DMN article on Frank Broyles

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...l/stories/122607dnsposherringotn.2ba1d44.html

The Dallas Morning News has an article on Frank Broyles, in relation to Arkansas playing in the Cotton Bowl and Broyles' stepping down contemporarily. It covers his 50 years at Arkansas; as head football coach for 19, then Athletic Director for 35 (4 years of double duty). He says he "suh-fuhs" with the Razorbacks when they lose, and every decision he has made was because of his "love, heart, and passion" for the Arkansas teams. He does some bragging about how he built a low-budget athletic program, where all but the 2 main sports had to use regular faculty members as coaches, into a big-time perennial competitor with several national championships in different sports. He admits to one regret; not overruling his offensive coordinator calling a pass play from the 7 yard line in the "Big Shootout", the one-point loss to Texas in 1969 for the national championship

So, with such long association with one school, and having such deep feelings that for the sake of his heart he didn't watch a game this year, in spite of retaining his position, and feeling deeply hurt when a number of his coaches have turned on him, mocking and saying they'd "crawl" to another job... is he going to 'make it' in retirement? Or, like native Arkansawyer Bear Bryant-- who might have been the one to do what Broyles did there a few years before if he had known how frustraing things were going to get at Kentucky-- is he going to cop out shortly after he gives it all up?

Personally I see Broyles as a brilliant opportunist. His experience at Georgia Tech taught him that 2 major in-state schools can rip each other apart, and his one year at Missouri (coincidentally Ark's opponent in the Cotton Bowl) showed him that pro sports are bigger draws than than college than in a state where there is ONE bigtime school that takes in all the resources and loyalty. So he knew what he could do at Arkansas if the opportunity presented itself, and it did. As for his dictatorial way of running things for all these decades.. I probably would not have liked working under him-- like those coaches who were so eager to leave-- but I will have to say he knew how to get things done in the situation he was in.

Congratulations, Frank. Enjoy all those grandchildren and don't let your golf game suh-fuh

 

I know the progress of that game very well, and the interception of Montgomery's pass from the Texas 7 yard line by Danny Lester was a few minutes into the 4th quarter, after James Street made that 42 yard TD run, on a broken pass play, which was the first play of the 4th quarter. So playing it safe, running to position the 3-point kick from the middle of the field would unquestionably still been the way to go, resulting in a probable 10-point lead, while the Texas offense still hadn't shown much other than that freak play. Arkansas clearly had the game through 3 quarters, and they still played better overall in the 4th; but in the 4th, 3 critical mistakes precisely when they coudn't let them happen lost the game for them.

Little wonder that game, and the few mistakes exactly where they couldn't be afforded is the only 'regret' of Broyles' career. I know for years that he refused to answer any questions about the game; I don't know when he changed his mind about that that he would take responsibility for not overruling his OC, which would have eliminated one of those mistakes. Arkansas is recognized by many to have won the "national championship" in 1964, though this was only affirmed by unofficial foundations, and not the wire services, because the final polls were taken before the bowl games, and #1 Alabama was upset by Texas in the Orange Bowl. The next year Arkansas again finished the regular season 10-0, but the AP had chosen, because of the previous year, to take its final poll after the bowls. So while the UPI voted Michigan St. national champion, Arkansas lost in the Cotton Bowl; so again neither wire service poll voted them #1. 1969 would have changed that; if they had beaten Texas, at least the AP would have voted them tops, while in the UPI it would have been a toss-up with Ark/Penn St. [If I remember right, the UPI coaches' poll did not vote after bowl games until the mid-70's, while the AP did only if there seemed a conflict before the bowls which the bowls could 'clarify.'] So all this was the significance of the game known as the "Big Shootout" for Arkansas-- finally a national championship recognized by at least one wire servcie poll, which slipped away after having it in the bag.

Broyles is definitely one of those long-tenured coaches who did as much, or more, than could reasonably be expected at a certain school. Other examples have already been cited, such as Paterno, Bryant, Fulmer, et al. I would definitely add Bob Devaney at Nebraska, 1962-73; he was the one who turned the N into a perennial powerhouse. Alabama, of course, already had a big winning tradition before Bryant came, but Bryant doubled and tripled it. Grant Teaff and his 19 years at Baylor would qualify, considering Baylor both before and after his years there. Another one that should go on that list is a recent firing-- Jeff Bower at Southern Mississippi. He was QB there, began his coaching career there, and was head coach for 18 years, wilth a winning record in 10 of his last 11 (?) years. While USM can't compete against the SEC in recruiting, Bower did a remarkable job in developing the talent that was 'left over' from the SEC. I don't know about his firing or the real reasons, but I would bet that USM regrets it in the coming years. The problem is... when a coach does as much as a reasonable objective observer could expect at a certain school, that raises fan expectations for every season, and every following coach must meet what the fans have come to expect or be fired. So all those who followed Bryant to this day have been fired or pressured out, Nebraska fired a 'favorite son' who went 10-3 his last year, winning 9 a year isn't enough for Michigan, .........

Anyway, Paterno has to top that list for coaching, having been at Penn St. for 58 years, head coach for 42, with 2 national championshps ('82, '86) and 4 other undefeated teams ('68,'69,'73,'94). But Broyles may be considered to have accomplished even more, among the half-century guys, by what he did as AD, in spite of the controverseys, and at least until recent years trying to be a 'supercoach' to his teams. But if his one regret is once not overruling a coach he outranked, maybe even this part is understandable.