Arkansas Razorbacks Football Coach Frank Broyles

Arkansas’ 116 year history of college football has had its share of success. In fact, the University’s Razorbacks program has routinely been ranked amongst the 25 top teams in the nation. With wins totaling more than 650 and not even 450 losses, their percentage of wins remains one of the game’s best. As one of the more dominant team in the Southwest Conference, the Razorbacks were able to win their league in 13 seasons, a feat that marked them as the cream of that conference’s crop. Though there were many reasons for their long history of success both within the Southwest and within the ranks of the NCAAs, there is no disputing that the Era of Frank Broyles was one of their greatest – as it produced seven of those titles during one 19 year span of time.

Broyles the player

Like many other college coaches in history, Frank began his football career playing the game – at Decatur in high school, and later as a quarterback at Georgia Tech. His Georgia Tech teams managed four bowl appearances, with Broyles garnering the SEC award in 1944 for Player of the Year. In addition, Frank Broke and held the record for passing yards in the Orange Bowl for more than half a century – with his mark only being surpassed in 2000 by Michigan’s former great quarterback – and multiple Super Bowl winner – Tom Brady. To honor Broyle’s play, he was inducted into not only the Hall of Fame at Georgia Tech, but that of the Orange, Cotton, and Gator Bowls as well.

Commanding the troops

In 1947, Broyles landed a job as Bob Woodruff’s assistant coach when the former was at Baylor, and remained as his assistant when he left for Florida in 1950. That was followed by a six year assistant job at Georgia Tech, then one year as the head coach for Missouri. At the end of his first season, the top job at Arkansas became vacant and he jumped at the offer to coach for the Razorbacks. His time with the Razorbacks, which spanned nearly a half century between his time as the school’s coach and later as athletic director, saw them become a consistent winner both within their Conference and on a national level.

His overall record at Arkansas encompassed 144 wins with only 58 losses and 5 ties in a career that lasted for 19 seasons. Those numbers still make him the most successful coach in the history of Razorbacks football, but they tell only half the story. During that same timeframe, Boyles’ teams earned an incredible seven championships in the old Southwest Conference, as they were a dominant force in that conference for much of Broyles’ tenure. The Razorback team of 1964 was so successful that it was awarded a national title by many of the championship selecting groups of the time.

In addition to his many achievements leading the team, his legacy involves the lives of many of his players – particularly with regards to their own success as coaches later in their careers. NFL coaches such as Barry Switzer and the great Jimmy Johnson played for Broyles, and then later brought their own dominant coaching styles onto the sidelines of their own squads in the professional ranks. Perhaps the greatest tribute to Broyles’ legacy came with the creation of the Broyles Award in 1996 – an award that recognizes each year’s top assistant coaches.

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