50 years with Frank Broyles : 2007 End of an era

Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/nwat/60666/

Editor’s Note: This is an installment of a daily series reflecting on key moments of Frank Broyles ’ 50 years of service as the University of Arkansas ’ head football coach and athletics director.

All good things must come to an end and while Frank Broyles’ tenure as

Arkansas’ athletics director may have come a bit more quickly than he would have originally liked, he will step down from the position he’s occupied for the last 34 years. Broyles announced his impending resignation on Feb. 10 at a UA Board of Trustees meeting that was attended by many of his former players whose emotions ran the gamut from disbelief and dismay to subdued anger and reverence.

Former players Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, and Bobby Roper spoke, offering some stinging words to the board and Chancellor John White. Broyles, ever the gentleman, spoke only of his passion for the “ one job I ever wanted” and of the passion of Razorbacks fans whom he gave credit for all the success and advancements the UA athletics department made during his 19-year stint as coach and 34-year span as athletics director.

On the weekend of the South Carolina football game, more than 200 former Broyles players and assistants returned to Fayetteville to honor the Head Hog. A Nov. 2 fish fry saw such former Hogs and assistants as Jones, Roper, Barry Switzer, Lloyd Phillips, Johnny Majors, Doug Dickey and numerous others salute their old coach in cozy affair held in the East Skybox Lounge. On Nov. 3, they and the Broyles clan joined him at halftime on the playing surface as the field was officially named for him.

It was a moment for cheers and tears as a true Arkansas legend was recognized for the body of his work by a crowd of 77, 000.

One of Broyles’ last duties as athletics director will come Monday evening when he will address the Razorbacks players on the eve before the Hogs face Missouri in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

What Arkansan would not want to be a fly on the wall for that speech ?