Rarely has the coaching carousel been this busy.
Twenty-nine FBS schools hired new head coaches, the most since a record 31 coaches were replaced across college football in 2012. The fallout during and after the 2021 season was immense, with bluebloods trading jabs – Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley to USC; Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly to LSU — and several jobs opening with more than a month left in the season. Fourteen of the 29 jobs were filled by first-time head coaches, proving again that head coaching experience is not a prerequisite for even the best jobs in the sport.
Firing and hiring head coaches can make or break a program, but perhaps more important is how the new leader builds his first staff. At least 225 new assistant coaches have been hired at 28 schools for an average of eight new coaches per staff. That number will grow, too, with Miami still filling its staff and Hawaii recently hiring Hawaii quarterback legend Timmy Change to lead the program.
That’s quite the number and it doesn’t account for the hundreds of other ongoing staff changes under incumbent head coaches.
Instead of grading and ranking the new head coaches, let’s rate the entire on-field coaching staff at the 29 schools. For now, Hawaii receives an “incomplete” grade with Chang recently landing the job. The grades and ratings are subject to change as several staffs have yet to be completed.
1. FLORIDA: A+
(Photo: Getty)
Billy Napier built the best Group of 5 staff in the country at Louisiana, so it’s no surprise he used the same blueprint to hire the top names in the sport and tweak a few responsibilities at Florida. He brought four assistants from the Ragin’ Cajuns to Gainesville, including defensive coordinator Patrick Toney, pilfered a pair of coaches from SEC rivals (including recruiting extraordinaire Corey Raymond), raided the Big Ten for a running backs coach, dipped into the NFL for two more assistants and also hired two coaches to handle the offensive line.
Why two offensive line coaches? Why not? Most programs have two coaches leading the five-man secondary, so why do teams trust one coach to lead all five positions along the offensive line? That’s Napier’s thinking.
Florida gets the honor of the best-built new staff of the offseason with a wide variety of coaches and experience, a new hiring philosophy along the offensive line and the greatest tagline for a special teams coach in the country: gamechanger coordinator. For the health of the program, Napier power-washed the facility and rid it of Dan Mullen’s entire staff, and that might be the best development.
Head coach: Billy Napier (Louisiana)
New staff: Jabbar Juluke, running backs (Louisiana, running backs); Patrick Toney, co-defensive coordinator/safeties (Louisiana, defensive coordinator); Corey Raymond, assistant head coach/cornerbacks (LSU, cornerbacks); Keary Colbert, receivers (USC, receivers); William Peagler, tight ends (Michigan State, running backs); Rob Sale, offensive coordinator/offensive line (New York Giants, offensive line); Sean Spencer, co-defensive coordinator/defensive line (New York Giants, defensive line); Jay Bateman, inside linebackers (North Carolina, defensive coordinator); Chris Couch, special teams/gamechanger coordinator (Louisiana, special teams coordinator); Darnell Stapleton, offensive line (Louisiana, offensive line); Mike Peterson, outside linebackers (South Carolina, outside linebackers/defensive ends).
2. OKLAHOMA: A
Oklahoma suffered the biggest unpleasant surprise of the carousel when Lincoln Riley skipped town for the bright lights of Los Angeles. The Sooners’ faithful rallied, however, and the job attracted plenty of strong candidates before the obvious and strongest candidate quickly emerged as a legitimate option: Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables. The longtime assistant coach, a former Oklahoma coordinator, has turned down multiple overtures from Power Five programs in recent years, including nearby Arkansas, and many in the industry wondered if he was content with pulling in $2 million a year and winning championships without the stresses of leading an entire program. Oklahoma, however, might be the only gig he would consider, and the Sooners’ administration pounced.
Venables not only understands what is required to win national titles after coaching alongside Dabo Swinney at Clemson, he knows how to handle egos, personalities and recruiting wars while also properly shaping the psychology of a team. In my opinion, he's the best head-coaching hire of the offseason.
Venables’ staff is also great, though Florida edges out the Sooners for the best 10-person staff. Ole Miss’ Jeff Lebby has OU connections and his pass-heavy style while provide a smooth transition. Adding former Troy defensive coordinator Brandon Hall as a safeties coach, along with veteran Ted Roof as the playcaller, was also an overlooked haul. And how about grabbing Alabama cornerbacks coach Jay Valai fresh off the national championship game? His biggest win might have been keeping DeMarco Murray on staff as the running backs coach. He’ll be big on the recruiting trail in the coming years.
Head coach: Brent Venables (Clemson, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Jeff Lebby, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Ole Miss, offensive coordinator); Brandon Hall, safeties (Troy, defensive coordinator); Ted Roof, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Clemson, analyst); Miguel Chavis, defensive ends (Clemson, analyst); Todd Bates, co-defensive coordinator/defensive tackles (Clemson, defensive tackles); Jay Valai, cornerbacks/Nickels (Alabama, cornerbacks)
Holdovers: Bill Bedenbaugh, offensive line; Joe Jon Finley, tight ends; Cale Gundy, receivers; DeMarco Murray, running backs
3. OREGON: A
Oregon again hired a head coach from outside the region when it landed Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, one of the hottest names in the industry in a survey conducted by 247Sports in 2021.
Lanning, a Midwesterner and SEC veteran, built an Oregon staff peppered with West Coast ties, NFL experience and tenacious recruiters. Led by defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, who he coached alongside at Alabama, and offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who he met at Memphis, this might be the best young staff in the entire country – new or not. That’s a good development, because USC is going to be a beast to battle on the recruiting trail for the foreseeable future.
Head coach: Dan Lanning (Georgia, defensive coordinator)
In: Kenny Dillingham, offensive coordinator (Florida State, offensive coordinator); Matt Powledge, co-defensive coordinator (Baylor, safeties); Tony Tuioti, defensive line (Nebraska, defensive line); Demetrice Martin, cornerbacks (Colorado, cornerbacks); Adrian Klemm, offensive line (Pittsburgh Steelers, offensive line); Drew Mehringer, tight ends (New Mexico, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks); Carlos Locklyn, running backs (Western Kentucky, running backs); Junior Adams, co-offensive coordinator/receivers (Washington, receivers); Joe Lorig, special teams/nickels (Penn State, special teams); Tosh Lupoi, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Jacksonville Jaguars, defensive line)
4. LSU: A
Brian Kelly may have made the biggest splash when he opted to push aside legend status at Notre Dame to try to win a national title at LSU. The coach is certainly outside his comfort zone in Baton Rouge, and though he has managed to poke fun at himself for his fake Southern accent, time will tell whether he will be telling the last joke in the SEC.
Kelly had the Irish in College Football Playoff contention once again in 2021 and it appeared his 2022 and 2023 units were the best equipped to finally win the program’s first title since 1989. He can probably push LSU into contention in 2023 with a couple of Top 5 signing classes and a half dozen instant-impact stars out of the transfer portal. He certainly built a tremendous staff to get those type of players on campus and develop them into superstars. Perhaps the biggest hire in assistant coaching circles was Frank Wilson, the McNeese State head coach who resigned from his post to become the Tigers’ running backs coach for a second time. Reviews among those in the industry are mixed with Cincinnati offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock as a game-day coach but, again, time will tell. This is a solid staff with SEC connections and a shared championship mentality.
Head coach: Brian Kelly (Notre Dame, head coach)
New staff: Frank Wilson, associate head coach/running backs (McNeese State, head coach); Brian Polian, special teams (Notre Dame, special teams); Matt House, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Kansas City Chiefs, linebackers); Jamar Cain, defensive line/run game coordinator (USC, defensive line); Mike Denbrock, offensive coordinator/tight ends (Cincinnati, offensive coordinator); Joe Sloan, quarterbacks (Louisiana Tech, offensive coordinator); Kerry Cooks, safeties (Notre Dame, analyst); Robert Steeples, cornerbacks (Minnesota Vikings, assistant special teams); Cortez Hankton, receivers (Georgia, receivers)
Holdover: Brad Davis, offensive line
5. TEXAS TECH: A
Texas Tech moved swiftly and hired Baylor assistant Joey McGuire to lead the program, and though the hire was quickly overshadowed by the bluebloods exchanging coaches, McGuire-to-Tech is arguably the best fit.
McGuire has Texas in his blood and high school coaches adore him, which will prove huge as the Red Raiders try to revitalize a dormant program that is surprisingly bad on offense. 30-year-old offensive coordinator Zach Kittley will give the offense an immediate boost after taking one of the nation’s worst offenses at Western Kentucky and turning it into the second-best scoring attack in the country in only one season.
Head coach: Joey McGuire (Baylor, outside linebackers)
New staff: Josh Bookbinder, linebackers (Baylor, analyst); Kenny Perry, special teams (SMU, special teams); Emmett Jones, receivers (Kansas, receivers); Stephen Hamby, offensive line (Western Kentucky, offensive line); Josh Cochran, tight ends (Austin Peay, co-offensive coordinator); Tim DeRuyter, defensive coordinator (Oregon, defensive coordinator); Marcel Yates, safeties (Oregon, safeties); Zach Kittley, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Western Kentucky, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks); Zarnell Fitch, defensive line (TCU, defensive line)
Holdover: DeAndre Smith, running backs
6. GEORGIA SOUTHERN: A-
Clay Helton built the best staff among Group of 5 openings in the offseason. The former USC coach was able to lure successful coaches away from Western Kentucky, Washington, Hawaii, UAB and Arkansas State. That’s no easy feat, particularly against regional schools like UAB and Arkansas State. The coach with the largest moving bill is receivers coach Marcus Davis, who leaves Hawaii for Georgia Southern, but the decision makes perfect sense: Davis has roots in the southeast as a Florida native and former Auburn receiver. Add Arkansas State assistant Ryan Aplin to the mix and Bryan Ellis, who helped co-coordinate the nation’s No. 2 offense at Western Kentucky, and you have a fearless staff to lead the offense.
Head coach: Clay Helton (USC, head coach)
New staff: Bryan Ellis, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Western Kentucky, co-offensive coordinator); Will Harris, defensive coordinator/secondary (Washington, defensive backs); Rip Rowan, defensive line (Washington, defensive line); Aaron Schwanz, linebackers (Washington, analyst); Marcus Davis, receivers (Hawaii, receivers); Matt Merritt, running backs (Tennessee, analyst); Richard Owens, offensive line/run game coordinator (UAB, offensive line); Ryan Aplin, tight ends/inside receivers (Arkansas State, running backs); Turner West, special teams coordinator (The Citadel, special teams coordinator)
Holdover: Kevin Whitley, cornerbacks
7. USC: B+
(Photo: Shotgun Spratling | USCfootball.com, 247Sports)
Lincoln Riley is an elite coach with a proven system that wins championships. That’s probably why the former Oklahoma coach went with what’s familiar when he brought four of his assistants from Norman to Los Angeles. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, who many believed could be in line for a head-coaching gig in the Power Five, followed his boss to USC and mixed up his staff with familiar faces, including USC holdover Donte Williams, and a Big Ten defensive line coach (Shaun Nua).
USC is doing well in the transfer portal and recruiting has picked up. This staff is winning the offseason.
Head coach: Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma, head coach)
New staff: Alex Grinch, defensive coordinator/safeties (Oklahoma, defensive coordinator); Dennis Simmons, receivers (Oklahoma, outside receivers); Roy Manning, outside linebackers/Nickels (Oklahoma, receivers coach); Shaun Nua, defensive line (Michigan, defensive line); Zach Hanson, tight ends (Tulsa, offensive line); Kiel McDonald, running backs (Utah, running backs); Brian Odom, inside linebackers (Oklahoma, inside linebackers); Dave Nichol, inside receivers (Mississippi State, inside receivers); Josh Henson, offensive coordinator/offensive line (Texas A&M, offensive line)
Holdover: Donte Williams, defensive backs
8. SMU: B+
Rhett Lashlee led SMU’s offense to a great turnaround a few years ago and quietly pushed Miami into the modern age despite the Hurricanes struggling to win games last season. The first-time head coach brought several former coworkers with him to Dallas but he also added coaches with regional ties, including rising star Khenon Hall and former Oklahoma defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux. SMU also pulled off a big win with the hiring of defensive coordinator Scott Symons, who helped push Liberty’s defense into the top 25.
Head coach: Rhett Lashlee (Miami, offensive coordinator)
New staff: Jonathan Brewer, quarterbacks (Miami, quality control); Kyle Cooper, Nickelbacks (Miami, quality control); Casey Woods, offensive coordinator (Missouri, tight ends); Garin Justice, offensive line (Miami, offensive line); Khenon Hall, running backs (Texas Southern, running backs); Calvin Thibodeaux, defensive line (Oklahoma, defensive line); Craig Naivar, safeties/special teams coordinator (USC, safeties); Scott Symons, defensive coordinator (Liberty, defensive coordinator); Rickey Hunley Jr., cornerbacks (Liberty, cornerbacks)
9. COLORADO STATE: B+
Jay Norvell left Nevada for what might be the best Group of 5 job in the country at Colorado State. The facilities in Fort Collins are amazing and the recruiting should be up to par, too, with the right staff. Norvell wasn’t afraid to mix it up with his staff and added two FCS coaches and a high school coach to the on-field staff. Norvell has worked alongside and built amazing staffs, so he gets the benefit of the doubt heading into this bigger-than-perceived gig.
Head coach: Jay Norvell (Nevada, head coach)
New staff: Bill Best, offensive line (Nevada, offensive line); James Finley, running backs (Mater Dei High); Freddie Banks, defensive coordinator (Montana State, defensive coordinator); Buddha Williams, defensive line (North Dakota State); Adam Pilapil, linebackers (Montana State); Matt Mumme, quarterbacks (Nevada, quarterbacks); Chad Savage, tight ends (Nevada, tight ends); Thomas Sheffield, special teams coordinator (Nevada, special teams coordinator)
10. NOTRE DAME: B
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Promoted coaches rarely make many changes on a staff, particularly if that staff nearly led the team to the playoff, so it’s no surprise Marcus Freeman only reinforced the program when he was elevated to head coach.
It’s difficult to grade the Irish’s staff with only three new hires, including an offensive line coach who has been out of the game for a couple of years, and two more searches underway to lead the defense as coordinator (Freeman will still be the main voice) and running backs. Still, snagging associate Brian Masonfrom Cincinnati as special teams coach and bringing Baylor receivers coach Chansi Stuckey on board were two strong moves. The recent addition of Al Washington from Ohio State is huge, too. Don't be surprised if Washington is a coordinator within the next three years.
This grade could rise or fall depending on the last two hires.
Head coach: Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Brian Mason, special teams coordinator (Cincinnati, special teams coordinator); Chansi Stuckey, receivers (Baylor, receivers); Al Washington, defensive line (Ohio State, linebackers); Harry Hiestand, offensive line
Holdovers: Tommy Rees, offensive coordinator/running backs; John McNulty, tight ends; Mike Mickens, cornerbacks; Chris O’Leary, safeties
Openings: Defensive coordinator; Running backs
11. WASHINGTON STATE: B
The situation at Washington State was messy and the decision to steer away from hiring coaches coordinating offenses led to an internal hire. Jake Dickertwas 3-3 as the interim coach and takes over after the firing of Nick Rolovich, whose COVID-19 vaccination status led to his dismissal, and unsurprisingly wholesale changes have been made by Dickert as the school distances itself from the Rolovich era. Nevada defensive coordinator Brian Ward is the best addition to the staff but star power is lacking elsewhere on the roster.
Head coach: Jake Dickert (Washington State, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Brian Ward, defensive coordinator (Nevada, defensive coordinator); Clay McGuire, offensive line (USC, offensive line); Eric Morris, offensive coordinator (Incarnate Word, head coach); Mark Atuaia, running backs (Virginia, running backs); Joel Filani, receivers (Texas Tech, outside receivers); Pete Kaligis, defensive tackles (Wyoming, defensive tackles); Nick Whitworth, special teams/tight ends (Texas State, special teams/running backs)
Holdovers: AJ Cooper, Edge; Jordan Malone, defensive assistant (cornerbacks)
12. MIAMI: B-
Mario Cristobal is back home at Miami and with boosters promising to flood the program with more money and better facilities, the Hurricanes are in as good of a position to return to prominence than it has at any point in the last 20 years.
The problem as we sit h ere today, however, is that Cristobal’s staff has yet to be set and those who have been brought on board are mostly his confidants at Oregon. This grade will likely change in the coming weeks but the first moves made by Cristobal haven’t made many waves in the industry.
Head coach: Mario Cristobal (Oregon, head coach)
New staff: Bryan McClendon, receivers/co-offensive coordinator (Oregon, receivers); Alex Mirabal, assistant head coach/offensive line (Oregon, offensive line); Joe Salave’a, defensive line/associate head coach (Oregon, defensive line); Kevin Smith, running backs (Ole Miss, running backs)
13. WASHINGTON: B-
Kalen DeBoer was such an obvious candidate for the Washington gig, the longer the search lasted, one wondered if he actually wasn’t interested.
DeBoer doesn’t have much experience as a head coach but he did coach one of the hardest-hitting teams on the West Coast last season at Fresno State. His quarterback, Jake Haener, was a delight to watch, too, with a close loss at Oregon and a thrilling victory at UCLA. Now in the Pac-12, DeBoer brought six of his Fresno State assistants with him to Seattle. No head coach in the country brought more of his former assistants to his new gig than DeBoer.
Head coach: Kalen DeBoer (Fresno State, head coach)
New staff: Ryan Grubb, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Fresno State, offensive coordinator); Nick Sheridan, tight ends (Indiana, quarterbacks); Inoke Breckterfield, defensive line (Vanderbilt, defensive line); William Ingle, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers (Fresno State); Chuck Morrell, co-defensive coordinator/safeties (Fresno State); Eric Schmidt, special teams/defensive ends (Fresno State); Lee Marks, running backs (Fresno State); Julius Brown, cornerbacks (Fresno State, cornerbacks); JaMarcus Shephard, receivers (Purdue, receivers)
Holdover: Scott Huff, offensive line
14. DUKE: B-
Mike Elko was on the path to become a Power Five head coach sooner than later, but why Duke? He has strong connections to the area and those ties also led to a strong staff. Luring Lyle Hemphill away from Wake Forest to coach safeties was a big win and so, too, was hiring Memphis offensive coordinator Kevin Johns. The staff has strong ACC connections but several coaches were at or near their expiration date at their previous gigs, including the coaches from Miami. Elko, however, elevates the entire staff as the leader of this group. He may have landed a better job had he waited another season.
Head coach: Mike Elko (Texas A&M, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Lyle Hemphill, safeties (Wake Forest, defensive coordinator); Harland Bower, defensive ends (Texas A&M, analyst); Kevin Johns, offensive coordinator (Memphis, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks); Adam Cushing, offensive line (Eastern Illinois, head coach); Patrick Dougherty, special teams coordinator/tight ends (Ball State, special teams coordinator); Ishmael Aristide, cornerbacks (Miami, outside linebackers); Zohn Burden, receivers/passing game coordinator (Maryland, receivers); Jess Simpson, defensive line (Miami, defensive line)
15. FIU: B-
Mike MacIntyre led San Jose State to an amazing turnaround in 2012 and four years later he gave Colorado a 10-win season and Pac-12 South title. He flamed out, however, and had to resurrect his career as a coordinator at Ole Miss and Memphis. FIU went with MacIntyre after a sloppy exit by Butch Davis, who dragged the program in the media as he exited. This isn’t a cash-rich program with amazing facilities, but MacIntyre is a good man and a great coach, and his ties throughout the country helped him build a still-impressive staff despite the lack of resources. It makes you wonder who MacIntyre could have hired with a larger salary pool.
Head coach: Mike MacIntyre (Memphis, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Ricky Brumfield, special teams coordinator/assistant head coach (Virginia, special teams); Joshua Eargle, tight ends (Memphis, consultant); David Yost, offensive coordinator (Texas Tech, offensive coordinator); Eric Hickson, running backs (Miami, running backs); Jovan Dewitt, defensive coordinator (North Carolina, special teams coordinator/outside linebackers); Greg Austin, offensive line (Nebraska, offensive line); Jay MacIntyre, receivers (UT-Martin, receivers); George Frazier, defensive line (UT-Martin, defensive line); Nate Taye, defensive assistant TBA (Memphis, analyst)
16. VIRGINIA TECH: C+
(Photo: HokiesFB)
Brent Pry is the perfect fit for Virginia Tech. He attended the university and coached in Blacksburg. He understands Beamer Ball, the blue-collar approach the Hokies love and his background as a high-level defensive coordinator make him the perfecting casting choice for anyone developing a script about the future of Virginia Tech football.
Pry made some solid hires with the addition of Wisconsin’s Joe Rudolph as his offensive line coach, but those in the industry had questions about the additions of several others, including a playcaller. The jury is out for all coaching staffs, of course, and it might not be fair to judge this first staff for Pry but, at face value, industry sources were not blown away by the hires.
Head coach: Brent Pry (Penn State, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Shawn Quinn, Sam linebackers/Nickels (Savannah State, head coach); Derek Jones, cornerbacks (Texas Tech, do-defensive coordinator); J.C. Price, defensive line; Chris Marve, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Florida State, linebackers); Stu Holt, special teams/running backs (Louisville, special teams/tight ends); Brad Glenn, quarterbacks (Georgia State, offensive coordinator); Pierson Prioleau, safeties (director player development, defense); Joe Rudolph, offensive line (Wisconsin, offensive coordinator/offensive line); Tyler Bowen, offensive coordinator/tight ends (Jacksonville Jaguars, tight ends); Fontel Mines, receivers (Old Dominion, tight ends)
17. UCONN: C+
Jim Mora is back in college football, and though no one remembers his time at UCLA fondly, it’s quite incredible the staff he built this offseason at UConn.
UConn is one of the worst jobs in the FBS and yet Mora lured an FCS head coach, an NFL assistant and four FBS assistants from mid-tier programs to Storrs. That’s quite remarkable and a testament to Mora’s clout. It might also show UConn is actually serious about football. Keeping Lou Spanos, who served as the interim coach, on board as defensive coordinator was a no-brainer, too.
Head coach: Jim Mora
New staff: Nick Charlton, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Maine, head coach); E.J. Barthel, running backs (Carolina Panthers, offensive assistant); John Allen, receivers (Louisiana Tech, outside receivers); Gordie Sammis, offensive line (William & Mary, offensive line); John Marinelli, tight ends (Illinois, analyst); Siriki Diabate, linebackers (Middle Tennessee, linebackers); Dalton Hilliard, defensive backs (Arkansas State, secondary); Ryan Osborne, defensive assistant (Michigan, analyst); Kenny McClendon, defensive line (Youngstown State, defensive line); Dough Shearer, special teams (Miami Ohio, special teams)
Holdover: Lou Spanos, defensive coordinator
18. LOUISIANA: C
Michael Desormeaux deserved to lead Louisiana, so when he was elevated from co-offensive coordinator to head coach following Billy Napier’s departure for Florida, fans applauded the move. Will it work? Napier was something of a revolutionary coach in the Sun Belt and after winning back-to-back titles in the Sun Belt, one wonders if the Ragin’ Cajuns can maintain that level of success, even with seven coaches remaining on staff.
Head coach: Michael Desormeaux (Louisiana, co-offensive coordinator)
New staff: LaMar Morgan, defensive coordinator/safeties (Vanderbilt, cornerbacks); Jorge Munoz, tight ends (LSU, analyst); Bryant Ross, assistant offensive line (Grambling, offensive line)
Holdovers: Tim Leger, offensive coordinator/receivers (co-offensive coordinator); Wes Neighbors, outside linebackers (safeties); Rory Segrest, defensive line; Matt Bergeron, running backs (analyst); Jeff Burris, cornerbacks; Jeff Norid, offensive line; Galen Scott, inside linebackers
19. TROY: C
Jon Sumrall is beloved at Troy, but the pressure will be on for him to immediately deliver results at the football-starved program. The Trojans are accustomed to double-digit wins and bowl games, and falling short three years in a row led to Chip Lindsey’s firing. Sumrall’s timetable is probably just as short at the Sun Belt school, so he needs to make waves and do so quickly. Pulling Joe Craddock from nearby UAB was the biggest addition to the staff and should prove helpful, and keeping Al Pogue on board as cornerbacks coach was crucial for recruiting.
Head coach: Jon Sumrall (Kentucky, co-defensive coordinator)
New staff: Shiel Wood, defensive coordinator (Army, co-defensive coordinator); Brock Hays, running backs (Louisiana Tech, running backs); Cole Popovich, offensive line; Eric McDaniel, defensive line (Army, defensive line); Tayler Polk, inside linebackers (Central Arkansas, linebackers); Evan McKissack, tight ends (Murray State, tight ends/running backs); Joe Craddock, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (UAB, tight ends)
Holdovers: Al Pogue, cornerbacks; Gary Banks, receivers; Bam Hardmon, outside linebackers (defensive line)
20. LOUISIANA TECH: C
Sonny Cumbie was praised by many in the industry when Louisiana Tech hired him as head coach. The goodwill continued in Texas Tech’s bowl game with Cumbie as the interim coach. The Red Raiders may have struggled offensively last season but Cumbie is still a well-respected name in coaching circles and he previously had TCU among the nation’s best offenses in the mid-2010s. The staff he built in Ruston is certainly interesting with a heavy flavor of Stephen F. Austin staffers. The Bulldogs, however, need to win and win big. Time is of the essence and risks need to pay off.
Head coach: Sonny Cumbie (Texas Tech, offensive coordinator)
New staff: Jake Brown, co-offensive coordinator/receivers (Texas Tech, quality control); Nathan Young, offensive line (Stephen F. Austin, offensive line); Scott Parr, co-offensive coordinator/tight ends (Navarro College, head coach); Scott Power, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Stephen F. Austin, defensive coordinator); JaMarkus McFarland, defensive line (Stephen F. Austin, defensive line); Paul Turner, safeties (analyst); Dan Sharp, assistant head coach/special teams (TCU, special teams); Marcus Walker, cornerbacks (Stephen F. Austin, defensive backs)
Holdovers: Anthony Camp, outside linebackers (defensive line); Brock Hays, running backs; Paul Turner, safeties (analyst)
21. VIRGINIA: C-
Virginia didn’t get much of a heads-up when Bronco Mendenhall resigned in December, and the coaching search was a bit of a mess as candidates came and went on campus. Hiring Tony Elliott was about as good of a development as one could hope but the star power on his coaching staff is lacking. Elliott is the buoy for this staff.
Head coach: Tony Elliott (Clemson, offensive coordinator)
New staff: Des Kitchings, offensive coordinator (Atlanta Falcons, offensive coordinator); Chris Slade, defensive ends (Pace Academy High, head coach); Keith Gaither, running backs (Army, receivers); Kevin Downing, defensive tackles (Navy, defensive line); John Rudzinski, defensive coordinator/defensive backs (Air Force, defensive coordinator); Curome Cox, defensive backs (Air Force, defensive backs); Taylor Lamb, quarterbacks (Gardner Webb, quarterbacks)
Holdovers: Marques Hagans, receivers; Clint Sintim, linebackers; Garett Tujague, offensive line
22. FRESNO STATE: C-
Jeff Tedford is back for a second stint as Fresno State’s head coach after health reasons forced him to resign in 2019. He has since hired coaches from across the country, including rising star Pat McCann, and he kept a few core pieces from Kalen DeBoer’s staff while promoting Kirby Moore — younger brother of Kellen — from receivers coach to coordinator.
The staff is incredibly heavy on experience, including a pair of veteran coaches who weren’t on-field assistants in 2021, but those mainstays haven’t had much success at their recent gigs. Tedford’s biggest win was convincing Jake Haener to exit the transfer portal and return to Fresno State as the Bulldogs’ star quarterback.
Head coach: Jeff Tedford
New staff: Tim Skipper, linebackers (Central Michigan, linebackers); Kevin Coyle, defensive coordinator (LSU, defensive analyst); John Baxter, special teams coordinator; Jethro Franklin, defensive line (Missouri, defensive line); Pat McCann, receivers (Eastern Washington, receivers); James Montgomery, running backs (Cal Poly, running backs); Sage Tuitele, offensive line (Army, offensive line)
Holdovers: Kirby Moore, offensive coordinator (receivers); Roman Sapolu, tight ends (offensive line); J.D. Williams, defensive backs (cornerbacks)
23. TEMPLE: C-
Stan Drayton's deep resume and strong ties to the Temple administration helped him land his first big job. His staff includes former Power Five assistants, including D.J. Elliot, who hasn’t coordinated a defense in two years. Jules Montinar might prove to be the rising star on this staff after his stay at Florida was cut short because of the firing of Dan Mullen.
Head coach: Stan Drayton (Texas, running backs)
New staff: Chris Wiesehan, offensive line (Georgia Tech, tight ends); Preston Brown, running backs (Temple, director player personnel); Adam Scheier, tight ends/special teams (Rutgers, special teams coordinator); Danny Langsdorf, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Colorado, quarterbacks); Jules Montinar, defensive backs (Florida, cornerbacks); D.J. Eliot, defensive coordinator; Ola Adams, co-defensive coordinator/safeties (Villanova, defensive coordinator/secondary); Antoine Smith, defensive line (Colorado State, defensive line); Chris Woods, linebackers (Kansas, analyst)
Holdover: Thad Ward, receivers
24. TCU: D+
TCU wanted Sonny Dykes and Sonny Dykes wanted TCU, so the move to oust Gary Patterson was made without much preparation and was predicably messy. Dykes led rival SMU to 33 wins, the best coaching record since the infamous Pony Express death penalty, but industry sources indicate he had a difficult time filling his staff at TCU.
Head coach: Sonny Dykes (SMU, head coach)
New staff: Ra'Shaad Samples, running backs (SMU, running backs); Joe Gillespie, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Tulsa, defensive coordinator); Garrett Riley, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (SMU, offensive coordinator); AJ Ricker, co-offensive coordinator/offensive line (SMU, offensive line); Carlton Buckels, cornerbacks (Tulsa, cornerbacks); Mark Tommerdahl, special teams coordinator (Texas Tech, special teams coordinator); Chidera Uzo-Diribe, defensive line (Kansas, outside linebackers)
Holdovers: Paul Gonzales, safeties; Malcolm Kelly, outside receivers; Doug Meacham, inside receivers
25. NEVADA: D+
Sometimes the hire just makes perfect sense and Ken Wilson is just that for Nevada. Wilson had a lot of support and was the odds-on favorite to land the gig when Jay Norvell left for Colorado State. Wilson filled his staff with three former analysts and two former quality control coaches, so time will tell whether that will work out on the field.
Head coach: Ken Wilson (Oregon, co-defensive coordinator)
New staff: Nate Costa, quarterbacks (Oregon, analyst); Kwame Agyeman, co-defensive coordinator/safeties (Oregon, analyst); Jalen Ortiz, cornerbacks (Wyoming, graduate assistant); Mike Bethea, defensive coordinator (Ottawa University, defensive coordinator); Joe Bolden, special teams coordinator/outside linebackers (Ohio State, analyst); Louie Addazio, offensive line (Colorado State, offensive line); Derek Sage, offensive coordinator/tight ends (UCLA, tight ends); C.J. Ah You, defensive line (USC, quality control); Anthony Arceneax, receivers (UC Davis, receivers)
Holdover: Vai Taua, running backs
26. UMASS: D+
Head coach: Don Brown (Arizona, defensive coordinator)
New staff: Steve Casula, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Michigan, analyst); Keith Dudzinski, defensive coordinator (Arizona, linebackers); Valdamar Brower, defensive line (Springfield Central High); Darrell Perkins, defensive backs (UConn, cornerbacks); Jeff Moore, tight ends/recruiting coordinator (Loomis-Chaffee High); Damian Mincey, running backs (Albany, special teams coordinator/running backs); Mike McCray, outside linebackers (Michigan, analyst); Ryan Partridge, receivers (Arizona, support staff); Ben Albert, special teams/defensive line (Duke, co-defensive coordinator/defensive line)
Holdover: Alex Miller, offensive line
27. NEW MEXICO STATE: D
Head coach: Jerry Kill (TCU, assistant)
New staff: Tim Beck, offensive coordinator (TCU, analyst); Chuke Ndulue, defensive line (Southern Illinois, defensive line); Cliff Odom, cornerbacks (Eastern Illinois, cornerbacks); Nate Dreiling, defensive coordinator (Southeast Missouri State, inside linebackers); Andrew Mitchell, offensive line (TCU, analyst); Tyler Wright, tight ends (TCU, graduate assistant); Tony Sanchez, receivers (TCU, analyst); Ghaali Muhammad-Lankford, running backs (Illinois State, receivers); Bobby McMillen, inside linebackers (TCU, analyst)
28. AKRON: D
Head coach: Joe Moorhead (Oregon, offensive coordinator)
New staff: Nick Toth, defensive coordinator/linebackers (Oregon, analyst); Tre Bell, cornerbacks (Florida State, graduate assistant); Winston DeLattiboudere, defensive line (Oregon, graduate assistant); Allen Tucker, special teams (Mississippi State, quality control); Billy Fessler, quarterbacks (Ohio State, graduate assistant); Neal Renna, safeties (Eastern Illinois, special teams/safeties); Joel Rodriguez, offensive line (FIU, offensive line); Reno Ferri, tight ends; Terry Richardson, running backs; David Gilbertson, receivers (Oregon, analyst)
HAWAII: TBD
Head coach: Timmy Chang (Colorado State, receivers)
