Two SEC coordinators are considered among the top five assistant coaches in college football for 2018.
The Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation announced Monday that the five finalists this season are Alabama offensive coordinator Mike Locksley, Army defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, Mississippi State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long.
The award is given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach and was created in 1996 in honor of the late Frank Broyles’ legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his time as head coach at Arkansas.
Both SEC assistants have strong cases. The Alabama offense has frequently upstaged the traditionally dominant Crimson Tide defense in 2018 as Heisman Trophy candidate QB Tua Tagovailoa has broken many school records despite rarely appearing in the fourth quarter. UA became the first team since Yale in 1888 to defeat all regular-season opponents by at least 20 points.
One of the few defenses to truly challenge Alabama was Shoop’s Misissippi State unit, holding UA to its lowest point total on the season (24 points). The Bulldogs defense leads the SEC in 23 statistical categories and did not allow a rushing touchdown at home this season.
The Broyles Award winner will be announced on Tuesday, December 4 at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock, Ark.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
