Forty assistant football coaches, some with with Arkansas ties, have been nominated for the 2013 Broyles Award.
In a Wednesday news release on the award's website, 40 assistant coaches from 13 conferences across the country were named as contenders, with the lone in-state selection being Arkansas State assistant head coach, special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Kent Riddle.
Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee was also nominated. Lashlee spent last season as offensive coordinator with the Red Wolves and played quarterback at Shiloh Christian under former Arkansas State and current Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn.
Other notable nominees include Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, Louisville defensive coordinator Vance Bedford, LSU offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who was nominated for the same award last season.
The Broyles Award, named after former Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles, is given annually to college football's top assistant coach. Finalists for the award will be named on Monday and will attend a banquet Dec. 10 at the Little Rock Marriott, where the winner will be announced.
2013 Broyles Award nominees
Doug Nussmeier, Offensive Coordinator, Alabama
Jeff Casteel, Defensive Coordinator, Arizona
Mike Norvell, Offensive Coordinator, Arizona State
Kent Riddle, Assistant Head Coach, TE’s/Special Teams, Arkansas State
Rhett Lashlee, Offensive Coordinator, Auburn
Rich Skrosky, Offensive Coordinator, Ball State
Philip Montgomery, Offensive Coordinator, Baylor
Don Brown, Defensive Coordinator, Boston College
Nick Howell, Defensive Coordinator, Brigham Young
Brent Key, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line, Central Florida
Dave Baldwin, Offensive Coordinator, Colorado State
Chad Morris, Offensive Coordinator, Clemson
Kurt Roper, Offensive Coordinator, Duke
Jeremy Pruitt, Defensive Coordinator, Florida State
Dave Schramm, Offensive Coordinator, Fresno State
Ted Roof, Defensive Coordinator, Georgia Tech
David Gibbs, Defensive Coordinator, Houston
Seth Littrell, Offensive Coordinator, Indiana
Phil Parker, Defensive Coordinator, Iowa
Vance Bedford, Defensive Coordinator, Louisville
Cam Cameron, Offensive Coordinator, LSU
Pat Narduzzi, Defensive Coordinator, Michigan State
Tracy Claeys, Defensive Coordinator, Minnesota
Josh Henson, Offensive Coordinator, Missouri
Nebraska - Tim Beck, Offensive Coordinator
Tom Herman, Offensive Coordinator, Ohio State
Glenn Spencer, Defensive Coordinator, Oklahoma State
Dan Werner, Co-Offensive Coordinator, Ole Miss
Chris Thurmond, Defensive Coordinator, Rice
Jimmie Dougherty, Offensive Coordinator, San Jose State
Lorenzo Ward, Defensive Coordinator, South Carolina
Stu Holt, Special Teams Coordinator, South Florida
Derek Mason, Defensive Coordinator, Stanford
Mike Schultz, Offensive Coordinator, Texas State
Jeff Ulbrich, Assistant Head Coach/LB’s/Special Teams, UCLA
Ilaisa Tuiaki, Defensive Line, Utah -
Todd Orlando, Defensive Coordinator/Safeties, Utah State
Torrian Gray, Defensive Secondary Coach/Pass Game Coordinator, Virginia Tech
Charles Huff, RB Coach, Western Michigan
Dave Aranda, Defensive Coordinator/LB’s, Wisconsin