Robb Smith Nominated For Broyles Award

Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith has been nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach. The award is named after legendary former Razorback coach and athletics director, Frank Broyles.

Smith joined the Arkansas coaching staff for the 2014 season and has been instrumental in the Razorbacks’ defensive turnaround. Arkansas has improved from 76th to 24th in total defense and from 88th to 16th in scoring defense from last year.

The Razorback defense is ranked in the top 50 in nearly every important defensive statistic and has shut out its last two opponents – No. 17 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss – becoming the first unranked team to ever post shutouts against back-to-back ranked foes.

“What Robb Smith has done has changed the culture of our defense. Not just the x’s and o’s but the caring for each other and the playing together as a unit,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “Robb has had a tremendous impact on our program and is an outstanding coach and person.”

Smith joined the Arkansas staff after spending the 2013 season as the linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to that, Smith served four years at Rutgers where he was the defensive coordinator and secondary coach when the Scarlet Knights shared the Big East title in 2012.

Arkansas and Missouri will face off in the Battle Line Rivalry presented by Shelter Insurance at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. The game will be nationally televised on CBS.

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