Gus Malzahn won the Broyles Award that goes to the nation’s top assistant coach for the work he did helping Auburn to a BCS national championship three years ago
Now, his understudy has a chance to pull off a similar feat.
Rhett Lashlee, Auburn offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was named one of five finalists for the 18th Broyles Award on Monday, two days after the Tigers pulled off a dramatic upset of top-ranked Alabama that put them in Saturday’s SEC championship game and opened a slim possibility of playing for a national title.
Lashlee, who played for Malzahn at Shiloh Christian High School and coached under him last season at Arkansas State, is joinedby Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery, Duke offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper, Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt and Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi.
The award will be presented during an 11:30 a.m. banquet on Dec. 10 at the Marriott in downtown Little Rock.
Lashlee is one of three finalists who spent this season coordinating offenses for some of college football’s surprising contenders.
Auburn was 3-9 last season and didn’t win an SEC game before Malzahn was hired from ASU to replace Gene Chizik. Together Malzahn and Lashlee reinstalled a hurry-up, no-huddle offense that led the SEC in rushing (318.2 yards per game), was second in total offense (491.0 yards per game) and fourth in scoring (38.6 points per game).
Auburn (11-1) has won eight consecutive heading into Saturday’s SEC championship game against Missouri.
“I get a lot of the credit, but he deserves just as much,” Malzahn told Al.com. “He does the majority of the game planning and the work that goes with it, the recruiting. He definitely deserves to be mentioned. I think that he’s done an excellent job this year.”
Montgomery coached 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, but his sixth season in Waco, Texas has produced one of the country’s most efficient offenses.
The Bears (10-1) lead the FBS in scoring (55.4 points per game) and total offense (635.1 yards per game) and the Big12 in rushing (269.2 yards per game) and passing (365.9 yards per game) and were ranked as high as No. 5 in the BCS rankings before a loss to Oklahoma State.
Roper’s boss at Duke is David Cutcliffe, who won the 1998 Broyles Award when he was offensive coordinator at Tennessee.
Duke (10-2) averages 33.7 points and 422.2 yards per game, and will face Pruitt’s Florida State defense in Saturday’s ACC championship game.
Four of the finalists will coach in a conference championship game Saturday, and all five have a chance to coach in BCS games.
Narduzzi’s Michigan State defense has held opponents to FBS lows of 237.7 yards of total offense pre game and 64.8 yards rushing. The Spartans will play No. 2 Ohio State in Saturday’s Big Ten championship game.
The finalists
The Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach, will be presented by the Rotary Club of Little Rock on Dec. 10 at the Marriott Hotel in Little Rock:RHETT LASHLEE SCHOOL Auburn POSITION Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach NOTABLE Is in his first season at Auburn, joining Jeremy Pruitt as finalists in first season at their respective schools. At 29, is the youngest finalist.
PHILLIP MONTGOMERY SCHOOL Baylor POSITION Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach NOTABLE Has led stellar offenses with three different starting quarterbacks the last three seasons. Coached 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, Nick Florence set a school record with 4,309 passing yards in 2012 and Bryce Petty is a Heisman candidate this year after passing for 28 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.
KURT ROPER SCHOOL Duke POSITION Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coachNOTABLE Was a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1998 when then Volunteers offensive coord inator David Clutcliffe, now Duke head coach, won Broyles Award. Tutored 2004 No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Eli Manning as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Ole Miss in 2003.
JEREMY PRUITT SCHOOL Florida State POSITION Defensive coordinator NOTABLE In first season at Florida STate after coaching defensive backs at Alabama in 2010-2012. Was named national recruiter of the year in 2012 by recruiting service 247sports.com.
PAT NARDUZZI SCHOOL Michigan State POSITION Defensive coordinator NOTABLE Has led the FBS in rushing defense in each of the last two seasons and have led the Big Ten in total defense in each of the last three seasons. Has coached 13 first-team All Big Ten selections in his seven seasons.
Sports, Pages 19 on 12/03/2013