2021 Coaching Carousel

Texas

The Longhorns fired Tom Herman on January 2, 2021 after he led the team to a 32 – 18 record over 4 seasons at Texas.

Herman had a winning record every year at Texas, but never won the Big 12 Championship. The team seemed to plateau under his leadership and was good but not great over the last three years.

Steve Sarkisian

The Longhorns have hired Alabama offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian, to be their next head coach. Sarkisian was the head coach at Washington from 2009 to 2013 where he had a 34 – 29 record. He then moved on to USC where he was let go in his second season after a 12 – 6 start to his career. Sarkisian served as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons for two years before being let go by the Falcons. He has been the offensive coordinator at Alabama since.

Sarkisian has been considered a bright offensive mind for quite some time and his stint at Washington was promising as he rebuilt the program. He battled personal issues at USC before he was let go, but has done an excellent job as an offensive coordinator and recruiter at Alabama. The Crimson Tide always have one of the most talented rosters in college football, so it’s hard to gauge how much of an impact the coordinators are having. That said, Alabama’s offense has scored more under Sarkisian than any previous offensive coordinator. Nick Saban has rebuilt many coaching careers over the years and Sarkisian is the latest graduate of Saban’s coaching school. Sarkisian is a good offensive coach who has proven he can recruit, but there are some concerns as well.

Grade: B

Auburn

The Tigers fired Gus Malzahn on December 13, 2020 after he led the team to a 68 – 35 record over 8 seasons at Auburn.

Malzahn took Auburn to the BCS Championship Game in his first year, but never made the College Football Playoff in the seven years since. In fact, in the last seven years Auburn has lost at least four games each year.

Bryan Harsin

The Tigers have hired Boise State head coach, Bryan Harsin, to be their next head coach. Harsin had been the head coach at Boise State since 2014 where he had a 69 – 19 record for the Broncos. That’s a solid record but his predecessor at Boise State was Chris Peterson who went 92 – 12 in eight years at the school. The program did not perform as well under Harsin as it did under Peterson.

Auburn was looking for a coach who could compete with Alabama and help the Tigers win the SEC. Though Harsin has a successful track record and is an up and coming coach, the fact that the Boise State program took a step back on his watch is cause for concern. Harsin has done a good job of evaluating talent and maintained a talented roster at Boise State despite the obvious recruiting disadvantages. The improved recruiting geography and resources at Auburn should allow Harsin to build a talented roster at Auburn.

Grade: B

Tennessee

The Volunteers fired Jeremy Pruitt on January 18, 2021 for cause. The coach led the team to a 16 – 19 record over three seasons at Tennessee. He was fired due to alleged NCAA violations that have occurred during his tenure.

Pruitt had one winning season at Tennessee in 2019, leading the team to an 8 – 5 record. That success was short lived as the team struggled to a 3 – 7 record in 2020 including a 1 – 7 finish with the one win coming against Vanderbilt.

Tennessee Volunteers Gear

Josh Heupel

The Volunteers have hired UCF head coach, Josh Heupel, to be their next head coach. Heupel had been the head coach at UCF since 2018 where he had a 28 – 8 record for the Knights. His offenses at UCF were among the best in the country, averaging over 42 points per game in all three seasons Heupel was at the helm. Before coming to UCF, Heupel was the offensive coordinator and Quarterbacks coach at Missouri. The offense at Missouri averaged over 30 points per game in both seasons he was there, a jump from the 13 points per game they averaged the year before he got there.

Tennessee brought in an offensive minded coach to replace a coach with a defensive background. Though Heupel has had success as a head coach there is some concern about the direction the UCF program was headed during his tenure. He inherited a program that Scott Frost had rebuilt and was coming off a 13 – 0 season. In the three years since Heupel took over the team went 12 – 1, 10 – 3 and 6 – 4, that’s not a positive trend. Heupel has never built a program so he will have to prove that he can rebuild a team. Tennessee is hoping the offensive firepower translates and Heupel can recruit based on his reputation as an offensive coach.

Grade: C+

South Carolina

The Gamecocks fired Will Muschamp on November 15, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 28 – 30 record over five seasons at South Carolina.

Muschamp had one winning season at South Carolina in 2017 when his team went 9 – 4. Unfortunately the team has been in a downward spiral since, going 7 – 6, 4 – 8 and 2 – 5 in consecutive seasons in the last three years.

South Carolina Gamecocks Gear

Shane Beamer

The Gamecocks have hired Shane Beamer to be their next head coach. He is the son of legendary Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. He was at South Carolina from 2007 to 2010 where he was a position coach and became the recruiting coordinator for the Gamecocks. Most recently he was the tight ends coach and assistant head coach at Oklahoma from 2018 – 2020.

Beamer has never been a coordinator on either side of the ball. It’s a little surprising that South Carolina chose a coach without any experience running his own offense or defense. Beamer has been a good recruiter throughout his career and has experience as the recruiting coordinator at South Carolina. Beamer was involved with some of the most successful recruiting classes in the team’s history. The Gamecocks are hopeful that his recruiting accumen carries over as a head coach. Due to his lack of experience as a play caller or coordinator it will be important for Beamer to hire quality assistants.

Grade: C+

Boise State

Bryan Harsin accepted the head coaching position at Auburn leaving the Broncos with an opening.

Harsin was 69 – 19 since arriving at Boise State in 2014. He led the program to a Fiesta Bowl win in 2014 and had double digit wins in five of his seven seasons at Boise State.

Boise State Broncos Gear

Andy Avalos

The Broncos have hired Andy Avalos to be their next head coach. He should be familiar to Boise State football fans, he was an assistant with the team from 2012 to 2018. Avalos started as a DL coach with the Broncos, then switched to LB coach before also taking over as defensive coordinator. He spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons as the defensive coordinator at Oregon.

This is Avalos first head coaching job, but he has spent five seasons as a defensive coordinator. He is very familiar with the Boise State program because of his recent history there. He led a strong defense at Boise State that allowed 22 – 23 points per game in all three seasons he was the defensive coordinator. His first year at Oregon, he coached one of the best defense in the country. The Ducks allowed just 16.5 points per game and won the Pac 12. They won the conference again in 2020, but lost several starters to opt outs and were unable to duplicate the same success on defense. Avalos has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the Boise State program and has now developed ties on the west coast that will help him in recruiting. Avalos may not be a national name, but this is a good hire for Boise State.

Grade: B+

UCF

Josh Heupel accepted the head coaching position at Tennessee leaving the Knights with an opening.

Heupel was 28 – 8 since arriving at UCF in 2018. He led the program to a Top 25 finish in his first two seasons with the team, but went 6 – 4 in 2020.

UCF Knights Gear

Gus Malzahn

The Knights have hired Gus Malzahn to be their next head coach. He was let go by Auburn earlier this year after eight years with the program and a 68 – 35 record. Malzahn was an innovative offensive coordinator at Auburn earlier in his career and has been a head coach for the last nine years. He has a 77 – 38 career record as a head coach between his time at Auburn and his one season at Arkansas State before then.

Malzahn landed on his feet quickly and is a reputable offensive coach who will give the Knights a chance to keep their high powered offense rolling. Malzahn will be asked to return the program to where Scott Frost had it a few years ago. He has coached prolific offenses as a coordinator and head coach and will bring his innovative offensive schemes to an already talented team. Malzahn is a good recruiter who has name recognition that will play for UCF on the recruiting trail. UCF lost their head coach, but may have found a better coach as his replacement.

Grade: A-

Vanderbilt

The Commodores fired Derek Mason on November 29, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 27 – 55 record over six seasons at Vanderbilt.

Mason took over after James Franklin had led the team to back to back 9 – 4 seasons. Mason was never able to duplicate the success Franklin had and did not record a single winning season at Vanderbilt. He was 0 – 8 in 2020 before being let go.

Vanderbilt Commodores Gear

Clark Lea

The Commodores have hired Clark Lea to be their next head coach. He served as a linebacker coach on multiple teams before taking that same position at Notre Dame in 2017. Lea was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018 and has held that position since. Lea improved Notre Dame’s performance and is considered an up and coming defensive coach.

Before Lea became the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame the team allowed over 20 points per game in each of the five seasons prior to Lea taking over. In his three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, Lea’s defense has never allowed more than 20 points per game. Lea is a Vanderbilt alumni who is from the Nashville area. He knows the program inside out and has an understanding of the surrounding area. Going home is not always the right move, but Lea should give Vanderbilt their best chance to rise in the SEC.

Grade: A

Illinois

The Fighting Illini fired Lovie Smith on December 13, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 17 – 39 record over five seasons at Illinois.

Smith never had a winning season in Champaign. His best season came in 2019, when the team went 6 – 7, but Illinois failed to build on that success this year and was 2 – 5 when Smith was let go.

Illinois Fighting Illini Gear

Bret Bielema

The Fighting Illini have hired Bret Bielema to be their next head coach. He is well known in the Big Ten after his successful run at Wisconsin from 2006 to 2012. He left Wisconsin to be the head coach at Arkansas, but was unable to carry over the success he had at Wisconsin and went 29 – 34 from 2013 to 2017. Bielema has spent the last three years in the NFL as an assistant coach for the Patriots and the Giants.

Bielema had a very successful run at Wisconsin. His time at Arkansas did not go nearly as well. That could be because he had better connections in the Midwest than he did in the Southeast or it could be because the Arkansas program he took over was further away from competing, while at Wisconsin Barry Alvarez had built a more stable program. Illinois is hoping a move back to the Midwest suits Bielema and he is able to recapture the success he had at Wisconsin, but that stint at Arkansas is a reason for concern for an Illinois program that has some rebuilding to do.

Grade: B-

Arizona

The Wildcats fired Kevin Sumlin on December 12, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 9 – 20 record over three seasons at Arizona.

Sumlin came to Arizona after a successful run at Houston and decent run at Texas A&M. He was never able to get Arizona on track and build any momentum for the program.

Arizona Wildcats Gear

Jedd Fisch

The Wildcats have hired Jedd Fisch to be their next head coach. He served as the quarterbacks coach for the Patriots last year after being an assistant offensive coordinator for the Rams in 2019. Fisch has served as a college offensive coordinator for Miami (2011 – 2012), Michigan (2015 – 2016) and UCLA (2017). He was the interim coach for UCLA at the end of the 2017 season and led the team to a 1 – 1 record.

Fisch is considered a bright offensive coach who has a good feel for play calling. He has limited head coaching experience but has plenty of experience as an offensive assistant in college and the NFL. He has spent the past few seasons learning from some of the best coaches in the NFL. The concern other than experience, is recruiting. Fisch has never been at one job long and has not stayed in college for a consistent stretch. He does not have the reputation as a recruiter or the ties that most college coaches use to build their recruiting classes. Fisch needs to prove he can stay at one place for an extended time and build a program.

Grade: C

Marshall

The Thundering Herd fired Doc Holliday on January 4, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 85 – 54 record over 11 seasons at Marshall.

Holliday had a winning record in all but three seasons as head coach and had a three year run with 10 + wins in consecutive seasons from 2013 to 2015. Holliday had a successful run, but his best years at Marshall seemed to be behind him.

Marshall Thundering Herd Gear

Charles Huff

The Thundering Herd has hired Charles Huff to be their next head coach. He served as an assistant head coach and the running backs coach at Alabama the last two years. While Huff does not have play calling experience, he was the running game coordinator for Mississippi State in 2018. Huff’s calling card is his recruiting ability and potential as a head coach. He was an instrumental part of Alabama’s recruiting efforts and has a strong history as a recruiter at his prior stops.

While at Penn State, Huff recruited both Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders for the Nittany Lions. Huff spent 4 years at Penn State and helped to develop the prolific running backs in his time there. Huff has no head coaching or coordinator experience, but he has spent the last two years working under the most successful head coach in college football. Saban’s program is a well oiled machine and a good place for coaches to learn what it takes to be successful in the college game. The inexperience is a risk, but Huff has a lot of upside as a recruiter and coach.

Grade: B

Southern Miss

The Golden Eagles fired Jay Hopson on September 7, 2020 after the coach lost the season opener to South Alabama. He led the team to a 28 – 23 record over five seasons at Southern Miss.

Sumlin came to Arizona after a successful run at Houston and decent run at Texas A&M. He was never able to get Arizona on track and build any momentum for the program.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles Gear

Will Hall

The Golden Eagles have hired Will Hall to be their next head coach. He served as the offensive coordinator for Tulane the last two seasons. Hall has head coaching experience at the Division II level where he coached from 2011 – 2016 and compiled a 56 – 20 record. In 2020, he led a Tulane offense that ranked fourth in the American Athletic Conference.

Hall is a young offensive coach who has head coaching experience at the collegiate level. Building a roster is challenging at the Division II level, so Hall should be ready for the challenges he will face recruiting at Southern Miss. He successfully overhauled Tulane’s offense and should be able to implement a good offensive system at Southern Miss. Hall is from Mississippi and his father was a high school coach in Mississippi so he has plenty of local ties to lean on. Hall has the potential to be an up and coming coach that will get his first FBS head coaching experience at Southern Miss.

Grade: B+

Utah State

The Aggies fired Gary Andersen on November 7, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 7 – 9 record over two seasons at Utah State.

Andersen’s second stint with the program was not nearly as successful as his first, though in fairness he was not given as much time to rebuild the program this time around either.

Utah State Aggies Gear

Blake Anderson

The Aggies have hired Blake Anderson to be their next head coach. He has been the head coach at Arkansas State since 2014 and had a 51 – 37 there. Anderson led Arkansas State to a bowl game in each of his first six seasons but did not qualify for a bowl game this year.

Anderson has been in the coaching business for a long time and has spent the majority of his career in the Southeast. His first FBS position coaching job was at New Mexico, but that was from 1999 – 2001. Anderson has had a good run at Arkansas State, even with the tough season in 2020. Anderson’s teams have been strong offensively but the defense was a concern this year. That could be an aberration due to the difficult circumstances around this season. Anderson has proven he can win at the FBS level and should succeed at Utah State.

Grade: A-

South Alabama

The Jaguars fired Steve Campbell on December 6, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 9 – 26 record over three seasons at South Alabama.

Campbell never had a winning season during his tenure and the team won a maximum of four games in any season during his time as coach.

South Alabama Jaguars Gear

Kane Wommack

The Jaguars have hired Kane Wommack to be their next head coach. He has been the defensive coordinator at Indiana for the past two seasons. Wommack created an exciting defense that forced turnovers and created opportunities for the offense, helping Tom Allen take Indiana to new heights.

Wommack is a young coach who is fast riser in the profession. He has quickly proven to be a creative defensive coach. The defense at Indiana held opponents to 20.3 points per game this year and forced 20 turnovers in 8 games. Wommack’s aggressive blitzes created confusion for the offense and made good players make uncharacteristic mistakes. He may be young and have no head coaching experience, but Wommack has a bright future in coaching and should be able to energize South Alabama.

Grade: A-

Arkansas State

Blake Anderson accepted the head coaching position at Utah State leaving the Broncos with an opening.

Anderson was 51 – 37 since arriving at Arkansas State in 2014. He led the program to a bowl game in six of seven seasons and had eight wins or more in four of his seven seasons at Arkansas State.

Arkansas State Red Wolves Gear

Butch Jones

The Red Wolves have hired Butch Jones to be their next head coach. He has been an assistant head coach this past season. Jones has been a head coach before, first at Central Michigan where he had a 27 – 13 record, then at Cincinnati where he went 23 – 14 and lastly at Tennessee where he was 34 – 27. The unsuccessful run at Tennessee was a black mark on Jones’ record but he has been at the Nick Saban coaching school the past three years.

Jones is an experienced coach who has proven he can win at the group of five level. Maybe he isn’t cut out to be a power five coach, but that’s fine for Arkansas State who is hiring the guy that proved he could succeed at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. If working under Saban has helped Jones become a better coach, that makes this an even better move for Arkansas State. At the bare minimum, Jones is a proven coach with name recognition.

Grade: B+

Louisiana Monroe

The Warhawks fired Matt Viator on December 7, 2020 after the coach led the team to a 19 – 39 record over five seasons at ULM.

Viator never had a winning season during his tenure and the team did not win a single game this season.

ULM Warhawks Gear

Terry Bowden

The Warhawks have hired Terry Bowden to be their next head coach. He has been a grad assistant at Clemson the past two years. Bowden has been a head coach for over two decades, most prominently at Auburn. He has compiled an 82 – 69 – 1 record as a head coach at the FBS level.

Bowden is a veteran coach who can provide the program with a proven coach who provides plenty of name recognition. There is some concern that most of Bowden’s success came before the turn of the century and the game has changed a lot since then. His seven year run at Akron, which is his most recent as a head coach, only yielded one winning season. Bowden was a big name coach 20 years ago, it remains to be seen if he can find that success again now.

Grade: C-