CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters was named a nominee for the 2021 Broyles Award, which honors college football's top assistant coaches.
The 59 nominees in this year's class were selected from approximately 1,270 assistant coaches representing 127 Division One programs across the country. The Broyles Award selection process includes the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), broadcasters, a college football hall-of-fame selection committee and current college head coaches.
A 43-member selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, broadcasters, and a committee representing the FWAA will select 15 semi-finalists and five finalists from the list of nominees and an overall winner.
Illinois Defensive Notes
• Illinois announced a contract extension for defensive coordinator Ryan Walters on Sunday, after Walters has helped Illinois have one of the best defensive turnarounds in all of college football.
• Illinois' defense has made a 13.3-point improvement from last season (34.9 ppg to 21.6 ppg), the second-best improvement in the nation behind Michigan (18.4). The 13.3 ppg improvement is the program's best improvement since 1963 (26.0 ppg to 10.3 ppg = 15.7 ppg).
• Illinois has allowed 17.6 points in Big Ten games, third-best in the conference. That's an 11-spot jump from last year, when Illinois finished last with 34.9 points allowed per Big Ten game.
• Illinois' 17.3 ppg improvement in Big Ten games is second-best conference-only improvement in the nation, behind only UTEP (19.8).
• Illinois has held nine of its 10 opponents under their season scoring average.
• Illinois' total defense has improved by 77.4 yards per game (467.3 to 389.9).
• Illinois' scoring defense (97th to 35th), total defense (114th to 74th), and third-down defense (89th to 42nd) have all improved 40 or more spots in the national rankings.
• Illinois has held opponents to 24 points or fewer in seven straight games for the first time since an eight-game stretch that spanned the final five games of the 2002 season and the first three games of the 2003 season. Last year's Illini team allowed 24 points or fewer twice in eight games.
• Illinois has allowed only 29 points (9.7) in regulation of its three Big Ten road games this season, including only three TDs in Big Ten road games.
• Illinois has allowed only 2.1 yards per carry in Big Ten road games this year (90 carries, 189 yards) and only 0.7 yards per carry in the fourth quarter of those games (19 carries, 14 yards).
• Illinois leads the nation in fewest points off turnovers allowed (6).
• Illinois is 19th in the nation and third in the Big Ten in fumbles recovered (8).
The Broyles Award nominees include:
AIR FORCE – Mike Thiessen, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
ALABAMA - Pete Golding, Defensive Coordinator / ILs
APP STATE – Brian Haines, Running Backs / Special Teams
ARKANSAS – Cody Kennedy, Offensive Line
BALL STATE – Tyler Stockton, Defensive Coordinator / ILs
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY – Jeff Grimes, Offensive Coordinator / TEs
BYU – Aaron Roderick, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
CALIFORNIA – Burl Toler III, Wide Receivers
CINCINNATI – Mike Denbrock, Offensive Coordinator / TEs
COASTAL CAROLINA – Newland Isaac, Co-Offensive Coordinator / RBs
EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – Blake Harrell, Defensive Coordinator / ILs
EASTERN MICHIGAN – Neal Neathery, Assoc. Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator / LBs
FLORIDA STATE – Odell Haggins, Defensive Tackles
FRESNO STATE – Ryan Grubb, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
GEORGIA TECH – Tashard Choice, Running Backs / Off. Recruiting Co.
HOUSTON – Doug Belk, Assoc. Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY – Josh Aldridge, Defensive Line
LOUISIANA – Patrick Toney, Defensive Coordinator / OLBs
LOUISIANA TECH – Joe Sloan, Offensive Coordinator /QBs
MARSHALL – Telly Lockette, Run Game Coordinator / RBs
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY – Jay Johnson, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
MINNESOTA – Joe Rossi, Defensive Coordinator / LBs
MISSISSIPPI STATE – Zach Arnett, Defensive Coordinator
NC STATE – Tony Gibson, Defensive Coordinator / LBs
NEBRASKA – Erik Chinander, Defensive Coordinator
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY – Nic McKissic-Luke, Run Game Coordinator / RBs
NOTRE DAME – Tommy Rees, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY – Kevin Wilson, Offensive Coordinator
OKLAHOMA STATE – Jim Knowles, Defensive Coordinator
OLD DOMINION – Blake Seiler, Defensive Coordinator / LBs
OLE MISS – Jeff Lebby, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
OREGON – Alex Mirabal, Offensive Line
OREGON STATE – Brian Lindgren, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
PENN STATE – Brent Pry, Defensive Coordinator
PITTSBURGH – Mark Whipple, Offensive Coordinator/ QBs
SAN DIEGO STATE – Kurt Mattix, Defensive Coordinator / LBs
SAN JOSÉ STATE – Scott White, ILBs/ Special Teams
SOUTH ALABAMA – Corey Batoon, Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
SYRACUSE – Mike Schmidt, Offensive Line
TENNESSEE – Tim Banks, Defensive Coordinator
TEXAS A&M – Mike Elko, Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
TROY – Brandon Hall, Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
TULSA – Joseph Gillespie, Defensive Coordinator / LBs Coach
UCF – Travis Williams, Defensive Coordinator/ LBs
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA – Dan Lanning, Fain & Billy Slaughter Defensive Coordinator / OLBs
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN – Ryan Walters, Defensive Coordinator
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA – Phil Parker, Defensive Coordinator / Def. Backs
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN – Josh Gattis, Offensive Coordinator / WRs
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO – Matt Mumme, Offensive Coordinator / QB's
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA – Clayton White, Defensive Coordinator / ILs
UTAH – Andy Ludwig, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY – Kyle Cefalo, Pass Coordinator / WRs
UTEP – Bradley Dale Peveto, Defensive Coordinator
UTSA – Jess Loepp, Co-Defensive Coordinator
VA TECH – James Shibest, Special Team Coordinator / TEs
WAKE FOREST – Warren Ruggiero, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY – Jordan Lesley, Defensive Coordinator / OLBs
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY – Zach Kittley, Offensive Coordinator / QBs
WISCONSIN – Jim Leonhard, Defensive Coordinator / Safeties
