Virginia Tech's Foster Winner of Broyles Award

Tuesday, January 16, 2007; Little Rock, Ark. - Among the contents of the old steel lunch pail that Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster hands out to his player of the week is a reminder of past glory - turf from each visiting stadium where the Hokies have won. After Foster's latest victory, he might want to consider adding a little rock.

Officials from The Rotary Club of Little Rock presented Foster with the 11th Annual Frank Broyles Award during a luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel on Tuesday. The award is given annually to the nation's top NCAA Division I assistant football coach.

There's no doubt Foster, 47, is just that after producing the nation's No.1 defense in back-to-back seasons and helping the Hokies (10-3) to their third consecutive 10-win season, making them the third team to win 10 games in each of the past three seasons.

In his 20th season at Virginia Tech and 12th as defensive coordinator, Foster has long been regarded as one of the country's top coaches. The only four-time Broyles Award finalist (1999, 2001, 2005, 2006), Foster faced a very difficult task entering this season. He had to replace three of four starters along the defensive line, a starter at outside linebacker and two starters in the secondary from a team that ranked No. 1 in total defense in 2005. No problem.

The 2006 Hokies ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense (219.4 yards per game), scoring defense (11.0 points per game) and pass defense (128.2 yards per game). The Hokies also had the nation's best defense on third down, ranked second nationally in pass efficiency defense (91.37 rating) and were 11th in rushing defense (91.2 yards per game). They posted four shutouts and held seven opponents to seven points or less.

For his selection, Foster was awarded $2,500 and a 60-pound cast bronze statue worth $5,000. All finalists received $1,000 and a set of Nike golf clubs and a golf bag, as well as gifts for their spouses and premium lodging and transportation.

The other Broyles Award finalists were Ohio State passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels; Arkansas defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Reggie Herring; former Louisville offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Paul Petrino; and Oklahoma associate head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Venables.

About the Broyles Award

There are few coaches whose efforts have forever impacted the game of college football. Bear Bryant, Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Eddie Robinson have set the standard for victories and championships on the gridiron. However, when it comes to selecting, developing and producing great assistant coaches, the legacy of Frank Broyles stands alone.

Former Broyles assistant coaches who have become head coaches have gone on to coach in 20 percent of all Super Bowls and win almost 15 percent of all Super Bowl titles, plus four national collegiate championships, more than 40 conference titles and more than 2,000 games. More than 25 Broyles assistants went on to become head coaches at the college or professional level, including Joe Gibbs, Hayden Fry, Raymond Berry, Jimmy Johnson, Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Barry Switzer (full list below).

In 1996, the Broyles Award was established to recognize the dedicated, hard-working assistants like those who worked for Broyles, and to date, 54 finalists and 10 winners have been honored. Like many of Broyles' assistants who went on to do great things, numerous coaches recognized by the Broyles Award have since remained in the spotlight, with 14 finalists going on to become head coaches, including four of the six finalists from 2004.

The Selection Process

Each NCAA Division I head coach may nominate one of his assistants for the Broyles Award. Every assistant that is nominated, but not selected as a finalist, receives a personalized wall plaque recognizing his efforts. The finalists are chosen by a nine-man panel that may be the most prestigious of any awards panel, representing four national championships, more than 1,300 victories, 59 conference titles, 112 bowl game appearances and nine national head coach of the year honors.

Broyles Award Panelists

• Arkansas Athletic Director and former Coach Frank Broyles
• Former Georgia Coach Vince Dooley
• Former Washington Coach Don James
• Former Syracuse Coach Dick MacPherson
• Former Baylor Coach Grant Teaff
• Former Brigham Young Coach LaVell Edwards
• Former Iowa Coach Hayden Fry
• Former Oklahoma Coach Barry Switzer
• Former Tennessee and Pittsburgh Coach Johnny Majors

Previous Broyles Award Winners

• Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews (1996)
• Former Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann (1997), now linebackers coach for the New York Jets
• Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe (1998), who went on to become coach at Ole Miss before returning to run Tennessee's offense for the 2006 season
• Former Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen (1999), now head coach at Maryland
• Former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mark Mangino (2000), now head coach at Kansas
• Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon (2001)
• Former Southern California offensive coordinator Norm Chow (2002), now offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans
• Former Georgia defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder (2003), now head coach at Georgia Southern
• Former Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik (2004), who was named head coach at Iowa State on Nov. 27, 2006
• Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis (2005)

Broyles assistant coaches and their head-coaching jobs:

• Joe Gibbs: Washington Redskins
• Hayden Fry: Iowa, SMU, North Texas
• Johnny Majors: Pittsburgh, Tennessee
• Barry Switzer: Oklahoma, Dallas Cowboys
• Jimmy Johnson: Miami, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Oklahoma State
• Jackie Sherrill: Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Washington State
• Raymond Berry: New England Patriots Doug Dickey: Florida, Tennessee
• Pepper Rogers: UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kansas
• Hootie Ingram: Clemson
• Bo Rein: LSU, North Carolina State
• Jim Mackenzie: Oklahoma
• Jerry Claiborne: Maryland, Kentucky
• Jim Carlen: South Carolina, Texas Tech
• Pat Jones: Oklahoma State
• Bill Lewis: Georgia Tech, East Carolina, Wyoming
• Richard Williamson: Tampa Bay, Memphis State
• Richard Bell: South Carolina
• Bill Pace: Vanderbilt
• Charley Coffey: Virginia Tech
• Harold Horton: Central Arkansas
• Ken Turner: Henderson State
• Ken Stephens: Central Arkansas, Lamar
• Jesse Branch: Southwest Missouri State, Henderson State
• ^* Fred Akers: Texas, Purdue, Wyoming
• ^* Ken Hatfield: Arkansas, Clemson, Air Force, Rice
• ^* Houston Nutt: Arkansas, Boise State, Murray State

^* Denotes players under Broyles, not assistants

The Broyles Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).

The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of major collegiate football awards. The purpose of the NCFAA is to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of college football's various awards.

The NCFAA also encourages professionalism and the highest standards possible for the administration of college football awards and the selection of their winners.

For more information about the Broyles Award visit BroylesAward.com.