Alex Grinch and one other coordinator are the favorites for the 2022 Broyles Award

Alex Grinch, 6 games into the 2022 season, is one of two leaders in the race for the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football. #USC

The Broyles Award is one of the better and more prestigious awards in college football. Nothing matches the hype and attention visited upon the Heisman Trophy, but among all non-Heisman awards, the Broyles is significant for one obvious reason college football fans can readily appreciate: The winner of the award is almost always part of a very successful team.

The Broyles Award, named after legendary former Arkansas coach Frank Broyles, is given to the best assistant coach in college football. This is almost always a coordinator, given the prominence and centrality of coordinators in modern football.

One guy who won the Broyles Award several years ago? Lincoln Riley, who won in 2015 as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops. Riley helped Stoops make the College Football Playoff.

This year, a Riley assistant is in the running for the Broyles Award. We discuss why Alex Grinch is a leading contender, and maybe the favorite, for the award. Find out the identity of the other man who stands most centrally in Grinch’s path, too: