Oklahoma OC Riley wins Broyles Award for nation's top assistant coach

After the tightest vote in the Broyles Award's 20-year history, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley is the 2015 winner, recognized as the nation's top assistant coach.

Under the 32-year-old's watch, the Sooners were college football's third-ranked offense, scoring almost 46 points per game. Baker Mayfield sported a remarkable 178.9 quarterback rating, also good for third in the nation.

Riley took the reins of the Sooners' offense in January, coming over from East Carolina, and inserted the Texas Tech transfer as his starting quarterback. The move paid off immediately: Mayfield set a new school record with 366 yards in his opening game.

The offense was a juggernaut throughout the season, scoring over 40 points in nine of 12 games. Thanks to the Sooners' success, Riley's name was mentioned in connection with numerous head coaching positions across the country.

Oklahoma faces Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 31 with a spot in the national title game on the line.

The other finalists for the honor were Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, North Carolina defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, and Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.