Frank Broyles facts for kids
Broyles in 2007
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 26, 1924 Decatur, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 2017 (aged 92) Fayetteville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1943–1947 | Georgia Tech |
| Baseball | |
| 1946–1947 | Georgia Tech |
| Position(s) | Quarterback (football) Guard (basketball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1947–1949 | Baylor (assistant) |
| 1950 | Florida (assistant) |
| 1951–1956 | Georgia Tech (assistant) |
| 1957 | Missouri |
| 1958–1976 | Arkansas |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1974–2007 | Arkansas |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 149–62–6 |
| Bowls | 4–6 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 National (1964) 7 SWC (1959–1961, 1964–1965, 1968, 1975) |
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| Awards | |
| AFCA Coach of the Year (1964) Sporting News College Football COY (1964) |
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| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1983 (profile) |
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Frank Broyles (born December 26, 1924, died August 14, 2017) was a very important person in American college football. He was a player, a coach, and a sports manager. He also worked as a TV commentator.
Broyles was the head football coach for the University of Missouri in 1957. Then, he coached the University of Arkansas from 1958 to 1976. He won 149 games, lost 62, and tied 6. He also served as the athletic director (the person in charge of all sports teams) at Arkansas from 1974 to 2007.
At Arkansas, Broyles won seven Southwest Conference titles. His team in 1964 was even named a national champion. This means they were considered the best college football team in the country that year.
Broyles went to Georgia Tech. He was the starting quarterback for their football team. He also played baseball and basketball. Later, he became an assistant football coach at other universities. In 1983, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach.
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Playing College Sports
After finishing high school, Frank Broyles went to Georgia Tech. He played quarterback for their football team from 1944 to 1946. He earned a degree in Industrial Management.
In his last year, Broyles started every game as quarterback. He led the Yellow Jackets to the 1945 Orange Bowl. Even though his team lost, he set an Orange Bowl record for passing yards. This record lasted for 55 years!
Broyles is a member of several sports halls of fame. These include the Orange Bowl, Gator Bowl, and Cotton Bowl Classic halls of fame. He is also in the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame.
Coaching Football Teams
Frank Broyles started his coaching career in 1947. He was an assistant coach at Baylor University. In 1950, he moved to the University of Florida as an assistant coach.
In 1951, he went back to his old school, Georgia Tech, as an assistant coach. In 1957, he became the head coach at the University of Missouri. He stayed there for only one season.
Broyles then became the head coach at the University of Arkansas. He coached the Arkansas Razorbacks for 19 years. During this time, he was offered other big coaching jobs, but he chose to stay at Arkansas.
Arkansas Razorbacks Success
While at Arkansas, Broyles led the Razorbacks to win seven Southwest Conference championships. They also won two Cotton Bowl Classic games.
His 1964 team had a perfect season, winning every game. They were named national champions by some groups. This was the last time an Arkansas team went undefeated.
Broyles holds the record for the most wins by a head coach at Arkansas. He won 144 games there. In the 1960s and 1970s, his Razorbacks had a big rivalry with the University of Texas Longhorns.
Some of his most exciting wins include:
- Beating No. 1 ranked Texas in 1964.
- Winning the 1965 Cotton Bowl to finish an undefeated season.
- Beating Georgia in the 1969 Sugar Bowl.
- Winning the 1976 Cotton Bowl against Georgia.
Two tough losses for his team were:
- The 1966 Cotton Bowl loss to LSU, which ended a 22-game winning streak.
- The famous 1969 "Game of the Century" where No. 1 Texas beat No. 2 Arkansas by one point.
Working as a Broadcaster
After he stopped coaching, Frank Broyles became a TV sports commentator. He worked for ABC Sports from 1977 to 1985. He often worked with famous announcer Keith Jackson.
Broyles usually talked about play calls and coaching plans. He often covered games involving teams from the Southeastern Conference or Southwest Conference.
He also helped host the green jacket ceremony at the end of the Masters Tournament. This golf tournament is televised on CBS.
Leading as Athletic Director
In 1974, Broyles became the Men's Athletic Director at the University of Arkansas. He continued to coach football for three more years.
Under his leadership, Arkansas's men's sports teams won 43 national championships. They also won 57 Southwest Conference championships and 47 Southeastern Conference championships.
Broyles announced his retirement as Athletic Director in 2007. This ended his long connection with Arkansas sports.
Stadium Changes
In 2000, after the Razorback Stadium was made bigger, Broyles made a change. He said one home game would move from Little Rock to Fayetteville. He also said that soon all home games might be played in Fayetteville.
However, a deal was made to keep 2-3 games in Little Rock. The rest of the games would be played in Fayetteville. As of 2022, all home games are played in Fayetteville.
Frank Broyles' Legacy
Many of Broyles' former players became successful coaches themselves. He was known for helping to train great coaches. The Broyles Award is even named after him. This award goes to the best assistant coach in college football each year.
Some of his assistants became very famous. These include Barry Switzer, Johnny Majors, Joe Gibbs, Hayden Fry, and Jimmy Johnson. Together, they won many college championships and Super Bowls.
During his time as athletic director, new sports facilities were built at Arkansas. These included places for basketball, football, and baseball. Broyles was named the most important Arkansas sports figure of the 20th century.
In 1983, Broyles was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He was also a member of the Augusta National Golf Club.
In 2005, his wife Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Broyles became a strong supporter of Alzheimer's awareness. He started the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation to help caregivers.
He published a book called Coach Broyles' Playbook for Alzheimer's Caregivers. He gave away many free copies. The book has been translated into 11 languages. Frank Broyles himself passed away from complications of Alzheimer's disease in 2017.
See also
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football statistical leaders
