LITTLE ROCK (AP) (Dec. 9) — Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen won the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant college football coach.
Friedgen was selected over four other finalists Wednesday night. Head coaches nominated assistants for the award and the finalists were chosen by a panel of former head coaches.
Tech led the nation in total offense, averaging 509 yards per game. The Yellow Jackets were No. 2 in scoring, averaging almost 41 points per game. They were 17th in passing offense and 13th in rushing offense.
The Yellow Jackets have been held under 20 points only once in the last 27 games and have scored 40 or more points 13 times during that period.
Friedgen, 52, was a finalist for the award for the second straight year. He received $5,000 and a trophy worth $5,000.
Former Broyles Award winners include Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews in 1996, Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann in 1997 and former Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe last year. He is now head coach at Mississippi.
The other finalists were Joe Lee Dunn of Mississippi State, Bud Foster of Virginia Tech, Greg Davis of Texas and Tim Rose of East Carolina.
Under Dunn, Mississippi State was first nationally in total defense and in rushing defense. When Dunn arrived at Starkville four years ago, the Bulldogs were last in the Southeastern Conference in almost every defensive category.
Foster is the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, which will play Florida State for the national championship. The Hokies are second in the nation in scoring defense, third in total defense, third in rushing defense and seventh in pass efficiency defense.
Davis is the offensive coordinator at Texas, which featured Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams last year. This year, the Longhorns are averaging 36.5 points and almost 430 yards per game.
Rose is in his first season as defensive coordinator-inside linebackers coach of the Pirates. The Pirates have improved dramatically in scoring defense, total defense and pass efficiency defense since last year.
The Broyles Award is named after University of Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles, who had several top assistants during his 19 years as head football coach of the Razorbacks.
