LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley has been selected as one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, which honors college football’s top assistant coaches.
Scalley is Utah’s second finalist for the award. Then-defensive coordinator Gary Andersen was selected as a finalist in 2008. Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig was a finalist in 2001 when he was at Fresno State.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Little Rock, Ark. Scalley is joined as a finalist by Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Snow, Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady and Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
Scalley, who also coaches the safeties, oversees a defense that leads FBS in rushing defense (56.3) and ranks third nationally in total defense (241.6) and scoring defense (11.3). The Utes have held 11 of their 12 opponents to under 100 yards rushing, the most games by an FBS team in a season since Alabama did it 13 times in 2016, according to sports-reference.com. Utah also ranks 10th in FBS in red zone defense (.700). Utah’s defense has been on the field for 690 plays, which is the second-fewest in the country, and is the fewest plays per game. Utah is second in FBS in first downs defense (167), fourth in pass efficiency defense (107.52) and 14th in passing yards allowed (185.3).
The Utes have held six opponents this season to seven points or fewer (0 by Cal and Idaho State, 3 by ASU and UCLA, and 7 by Oregon State and Arizona). The defense has allowed just 59 second-half points through 12 games (4.9 per game), with 14 of those points coming on an opponent’s final possession against Utah’s second team.
Five defensive players have been invited to the Senior Bowl: defensive linemen Bradlee Anae and Leki Fotu, safeties Julian Blackmon and Terrell Burgess and linebacker Francis Bernard. Anae ranks seventh in FBS with 12.5 sacks (1.04 sacks per game) and recently tied the school record for career sacks (29.5). Sophomore lineman Mika Tafua is tied for the FBS lead with four fumble recoveries. Senior Jaylon Johnson is tied for third in the Pac-12 with 10 pass breakups.
Scalley is in his fourth season as Utah’s defensive coordinator and his 12th year overall at Utah. He has coached the safeties his entire time on the staff, doubling as Utah’s recruiting coordinator from 2009-15 and special teams’ coordinator in 2015. He has been with the program in some capacity since 2001, earning All-America honors as a senior at Utah in 2004 in addition to MWC co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. As either a coach or player at Utah, Scalley has been part of two undefeated seasons (2004, 2008), two BCS games (2004 Fiesta Bowl, 2008 Sugar Bowl), a team ranked as high as second in the country (2008 AP final ranking), and a team that has been ranked 28 weeks in the College Football Playoff poll, a number that trails only Alabama (35 weeks), Clemson (35), Ohio State (35), Oklahoma (33) and LSU (31). Scalley has coached three All-Americans, eight first-team all-conference players and two Freshman All-Americans and has seen 16 players move on to the NFL. His protégés include second-round draft picks Eric Rowe, Marcus Williams and Marquise Blair. In 2011, Rivals described Scalley as one of the top recruiters in the Pac-12 and a “recruiting coordinator on the rise.” He was Rivals’ non-BCS recruiter of the year in 2010 and one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation.
A two-time first-team Academic All-American, Scalley graduated magna cum laude from Utah and holds a master’s in business administration.
