Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award.
The Broyles Award is presented annually to the best Division I football assistant coach. Former UA defensive coordinator Kirby Smart won the award in 2009. Alabama has had a finalist for the award each of the last three seasons (Lane Kiffin 2014, Kirby Smart 2015, Jeremy Pruitt 2016).
Alabama leads the SEC and ranks seventh nationally with 41.4 points per game this season. That’s ahead of pace of last year’s team, which set a school record with 582 points scored and 38.8 points per game. The school record for points per game is 43.0, set in 1945. UA ranks second in the SEC and 15th nationally with 479.2 yards per game.
That success has come in Daboll’s first season as he installs a new offense. Left tackle Jonah Williams said Daboll has done a good job of putting Alabama’s players in the best position to succeed.
“In the mano-a-mano battles, you have to take people’s strengths and they’re not going to have me running a fly route, because that’s not my strength,” Williams said. “But it might be the other guys’, the receivers on the team. I think that is definitely important to take into account for whoever is drawing up plays.”
The Crimson Tide also leads the conference and ranks ninth nationally in rushing yards, averaging 270.3 yards per game. UA’s average of 6.03 yards per carry is seventh in the nation, and its 35 rushing touchdowns are fifth in the country.
Alabama is averaging 7.07 yards per play overall, which ranks ninth in the country. The Crimson Tide is tied for the national lead with seven turnovers this season, only five of which occurred on offense.
Coach Nick Saban said Daboll has also helped develop Jalen Hurts as a passer this season. Hurts has a quarterback rating of 160.4 this season, up from 139.1 last season.
“I think Brian has done a good job of helping him develop those things, which was a goal going into the season, and I think we’re much more effective in that part of our game than we were earlier this season or last season,” Saban said. “I think it’s a myriad of things that you work with on a day-to-day basis that are all attention to detail type things that help a guy be able to progess and develop, which I think Brian has done a good job with with Jalen.”
The list of nominees will be cut to five finalists before a winner is announced on Dec. 5. You can see the list of 15 semifinalists here.
