Alabama offensive coordinator Michael Locksley has won the 2018 Frank Broyles Award as the most outstanding assistant coach in college football.
Locksley was presented the award during a luncheon at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Little Rock on Tuesday. Other finalists were Army defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, Mississippi State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long.
In his first season as Alabama’s only offensive coordinator, Locksley has led the Crimson Tide to top 10 rankings in total offense, scoring offense, passing offense and third-down offense. Alabama has three offensive players who are finalists for national position awards - quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award), receiver Jerry Jeudy (Biletnikoff Trophy) and offensive lineman Jonah Williams (Outland Trophy).
The No. 1 Crimson Tide are scheduled to play No. 4 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 29.
Locksley was a co-offensive coordinator for Alabama national championship team in 2017 and was promoted to the team’s only offensive coordinator in February. He previously served as an offensive coordinator and interim head coach at Maryland from 2012-15 and was head coach at New Mexico from 2009-11.
Locksley interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at Maryland on Monday, according to The Washington Post.
The Broyles Award was founded in 1996 and is named for former Arkansas football coach and athletics director Frank Broyles, whose coaching staffs over 19 seasons included assistants who went on to become some of the biggest names in the sport. Among coaches to assist Broyles were Super Bowl-winning head coaches Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, and College Football Hall of Fame members Hayden Fry, Johnny Majors and Doug Dickey.