South Carolina football coordinator nominated for Broyles Award as nation's top assistant

South Carolina football associate head coach and special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been nominated for the Broyles Award, the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation announced.

Given annually to the top assistant coach in college football, the Broyles Award relies on a committee of former head coaches, including Gamecocks Steve Spurrier and Lou Holtz and Virginia Tech’s Frank Beamer, and established broadcasters and media personalities to nominate and choose the yearly winner. DeCamillis is one of 63 nominees this season.

South Carolina’s special teams units have been a solid group, though they are just a few moments away from being an elite unit.

Punt returner Vicari Swain headlines the third phase for the Gamecocks, as he has three punt returns for touchdowns this season and is a finalist for the Jet Award. Punter Mason Love has been, arguably, the top freshman leg in the country. Walk-on William Joyce has converted on 12-of-15 field goal tries and all 29 PATs he has attempted. Freshman Max Kelley has showcased a strong leg on kickoffs.

Early in the season, South Carolina was one of the best kick and punt coverage teams in the nation, though those numbers have fallen off a bit in recent weeks. Tight end Maurice Brown, linebacker Colin Bryant, wide receiver Nyck Harbor, and defensive back David Bucey have been among the team’s top kick/punt coverage players. USC blocked a punt this season, too, leading to one of Swain’s touchdowns.

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From the South Carolina Athletics release:

COLUMBIA, S.C. (November 25, 2025) – University of South Carolina associate head coach/special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has been nominated for the 30th Broyles Award, the Frank and Barbara Broyles Foundation announced today.

The Broyles Award annually honors college football’s top assistant coaches. The 63 nominees in this year’s class were selected from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 131 FBS programs across the country. This is the largest group of nominees in the history of the Broyles Award.

DeCamillis is in his second season with the Gamecocks. He had a complete rebuild of the unit as Carolina had a new player in every special teams role this year. South Carolina special teams play in 2025 was highlighted by punt returner Vicari Swain, who leads the NCAA with three punt returns for touchdowns and ranks sixth in punt return average while being named a finalist for the Jet Award. Mason Love has the second-best punting average among all freshmen punters. Placekicker William Joyce has connected on 12-of-15 field goals and all of his extra point attempts in his first season as the starter.

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.

The Broyles Award winner will be announced live at the 30th annual Broyles Award ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

About the Broyles Award

The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles’ legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his hall of fame career as head coach at Arkansas. Proceeds from the Broyles Award benefit the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation, which provides free education and support resources for Alzheimer’s caregivers nationwide.

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