Big news broke Tuesday for a former New Orleans Saints coach, when LSU Tigers passing game coordinator Joe Brady was named the winner of the 2019 Broyles Award. Brady left Saints coach Sean Payton’s staff earlier this year to take a position under Tigers coach Ed Orgeron, and immediately made an impact in modernizing and diversifying LSU’s playbook on offense. With Brady’s influence, the Tigers jumped from an average of 402.1 yards per game (and 32.4 points per outing) in 2018 to eye-popping marks of 554.5 yards and 47.8 points per game in 2019.
The Broyles Award is handed out to the best assistant coach in the nation, who is chosen from a list of nominees submitted by college football teams. Brady is the first Tigers assistant to win this recognition since then-defensive coordinator John Chavis did so back in 2011. Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen was twice nominated for the Broyles Award during his tenure with the North Carolina State Wolfpack, where he coached before New Orleans poached him.
Brady’s influence on the Tigers offense has been palpable, having introduced many concepts that are staples of the Saints’ playbook developed by Sean Payton while bringing in his on philosophies, tendencies, and play designs. He’s been instrumental in the Heisman Trophy campaign for Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow, as well as the team’s national title aspirations.
His next game will come against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 28, with the winner advancing to the national championship game against the winner of the Fiesta Bowl matchup between the Clemson Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes. That title game will be played inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the home of the Saints, creating an opportunity for the many fans with shared loyalty for the Saints and Tigers to take over a familiar venue.
Brady may be the fast-rising star in the college football ranks, and it’s a testament to the staff Payton has built in New Orleans that success stories like Brady have sprung from his coaching tree. He’s expected to be a popular name as new coaching staffs and hirings start filing in during the offseason, but for now, he’s laser-focused on winning it all for LSU.
