Chuck Long Named Finalist for Broyles Award

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma offensive coordinator Chuck Long is one of six finalists for the Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the top assistant coach in college football.

Other finalists include Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik; California defensive coordinator Bob Gregory; Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker; Boise State offensive coordinator Chris Peterson, also a 2002 finalist and Connecticut offensive coordinator Norries Wilson were all named finalists on Wednesday for the prominent award.

The winner of the 2004 Broyles Award, presented by the Downtown Rotary Club, will be announced on Tuesday, January 11, at the Doubletree Hotel in Little Rock.

Long and Oklahoma (11-0) are very close to another trip to the national championship game with a unit that ranks eighth nationally in total offense (467.0 yards a game) and 10th in scoring offense (35.55 points a game).

The Sooners have two Heisman Trophy candidates in quarterback Jason White, the 2003 winner, and freshman running back Adrian Peterson. Both are finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Maxwell Award. Peterson ranks seventh nationally in rushing yards per game with 151.91, and his 286 carries leads the nation. Peterson has 10 100-yard games, tying an NCAA record for a freshman, and has totaled 1,671 yards this year, an OU freshman rushing record. He broke the NCAA record for consecutive 100-yard rushing by a freshman with nine. White ranks sixth nationally in passing efficiency (162.27).

The Broyles Award is named in honor of longtime University of Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles, who developed a reputation during a stellar coaching career of producing top-notch assistants. Former Broyles assistant coaches have combined to win almost 15 percent of all Super Bowl titles, four national collegiate championships, more than 40 conference titles and more than 2,000 games. More than 25 Broyles assistants went on to become head coaches at the college or professional level, including Doug Dickey, Joe Gibbs, Hayden Frye, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer.

Each NCAA Division I head coach may nominate one of his assistants for the Broyles Award. Every assistant that is nominated, but not selected as a finalist, receives a personalized wall plaque recognizing his efforts. The finalists are chosen by an eight-man panel that may be the most prestigious of any awards panel, representing four national championships, more than 1,300 victories, 59 conference titles, 112 bowl game appearances and nine national head coach of the year honors. The panelists are:

Arkansas Athletic Director and former Coach Frank Broyles
Former Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler
Former Georgia Coach Vince Dooley
Former Washington Coach Don James
Former Syracuse Coach Dick MacPherson
Former Baylor Coach Grant Teaff
Former Brigham Young Coach LaVell Edwards
Former Iowa Coach Hayden Fry

Previous Broyles Award winners are: Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews (1996); Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann (1997); former Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe (1998), who was named the head coach at Ole Miss shortly before receiving the Broyles Award; former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen (1999), now coach at Maryland; former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mark Mangino (2000), now the coach at Kansas; Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon (2001); Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow (2002) and Georgia defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder (2003).

In 2003, the Broyles Award was voted into the National College Football Awards Association. The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of major collegiate football awards. The purpose of the NCFAA is to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of college football's various awards. The NCFAA also encourages professionalism and the highest standards possible for the administration of college football awards and the selection of their winners.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Chuck Long Named Finalist for Broyles Award

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors