Broyles Award nominees for best assistant coach revealed

The Broyles Award, part of the National College Football Awards Association, revealed their nominees for the 2021 season with two games remaining.

The Broyles Award nominee list is packed with assistant coaches who are considered among the best in the nation. The Big Ten leads the way with nine nominees. The SEC has eight nominees. The ACC has seven while the Pac-12 and the Big 12 have three apiece. The 2020 winner, Steve Sarkisian, left Alabama to become the head coach at the University of Texas.

The list will first whittle down to a top 15. At the end of the season, five finalists will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the two-day event culminating in a ceremony on Dec. 7. Legends like Barry Switzer, Phillip Fulmer, Lou Holtz, Mark Richt, Frank Beamer, Steve Spurrier, Bob Stoops and Bill Snyder are on the selection committee.

The award, named after gamed Arkansas Razorbacks coach Frank Broyles, is in its 26th year. Over two decades, Frank Broyles cultivated an incredible number of future coaches. His assistants went on as head coaches to win five national championships and many Super Bowl titles.

2021 Broyles Award Nominees

• Mike Thiessen, Air Force OC/QB coach
• Brian Haines, App State RB/ST coach
• Pete Golding, Alabama DC/ILB coach
• Cody Kennedy, Arkansas OL coach
• Tyler Stockton, Ball State DC/ILB coach
• Jeff Grimes, Baylor OC/TE coach
• Aaron Roderick, BYU OC/QB coach
• Burl Toler III, Cal WR coach
• Mike Denbrock, Cincinnati OC/TE coach
• Newland Isaac, Coastal Carolina Co-OC/RB coach
• Blake Harrell, East Carolina DC/ILB coach
• Neal Neathery, Eastern Michigan Assoc. HC/DC/LB coach
• Odell Haggins, Florida State DT coach
• Ryan Grubb, Fresno State OC/QB coach
• Dan Lanning, Georgia DC/OLB coach
• Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech RB coach
• Doug Belk, Houston Assoc. HC/DC/S coach
• Ryan Walters, Illinois Urbana-Champaign DC
• Phil Parker, Iowa DC/DB coach
• Josh Aldridge, Liberty DL coach
• Patrick Toney, Louisiana DC/OLB coach
• Joe Sloan, Louisiana Tech OC/ QB coach
• Telly Lockette, Marshall Run Game/RB coach
• Josh Gattis, Michigan OC/WR coach
• Jay Johnson, Michigan State OC/QB coach
• Joe Rossi, Minnesota DC/LB coach
• Zach Arnett, Mississippi State DC
• Matt Mumme, Nevada OC/QB coach
• Tony Gibson, NC State DC/LB coach
• Erik Chinander, Nebraska DC
• Nic McKissic-Luke, Northern Illinois Run Game/RB coach
• Tommy Rees, Notre Dame OC/QB coach
• Kevin Wilson, Ohio State OC
• Jim Knowles, Oklahoma State DC
• Blake Seiler, Old Dominion DC/LB coach
• Jeff Lebby, Ole Miss OC/QB coach
• Brian Lindgren, Oregon State OC/QB coach
• Brent Pry, Penn State DC
• Mark Whipple, Pittsburgh OC/QB coach
• Kurt Mattix, San Diego State DC/LB coach
• Scott White, San Jose State ILB/ST coach
• Corey Batoon, South Alabama DC/S coach
• Mike Schmidt, Syracuse OL coach
• Tim Banks, Tennessee DC
• Mike Elko, Texas A&M DC/S coach
• Brandon Hall, Troy DC/S coach
• Joseph Gillespie, Tulsa DC/LB coach
• Travis Williams, UCF DC/LB coach
• Clayton White, South Carolina DC/ILB coach
• Andy Ludwig, Utah OC/QB coach
• Kyle Cefalo, Utah State Pass Game/WR coach
• Bradley Dale Peveto, UTEP DC
• Jess Loepp, UTSA co-DC
• James Shibest, Virginia Tech ST/TE coach
• Warren Ruggiero, Wake Forest OC/QB coach
• Jordan Lesley, West Virginia DC/OLB coach
• Zach Kittley, Western Kentucky OC/QB coach
• Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin DC/S coach