FSU offensive coordinator, offensive line coach Alex Atkins nominated for Broyles Award

Florida State Seminoles football offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins has been nominated for the Broyles Award, given to the best assistant coach in college football.

Atkins is one of two offensive line coaches on the nominee list.

In three years at Florida State Atkins has behind a massive surge in offensive line play, elevating what was once one of the worst units in college football, and in 2022, added offensive coordinator to his responsibilities.

The result? Some stats, via FSU Sports Info:

• During its current three-game winning streak, Florida State has outscored its opponents 124-22
• The Seminoles are averaging 235.0 rushing yards and 270.3 passing yards per game
• Florida State has completed 72.1 percent of its passes and is 15-of-16 on red zone opportunities in that stretch.
• FSU leads the nation with seven touchdown drives of 90+ yards and is 2nd nationally with 15 touchdown drives of 80+ yards this season
• The Seminoles are 10th nationally with an average of 6.89 yards per play on offense
• FSU is one of four teams in the country, and the only team in the ACC, averaging at least 260 yards of passing offense and at least 210 yards of rushing offense per game this season. Of the three ACC teams averaging better than 260 yards of passing offense, the next-closest rushing offense is North Carolina’s 163.9 rushing yards per game.
• Florida State has scored on 14 of 20 first drives of a half this season, with 13 touchdowns on those 14 scoring drives for a total of 92 points. The Seminoles lead the ACC and are tied for 2nd in the country in touchdown rate on opening drives of a half
• FSU has rushed for at least 200 yards in five straight games, the program’s longest streak since starting the 1995 season with six consecutive 200-yard games. The Seminoles lead the ACC in yards per rush and rushing offense, with their average of 5.53 yards per rush 11th nationally, and their average of 213.6 rushing yards per game 16th.

Semifinalists are set to be announced on November 22.

The nominees are:

Alabama – Pete Golding, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers

Arizona – Jimmie Dougherty, Passing Game/Quarterbacks

Arkansas – Jimmy Smith, Running Backs

Ball State – Tyler Stockton, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers

Baylor – Jeff Grimes, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends

Boise State – Spencer Danielson, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers

Brigham Young University – Fesi Sitake, Passing Game/Wide Receivers

Cincinnati – Mike Brown, Wide Receivers/Passing Game

Coastal Carolina – Skylor Magee, Defensive Line

Duke – Kevin Johns, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

East Carolina – Chris Foster, Running Backs

Florida – Rob Sale, Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line

Florida State – Alex Atkins, Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line

Georgia – Todd Monken, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Georgia Southern – Bryan Ellis, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Illinois – Ryan Walters, Defensive Coordinator

Iowa – Phil Parker, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Back

Iowa State – Jon Heacock, Defensive Coordinator

Kansas – Andy Kotelnicki, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends

Kansas State – Joe Klanderman, Defensive Coordinator

Louisville – Bryan Brown, Defensive Coordinator

Louisiana State University – Matt House, Defensive Coordinator

Michigan – Jesse Minter, Defensive Coordinator

Minnesota – Joe Rossi, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

NC State – Tony Gibson, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

North Carolina – Phil Longo, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

North Texas – Mike Bloesch, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Notre Dame – Brian Mason, Special Teams

Ohio – Scott Isphording, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Ohio State – Jim Knowles, Defensive Coordinator/ Linebackers

Ole Miss - Marquel Blackwell, Running Backs

Oregon – Kenny Dillingham, Offensive Coordinator

Oregon State – Trent Bray, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

Penn State – Manny Diaz, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

Rutgers – Joe Harasymiak, Defensive Coordinator

Southern Methodist University – Casey Woods, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends

South Carolina – Pete Lembo, Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams

Syracuse – Tony White, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

Texas Christian University – Garrett Riley, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Tennessee – Alex Golesh, Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends

Texas State – Zac Spavital, Defensive Coordinator

Toledo – Vince Kehres, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

Troy – Shiel Wood, Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

University of Alabama at Birmingham – Blake Shrader, Defensive Backs

University of Central Florida – Travis Williams, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers

University of California, Los Angeles – Deshaun Foster, Running Backs

University of Southern California – Shaun Nua, Defensive Line

Utah – Morgan Scalley, Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

Wake Forest – Kevin Higgins, Wide Receivers

Washington – Ryan Grubb, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Western Kentucky – Tyson Summers, Defensive Coordinator

A 43-member selection committee of distinguished former head coaches, broadcasters and a committee representing the FWAA will select 15 semi-finalists, five finalists from the list of nominees, and an overall winner.