WOMMACK A BROYLES AWARD SEMIFINALIST

WOMMACK A BROYLES AWARD SEMIFINALIST

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack is one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches, the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation announced Tuesday afternoon. Wommack is the Hoosiers second semifinalist in as many years (Kalen DeBoer).

The 15 semifinalists include:

INDIANA, Kane Wommack, Defensive Coordinator / LB 
ALABAMA, Steve Sarkisian, Offensive Coordinator / QB
BYU, Jeff Grimes, Offensive Coordinator
CINCINNATI, Marcus Freeman, Defensive Coordinator / LB
COASTAL CAROLINA, Chad Staggs, Defensive Coordinator / LB
FLORIDA, Brian Johnson, Offensive Coordinator / QB
IOWA, Phil Parker, Defensive Coordinator / Secondaries
IOWA STATE, Tom Manning, Offensive Coordinator / TE
MIAMI, Rhett Lashlee, Offensive Coordinator / QB
NORTH CAROLINA, Phil Longo, Offensive Coordinator / QB / TE
NORTHWESTERN, Mike Hankwitz, Defensive Coordinator
NOTRE DAME, Clark Lea, Defensive Coordinator / LB
OHIO STATE, Brian Hartline, Wide Receivers
OLE MISS, Jeff Lebby, Offensive Coordinator / QB
TEXAS A&M, Mike Elko, Defensive Coordinator / S

Wommack was named the head coach at South Alabama on Sunday, Dec. 13. He will coach IU through the completion of its season.

The youngest FBS head coach, Wommack (33) has his charges leading the Big Ten in interceptions (17, 1st nationally), opponent red zone scores (57.9, 1st), takeaways (20, T-8th) and sacks (3.3, 9th), fourth in opponent passing efficiency (115.7, 19th), scoring defense (19.4, 20th), opponent completion percentage (57.1, T-28th) and opponent third-down conversions (36.7, 32nd), fifth in total defense (361.7, 37th) and sixth in rush defense (135.7, 36th).

Below are some of the defense’s additional achievements under his guidance:

•Indiana’s 17 picks are tied for the third-most in school history (19 in 1998 and 2007).
•In its 24-0 shutout of Michigan State, IU did not allow the Spartans to advance beyond the Hoosiers 38-yard line, limited them to 191 yards (60 rushing) and recorded four takeaways (3 INTs) for the first time since Nov. 10, 2018.
•Indiana’s five shutouts since the start of 2017 share first nationally with Alabama, Georgia, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
•IU limited No. 16 Wisconsin to six points, the fewest points the Badgers have scored in the series since 1992 (3) and the first time they failed to reach the end zone since Oct. 3, 2015, vs. Iowa.
•Over the past two seasons, the Hoosiers have held six opponents, including four Big Ten teams, to six points or fewer, the most in the league. Wisconsin ranks second (4) with Ohio State and Iowa in third (3).
•Indiana created two takeaways (1 INT, 1 FR) for the ninth-straight game, a program record.
•IU has at least one takeaway in 36 of the last 38 games, including each of the last 15, a school record, and it has an interception in a program-record 10-straight contests.
•The Hoosiers have scored 65 points off of their 20 takeaways.
•Indiana picked off three passes for the fourth time this season and for the third time in as many games in the Maryland win, which is believed to be a school record, and was the longest streak in the B1G since Wisconsin in 2016.
•It also recorded three INTs at Rutgers, at MSU and at No. 3 Ohio State.
•IU had a pair of picks in a program-record seven-straight games and became the first team since Oklahoma State in 2011 with at least two interceptions in six-consecutive games in the same year, also a school record.
•The Hoosiers held the Wolverines to just 13 yards rushing, believed to be the lowest yardage output by a Michigan team in 69 games in the series.
•U-M’s 13 rushing yards were the lowest allowed by Indiana since William & Mary (-32) on Aug. 31, 2002, and the fewest by a B1G foe since Purdue (-8) on Nov. 24, 2001.

A selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, broadcasters, and a committee representing the FWAA narrowed the list of nominees to 15 semifinalists. Five finalists will be selected from the list of semifinalists then an overall winner.

The Broyles Award is proud to honor Coach John Schlarman, offensive line coach from Kentucky, with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to inspiring excellence in athletics through coaching.

The winner of the 2019 Broyles Award was Joe Brady, passing game coordinator at LSU. Previous winners are not eligible to be nominated for the Broyles Award until the completion of three seasons. For a list of all previous winners and finalists, visit the Broyles Award website.

Proceeds from the 2020 Broyles Award support the mission of the Broyles Foundation; to provide a game plan for Alzheimer’s caregivers through education, support, and resources all at no cost. The Broyles Foundation can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Broyles Award
The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles’ legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his hall of fame career as head coach at Arkansas. You can follow the Broyles Award on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About the National College Football Awards Association
The National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. The 21 awards boast 699 years of tradition-selection excellence. Visit NCFAA.org to learn more about our story.

About the Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America, founded in 1941, consists of 1,300 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.