TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Football Defensive Coordinator
Danny Gonzales, who has engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in the country this season, has been nominated for the 2025 Broyles Award, the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation announced on Tuesday.
Gonzales is one of 63 nominees for this year's Broyles Award, the largest group of nominees in the history of the Broyles Award. The Broyles Award winner will be announced live at the 30
th Annual Broyles Award Ceremony on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Gonzales, in his first year steering the Arizona defense, has created one of the best units in the nation this year. Under his direction, the Wildcats defense went from ranked 105th in the FBS in total defense in 2024 to ranked 21st in the nation in 2025. Through the first 11 games of the season the Wildcats rank 12th nationally in yards per play (4.59) and tied for sixth in turnovers gained (23).
Arizona's opportunistic defense has helped the program double their win total from last year, secure bowl eligibility for the first time under Head Coach
Brent Brennan, and achieve just the 19th eight-win season in program history.
Led by defensive backs
Treydan Stukes,
Dalton Johnson, and
Genesis Smith, the Wildcats have pulled in 16 interceptions this year, tied for sixth most nationally, and stifled opposing offenses to the tune of 159.7 passing yards per game and a 97.95 passing efficiency mark. The Arizona defense has held seven straight opponents to under 200 passing yards, the longest active streak in the FBS.
The Selection Process
The Broyles Award selection committee is made of former hall of fame coaches, members of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and legendary broadcasters. The selection committee will vote to advance 15 semifinalists, five finalists, and one overall winner.
New for 2025
For the first time in the 30 year history of the Broyles Award, fans across America will have a direct voice in deciding which assistant coaches advance to the semifinalist round, finalist round, and ultimately who wins the award.
The Broyles Award Fan Vote launches today, Tuesday, November 25th at noon CST. Fans can cast votes for their favorite nominees throughout each stage of the competition. Each individual fan vote counts toward one collective "fan vote" in the official selection process of each round. Each vote is also an entry to win two VIP passes to the 30th Annual Broyles Award Ceremony.
Fan Voting Schedule:
- Semifinal Fan Vote: November 25 at noon CST through November 30 at 11 PM CST
- Finalist Fan Vote: December 2 at noon CST through December 7 at 11 PM CST
- Winner Fan Vote: January 20 at noon CST through January 26 at 11 PM CST
Fans can vote at BroylesAward.com/Vote.
