Kennedy among final 15 in running for Broyles Award

Arkansas offensive line coach Cody Kennedy is shown prior to a game against Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas offensive line coach Cody Kennedy is one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award as college football's best assistant coach.

Kennedy, 32, is in his first season with the Razorbacks and has overseen one of the game's top offensive lines this season. Arkansas is one of 13 semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the nation's best offensive line. 

The Razorbacks are strong in several categories that demonstrate solid offensive line play, including rushing yards per game (222.3) and sacks allowed per game (2). Arkansas ranks second and sixth, respectively, in the SEC in those metrics. 

Kennedy coached the previous two years at Tulane. Arkansas hired him away from Southern Miss earlier this year before he ever coached a game for that program. 

Kennedy was hired as the Razorbacks' tight ends coach. He was transitioned to offensive line coach after former Arkansas line coach Brad Davis left for LSU in June.

Kennedy previously worked as a graduate assistant under Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman when Pittman was an assistant coach at Georgia. 

“He’s done an outstanding job with those kids,” Pittman said last week on his radio show. “The former coach left June 3 and that’s not good timing. In our business it usually happens in December when somebody leaves, or maybe right after the signing date in February. 

“Coaching is about a lot of things, but one of them is can you get your players to play hard and do you know what you’re talking about, and he does both of those outstanding.”

Kennedy is the only semifinalist for the Broyles Award without the title of coordinator. 

Other semifinalists are Baylor offensive coordinators Jeff Grimes (Baylor), Mike Denbrock (Cincinnati), Kevin Wilson (Ohio State), Jeff Lebby (Ole Miss), Mark Whipple (Pittsburgh), Josh Gattis (Michigan) and Warren Ruggiero (Wake Forest), and defensive coordinators Doug Belk (Houston), Jim Knowles (Oklahoma State), Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Dan Lanning (Georgia), Phil Parker (Iowa), Jess Loepp (Texas-San Antonio) and Jim Leanhard (Wisconsin).

Five finalists for the award will be announced next week and the winner will be revealed at a Dec. 7 banquet in Little Rock. Arkansas has not had a finalist for the award since former offensive coordinator Garrick McGee in 2011. 

The Broyles Award is named for long-time Arkansas football coach and athletics director Frank Broyles and has been awarded each year since 1996.