Texas Longhorns DC Pete Kwiatkowski Falls Short of Winning Broyles Award

AUSTIN -- Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski orchestrated one of the country's best defenses this season but he won't be officially recognized as the top assistant in college football this time around.

Kwiatkowski was one of five finalists for The Broyles Award, which annually honors the nation's best assistant, announced Thursday but the honor went to former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden, who has since been hired by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The other finalists were Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks, Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines and Arizona State offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo.

During the award ceremony, Kwiatkowski took the stage and had a few words. Take a look at the video:

Coach Pete Kwiatkowski shares the importance of who you surround yourself with. @CoachK_FBCoach @TexasFootball pic.twitter.com/auqaagaoC0
— The Broyles Award (@BroylesAward) February 14, 2025

After Texas' 38-24 win over the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Kwiatkowski met with the media postgame for the first time all season and shared his thoughts on what the defense had been able to accomplish throughout the year.

"Everybody, no matter what situation we get put in, they have the mindset that they're going to attack it, and that's a resiliency, being able to handle adversity," Kwiatkowski said. "It's just a tough bunch of guys, mentally tough guys that it doesn't matter what kind of situation we put in. We're going out there, and the goal is to get the ball back for the offense, and they've done that all year long."

The Texas defense continuously praised Kwiatkowski during the season, something he said he was "humbled" by.

"Well, yeah, I'm humbled by that, but without these guys executing at a high level, I look like a schmuck," Kwiatkowski said. "They get all the credit because they're the ones that are out preparing. We're putting them in position, and they've got to go out and execute and they've done it on a consistent basis this year."

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