For the first time since an award named in his honor was founded in 1996, former Arkansas football coach and athletic director Frank Broyles was not at the Broyles Award ceremony on Tuesday at the Little Rock Marriott.
Broyles, 91, was “under the weather” and told by a doctor not to travel, award founder David Bazzel said.
Broyles typically announced the winner of the award that is given to college football’s top assistant coach. Instead, Betsy Broyles Arnold, CEO of the Broyles Foundation, and Molly Arnold Gay, the foundation’s vice president, announced that Clemson’s Brent Venables won the award.
ESPN analyst Mark May also gave a speech before the announcement of the award.
Broyles sent a video message saying that he was “there in spirit.”
“This is a stronger class of finalists as we’ve ever had,” Broyles said. “I would be proud to walk the sidelines with any one of you. Congratulations coaches.”