Frank Broyles
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John Franklin "Frank" Broyles (born December 26, 1924 in Decatur, Georgia) is a former NCAA football player and coach, and the influential athletic director for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
Broyles graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Management. He led the Georgia Tech football team to four bowl appearances as quarterback. He was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1944. Broyles still holds the Orange Bowl record for most passing yards in a game and is a member of the Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl, and Cotton Bowl Halls of Fame and the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame.
Broyles entered coaching in 1947 as an assistant coach at Baylor University. In 1950 Broyles left Baylor and returned to Georgia Tech as an offensive coordinator under Coach Bobby Dodd. Broyles left Georgia Tech in 1957 when he was offered the position of head coach at the University of Missouri. Broyles stayed at Missouri only one season when he was offered the position he had dreamed of having at Arkansas. During his many decades he has been offered other major coaching at leadership positions but has remained at Arkansas.
During his tenure at Arkansas Broyles coached the Razorbacks to seven Southwest Conference championships and two Cotton Bowl wins. He is currently the winningest head coach in Arkansas football history. During the 1960s and 1970s one of college football's most intense rivalries was between Broyles' Razorbacks and the University of Texas Longhorns under legendary coach Darrell Royal.
In 1974 Broyles was appointed Athletic Director of the University of Arkansas. Broyles continued as head football coach for three years. Since stepping down as head coach the University of Arkansas athletic programs, under his leadership, have won 34 national championships. The University of Arkansas has won 57 Southwest Conference championships and 27 Southeastern Conference championships while he has been athletic director.
Over thirty of his former players have also become college or professional football coaches. Broyles is known for producing high quality coaches and the prestigious Broyles Award, the annual award for best assistant coach, is named after him. Barry Switzer, John Majors, Joe Gibbs and Jimmy Johnson all served under Broyles and have combined to win five national championships and five Super Bowl championships. Broyles' assistants have won more than 40 conference titles.
Broyles worked as a television broadcaster for nine years with the American Broadcasting Corporation where he served as their top color commentator for college football.
Broyles tenure as athletic director has seen the construction of world class facilities for basketball, football, track and field, 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.
External link
- College Football Hall of Fame (http://collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=60048)