30 Years of Excellence: The Legacy of the Broyles Award

For three decades, the Broyles Award has stood as college football’s ultimate honor for assistant coaches—where the Xs and Os meet leadership, loyalty, and innovation. Since its inception in 1996, the award has served as a crystal ball for coaching greatness, identifying the game’s next elite minds long before the national spotlight found them.

The roll call of past winners and finalists reads like a who’s who of modern football: Lincoln Riley, Kirby Smart, Brent Venables, Steve Sarkisian, and Dan Lanning, to name just a few. Many went on to become head coaches, national champions, and NFL sideline generals. But long before they led their own programs, they were recognized for their ability to shape schemes, develop stars, and elevate entire units with precision and passion.

Over the past 30 years, the Broyles Award has become more than a trophy—it’s a career-defining moment. It honors the best of the best in a role often overlooked, reminding the football world that behind every great head coach is a brilliant assistant driving the engine.

As the game evolves, so does the impact of the Broyles Award—spotlighting the minds shaping football’s future, one season at a time.