LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas Football Head Coach Lance Leipold was selected as the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week on Monday. The award is presented by PNC Bank, the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation, and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Leipold led Kansas to a 38-33 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday, marking the Jayhawks’ first victory over the Sooners since 1997. The win also marked Kansas’ first regular season win over a top-10 opponent since 1995, and the first win over a top-10 opponent in Lawrence since defeating No. 2 Oklahoma in 1984.
The Jayhawks rushed for 225 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 218 yards from quarterback Jason Bean through the air. Junior Devin Neal scored the game-winning touchdown with 55 seconds remaining, while rushing for 112 yards on 25 carries.
Kansas also scored its third defensive touchdown of the season on a 37-yard interception return on for Kansas’ first touchdown of the game, before shutting down the Sooners on the final play of the game on an Oklahoma shot at the endzone.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week honor is Leipold’s first of his career, as Leipold has the Jayhawks 6-2 through the first eight games, marking Kansas’ best start since 2007. The Jayhawks are now bowl eligible in back-to-back years for the second time in school history.
A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2023 season. The winner of the 2023 Dodd Trophy Presented by PNC Bank will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.