Seven years ago, Rhett Lashlee was finishing up his one season as a graduate assistant at Arkansas and Jeremy Pruitt was coaching defensive backs at an Alabama high school.
On Monday, both strolled through the Marriott Hotel lobby in Little Rock two days after their respective teams cemented spots in the BCS Championship Game and a day before the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant football coach, is handed out.
“You really don’t have a chance to catch your breath,” said Lashlee, Auburn’s first-year offensive coordinator who helped Coach Gus Malzahn lead a Tigers turnaround from last year’s 3-9 finish to a meeting with Florida State next month in Pasadena, Calif.
Lashlee’s comment referenced the past two weeks, when Auburn upset defending national champion Alabama in the Iron Bowl and then this past Saturday’s 59-42 victory over Missouri in the SEC championship game.
He just as easily could have been talking about his coaching career.
Lashlee, 30, was out of coaching six years ago and heading the start-up of an Arkansas high school football magazine when Pruitt made the jump to from Hoover High School outside of Birmingham, Ala., to the University of Alabama.
Lashlee was an Arkansas graduate assistant in 2006, but didn’t follow to Malzahn to Tulsa, waiting until 2009 to get back into coaching as a graduate assistant with Malzahn at Auburn.
He spent the 2011 season as offensive coordinator at Samford, then followed Malzahn to Arkansas State last year and returning to Auburn this year.
Lashlee, one of five finalists, will attend today’s Broyles Award luncheon, presented by Rotary Club of Little Rock.
He will then return to Auburn to begin preparing a game plan for Pruitt’s Seminoles defense, which leads the nation in fewest points allowed per game (10.7) in BCS.
“That defense is the best in the country for a reason,” Lashlee said. “It’s an honor to be here with him [Pruitt], and hopefully I’ll get to visit with him a little bit more light-hearted than what it will be in about a month.”
Pruitt’s rise has been just as rapid.
He was an assistant at Hoover for six seasons until he joined Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama as director of player development in 2007. In 2010, he became the Crimson Tide’s defensive backs coach and took over as Florida State’s defensive coordinator before this year.
“I’ve been fortunate enoughto work with good people,” Pruitt said. “Good folks, Coach Saban gave me an opportunity to come to Alabama, and the success there has enabled me to get some other opportunities.”
Pruitt and Lashlee don’t know each other well, but Pruitt’s familiarity with Auburn’s offense goes back to his time at Hoover, when he and Malzahn would regularly coach against each other during 7-on-7 tournaments in the summer when Malzahn was at Springdale High School.
Pruitt went against Malzahn, too, in 2010 and 2011 when he coached defensive backs at Alabama and Malzahn was offensive coordinator at Auburn.
“Right now, with the numbers they’re putting up, we’re going to need all the help we can get,” Pruitt said. “I can’t wait to spend some time with him [Lashlee] and just enjoy my time here.”
One other finalist, Duke’s Kurt Roper, has a strong Arkansas tie.
Roper, who helped Duke to its first 10-win victory in school history, was greeted at the Marriott on Monday by his parents, who had driven down from their Fayetteville home. Roper’s father, Bobby, was an all-Southwest Conference defensive end for Frank Broyles’ 1964 national championship team at Arkansas.
“Coach Broyles is special to my family, he’s been involved in my dad’s life since the early 60s,” Roper said. “It obviously hits close to home.”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 coach NOTABLE Was a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1998 when then Volunteers offensive coordinator 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.
At a glance WHEN 11:30 a.m. today WHERE Marriott Hotel, Little Rock TICKETS $75 at the door FINALISTS Rhett Lashlee, Auburn OC/QB coach; Philip Montgomery, Baylor OC; Kurt Roper, Duke OC/QB coach; Jeremy Pruitt, Florida State DC; Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State DC
Sports, Pages 17 on 12/10/2013