The 2026 football season is nearing. Fans are starting to plan which games they will go to, thinking about what meals they will make for tailgates, and how their team will perform this season. Illinois fans are hoping for another solid season from their team, something they have become a little more accustomed to in the last two years.
Head coach Bret Bielema certainly is a big reason for the success Illinois has had in the last two years. In 2024, Illinois went 10-3 with a win in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl over South Carolina, and in 2025 went 9-4 with a win in the Music City Bowl over Tennessee. Now, heading into his sixth season with a lot of great momentum, Bielema is already being looked at as a top coach in 2026.
At this point in the offseason, before fall camps start, the awards for college football begin to roll out their preseason watch lists. These watch lists are for multiple awards spanning from positions to coaches and coordinators. Bielema is one of the first Illini to make a watch list, one of the biggest watchlists for head coaches.
Bielema has officially been named to the Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List.
Leadership. Integrity. Success.
— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) July 9, 2026
One of the nation's 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁.
2026 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List. pic.twitter.com/5277ycYF29
What is the Dodd Trophy and why is Bielema's recognition so impressive?
The Dodd Trophy is one of the most coveted awards for head coaches in college football. This award is typically given to the coach who not only finds the most success on the field but also exhibits the key pillars of scholarship, leadership, and integrity.
So, clearly, this is a big award for head coaches, which makes sense given the importance of being named to the watch list. Only 20 head coaches are named to the list, first-year head coaches excluded.
Of the 20 head coaches named to the watch list, seven hail from the Big Ten, making Bielema among the best of the best in a stacked football conference. Along with Bielema, the Big Ten coaches include: Ohio State's Ryan Day, Indiana's Curt Cignetti, Iowa's Kirk Ferentz, Washington's Jedd Fisch, Oregon's Dan Lanning, and USC's Lincoln Riley.
While Bielema's name on this list is impressive, a mid-season list will be released, narrowing down the candidates. If Bielema finds his name on that watch list, it is a pretty good sign that Illinois is on the right track in 2026.
Illinois is going through a lot of changes this season, the biggest being a new quarterback, Katin Houser. The ECU transfer is filling the shoes of former Illinois quarterback Luke Altmeyer, who was a catalyst in the last two seasons of success for the Illini.
Bielema's coaching expertise will be put to the test this season with all the roster changes for the Illini. Adding a Dodd Trophy to his resume would certainly show that Illinois is in a new era of success in college football, something fans would love to see.
Add us as a preferred source on Google