Josh Gattis wins Broyles Award for top assistant coach

It’s been a great week to be a Michigan Wolverine, and it’s a great Tuesday for Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis.

Gattis has spent the last two days in Little Rock, Arkansas, as part of the festivities surrounding the Broyles Award, which goes to the top assistant in college football.

Gattis was named the winner of the award at a banquet on Tuesday.

Michigan ranked 18th in total offense, 10th in rushing offense, 13th in scoring offense, and 7th in red zone offense. Michigan has gained a lot of steam on offense the past two games, scoring 42 against Ohio State and Iowa. Michigan has averaged 37.69 points per game, 223.8 rushing yards per game, and 228 passing yards per game this season.

The 2021 season marked Gattis’ third season at Michigan, and his most cohesive output as coordinator. Gattis and the Michigan offense developed the physicality required to win by running the football while also having a variety of playmakers in the passing game and more than competent quarterback play from Cade McNamara.

Gattis has always said this isn’t his offense, it’s Michigan’s offense, and he’ll likely give credit to co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore, head coach Jim Harbaugh, and everyone else who formulates opinions and ideas in the meeting room. Still, this is Gattis’ day, his award, but one he’ll undoubtedly share in spirit with the rest of the offensive staff.

“This offense, is what I call like a mutt of a dog you know, it’s the pretty dog walking down the road that you’re trying to figure out ‘what kind of dog is it?’,” Gattis said back in 2019. “And for us we do a little bit of everything, so on offense there’s times where we can pick and choose what we do. I mean, that’s hard and challenging for defenses to prepare for us with the number of different things that we do. We pick and choose what we do and what we major in, in the emphasis whether or not who we’re playing each week to allow our kids to give them the correct gameplan to be successful.”