Syracuse Football: Jeff Nixon in running for award that honors nation's top assistant

Jeff Nixon, the offensive coordinator and running backs coach for Syracuse football, is a nominee for the 2024 Broyles Award, which will honor the country's top assistant coach this season, per releases from SU Athletics and the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation.

A huge congrats to Jeff, who has guided a prolific Orange offense this campaign after most recently serving as the running backs coach of the NFL’s New York Giants.

According to an announcement from the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation, there are 65 nominees for this year's Broyles Award, with those nominees selected from roughly 1,500 assistant coaches at the Football Bowl Subdivision ("FBS") level.

Also, a shout-out to Jason Beck, who is among the 65 nominees, too. Last season, Beck was the 'Cuse offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and he now holds the same positions at New Mexico.

Syracuse football offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon is up for a national award.

As the Orange was hosting No. 6 Miami in the 2024 regular-season finale at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, Nixon has proven a key part of a top-flight staff assembled by first-year head coach Fran Brown.

Heading into its Atlantic Coast Conference clash with the Hurricanes, the Syracuse football offense has proven one of the most potent in the conference and nationwide, particularly in the passing game, led by record-setting senior quarterback Kyle McCord.

Before its week-14 affair with Miami, within the ACC, the Orange offense was No. 3 in the conference in total yards per game, at 454.0, and No. 1 within the league in passing yards per meeting, at 361.5.

Ahead of its Saturday encounter, the 'Cuse was averaging 31.7 points per contest, good for No. 7 in the ACC. Per SU Athletics, the squad's 31.7 points per game, if it holds, "would finish as the eighth-highest scoring average in program history."

McCord, the four-star transfer from Ohio State, was set to eclipse 4,000 total passing yards in the 2024 stanza on Saturday versus the Hurricanes. He's among the national leaders in several passing categories, and he's also already set a couple of Syracuse football single-season records, including total completions and total passing yards.

Regardless of whether the 'Cuse ended up conquering the Hurricanes on Saturday in week 14, the Orange is headed to a bowl game for the third straight campaign. Nixon's offense at the 'Cuse in 2024 has been undeniably fun to watch.