Usually when David Bazzel gets all dressed up and has a news conference, he's about to deliver another successful event or award.
Thursday at the state Capitol, Baz passed his first, and most successful, award to the people who will most honor and cherish it in the years to come.
The Broyles Award -- created by Baz to honor the legacy of Frank Broyles, the University of Arkansas' longtime head football coach and athletic director -- is now a partnership with the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation led by Betsy Broyles Arnold, the daughter of Frank and Barbara, who is CEO of the foundation.
It was 20 years ago this fall when Baz approached Broyles about an award in his name that would be awarded to the outstanding assistant coach in the nation.
During Broyles' coaching tenure, he was known for hiring assistants good enough to go on and become head coaches.
The award was a natural, but Broyles had a major concern.
Baz, with his linebacker mentality in full attack mode, wanted to present the first trophy after the football season that was already underway.
Broyles was concerned about putting his name on anything that might hurt the UA's image, or his, so basically he gave Baz one shot to get it right.
And he did.
The Broyles Award has grown from a local award to a national one.
Of all the finalists the past two decades, 55 percent became head coaches.
Almost 20 percent of all current college coaches in Division I were a finalist for the Broyles Award. The past two head coaches at Auburn, Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn, both won the award.
Betsy Broyles Arnold and her daughter, Molly Arnold Gay, vice president of the foundation, were gracious and thankful in their acceptance of the award.
They run the the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation, which is a heartfelt work for them. They help equip the caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease.
Their mom suffered from the disease, which led Frank Broyles to author the book Coach Broyles' Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers (published in 11 different languages) and to found the Broyles Foundation. Information for those needing help or how to help can be found at Broylesfoundation.com.
Broyles wanted to be there Thursday, but at 91, he has to be very careful these days.
His ability to develop top-shelf assistant coaches was unparalleled.
Baz will continue to assist with the award, but the Broyles Foundation will control all aspects of it.
Since 2003, the Broyles Award partnered with the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Little Rock, but a difference in recent philosophy gave Baz pause, and he reconsidered the future of the Broyles Award and where it would be 20 or 50 years from now.
His desire was to keep the award intact by passing the torch to the Broyles Foundation.
"Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Broyles Award, one that secures the award's future with the family of Frank Broyles and the Broyles Foundation," Baz said. "The Broyles Award has a new home, but it is going where it belongs."
Betsy Broyles Arnold, who has attended every Broyles Award ceremony, said it is an honor to become part of an award that has affected the landscape of college football the past 20 years.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson graciously opened the news conference, recalling as a child hearing his father cursing at Broyles during games but always loving the head Hog. The governor closed the news conference by revealing he was wearing Razorback socks.
Sports on 09/02/2016