Bruce Feldman
August 24, 2017
In talking to industry sources, the feeling is that this winter could be a big year for sitting head coaches to land bigger coaching jobs, and that the field of head coach–ready coordinators isn’t as strong as it’s been in previous years. By far, the top free agent looming around the coaching carousel is former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, who is working as a TV analyst for ESPN this fall. He will be very picky with his next coaching move. The 53-year-old Kelly was 46–7 in four seasons as Oregon’s head coach, with three of his teams finishing in the top four. I know there are bunch of coaches on the hot seat in the SEC, and those would be big jobs that figure to pay very well. I’m skeptical at this point that Kelly would want any of those if they come open. (I’ve already weighed in on the Ole Miss situation.)
If the bottom dropped out at Notre Dame—and I think the Irish would have to have another really bad season to move on from Brian Kelly—would Chip Kelly consider that? Perhaps. I could see Arizona State making a big move for him if Todd Graham doesn’t have a big bounceback this year, and a return to the Pac-12 might be tempting. For now, let’s focus on the coaches who will be on the sidelines this fall, and which ones may have the best chances to move up.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
2017 College Football Crystal Ball: Playoff Picks, Bold Predictions and More
SITTING HEAD COACHES
1. Philip Montgomery, Tulsa: One coach who faced Montgomery’s squad last season said the Golden Hurricane had the fastest tempo of anyone he’d ever played and was wowed by how well they were coached. The 45-year-old Texan put a jolt into the Tulsa program with his offense, going from a respectable six-win debut season to 10 wins last fall. This year’s team does have to replace triggerman Dane Evans but still has plenty of good skill talent and a veteran O-line. Montgomery has a chance to make a big statement on a national stage next Thursday night when Tulsa visits Oklahoma State.
2. Frank Wilson, UTSA: A charismatic New Orleans native, Wilson, who was a top recruiter at LSU for Les Miles, led the Roadrunners to their first bowl in his debut season. If he can get UTSA to nine wins or more this fall, his name will get very hot. As one SEC administrator pointed out to me a few weeks ago, you know he can recruit well in the SEC—a lot of the other coaches people are putting on lists like this, you have no idea if they can do that. As SI reported on Wednesday, UTSA stepped up for Wilson, making him the highest-paid coach in Conference USA at $1,050,000 per year.
3. Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State: His stock is soaring after leading the Mountaineers to 21 wins in the past two seasons after going 4–8 and then 7–5. There are a couple of potential vacancies in the ACC and the SEC (Ole Miss, perhaps) where the 44-year-old North Carolinian might make a lot of sense.
4. Jason Candle, Toledo: There had been some buzz building within coaching circles about Candle even before he took over at Toledo when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. The Ohio native, a product of D-III power Mount Union, is 37 and coming off a strong first season in charge. The hunch here is that the Rockets, who return a lot of firepower, should be even better in 2017. Just how big of a job could Candle get from here?
5. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy: Few coaches are respected more by their peers than the guy who has spent a decade piling up wins at Navy. Niumatalolo, 52, was in the mix for the Cal job last year. Keep in mind he’s 14–2 in the AAC, a conference that is loaded with up-and-coming coaches. The tricky part is some ADs are gun-shy to sign up for his option system.
6. Scott Frost, UCF: A Chip Kelly disciple with NFL ties, Frost has gotten folks excited around Orlando after taking a team that went winless the year before he arrived to a bowl game in his first season. I’ll be surprised if Frost doesn’t get the Knights to double-digit wins before too long. He’s very marketable, but he also has arguably the top non–Power 5 head coaching job in the country right now, and he will be choosy.
7. Chad Morris, SMU: The former Texas high school coach did a terrific job helping Dabo Swinney get Clemson rolling, then took over an SMU program that had fallen apart. The Mustangs went from two wins to five wins from his first to second year, but he is going to need a breakthrough season to be in consideration for any hefty SEC jobs or Texas Tech, should that come open. That said, I do buy that SMU is ripe for that kind of year—or at least another big step forward.
8. Troy Calhoun, Air Force: I’m surprised Calhoun hasn’t been lured away yet. The 50-year-old has won 28 games over the past three seasons, and even though he's coaching at a service academy, he has an expansive offensive background and is a former NFL offensive coordinator. His job also didn’t get any easier with the return of a Department of Defense policy change that requires two years of active duty immediately after graduation, which makes playing in the NFL that a much more remote possibility for service academy players.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
What Would This Year's Playoff Look Like Without Alabama? #DearAndy
9. Bryan Harsin, Boise State: A Chris Petersen protégé, Harsin is 31–9 in three seasons at Boise State. The 40-year-old was an assistant at Texas under Mack Brown. He would appear to be a solid candidate for some potential Pac-12 vacancies, assuming he keeps the Broncos near the top of the Mountain West.
10. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: The former Georgia quarterback and offensive coordinator has won 14 games through two seasons in Fort Collins. He probably needs a big year in the Mountain West to springboard into contention for an ACC job or maybe get Ole Miss, but keep on eye on the Rams. They have 15 starters back, including a good QB in Nick Stevens, a big-play WR in Michael Gallups and nine returnees on defense.
11. Mike Norvell, Memphis: A longtime assistant under Todd Graham, the former Arizona State offensive coordinator and Central Arkansas product had a strong debut season with the Tigers, going 8–5. At 35, he’s the second-youngest head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley. With QB Riley Ferguson back, Memphis is primed for a run at 10 wins.
12. Neal Brown, Troy: He’s coached in the SEC as an assistant at Kentucky and in the Big 12 at Texas Tech. He just led the Trojans to a 10-win season after going 4–8 in his first year. The 37-year-old Brown seems like he’d be a strong candidate to step into one of these AAC jobs should they come open.
13. Blake Anderson, Arkansas State: A Larry Fedora protégé, Anderson is 24–15 in three seasons at Arkansas State. With a big year in the Sun Belt, he might emerge as an option if NC State comes open.
14. Nick Rolovich, Hawaii: One of the more unique characters in college football, Rolovich had a terrific first season at UH, going 7–7 at a program that is so under-resourced it seems like it’s on life-support. The 38-year-old Northern California native should be on a lot of ADs’ radar if he can continue to keep Hawaii competitive.
15. Craig Bohl, Wyoming: His age, 59, probably will scare a lot of ADs, but he’s got Wyoming pointed in the right direction: The Cowboys won eight games in 2016 and should be even better with touted QB Josh Allen back. Oh yeah, Bohl also led North Dakota State to three national titles, too. If Bill Snyder decides to step down, Bohl could be in play at Kansas State.
Others to keep in mind: Seth Littrell, North Texas; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Bobby Wilder, Old Dominion.
August 24, 2017
In talking to industry sources, the feeling is that this winter could be a big year for sitting head coaches to land bigger coaching jobs, and that the field of head coach–ready coordinators isn’t as strong as it’s been in previous years. By far, the top free agent looming around the coaching carousel is former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, who is working as a TV analyst for ESPN this fall. He will be very picky with his next coaching move. The 53-year-old Kelly was 46–7 in four seasons as Oregon’s head coach, with three of his teams finishing in the top four. I know there are bunch of coaches on the hot seat in the SEC, and those would be big jobs that figure to pay very well. I’m skeptical at this point that Kelly would want any of those if they come open. (I’ve already weighed in on the Ole Miss situation.)
If the bottom dropped out at Notre Dame—and I think the Irish would have to have another really bad season to move on from Brian Kelly—would Chip Kelly consider that? Perhaps. I could see Arizona State making a big move for him if Todd Graham doesn’t have a big bounceback this year, and a return to the Pac-12 might be tempting. For now, let’s focus on the coaches who will be on the sidelines this fall, and which ones may have the best chances to move up.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
2017 College Football Crystal Ball: Playoff Picks, Bold Predictions and More
SITTING HEAD COACHES
1. Philip Montgomery, Tulsa: One coach who faced Montgomery’s squad last season said the Golden Hurricane had the fastest tempo of anyone he’d ever played and was wowed by how well they were coached. The 45-year-old Texan put a jolt into the Tulsa program with his offense, going from a respectable six-win debut season to 10 wins last fall. This year’s team does have to replace triggerman Dane Evans but still has plenty of good skill talent and a veteran O-line. Montgomery has a chance to make a big statement on a national stage next Thursday night when Tulsa visits Oklahoma State.
2. Frank Wilson, UTSA: A charismatic New Orleans native, Wilson, who was a top recruiter at LSU for Les Miles, led the Roadrunners to their first bowl in his debut season. If he can get UTSA to nine wins or more this fall, his name will get very hot. As one SEC administrator pointed out to me a few weeks ago, you know he can recruit well in the SEC—a lot of the other coaches people are putting on lists like this, you have no idea if they can do that. As SI reported on Wednesday, UTSA stepped up for Wilson, making him the highest-paid coach in Conference USA at $1,050,000 per year.
3. Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State: His stock is soaring after leading the Mountaineers to 21 wins in the past two seasons after going 4–8 and then 7–5. There are a couple of potential vacancies in the ACC and the SEC (Ole Miss, perhaps) where the 44-year-old North Carolinian might make a lot of sense.
4. Jason Candle, Toledo: There had been some buzz building within coaching circles about Candle even before he took over at Toledo when Matt Campbell left for Iowa State. The Ohio native, a product of D-III power Mount Union, is 37 and coming off a strong first season in charge. The hunch here is that the Rockets, who return a lot of firepower, should be even better in 2017. Just how big of a job could Candle get from here?
5. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy: Few coaches are respected more by their peers than the guy who has spent a decade piling up wins at Navy. Niumatalolo, 52, was in the mix for the Cal job last year. Keep in mind he’s 14–2 in the AAC, a conference that is loaded with up-and-coming coaches. The tricky part is some ADs are gun-shy to sign up for his option system.
6. Scott Frost, UCF: A Chip Kelly disciple with NFL ties, Frost has gotten folks excited around Orlando after taking a team that went winless the year before he arrived to a bowl game in his first season. I’ll be surprised if Frost doesn’t get the Knights to double-digit wins before too long. He’s very marketable, but he also has arguably the top non–Power 5 head coaching job in the country right now, and he will be choosy.
7. Chad Morris, SMU: The former Texas high school coach did a terrific job helping Dabo Swinney get Clemson rolling, then took over an SMU program that had fallen apart. The Mustangs went from two wins to five wins from his first to second year, but he is going to need a breakthrough season to be in consideration for any hefty SEC jobs or Texas Tech, should that come open. That said, I do buy that SMU is ripe for that kind of year—or at least another big step forward.
8. Troy Calhoun, Air Force: I’m surprised Calhoun hasn’t been lured away yet. The 50-year-old has won 28 games over the past three seasons, and even though he's coaching at a service academy, he has an expansive offensive background and is a former NFL offensive coordinator. His job also didn’t get any easier with the return of a Department of Defense policy change that requires two years of active duty immediately after graduation, which makes playing in the NFL that a much more remote possibility for service academy players.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
What Would This Year's Playoff Look Like Without Alabama? #DearAndy
9. Bryan Harsin, Boise State: A Chris Petersen protégé, Harsin is 31–9 in three seasons at Boise State. The 40-year-old was an assistant at Texas under Mack Brown. He would appear to be a solid candidate for some potential Pac-12 vacancies, assuming he keeps the Broncos near the top of the Mountain West.
10. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: The former Georgia quarterback and offensive coordinator has won 14 games through two seasons in Fort Collins. He probably needs a big year in the Mountain West to springboard into contention for an ACC job or maybe get Ole Miss, but keep on eye on the Rams. They have 15 starters back, including a good QB in Nick Stevens, a big-play WR in Michael Gallups and nine returnees on defense.
11. Mike Norvell, Memphis: A longtime assistant under Todd Graham, the former Arizona State offensive coordinator and Central Arkansas product had a strong debut season with the Tigers, going 8–5. At 35, he’s the second-youngest head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley. With QB Riley Ferguson back, Memphis is primed for a run at 10 wins.
12. Neal Brown, Troy: He’s coached in the SEC as an assistant at Kentucky and in the Big 12 at Texas Tech. He just led the Trojans to a 10-win season after going 4–8 in his first year. The 37-year-old Brown seems like he’d be a strong candidate to step into one of these AAC jobs should they come open.
13. Blake Anderson, Arkansas State: A Larry Fedora protégé, Anderson is 24–15 in three seasons at Arkansas State. With a big year in the Sun Belt, he might emerge as an option if NC State comes open.
14. Nick Rolovich, Hawaii: One of the more unique characters in college football, Rolovich had a terrific first season at UH, going 7–7 at a program that is so under-resourced it seems like it’s on life-support. The 38-year-old Northern California native should be on a lot of ADs’ radar if he can continue to keep Hawaii competitive.
15. Craig Bohl, Wyoming: His age, 59, probably will scare a lot of ADs, but he’s got Wyoming pointed in the right direction: The Cowboys won eight games in 2016 and should be even better with touted QB Josh Allen back. Oh yeah, Bohl also led North Dakota State to three national titles, too. If Bill Snyder decides to step down, Bohl could be in play at Kansas State.
Others to keep in mind: Seth Littrell, North Texas; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Skip Holtz, Louisiana Tech; Bobby Wilder, Old Dominion.
