IU Defensive Coordinator Kane Wommack Named Broyles Award Finalist
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IU Athletics Release
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack has been named one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, which honors college football's top assistant coaches, the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation announced on Tuesday afternoon. Wommack is the Hoosiers first finalist.
In addition to Wommack, Alabama's Steve Sarkisian (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), BYU's Jeff Grimes (offensive coordinator), Cincinnati's Marcus Freeman (defensive coordinator/linebackers) and Northwestern's Mike Hankwitz (defensive coordinator) round out the finalists.
The winner will be announced live on Monday, Dec. 28, at 12:45 ET on KATV in Little Rock, Ark.
Wommack was named the head coach at South Alabama on Sunday, Dec. 13. He will coach IU through the Outback Bowl.
The youngest FBS head coach (33) has his charges leading the Big Ten in interceptions (17, 1st nationally), opponent red zone scores (57.9, 1st), sacks (3.3, T-8th) and takeaways (20, T-10th), third in opponent passing efficiency (115.7, 15th), fourth in scoring defense (19.4, 19th), opponent completion percentage (57.1, T-26th) and opponent third-down conversions (36.7, 32nd), fifth in rush defense (135.7, T-32nd) and sixth in total defense (361.7, 36th).
Below are some of the defense's additional achievements under his guidance:
•A program record seven Hoosiers earned 2020 All-Big Ten recognition, including a program record four first-teamers.
•Indiana's 17 picks are tied for the third-most in school history (19 in 1998 and 2007).
•In its 24-0 shutout of Michigan State, IU did not allow the Spartans to advance beyond the Hoosiers 38-yard line, limited them to 191 yards (60 rushing) and recorded four takeaways (3 INTs) for the first time since Nov. 10, 2018.
•Indiana's five shutouts since the start of 2017 share first nationally with Alabama, Georgia, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.
•IU limited No. 16 Wisconsin to six points, the fewest points the Badgers have scored in the series since 1992 (3) and the first time they failed to reach the end zone since Oct. 3, 2015, vs. Iowa.
•Over the past two seasons, the Hoosiers have held six opponents, including four Big Ten teams, to six points or fewer, the most in the league. Wisconsin ranks second (4) with Ohio State and Iowa in third (3).
•Indiana created two takeaways (1 INT, 1 FR) for the ninth-straight game, a program record.
•IU has at least one takeaway in 36 of the last 38 games, including each of the last 15, a school record, and it has an interception in a program-record 10-straight contests.
•The Hoosiers have scored 65 points off of their 20 takeaways.
•Indiana picked off three passes for the fourth time this season and for the third time in as many games in the Maryland win, which is believed to be a school record, and was the longest streak in the B1G since Wisconsin in 2016.
•It also recorded three INTs at Rutgers, at MSU and at No. 3 Ohio State.
•IU had a pair of picks in a program-record seven-straight games and became the first team since Oklahoma State in 2011 with at least two interceptions in six-consecutive games in the same year, also a school record.
•The Hoosiers held the Wolverines to just 13 yards rushing, believed to be the lowest yardage output by a Michigan team in 69 games in the series.
•U-M's 13 rushing yards were the lowest allowed by Indiana since William & Mary (-32) on Aug. 31, 2002, and the fewest by a B1G foe since Purdue (-8) on Nov. 24, 2001.
Proceeds from the 2020 Broyles Award support the mission of the Broyles Foundation; to provide a game plan for Alzheimer's caregivers through education, support, and resources all at no cost. The Broyles Foundation can be followed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About the Broyles Award
The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles' legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his hall of fame career as head coach at Arkansas. You can follow the Broyles Award on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.