Will Muschamp Named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.

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.

Muschamp and his South Carolina Gamecocks arrived in Athens as three-touchdown underdogs, but pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, taking down No. 3 Georgia in double overtime 20-17. Despite being down to their third-string quarterback after losing starter Ryan Hilinski to an injury in the third quarter, the Gamecocks secured the victory behind a stifling defensive effort that was led by Israel Mukuamu’s three interceptions, including his 53-yard return for a touchdown right before the half.

The upset victory for the Gamecocks ties for the second-best in program history, trailing only their win against No. 1 Alabama in 2010 and matching a 1981 win at No. 3 North Carolina. It’s South Carolina’s first victory over a top-five team since defeating No. 5 Missouri in double overtime in 2013, and it’s the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2016.

“Coach Muschamp and his team pulled off what was arguably the biggest upset of the year to date,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “It’s quite an accomplishment to go on the road into a hostile environment against a top-three team and win, especially after losing your starting quarterback. Coach Dodd would have admired his team’s perseverance to overcome so much adversity and secure a program-defining victory.”

Muschamp is in the midst of his fourth season with the South Carolina program. Previously, his collegiate head coaching experience came at Florida from 2011-2014, with a year as Auburn’s defensive coordinator in between his time in Gainesville and Columbia. In his first three seasons as South Carolina’s head coach, he recorded more wins (22) than any coach in school history, and is also the first head coach to take the Gamecocks to bowl games in each of his first three seasons.