/10/Mid-Season-Awards--75x75.png)
![X-Factors to watch in Texas’ game against Sam Houston [VIDEO]](https://hornsports.com/wp-content/uploads//2025/09/USATSI_27017097_168380999_lowres-120x86.webp)
