They helped West Georgia advance to the Division II playoffs four times in five years. Ranking the 20 best head coaches in college football Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian against Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 26, 2019. 14) and interceptions (No. The program ranks sixth in the same metric in the five years since he became head coach. Under Williams, USC allowed just 216.3 passing yards per game last season, its lowest number since 2013. Cortez Hankton, LSU -- $850,000+2. Roman Sapolu, Fresno State, O-line Coach/Run Game Coordinator (28): One of the best young offensive line coaches in college football, Sapolu earned a dual promotion this offseason to. Their rushing efficiency stands out for a program like this theyre 14th in the Power Five in EPA per rush over the last three seasons, a mightily impressive figure. 25. The Bulldogs were the only SEC team with multiple 50-plus-yard kick returns. As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest. David Johnson, Tennessee -- $505,000 4. Healy has said before of West: I dont think theres a better defensive line coach in the country. Its easy to just think about Utah as a team that always competes for a conference title year in year out because of the recent past, but that is not how this program is viewed historically. Of those six, three were ranked 50th or lower last year. Washington, who has known Ohio State coach Ryan Day since they were together at Boston College in 2003 and 04, joined the Buckeyes staff after Day became coach. Thomas Cahill enjoyed mild success in the mid-1960s, going 23-7. 12) and punt-return defense (No. The first three used the Bearcats as a stepping stone for Power Five jobs, but Fickell has outlasted each of them and now goes into his fifth season. Hall) was a three-time finalist for FCS Defensive Player of the Year. Has been heavily pursued for college and NFL jobs in recent years. Liberty also was 15th in the country in average time of possession (32:58). Led a special teams unit that ranked second in the SEC in kick-return average (28.0). Was also on the radar as a possibility for multiple other teams with secondary coach openings, including LSU as the Tigers explored potentially hiring a safeties coach. Quarterback Elite (QBE) is one of the premier QB & WR development programs in the nation headquartered in Utah. Saban landed at LSU in 2000 and awoke the sleeping Cajun giant, compiling a 48-15 record and a National Championship in five years. This list is booty cheeks. Holtz won 76% of his games in South Bend. Sure, there might be an inclination to not have them at No. As a player, Simpson was a starting cornerback at South Alabama in 2010 and 11, when current UAB coach Bill Clark was the Jaguars defensive coordinator. Florida coach Dan Mullen fought hard to keep him. The Rockets lurched back to 5-5-1 the year after under Gary Pinkel. That . Every starter returns from last seasons secondary. The opportunity to win games was the biggest factor here. To replace Hankton, Georgia recalled Bryan McClendon, a former Bulldog wide receiver and a former Bulldog running backs coach, to coach his old position at his alma mater. That's largely due to the return of Jaxon Smith-Njigba,. Recent jobs: Rutgers (2020-present), Temple co-coordinator/cornerbacks coach (2019), Baylor assistant head coach/cornerbacks coach (2017-18), Temple associate head coach/secondary coach (2016) Was Greg Schiano's first hire for his Rutgers staff. Cortez Hankton, Georgia -- $375,000 10. Continues to be regarded as one of the nations top recruiters. Yes, Alabama claimed 12 championships before Saban's arrival, but it was a program going through turmoil and probation before he took the reins. Joker Phillips, NC State -- $415,000+21. Kearis Jackson enters the year with Day 3 grades. There were also multiple Power Five programs (one in the Big 12 and one in the Pac-12) that inquired with Johnson about quarterbacks coach jobs this past cycle. Also has been contacted in recent years about NFL and SEC offensive line jobs. 1 recruiter in the country in 2020 and is No. Tyler Grisham is a top 5, maybe top 3, WR coach in the entire country. New hire replaces Marc Vottler following Vottler's hiring at Ohio State. His current wide receiver corps includes two players who have developed into 2022 NFL Draft prospects. Founded in 2009 by Dustin Smith and Ty Detmer. Tettleton, a former record-setting quarterback at Ohio (2009-13) and the son of former major league catcher Mickey Tettleton, was hired as the Bobcats running backs coach in late July. Of course, he was wildly successful in the years before his Buffalo tenure. Coached Kareem Hunt, who ran for 1,475 yards at Toledo in 2016 before being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. In his first season as Washingtons defensive backs coach, Harris was part of the Huskies improving from No. 1 nationally (both FBS and FCS) with nine blocked kicks and set a Colonial Athletic Association record with 27 made field goals by Ethan Ratke. The wide receiver position at Miami has been a loaded spot for the 'Canes since Eddie Brown signed with The U out of Miami Senior High School . (McClendon was set to follow Mario Cristobal to Miami before returning to Athens.). After serving as a little-used backup in 2019, Bentley broke out in his first season under Samples and led the AAC with 913 rushing yards in 2020. Mario Williams Where he plays: USC 2021 stats: 35 rec, 380 yards, 4 TD Williams was a reliable fixture for Oklahoma a year. Has been Georgias pass game coordinator since 2019. That's when Fleck headed to Minnesota to rebuild the Gophers. Was a quarterback at Oklahoma (2006-08) when Heupel was the Sooners quarterbacks coach, then got his start in coaching under Heupel as a support staffer at Oklahoma from 2009-14. The Blazers also have been in the top 10 nationally in pass defense each of the past two seasons No. In Smiths first season at Virginia Tech, cornerback Dorian Strong developed into a Freshman All-American. Turned down a Mountain West defensive coordinator job last year. Three of the coaches in last season's the top 25 lost their jobs following the 2021 season, including a top-10 coach in Dan Mullen and another who won a national title in 2019, Ed Orgeron. Was a four-year starter at safety for Auburn and a captain on the Tigers 2010 national championship team. Limited Ads. Was a fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2009 NFL Draft and played seven seasons in the NFL. Other college support staffers or NFL staffers who received votes: Stephen Adegoke (Michigan); Max Bullough (Alabama); Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State); Steve Cooper (Nebraska); Zachary Crabtree (Oklahoma State); Ty Darlington (Oklahoma); Jon DeCoster (Cleveland Browns); Ross Douglas (New England Patriots); Declan Doyle (New Orleans Saints); Will Johnson (Oklahoma); Conner McQueen (Oklahoma); Nick Perry (Atlanta Falcons); Ryan Osborn (Michigan); Effrem Reed (Michigan State); Ronnie Regula (Miami); Zac Robinson (Los Angeles Rams); Spencer Whipple (Arizona Cardinals); Nick Williams (Texas A&M). Kasey Dunn, Oklahoma State -- $800,000* 3. Walter Camp, Yale (1888-92 . 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Caleb Carbine worked previously with Gerad Parker at West Virginia. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Until Tom Allen, that is,who sits at 52%. Two of Simpsons cornerbacks were named second-team All-Conference USA last season (Brontae Harris and TD Marshall). And thats what makes Allens tenure so impressive. Mark Hudspeth improved the Rajin' Cajuns' win total from three to nine in his first year in charge, which started a four-year run of 9-4 finishes and a New Orleans Bowl victory each season. And we have a history of Saban turning around other programs. Kelly has won 72% of his games with the Golden Domers to go along with an incredible four-year run at Cincinnati that saw him win 34 of 40 games, three years at Central Michigan where he produced the school's first double-digit-win season since 1979 and a 118-52-2 mark with Grand Valley State that culminated in two Division II Championship titles. Part of that was Miami having to throw the football while being down, but it's still lower than what it probably should have been. Ranked as the sixth-best recruiter in the Pac-12 for the 2021 recruiting cycle. Its always difficult to examine coaches through the prism of wins, losses and efficiency rankings. In July, he secured a commitment from four-star 2022 running back Nicholas Singleton, while also teaming with offensive line coach Phil Trautwein to land five-star 2023 offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier. Justin Stepp, Arkansas -- $350,000, PREVIOUS INSTALLMENTS:Offensive line | Running backs | Tight ends |Defensive line | Linebackers |Defensive backs | Special teams. 2 nationally in total offense each of the past two seasons. While playing in eight games for Miami last season, he caught four passes for . As a player, Wright was an All-American defensive lineman at Texas and was one of the leaders of the Longhorns 2005 national championship team. Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 53.6 percent of their passes vs. TCU during that span. 12-4. JaMarcus Shepard, Washington -- $650,000+6. Age: 60. Led by Etheridge and coordinator Derek Mason, the Tigers are expected to have one of the better secondaries in the SEC this season. David Johnson, Tennessee -- $505,000 4. In the past two years, Colbert has produced four all-conference wide receivers, a Biletnikoff Award finalist (Michael Pittman in 2019) and two top-four-round draft picks (2021 fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown and Pittman, a 2020 second-round selection). 1. In the 10 years leading up to the longtime head coach, the team had only won 55% of their games. A 2004 second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers. 1 for the 2022 recruiting cycle. That kind of turnover played a role in the shakeups all over our list of 65 coaches, and this year we have six coaches cracking the top 25 for the first time. Kelly, who is widely known as one of the top innovators in the rise of the spread offense in college football, helped the Bruins rack up 503.6 yards per game and 7.01 yards per play, both of which . And thats what Clemson was: a good program left stranded in the shadow of some of their conference mates, far away from ever being a national power. For what it's worth, Gattis made $525,000 while coaching the Crimson Tide's wide receivers in 2018. Teams: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers. But those were the high points until Monken turned the program around. As Charlottes offensive coordinator in 2019, Atkins led a unit that ranked 28th nationally in yards per play (6.31). However, he fell to a combined 15-22 over his last three seasons, more in line with what Louisiana is as a program they had two seasons in their history above the 9-4 mark before Napier took the program in 2018. Scheelhaase was promoted to run game coordinator after last season. Currently ranked among the nations top 15 recruiters for the 2022 recruiting class. Also was Indianas associate head coach last year. Staggs had been set to join the Western Kentucky staff as an assistant coach. Produced 48 all-conference players during his seven seasons as an offensive coordinator at West Georgia and West Alabama, including two All-American offensive linemen at West Georgia (Harley Vaughan and Austin Kastl). Holmon Wiggins, Alabama -- $575,000+11. He rushed for 1,125 yards during the Fighting Irishs run to the College Football Playoff last season. -- Equally worth of mentioning: Alabama does not have a wide receivers coach as of this moment. Was brought to Ohio State by former Buckeyes and current Jacksonville Jaguars coach Urban Meyer, who remains high on Bailey. Landed two four-star defensive backs in that 2021 class. Has had members of his Florida linebacker room taken in two of the past three NFL drafts 2020 third-round pick Jon Greenard and 2019 fifth-round selection Vosean Joseph. After the championship-winning year of 2013, the FSU offenses that ranked 38th nationwide in EPA per play under his watch dropped down to 107th in the three years since he left. He lost the first two rival games in 2014 and 2015 to make it 14 straight but has since won four of the last five. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports. Junior Adams, Oregon -- $575,000+9. George Pickens, who suffered a torn ACL during the spring, is viewed in the NFL scouting world as a potential Day 2 pick. The Stoops era of Kentucky football is a case study in not giving up too soon on a coach when you are not a national power. A Texas graduate, he is married with three children and lives outside Fort Worth, Texas. All Rights Reserved. 11 in 2019 (467.5) to No. From 2016 to the present day, this is the No. Ranking college football's 10 best head coaches this season In theory, coaches listed here should beat the coaches ranked beneath them with a team of equal talent on a neutral field 10.. Has coached so well since arriving at West Point in 2014, he has passed 2 other . -- Brian Hartline made $105,000 as Ohio State's interim wide receivers coach in 2018. 2 ranking nationally from USA Today and was a finalist for U.S. Army All-American National Coach of the Year. Based on that feedback, here are 50 coaches (including a few support staffers) you need to know entering the 2021 season. 13 nationally and No. He'll earn $250,000 in 2022, per the 2-year deal he signed upon joining the Wolverine staff from Michigan's West Bloomfield High School. Jacob Peeler, Ole Miss -- $425,000 6. The future looks bright, as well, as they currently sit 24th on PFF's preseason ELO rankings. The feel in the coaching world is that Odom likely would be a top contender for the Oklahoma coordinator job if Alex Grinch leaves for a head-coaching opportunity. Ranked as the top recruiter in the Pac-12 in 2020 and 21, and is ranked No. 51 nationally in pass defense the year before his arrival (212.4 yards per game) to No. The Elite Quarterback Training Program. Initially was hired by Healy at Chattanooga in 2009 and has worked for him every year since other than the one season at Minnesota. 12), pass efficiency defense (No. After recording just four carries in 2019, Williams has developed into one of the best running backs in the country under Taylors watch. Was promoted to associate head coach after last season. Former USC star wide receiver (2000-03) who left as the Trojans career leader in receptions. Was one of the lead recruiters on nine BC signees, including four-star cornerback Clinton Burton. Brocks special teams unit at Bowling Green in 2017 ranked in the top 20 nationally in kick-return defense (No. Derrick Nix, Ole Miss -- $500,000+11. Matt Simon, Minnesota -- $395,00023. From 1892 to 2006, the team played in six bowl games. The Joker Phillips era might as well not have happened. Woodson, an ex-Ole Miss defensive back, also has the defensive pass game coordinator title at Florida State. To put that into perspective, thats the same percentage allowed by Clemson during this four-year stretch and better than the figure posted by Alabama (55.1). It's unlikely we'll ever learn what he's making at The U, a private school, but we do know he was set to become college football's first $1 million wide receivers coach had he remained in Ann Arbor. In fact, at $350,000, we've now found the low end of the high end among FBS position coaches. Zach has been FootballScoop's national columnist since 2012. In 2019, Pro Football Focus two highest-graded safeties were from Gonzales group Moehrig and ArDarius Washington. Finished his career with 344 catches, two 1,000-yard seasons and 14 career touchdowns. Its unfair, but its hard to hold two fluke comebacks against him not that hes totally off the hook for those two Bama losses but he has surpassed Mark Richts 74% win rate with his 79% win rate in six years. Smith, who filled in as the Hokies defensive play-caller during a 45-24 win over NC State, was promoted to defensive pass game coordinator earlier this year. Tyler Grisham, Clemson -- $450,000+15. Has been working up at the college level since 2015 after two jobs as a high school coach. You can safely assume it'll be above $105,000, though. Kentucky has been a hard team to win with, but Stoops has seemingly transformed them from bottom-feeders to a mid-table team with a chance to upset the apple cart and win the East every once in a while. For the final part of On3s three-part project on up-and-coming coaches, we take a look at rising-star position coaches as well as some highly regarded support staffers. Flecks first team went 1-11, a three-loss decrease from the previous year, but he ultimately turned the boat around and went 8-5 the next two seasons before the incredible 13-1 season of 2016, where the team only lost in the Cotton Bowl to Wisconsin. Marion is an expert in the "Go-Go . Previously assisted in the development of Molden, McDuffie and others as the Huskies assistant defensive backs coach. A former NFL receiver who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-06. Interviewed for the Alabama running backs coach opening this past coaching cycle. Georgias defense had fallen to 13th in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play in the two years before Kirbys arrival, but hes since straightened that out. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Alvis Whitted, Wisconsin -- $400,00022. Interviewed for the job as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach before the Eagles hired Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. Has a twin brother, Kelsey, whos also an up-and-coming coach. Despite having to use different offensive line configurations in six of FSUs nine games last season, Atkins group paved the way for the Seminoles to post their highest rushing average since 2016 (199.9 yards per game). Regarded as one of the best kickoff-return and special teams coaches in the country. Holt was a great receiver for the Wolfpack. Emmett Jones, Texas Tech -- $450,000+18. In 2017, The Chanticleers ranked 71st in the FBS in EPA per play. Since 2016, the Utes have been the best defense in the conference, posting a cumulative -0.149 EPA allowed per play in those five seasons. LSU had just three winning seasons in the entire decade coming into the 2000s, and then Saban won them a National Championship within three seasons. In addition, Powledge coached Baylors only first-team All-Big 12 selection on either offense or defense in 2020 safety Jalen Pitre. According to Football Scoop, that man is Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver coach Cortez Hankton. Dabo has lifted whatever Clemsoning curse was put on the Tigers and has won 81% of his games so far. 2016 New England Patriots (QB Coach/O-Cord) 14-2 Won Super Bowl 51 over ATL. A rise this rapid from the FCS ranks is almost unheard of. The Cougars also were first in the AAC in kick-return defense and net punting. 1 or No. Its hard to truly describe the offensive mess that Florida found itself in before Dan Mullen arrived in Gainesville. Played a role in the Bulldogs ranking fourth in the SEC in total defense in 2020 (380.3 yards per game) after ranking 11th under the previous staff in 2019 (419.3 yards per game). Returned to coaching in 2019 after two years working in the private sector. Just look at his top two wide receivers heading into the 2021 season. Volatility is a hazard of the coaching business. Viewed as a rising star inside the Ohio State building and outside of it as well. Indianapolis is making MAJOR moves, set to hire FootballScoop's reigning top special teams coordinator. Not a single Indiana coach won more than 50% of his games since Bo McMillins run between 1934 and 1947. Aided by Merritt, James Madison ranked sixth in the FCS in rushing offense last season (232.6 yards per game) and 10th in 2019 (242.9 yards per game). They ranked 108th in the FBS in EPA per play over 2014 and 2015. Again, there was a win decrease in his first season, as the Gophers went from nine wins to five in 2017, but a two-game improvement in 2018 foreshadowed an 11-2 season in 2019. 1. Billy Gonzales, Florida -- $632,000+ 5. Dameyune Craig, Texas A&M -- $675,0005. 11 in the AAC in total defense in 2018 (496.8 yards per game) and No. Fisher quickly got the program back on track, though, winning 78% of his games and bringing home a National Championship. Was under consideration for the Marshall coaching job before the hire of Charles Huff. Was a three-year starting QB at Tulsa and was the 2010 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year with Chad Morris as his coordinator. He landed one of the. A former West Virginia and Florida A&M quarterback, he won the Doug Williams National Offensive Player of the Year award as a senior at Florida A&M in 1999. After a 9-4 2008 season, Bill Cubits Broncos fell to 22-27 over the next four years. It is unheard of to have back-to-back nine-win seasons at Vanderbilt, and the program quickly fell off when Franklin left for Penn State. Has produced at least one first- or second-team All-Big 12 selection in each of the past five seasons. Abdul-Rahim was contacted about a Power 5 defensive coordinator job and at least one SEC secondary coach opening this past cycle. section: | slug: ranking-the-top-25-power-five-college-football-coaches-entering-the-2022-season | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | Here's how the full list breaks down: 1. Is the right-hand man for highly regarded Mississippi State coordinator Zach Arnett. Worked under current Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule at Baylor and Temple. Helped Iowa State compile a top-10 ranking in 2020 along with a Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $535,000 3. The highest-paid quarterbacks coach in college football will make $8.05 million this year. Interviewed for the Boston College coaching job two years ago and turned down the Tennessee coordinator job this past cycle. The move to UCF reconnected him with Gus Malzahn, who was his quarterback coach at Tulsa in 2008. 2 overall player in the On3 2022 rankings. Kasey Dunn, Oklahoma State -- $800,000* 3. The Best Athletes Of All Time. Bud Wilkinson. Had a second-team All-Sun Belt cornerback last season in his first year at Georgia State (Quavian White). Helped BCs defense improve by an average of 71 yards per game against conference opponents in 2020 (from 494 yards per game under the previous staff in 2019 to 422.8 yards per game last season). 1 in the Big 12 in opponents completion percentage each of the past four seasons. As always, salaries based on publicly-available information, primarily theUSA Todaycoaching salary database. Courtney Hawkins, Michigan State -- $425,00020. Was an FCS All-American linebacker at Stony Brook as a player (2006-10) and was named to the Big South Conference All-Decade Team. Meanwhile, Brown was 5 of 9 for 55.6%, 35 yards, 1 touchdown . 1. That includes 2020 Jim Thorpe Award winner Trevon Moehrig, who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of this years NFL draft. Left after the season to take an analyst position at Oregon, then returned to the Ducks two years later to be the Ducks cornerbacks coach. To help develop Drake Maye and the Heels' quarterbacks, Mack Brown is bringing in one of the NFL's most accomplished quarterbacks coaches. Thats not good enough at Notre Dame. Has received interest for both college and NFL jobs in recent years, including from Notre Dame in 2019. 1. Considering those advancements were mostly made with other coaches' recruiting classes, those numbers are as impressive as it gets. In 2021, he returns a team talented enough to win ISUs first conference title. Also has worked and learned under Billy Napier at Louisiana, one of the nations top up-and-coming head coaches. We just rank coaches from 1-65 using any criteria we choose to follow, and then we see the results. Has been contacted about at least a couple of coordinator opportunities the past few years. Williams coached Chris Steele to second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. After feeling his way around early in his Bulls tenure, Leipold went 24-10 in his last three seasons before landing this Kansas job. His dad is legendary Florida high school coach Tim Ice Harris. Charlie Fisher, Arizona State -- $400,000 9. The belief is that it wont be long before Bailey gets a big-time assistant job, whether its at Ohio State or elsewhere. Turned down NFL job opportunities this past coaching cycle. In the past three years, four A&M defensive linemen have been selected in the first four rounds of the NFL draft. They have played in 10 under Fitzgerald. Theyre listed alphabetically. Was contacted by Boise State about a job with a bigger title this past coaching cycle. Prior to his first recruiting class in 2016, Oklahoma had not ranked in the top 10 in recruiting since 2010. We might forget that Urban Meyer served as Utah's head coach for only two seasons, and while he may have started the Utes down this track, Whittingham has sustained a level of success the school has never even come close to enjoying before. 2019 New England Patriots (O-Cord & QB Coach) 2018 New England Patriots (O-Cord & QB Coach) 8-3. -- Another notable name missing is Miami's Josh Gattis. When Ed Orgeron was fired and the staff was changed over, LSU paid a premium to pluck Cortez Hankton, still buzzed from the championship champagne, away from Georgia. Lavine, a former walk-on, added 310 rushing yards. Jerry Rice. If you haven't yet checked out our ranking of Power Five coaches outside the top 25, you can catch up here. Under Hart, Stevie Scott was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2019 and 20. Due to the specialized nature of quarterback coaching, we've broken this list into two parts. How did they climb so high, so quickly? Samples, a former Oklahoma State and Houston wide receiver, currently is ranked among the top-15 recruiters in the country for the 2022 class. Some value accomplishments on the field above all else, while others may give greater weight to recruiting prowess or the possibility of future success. Darrin Chiaverini, Colorado -- $400,000 7. Went 42-17 in five seasons as coach at Kansas Wesleyan, an NAIA school located about two hours from the University of Kansas. Breaking news. Played a big role behind the scenes last season at Ole Miss, contributing to a Rebels offense that ranked third nationally in total offense (555.5 yards per game) and seventh in passing offense (344.9 ypg). As long as we're asking humans to complete this fundamentally thankless task, there's room at the table for people who really know ball. Just as importantly if not more Army had lost a record 12 straight to eternal rival Navy before Monken arrived. Wide receiver from Crawford, Mississippi, USA. Without further ado, the list: 1. During his oneyear as the Tornadoes coach, Harris led the team to a 14-0 record, a state title, a No. Another stint in the NFL led to the Alabama job, where he has won six National Championships. #35 of 1,316. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave were first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, but there's zero concern about the receiving corps in Columbus. Bob Sutton won 10 games in 1996. Had two all-conference defensive backs last year first-teamer Elijah Molden (who was picked by the Tennessee Titans in the third round of this years NFL draft) and second-team selection Trent McDuffie. ford ranger auto start stop not working,