12/15/22 Auburn Articles

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T. GAMBLE: Freeze may do well at Auburn, but wouldn't Deion make more sense?

T. Gamble wtg@colliergamble.com

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Auburn finally went and hired themselves a new football coach. As most of you know, I’m an Auburn graduate and a big Auburn football fan. So, naturally, people ask me what I think about the new hire.

It could have been worse. It is never really good when one says it could have been worse. You know, my house burned to the ground, but it could have been worse if the kids had been in it. I totaled my car, but it could have been worse if I had not been wearing my seat belt.

I think Hugh Freeze is a rock-solid football coach. He will certainly help Auburn football. He may even take us to great heights. But he comes with much publicized baggage.

On one hand, I guess we are a nation of second chances. Judging by what I’ve seen lately, maybe third, fourth, and 100th chances. We just saw a guy run for Senate that if you did a background check, he probably couldn’t qualify to be a security guard at Handy Andy Convenience Store. The sitting Senator he ran against only ran his wife over with a car. Who am I to say what sins should remove one from the possibility of restoration?

But didn’t I just watch a young former running back of Auburn resurrect a team in less than four days and transform them into something they had not been for two or three years? Cadillac was awesome, and the best part was his love and enthusiasm for the players. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a coach talk about the need players have to be loved. Not that the coach loved them, but the need to know they are loved.

Sure coach loves Bo Jackson when he runs for three touchdowns and 200 yards. I’m talking real, I-love-you-’cause-of-who-you-are love, and Cadillac showed that. Now, I don’t necessarily think we should have hired Cadillac, but it wouldn’t have upset me if we had. I know he has never been a head coach, and there is much more to handling a major athletic program than simply enthusiasm and love. But the fan base loved it when he said his best accomplishment was when 12 young men gave their life to Christ and seven were baptized.

We talk about it’s more important to build young men than to win. I’m not sure that message holds much stock. Let’s be honest, we are in an era of win at all costs. Not much else really matters.

Everyone has an opinion, but who should we have hired? Easy enough, Deion Sanders, Mr. Flash and Dash. He took a pitiful Jackson State program and in three years went undefeated and won their conference’s championship. Never done drugs. Never been arrested. Never drank alcohol. Married since college. Extremely involved father to his kids. Great college player. Great pro player. A professed unashamed Christian.

Absolutely the best role model we can put forth for a young kid out of high school. He went to Colorado. Mark my words, in three years they will go from doormat to the playoff hunt. They may win it all.

But why Deion? Auburn must recruit against Alabama, Georgia and now Tennessee. You are a five-star recruit, and each team’s coach comes into your home. Which school are you going to pick? Well, no doubt Auburn has the highest mountain to climb versus Saban, Smart and even Heupel.

Now change the equation and Saban visits, then Smart, then Heupel, then Deion. Who do you think an 18-year-old picks then? I’m pretty sure Deion will more than hold his own. He got a five-star to come to Jackson State. Think about that.

There is one last reality to contend with. Let’s face it, the majority of five-star players are African American. They perceive that African American coaches have not been given the opportunity to coach at high level Power Five conference teams. Now that perception may or may not be correct, but it doesn’t matter. The reality is many have this perception, so to them it is real.

Auburn made at best a nominal effort to consider Cadillac, and none that I can see to get Deion. Had Deion come, I can almost assure Auburn would have had a top five recruiting class and transfer portal signings everywhere. Great coaches matter, but great talent wins championships. Don’t believe it? Show me the last time a national champ did not have at least six or eight guys go high in the NFL draft from their team after they won.

I’m 100% behind Freeze. He may take us to the top. But I’m keeping an eye out West, as I see a storm brewing that I don’t think most folks recognize and it comes wearing a gold chain and big mouth. Underneath, however, is a rock solid foundation that builds young men, not just wins. Time, as always, will tell.

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Auburn announces hiring of new offensive and defensive coordinator - The Auburn Plainsman

 

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New head football coach Hugh Freeze has officially decided who will be his offensive and defensive coordinator at Auburn.

On Wednesday Auburn announced that former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery will be the Tigers' offensive coordinator and former Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts will be at Auburn under the same role.

Montgomery spent eight years at Tulsa as the head coach of the Golden Hurricanes, accumulating a 43-53 overall record, but was fired after a 5-7 season in 2022. The 2022 season marked Montgomery's sixth consecutive season without winning more than seven games.

The only time Tulsa won more than seven games under Montgomery was in Montgomery's second season with the program in 2016 where it went 10-3 and won the Miami Beach Bowl.

The offense of that 2016 team was a record-breaking one and could be an indication of why Freeze elected to hire Montgomery as his offensive aid. That season, Tulsa became the first school in FBS history with a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and two 1,000-yard receivers.

The Golden Hurricanes ended the season ranked inside the top 10 in total offense (527) and points per game (42.5). Tulsa's offense was incredibly balanced that season between the pass game (265.3) and run game (261.7), and Tulsa also set a school record with eight games where the offense ran for 300+ yards.

Prior to his time at Tulsa, Montgomery spent seven seasons at Baylor as co-offensive coordinator or offensive coordinator under head coach Art Briles. Montgomery also spent five seasons at Houston with Briles as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator.

While at Baylor, Montgomery coached a couple standout quarterbacks. One was Bryce Petty who won the 2013 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and eventually became a fourth-round NFL draft pick. The other was Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III.

“Philip (Montgomery) is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and has had experience developing and coaching some great quarterbacks in the last 20 years, including a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III,” Freeze said. “He does a tremendous job schematically and has had success being multifaceted in both the running and passing games. I’ve known Philip for a long time and am excited to finally work with him.”

Griffin III recorded just under 5,000 yards his senior season while scoring 47 touchdowns and winning the Heisman trophy. Griffin III left Baylor as the all-time program leader in yards passing and passing touchdowns. Petty finished third in both of those categories.

While Montgomery has some impressive history as offensive coordinator, it is currently unclear whether he or Freeze will call plays. Freeze at his introductory press conference said he would have to make that decision.

"I've called the plays my whole career," Freeze said. "Honestly, sitting here today, I'm contemplating maybe in the new world of rebuilding the Auburn football team and the work it's going to take to capture the players and recruit, maybe I should get some help in that."

Auburn's other new coordinator also has Baylor roots. Auburn hired former Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts after Roberts left the Bears on Dec. 1.

Roberts has over 30 years of coaching experience at every level of football. Roberts has head coaching experience at Delta State, a Division 2 school, and at Southeastern Louisiana where he had a combined 89-45 record.

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"Ron (Roberts) has been a very successful defensive coach spanning three decades and multiple stops," Freeze said. "His defenses have always been aggressive and put a lot of pressure on opposing offenses. Ron is a great fit for what we are wanting to do on both sides of the ball, and we are excited to have his experience and expertise leading our defensive unit."

Roberts spent two years at Louisiana as defensive coordinator before being hired by Baylor head coach Dave Aranda at Baylor. Aranda served as Roberts' co-defensive coordinator in 2007 at Delta State.

Roberts' time at Baylor was highlighted by a historic 2021 season with the Bears. Baylor won its third Big 12 title in program history in 2021 and its first New Year's Six bowl and a large part of that success came from the defense.

Baylor led the conference in turnovers forced (27) and finished second in run defense (118.4), scoring defense (18.3) and sacks per game (3.14).

However, his defense was not as impressive in 2022. Baylor allowed 26.6 points per game and forced 19 turnovers. Its run defense still ranked inside the top 50 nationally, however, Baylor ranked 80th in passing yards allowed per game (232.8) and only recorded two sacks per game.

Baylor was selected as the preseason Big 12 champion but after a disappointing 6-6 season, elected to part ways with Roberts. Roberts looks to reestablish himself as a top coordinator in college football as he coaches in the SEC for the first time in his career.

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

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Jacob Waters | Sports Reporter

Jacob is a sophomore from Leeds, Alabama. This is his second year with The Auburn Plainsman. 

Twitter: @JacobWaters_

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Grading new FBS college football coaches: Matt Rhule gets an A, Trent Dilfer is a D+

 

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A handful of the Football Bowl Subdivision's new head coaches for 2023 look like can't-miss hires right off the bat, including Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, Hugh Freeze at Auburn and Matt Rhule at Nebraska.

But beware: Three or four years down the road, what seemed like a home run at the introductory press conference can be revealed as a big swing and a miss.

Nebraska knows this all too well. Five years ago, the hire of former quarterback Scott Frost was greeted with widespread acclaim after his unbeaten final season at Central Florida. After the Frost era landed with a major thud, the Cornhuskers pray Rhule's history of rebuilding downtrodden programs yields another impressive turnaround.

Hope springs eternal for every FBS program that believes its latest hire will pay off. On paper, there's at least something to like about every newcomer, including the two head coaches who bring very limited experience to the table: Colorado's Deion Sanders and Alabama-Birmingham's Trent Dilfer have the name recognition without the coaching track record.

USA TODAY Sports evaluated the résumés of the new FBS coaches and gave each hire a letter grade based on immediate fit and chance for long-term success. The list begins with A grades for two Big Ten newcomers and ends with barely passing marks for two new additions in the American.

Follow every game: Latest NCAA College Football Scores and Schedules

A

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Wisconsin pulled off a surprising coup nabbing Fickell away from Cincinnati, which seemed even more likely to retain the former Ohio State assistant for the foreseeable future with next season's move to the Big 12. But the Badgers were able to sell an opportunity to leap back into the Big Ten's familiar territory with a strong foundation upon which to build a tough and physical team with an updated offensive scheme. 

Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Rhule is an out-of-the-park triumph for Nebraska at another crucial juncture in the program's history — the Cornhuskers have continued to fall down the Big Ten standings and need someone with Rhule's impressive track record of quickly flipping losing teams into some of the hottest commodities in the country. As he did at Temple and Baylor, look for Rhule to build from the bottom up and bring Nebraska back to the forefront.

PORTAL PICKS: Who's in the transfer portal? Listing college football's biggest names preparing to make a move

ALL-AMERICA: USC QB Caleb Williams leads USA TODAY Sports' All-America college football teams

BOWL TIME:What is the 2022 college football bowl game schedule? The complete list of all 42 matchups

HEISMAN WATCH: Top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2023

A-

Jeff Brohm, Louisville

Brohm is finally back at Louisville after years of being connected to the Cardinals' opening. The former Purdue coach will install an attractive offensive system that should make the program a trendy landing spot for the region's top skill talent. The only question is whether Louisville's defense will rise to the challenge. 

Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic

Two years after being let go at Texas, Herman resurfaces at a Group of Five spot that offers the opportunity to rebuild his once-impeccable reputation. Much like Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin before him, Herman could parlay three or four years with the Owls into a return to the Power Five. It has somehow been forgotten that Herman is 54-22 as a head coach with four ranked finishes in six seasons.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

After winning at least eight games in each of his four years at Liberty, Freeze is back in the SEC at a program with wonderful resources and an insatiable desire to beat Alabama, win the conference and win the national championship. He's equipped to bring the Tigers back into SEC contention but may need time to rebuild a roster decimated by attrition and overall mismanagement. 

B+

Jamey Chadwell, Liberty

What seems like a lateral move is more an indication of Chadwell betting on himself after a very strong stretch at Coastal Carolina. Like Freeze before him, Chadwell can use a successful run at Liberty as an entry point to the Power Five after failing to gain much traction for open positions across the past two hiring cycles. Combining the Flames' returning talent and Chadwell's offensive system could make for a potent mix.

Deion Sanders, Colorado

One of the most intriguing hires in Power Five history, Sanders has the reputation, recruiting draw and recent track record to reverse Colorado's status as one of the worst programs in the country. He went 27-5 at Jackson State by compiling one of the most impressive rosters in the Championship Subdivision and should follow the same blueprint to make the Buffaloes appointment viewing beginning next September. The hire is a gamble, and like all gambles it could blow up in Colorado's face. But the potential reward far outweighs the risk.

B

Eric Morris, North Texas

The former Texas Tech wide receiver and assistant coach knows the state as well as anyone, which should help North Texas regain a foothold in recruiting circles, and his deep knowledge of the Air Raid scheme guarantees the Mean Green will have one of the most prolific passing offenses in the Group of Five. His four-season run at Incarnate Word gives Morris enough experience to hit the ground running for a program that has reached six bowl games in the past seven seasons.

Troy Taylor, Stanford

There's plenty to like about Taylor, who played at California. He was the offensive coordinator at Utah from 2017-18 and went 30-8 over three seasons as head coach of Sacramento State, losing only once in Big Sky Conference play. The concern is he's not a deeply experienced head coach; given the state of roster development in the age of the transfer portal and NIL, there could be a very steep learning curve as he gets started at Stanford.

B-

G.J. Kinne, Texas State

The 34-year-old has quickly climbed the ranks since entering coaching as an SMU graduate assistant in 2017. After serving as Hawaii's offensive coordinator in 2020 and the co-coordinator at UCF in 2021, Kinne is currently 12-1 and in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs in his single season as Morris' successor at Incarnate Word. Two things he'll do from the start are improve Texas State's offense and rekindle the program's local recruiting connections. The previous staff signed just three in-state high school prospects across the last two cycles. 

Barry Odom, UNLV

Odom's four years of experience as the head coach at Missouri separates him from the Rebels' two previous hires of a local high school coach, Tony Sanchez, and a longtime Pac-12 assistant, Marcus Arroyo. He'll have the facilities and resources to turn this long-suffering Group of Five program into one of the top recruiting destinations in the Mountain West. But it's vital that he hires an offensive coordinator capable of differentiating UNLV from the rest of the conference.

Ryan Walters, Purdue

Walters, 36, was a prime candidate at Colorado before the Buffaloes' search zeroed in on Sanders. That could be Purdue's gain. He was extremely successful as the defensive coordinator at Illinois, crafting a unit that paced a breakout year in 2022, and he brings along a deep knowledge of the Big Ten. While the most successful coaches in recent program history came with an offensive background, Walters' defensive pedigree makes for an interesting addition should he maintain the Brohm-era scheme.

C+

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

While just 32 years old, the Arizona State graduate has already been the offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, though the Ducks gave him his first and only opportunity to be the primary play-caller. His connection to the state and program could help beef up the Sun Devils' lackluster NIL efforts. But he walks into a quagmire of looming NCAA sanctions, inherits an unbalanced roster and will need to quickly salvage an unimpressive recruiting class. Would ASU have been better off hiring a coach with more experience under his belt?

Brent Key, Georgia Tech

Key earned the job by going 4-4 as the interim coach in 2022 and nearly leading Georgia Tech into bowl play. While there's no questioning the overall fit — he played at Tech and spent two separate stints on staff — how Key fills key spots on his staff will determine his tenure. The good news? Key's relatively cheap contract of $15 million over five years will give him a deeper salary pool for assistants, so he could surround himself with a very strong group of coaches.

C

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati

Satterfield was a huge success at Appalachian State as the program transitioned to the FBS but had a middling run at Louisville, going 25-24 over four seasons before grabbing the lifeline offered by Fickell's departure for Wisconsin. In the immediate future, his background on offense could mesh well with Cincinnati's existing talent level and defensive focus. Long term, though, Satterfield has limited connections in the program's backyard — a single year as Toledo's quarterbacks coach in 2009 — and brings no recruiting connections in Texas, where Cincinnati needs to gain a slight foothold as members of the Big 12.

Lance Taylor, Western Michigan

Taylor has worked under two very respected head coaches, former Stanford coach David Shaw and former Notre Dame and current LSU coach Brian Kelly. He spent this past season as the offensive coordinator at Louisville. That the offense dropped from 10th nationally in yards per play in 2021 to 45th in 2022 isn't a huge deal given how injuries scuttled quarterback Malik Cunningham's season. But even though Taylor has earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter and strong developer of skill talent, that he's a first-time head coach makes this hire hard to predict. 

Kevin Wilson, Tulsa

Wilson sandwiched runs as an assistant at Oklahoma (2002-10) and Ohio State (2017-22) with a fairly successful tenure at Indiana, which ended with two bowl trips in a row before running aground amid multiple investigations into his mistreatment of players. There is no questioning the offensive credentials: Wilson's 2008 offense at OU may be the best in FBS history and his stint at OSU yielded four Heisman Trophy finalists. 

C-

Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina

The former North Carolina State offensive coordinator is familiar with the region and has extensive Power Five experience, including another nine combined seasons as the coordinator at Nebraska, Ohio State and Texas. But the track record isn't great: N.C. State ranks 114th nationally in yards per play this season after finishing 45th in 2021 and 73rd in 2020. 

Biff Poggi, Charlotte

Poggi, 63, has limited on-field experience as a college coach from short stints decades ago at Brown, Temple and The Citadel. While he was a highly decorated high school coach in the Baltimore area and drew raves for his off-field work helping Michigan win back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2021 and 2022, his hire still represents a roll of the dice. After going for youth and energy with former coach Will Healy, the 49ers' pendulum drifts to the opposite end of the spectrum in Poggi.

D+

Trent Dilfer, Alabama-Birmingham

Dilfer is one of the most inexperienced and untested hires in FBS history. The former NFL quarterback spent only four years in coaching, all coming at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, before now being tapped to run a program set to encounter a much higher level of difficulty as new members of the American. While he's had both feet in talent evaluation and development through his work with the Elite 11 quarterbacks series, Dilfer has to surround himself with proven college coaches and support staffers to not get swallowed up by this transition.

Alex Golesh, South Florida

After removing Jeff Scott following four wins and less than three seasons, USF went back to a similar sort of candidate with Golesh, who spent the past two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. Golesh has worked under some very good head coaches, including Iowa State's Matt Campbell and the Volunteers' Josh Heupel. Like Scott, he could promise to overhaul the Bulls' offensive scheme and make a push to reestablish the program as a destination for the state's deep talent pool. Experience as a head coach hasn't guaranteed success at USF — Willie Taggart was a hit, but Skip Holtz and Charlie Strong were flops — but that Golesh has only two years of being a Power Five coordinator raises concerns about his ability to create a successful infrastructure on the heels of the Bulls winning just eight games in the past four seasons.

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Hugh Freeze officially hires Philip Montgomery as Auburn’s offensive coordinator

Published: Dec. 14, 2022, 3:46 p.m.

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Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze speaks during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 29 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics/AU At

By

• Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze sent out an announcement on Wednesday through the Tiger sports information department to confirm the hire of former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery as Auburn’s offensive coordinator.

Montgomery comes to Auburn after spending eight seasons as the Tulsa coach. He also spent five years at the University of Houston and seven at Baylor University.

“I have been fortunate to work with several great offensive coaches in my career and can’t wait to work with another in Coach Freeze,” Montgomery said. “We want to bring an exciting, up-tempo offense back to Auburn. This is a tremendous football school with a history of some of the greatest talents to play the game. Our goal is to add to that tradition and help restore Auburn football to a championship-caliber level.”

Read More Auburn Football: Auburn and Hugh Freeze continue to flip recruits, adds 3-star OL Connor Lew

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A highlight for Montgomery was his time working with Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin. Montgomery also worked with Big 12 Player of the Year Bryce Petty, Baylor All-American Nick Florence, Conference USA MVP Kevin Kolb, and Houston standout Case Keenum.

“Philip is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and has had experience developing and coaching some great quarterbacks in the last 20 years, including a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III,” Freeze said. “He does a tremendous job schematically and has had success being multifaceted in both the running and passing games. I’ve known Philip for a long time and am excited to finally work with him.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group

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54 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

Grading new FBS college football coaches: Matt Rhule gets an A, Trent Dilfer is a D+

 

12–15 minutes

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A handful of the Football Bowl Subdivision's new head coaches for 2023 look like can't-miss hires right off the bat, including Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, Hugh Freeze at Auburn and Matt Rhule at Nebraska.

But beware: Three or four years down the road, what seemed like a home run at the introductory press conference can be revealed as a big swing and a miss.

Nebraska knows this all too well. Five years ago, the hire of former quarterback Scott Frost was greeted with widespread acclaim after his unbeaten final season at Central Florida. After the Frost era landed with a major thud, the Cornhuskers pray Rhule's history of rebuilding downtrodden programs yields another impressive turnaround.

Hope springs eternal for every FBS program that believes its latest hire will pay off. On paper, there's at least something to like about every newcomer, including the two head coaches who bring very limited experience to the table: Colorado's Deion Sanders and Alabama-Birmingham's Trent Dilfer have the name recognition without the coaching track record.

USA TODAY Sports evaluated the résumés of the new FBS coaches and gave each hire a letter grade based on immediate fit and chance for long-term success. The list begins with A grades for two Big Ten newcomers and ends with barely passing marks for two new additions in the American.

Follow every game: Latest NCAA College Football Scores and Schedules

A

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Wisconsin pulled off a surprising coup nabbing Fickell away from Cincinnati, which seemed even more likely to retain the former Ohio State assistant for the foreseeable future with next season's move to the Big 12. But the Badgers were able to sell an opportunity to leap back into the Big Ten's familiar territory with a strong foundation upon which to build a tough and physical team with an updated offensive scheme. 

Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Rhule is an out-of-the-park triumph for Nebraska at another crucial juncture in the program's history — the Cornhuskers have continued to fall down the Big Ten standings and need someone with Rhule's impressive track record of quickly flipping losing teams into some of the hottest commodities in the country. As he did at Temple and Baylor, look for Rhule to build from the bottom up and bring Nebraska back to the forefront.

PORTAL PICKS: Who's in the transfer portal? Listing college football's biggest names preparing to make a move

ALL-AMERICA: USC QB Caleb Williams leads USA TODAY Sports' All-America college football teams

BOWL TIME:What is the 2022 college football bowl game schedule? The complete list of all 42 matchups

HEISMAN WATCH: Top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2023

A-

Jeff Brohm, Louisville

Brohm is finally back at Louisville after years of being connected to the Cardinals' opening. The former Purdue coach will install an attractive offensive system that should make the program a trendy landing spot for the region's top skill talent. The only question is whether Louisville's defense will rise to the challenge. 

Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic

Two years after being let go at Texas, Herman resurfaces at a Group of Five spot that offers the opportunity to rebuild his once-impeccable reputation. Much like Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin before him, Herman could parlay three or four years with the Owls into a return to the Power Five. It has somehow been forgotten that Herman is 54-22 as a head coach with four ranked finishes in six seasons.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

After winning at least eight games in each of his four years at Liberty, Freeze is back in the SEC at a program with wonderful resources and an insatiable desire to beat Alabama, win the conference and win the national championship. He's equipped to bring the Tigers back into SEC contention but may need time to rebuild a roster decimated by attrition and overall mismanagement. 

B+

Jamey Chadwell, Liberty

What seems like a lateral move is more an indication of Chadwell betting on himself after a very strong stretch at Coastal Carolina. Like Freeze before him, Chadwell can use a successful run at Liberty as an entry point to the Power Five after failing to gain much traction for open positions across the past two hiring cycles. Combining the Flames' returning talent and Chadwell's offensive system could make for a potent mix.

Deion Sanders, Colorado

One of the most intriguing hires in Power Five history, Sanders has the reputation, recruiting draw and recent track record to reverse Colorado's status as one of the worst programs in the country. He went 27-5 at Jackson State by compiling one of the most impressive rosters in the Championship Subdivision and should follow the same blueprint to make the Buffaloes appointment viewing beginning next September. The hire is a gamble, and like all gambles it could blow up in Colorado's face. But the potential reward far outweighs the risk.

B

Eric Morris, North Texas

The former Texas Tech wide receiver and assistant coach knows the state as well as anyone, which should help North Texas regain a foothold in recruiting circles, and his deep knowledge of the Air Raid scheme guarantees the Mean Green will have one of the most prolific passing offenses in the Group of Five. His four-season run at Incarnate Word gives Morris enough experience to hit the ground running for a program that has reached six bowl games in the past seven seasons.

Troy Taylor, Stanford

There's plenty to like about Taylor, who played at California. He was the offensive coordinator at Utah from 2017-18 and went 30-8 over three seasons as head coach of Sacramento State, losing only once in Big Sky Conference play. The concern is he's not a deeply experienced head coach; given the state of roster development in the age of the transfer portal and NIL, there could be a very steep learning curve as he gets started at Stanford.

B-

G.J. Kinne, Texas State

The 34-year-old has quickly climbed the ranks since entering coaching as an SMU graduate assistant in 2017. After serving as Hawaii's offensive coordinator in 2020 and the co-coordinator at UCF in 2021, Kinne is currently 12-1 and in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs in his single season as Morris' successor at Incarnate Word. Two things he'll do from the start are improve Texas State's offense and rekindle the program's local recruiting connections. The previous staff signed just three in-state high school prospects across the last two cycles. 

Barry Odom, UNLV

Odom's four years of experience as the head coach at Missouri separates him from the Rebels' two previous hires of a local high school coach, Tony Sanchez, and a longtime Pac-12 assistant, Marcus Arroyo. He'll have the facilities and resources to turn this long-suffering Group of Five program into one of the top recruiting destinations in the Mountain West. But it's vital that he hires an offensive coordinator capable of differentiating UNLV from the rest of the conference.

Ryan Walters, Purdue

Walters, 36, was a prime candidate at Colorado before the Buffaloes' search zeroed in on Sanders. That could be Purdue's gain. He was extremely successful as the defensive coordinator at Illinois, crafting a unit that paced a breakout year in 2022, and he brings along a deep knowledge of the Big Ten. While the most successful coaches in recent program history came with an offensive background, Walters' defensive pedigree makes for an interesting addition should he maintain the Brohm-era scheme.

C+

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

While just 32 years old, the Arizona State graduate has already been the offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, though the Ducks gave him his first and only opportunity to be the primary play-caller. His connection to the state and program could help beef up the Sun Devils' lackluster NIL efforts. But he walks into a quagmire of looming NCAA sanctions, inherits an unbalanced roster and will need to quickly salvage an unimpressive recruiting class. Would ASU have been better off hiring a coach with more experience under his belt?

Brent Key, Georgia Tech

Key earned the job by going 4-4 as the interim coach in 2022 and nearly leading Georgia Tech into bowl play. While there's no questioning the overall fit — he played at Tech and spent two separate stints on staff — how Key fills key spots on his staff will determine his tenure. The good news? Key's relatively cheap contract of $15 million over five years will give him a deeper salary pool for assistants, so he could surround himself with a very strong group of coaches.

C

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati

Satterfield was a huge success at Appalachian State as the program transitioned to the FBS but had a middling run at Louisville, going 25-24 over four seasons before grabbing the lifeline offered by Fickell's departure for Wisconsin. In the immediate future, his background on offense could mesh well with Cincinnati's existing talent level and defensive focus. Long term, though, Satterfield has limited connections in the program's backyard — a single year as Toledo's quarterbacks coach in 2009 — and brings no recruiting connections in Texas, where Cincinnati needs to gain a slight foothold as members of the Big 12.

Lance Taylor, Western Michigan

Taylor has worked under two very respected head coaches, former Stanford coach David Shaw and former Notre Dame and current LSU coach Brian Kelly. He spent this past season as the offensive coordinator at Louisville. That the offense dropped from 10th nationally in yards per play in 2021 to 45th in 2022 isn't a huge deal given how injuries scuttled quarterback Malik Cunningham's season. But even though Taylor has earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter and strong developer of skill talent, that he's a first-time head coach makes this hire hard to predict. 

Kevin Wilson, Tulsa

Wilson sandwiched runs as an assistant at Oklahoma (2002-10) and Ohio State (2017-22) with a fairly successful tenure at Indiana, which ended with two bowl trips in a row before running aground amid multiple investigations into his mistreatment of players. There is no questioning the offensive credentials: Wilson's 2008 offense at OU may be the best in FBS history and his stint at OSU yielded four Heisman Trophy finalists. 

C-

Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina

The former North Carolina State offensive coordinator is familiar with the region and has extensive Power Five experience, including another nine combined seasons as the coordinator at Nebraska, Ohio State and Texas. But the track record isn't great: N.C. State ranks 114th nationally in yards per play this season after finishing 45th in 2021 and 73rd in 2020. 

Biff Poggi, Charlotte

Poggi, 63, has limited on-field experience as a college coach from short stints decades ago at Brown, Temple and The Citadel. While he was a highly decorated high school coach in the Baltimore area and drew raves for his off-field work helping Michigan win back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2021 and 2022, his hire still represents a roll of the dice. After going for youth and energy with former coach Will Healy, the 49ers' pendulum drifts to the opposite end of the spectrum in Poggi.

D+

Trent Dilfer, Alabama-Birmingham

Dilfer is one of the most inexperienced and untested hires in FBS history. The former NFL quarterback spent only four years in coaching, all coming at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, before now being tapped to run a program set to encounter a much higher level of difficulty as new members of the American. While he's had both feet in talent evaluation and development through his work with the Elite 11 quarterbacks series, Dilfer has to surround himself with proven college coaches and support staffers to not get swallowed up by this transition.

Alex Golesh, South Florida

After removing Jeff Scott following four wins and less than three seasons, USF went back to a similar sort of candidate with Golesh, who spent the past two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. Golesh has worked under some very good head coaches, including Iowa State's Matt Campbell and the Volunteers' Josh Heupel. Like Scott, he could promise to overhaul the Bulls' offensive scheme and make a push to reestablish the program as a destination for the state's deep talent pool. Experience as a head coach hasn't guaranteed success at USF — Willie Taggart was a hit, but Skip Holtz and Charlie Strong were flops — but that Golesh has only two years of being a Power Five coordinator raises concerns about his ability to create a successful infrastructure on the heels of the Bulls winning just eight games in the past four seasons.

It would be fun to come back and visit this 2-4 years from now