Colorado University Athletics
Buffs DC Leavitt Named Broyles Award Finalist
November 28, 2016 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Colorado defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jim Leavitt has been named one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, presented annually to college football's top assistant coach.
Four of this year's five finalists are defensive coordinators. Other finalists are Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown and Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Leavitt, in his second season at Colorado, has helped turn the Buffs into one of the nation's top defensive units.
Heading into Friday's Pac-12 championship game against Washington, the Buffs were ranked in the top 20 in the nation in at least eight key defensive categories, including total defense (13th), scoring defense (13th), third-down defense (8th) and pass efficiency defense (4th).
Last season, CU finished 85th in the nation in total defense and 70th in scoring defense. Two years ago, a season before Leavitt arrived, the Buffs finished 111th in total defense and 116th in scoring defense.
This season, the Buffs have held 10 of their 12 opponents to 24 points or less. CU has also allowed just 23 offensive touchdowns all year, a dramatic improvement over the 43 allowed a year ago and the 56 in 2014.
Leavitt is the first-ever Broyles finalist from CU. The award was established in 1996 to recognize former Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles, who established a long track record of producing successful assistant coaches.
Leavitt came to Colorado in 2015 after serving for four seasons as linebackers coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He had previously worked as a college coach for three decades, including a stint at the University of South Florida, where he built a program from scratch, and defensive coordinator at Kansas State, where he helped turn around a struggling Wildcats program.
The 2016 Broyles Award winner will be announced Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m.
