Frank Broyles
John Franklin "Frank" Broyles (born December 26, 1924 in Decatur, Georgia) is a former NCAA football player, coach, and broadcaster, and the athletic director for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
Broyles' tenure as men's athletic director has seen the construction of world-class facilities for basketball, football, track and field (indoor and outdoor), golf, and baseball at Arkansas. Broyles was selected as the 20th century's most influential Arkansas sports figure.
Broyles is known as a fierce competitor both as a head coach and athletic director. Broyles led Arkansas out of the Southwest Conference and into the Southeastern Conference.
In 1983 Broyles was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in 1996, the Broyles Award was established to recognize the top assistant coaches in college football.
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The arena has been the home to the Razorbacks and Lady'Backs since November of 1993; the men's team won the national championship in the arena's first season of operation. The previous arena in which both teams played, Barnhill Arena, was renovated into a volleyball-specific facility and now houses the Lady'Backs volleyball team. Bud Walton Arena has more seats in less space than in any other facility of the same type anywhere in the world.
Each year the five Broyles Award finalists are chosen from almost 1,500 assistant coaches representing 117 Division One college football programs. Each head coach can nominate one assistant coach from his staff. All nominations are reviewed by, and the five finalists chosen by, an enthusiastic selection committee comprised of 9 of college football's finest former head coaches.
1999 marked the beginning of a new award presented at the cermonies. The Lifetime Achievement Award has been given to former Texas A&M assistant coach Ray Dorr, San Diego State assistant coach Claude Gilbert, Penn State's Jerry Sandosky, and LSU's Charlie McClendon for their many contributions to the game of college football.
In the prestigious history of college football, there are few coaches whose efforts have forever impacted the game. Bear Bryant, Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Eddie Robinson have set the standard for victories and championships on the gridiron. However, when it comes to selecting, developing and producing great assistant coaches, the legacy of Frank Broyles stands alone.
