Syracuse Football: To all the haters – Dino Babers in mix for coach of year

The hot-seat talk regarding Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers is in the rear-view mirror for now, given that Babers has guided the Orange to a 6-0 start in the 2022 campaign and a No. 14 national ranking in both major top-25 polls.

As the ‘Cuse prepares to play No. 5 Clemson on the road this coming Saturday afternoon in a massive Atlantic Coast Conference showdown, Syracuse football has already achieved bowl eligibility this fall, with half of the team’s regular-season contests still remaining.

It was understandable that some Orange fans wanted Babers to be removed as the head coach after Syracuse football dropped its final three games in 2021, with the ‘Cuse missing out on a bowl berth and finishing at a disappointing 5-7 overall.

It was also understandable that some ACC and national pundits deemed Babers on the hot seat prior to the 2022 stanza commencing, and even shortly after it began. But now, Babers is far, far removed from that aforementioned hot seat.

In fact, Syracuse football head coach Dino Babers is a contender for a huge national honor.

Of course, Babers’ coaching staff, including several first-year assistants, have played a big-time role in securing the second bowl invite during Babers’ seven terms at the helm on the Hill.

But let’s give credit where credit is due. For all the criticism that Babers has faced in past seasons, he has absolutely earned my respect for what the Orange has done to date in 2022.

The same can be said for many other ‘Cuse fans out there. That being said, I still see negative comments from some Syracuse football fans on social media these days, and I simply don’t get it.

To that end, to all the Dino Babers haters out there, our Orange boss is in the running for national coach of the year honors, and that’s truly glorious.

According to a press release that came out on Wednesday, Babers is one of 20 college football coaches on the midseason watch list for the 2022 Dodd Trophy, which will honor the top head coach across the country in the present campaign.

Per the statement, the annual Dodd Trophy celebrates a head coach whose team has tons of success on the field, while also recognizing the importance of “scholarship, leadership and integrity.”

To me, Dino Babers exemplifies all of these attributes. Even when the ‘Cuse has struggled in recent years, I’ve always believed that Babers has done things the right way, being a leader and mentor for his players, while focusing on high character and integrity.

At the end of the 2022 season, a panel will announce the final list of candidates for the 2022 Dodd Trophy, with the winner getting revealed during the week of the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 31, in Atlanta.

Five Atlantic Coast Conference head coaches are on the midseason watch list. Besides Babers, they are North Carolina’s Mack Brown, Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson, N.C. State’s Dave Doeren and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney.

Congrats, Dino Babers. This honor is well-deserved.