Liberty defensive coordinator Scott Symons has been named a nominee for the 2020 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches.
The 56 nominees in this year’s class were selected from approximately 1,270 assistant coaches representing 127 Division I programs across the country.
Symons has guided a Liberty defense that is currently ranked No. 8 in the country in total defense (301.2 yards allowed per game) and No. 19 in scoring defense (19.2 points allowed per game).
The year prior to Symons arrival on Liberty Mountain (2018), Liberty’s total defense ranked No. 123 in the country (484.8 yards allowed per game) and No. 117 in scoring defense (36.8 points allowed per game).
Liberty also nationally ranks No. 10 in passing yards allowed (171.6 per game), No. 15 in red zone defense (74.1 percent), No. 16 in passes intercepted (10), No. 17 in the country in third-down conversion defense (32.3 percent), No. 21 in turnovers gained (16) and No. 26 in fourth-down conversion defense (42.1 percent), this season.
Symons’ leadership of Liberty’s defense has played a large part in an historic season for the Flames. Following the regular season, Liberty is 9-1, a record that includes a pair of wins over ACC opponents. The Flames are currently ranked No. 21 in the latest Amway Coaches Poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press top-25 poll.
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 semifinalists and five finalists from the list of nominees and an overall winner.
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.
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