Frank Broyles

John Franklin "Frank" Broyles (born December 26, 1924 in Decatur, Georgia) is a former NCAA football player from Georgia Tech, coach, broadcaster, athletic director for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. After a 50+ year career, J.F.B. continues to serve the University of Arkansas and is an icon representing the entire state.

Frank Broyles retired from his athletic director position at Arkansas on December 31, 2007.

College

After his graduation from Decatur Boys High School, 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. Until Michigan quarterback Tom Brady broke his record in 2000, Broyles held 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.

Coaching

Broyles entered coaching in 1947 as an assistant coach under head coach Bob Woodruff at Baylor University. In 1950 Broyles followed Woodruff when the latter took the head coach position at the University of Florida. In 1951 he left Florida and returned to Georgia Tech as an offensive coordinator under Coach Bobby Dodd. Broyles sought the head coaching position at Northwestern University in 1954, and ultimately 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 head coaching job at Arkansas. During his many decades there he has been offered other major coaching and leadership positions but has remained at Arkansas.

During his tenure at Arkansas Broyles coached the Razorbacks to seven Southwest Conference championships, two Cotton Bowl wins, and a National Championship (1964). He is still 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.

Athletic Director

In 1974 Broyles was appointed Men's Athletic Director of the University of Arkansas. (Arkansas had a completely separate women's athletics department from 1971 until the men's and women's programs were merged in 2008.) Broyles continued as head football coach for three years. Since stepping down as head coach, the University of Arkansas men's athletic programs, under his leadership as athletic director, have won 43 national championships. The Razorbacks have won 57 Southwest Conference championships and 27 Southeastern Conference championships while he has been men's athletic director.

On February 17, 2007, Broyles announced his plans to retire as Men's Athletic Director at the University of Arkansas, effective December 31, 2007, which ended the 50 years of association with the Arkansas athletic programs as either head football coach or men's athletic director.

Criticism

In 2000, following an expansion of Razorback Stadium, Broyles announced that one home game would move from War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock to Fayetteville, and that, in the near future, all home games might be played on campus. This move, known in Arkansas as the "Great Stadium Debate" drew heavy fire from the politicians in Little Rock, as well as businessmen and Razorback boosters Warren Stephens (Stephens, Inc.) and Joe Ford (CEO of Alltel). Broyles held meetings in Little Rock to try and persuade his case, and the University Board of Trustees even took student responses to the Great Stadium Debate on the Fayetteville campus. In the end, a long term agreement was reached to keep 2-3 games in Little Rock, while the rest would be played in Fayetteville.

Broyles' relationship with Ted Herrod, a wealthy booster in Dallas, came under fire after Herrod was accused of overcompensating Razorback athletes who worked part-time jobs at his trucking company. A lengthy NCAA investigation followed, and the University was sanctioned and penalized by the NCAA.

Legacy

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, Johnny Majors, Joe Gibbs and Jimmy Johnson all served under Broyles and have combined to win five collegiate national championships and six Super Bowls. Broyles' assistants have won more than 40 conference titles.

Broyles worked for nine years with the ABC network, where he served as their top color commentator for college football telecasts with play-by-play announcers Chris Schenkel and Keith Jackson.

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.

References

2. http://www.laketheposts.com/2009/01/did-nu-know.html - Northwestern

External links

• Legends Poll
• The Broyles Award
• Hog Database - Frank Broyles yearly coaching results