CFW Preseason 2023 – The New Head Coach Hires
Luke Fickell, Matt Rhule, Deion Sanders and Hugh Freeze headline the new hires
Along with three blasts from the past – Trent Dilfer, Tom Herman and Barry Odom, a financial investment manager, and a native of Russia who was last year’s top offensive coordinator.
The New Head Coaches – 2023
By the time the 2022 season came to a close, 24 FBS schools were set to have a new head coach in 2023. Seventeen coaches had been fired, six head coaches had been hired away to the same position at another school and sadly one coach had died. Mississippi State’s Mike Leach passed way. Then, unexpectantly, a head coach was fired in July. As a result, there are 25 schools with new head coaches. Twelve Power Five schools and 13 Group of Five schools will debut new coaches in 2023. All 10 conferences will have at least one new head coach.
Among the Power Five conferences, the Big Ten leads the way with four new coaches. One of the four was unexpected. Two of the four new coaches in the Big Ten are considered to be “big name” hires – so called “marquee coaches.” They are Luke Fickell at Wisconsin and Matt Rhule at Nebraska.
After firing Paul Chryst, Wisconsin hired Fickell away from Cincinnati. In six seasons with the Bearcats (2017-2022), Fickell coached Cincinnati to a 57-18 record – 53-10 the last five years. In 2021 Cincinnati became the first Group of Five school to make the College Football Playoff. The Bearcats were 13-0 before losing to Alabama, 27-6, in the semifinal round of the playoff.
Fickell, 49 (turns 50 on Friday), should fit in at Wisconsin, as he is no stranger to the Big Ten. He played for Ohio State (1993-1996) and coached at Ohio State (position coach, coordinator and interim head coach) for no less than 15 seasons (2002-2016). And he was born and raised in Columbus. Fickell definitely has Big Ten pedigree.
Nebraska got the other “big name” hire in the Big Ten – Matt Rhule. Rhule replaces Scott Frost in Lincoln. As a college coach, Rhule has a reputation for taking over weak programs and turning them into winners. He coached Temple for four years (2013-2016). His first two seasons, Temple were a combined 8-16. His last two seasons, the Owls were 20-7. Rhule then coached Baylor for three years (2017-2019), where he was 8-17 the first two seasons and 11-3 (8-1 in the Big 12) his third season. He was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2019.
Rhule, 48, comes to Nebraska from the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, where he had a disappointing tenure – 11-27 in two and a half seasons. Like Fickell, Rhule is no stranger to the Big Ten. A native of New York City, he played football for Penn State (1994-1997).
A third new coach in the Big Ten is Ryan Walters at Purdue. In West Lafayette, Walters replaces Jeff Brohm, who left the Boilermakers to take the head job at Louisville, his alma mater. Walters, 37, has the reputation as a defensive genius. He comes to Purdue from Illinois where he was the defensive coordinator the past two seasons (2021-2022). Last year, Illinois was 3rd in the country in total defense (276 yards allowed per game), and 1st in points allowed (12.8 per game). Prior to Illinois, Walters was the defensive coordinator at Missouri for five seasons (2016-2020). A native of Los Angeles, he played football for Colorado (2004-2008).
The unexpected new head coach in the Big Ten is David Braun at Northwestern. In July, Northwestern fired coach Pat Fitzgerald, following an investigation into team hazing. The Wildcats named Braun as Fitzgerald’s replacement, but only in an interim role. For the time being, Braun is the acting head coach at Northwestern. He was just named the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator during the off season. Prior to Northwestern, Braun was the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State for four seasons – 2019-2022.
The Pac-12 has three new head coaches this season. One of those three is a “big name” and “marquee” hire. He is Deion Sanders, the new head coach at Colorado. Known as “Neon Deion,” “Prime Time” and “Coach Prime,” take your pick, Sanders came to Boulder from Jackson State. He was the coach at Jax State for three seasons (2020-2022). Sanders’ record at Jackson State was 27-6 – 23-3 the last two seasons. Prior to Jackson State, he was the head coach of three different high schools in Texas from 2012 to 2019. A native of Fort Myers, Florida, Sanders turned 56 last week.
The other two new coaches in the Pac-12 are Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State and Troy Taylor at Stanford. Dillingham is known for his ability on offense. Since 2018, he has been the offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon. Last year at Oregon, the Ducks were 10th in the country in total offense (500.3 yards per game) and 10th in scoring (38.8 points a game). Dillingham replaces Herm Edwards at Arizona State. He is a native of Phoenix and a graduate of Arizona State. At 33, Dillingham is the youngest head coach at the FBS level. He never played college football but began his coaching career as an offensive assistant at Arizona State. A native of Phoenix, Dillingham did play baseball at Arizona State.
Troy Taylor is the new head coach at Stanford. He comes to Stanford from Sacramento State, where he had a 30-8 record in three seasons (2019-2022). Due to COVID, Sac State didn’t field a team in 2020. In Taylor’s last season at Sacramento State, the Hornets were 12-1. He coached Sac State to three Big Sky Conference titles. Prior to Sacramento State, Taylor was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Eastern Washington (2016) and Utah (2017-2018). He played college football at California (Stanford’s biggest rival) where he was the starting quarterback. Taylor, 55, replaces David Shaw at Stanford. Taylor grew up in Downey, California.
The SEC will have two new head coaches this season. One of the two is the fourth, and last, of the “big name” and “marquee” hires for 2023. He is none other than Hugh Freeze – the new coach at Auburn. Freeze, who turns 54 in September, has been a head coach at Lambuth (2008-2009), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-2016). He was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas State in 2010.
Freeze and Ole Miss came to a mutual separation after the 2016 season due to some 17 recruiting violations and other unethical activity by the coach. Ole Miss had to forfeit all of its victories in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016, leaving Freeze with a 10-25 record in Oxford. Following a two-year absence from coaching, he became the head coach at Liberty in 2019, where he coached through last season. Freeze’s overall coaching record is 74-47. His best years were at Lambuth (20-7), Arkansas State (10-2) and Liberty (34-15). A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Freeze is 53 (turns 54 in September).
The other new head coach in the SEC is Zach Arnett, who replaces Mike Leach at Mississippi State. This is Arnett’s first head coaching job. In his first assignment, he coached the Bulldogs to a 19-10 win over Illinois in last season’s ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa. 2023 will be his first full season at Miss State. When Mike Leach became head coach at Miss State in 2020, he named Arnett his defensive coordinator. Prior to Miss State, Arnett was the defensive coordinator at San Diego State for two seasons (2018-2019). Arnett played college football at New Mexico, where he was a linebacker. A native of Albuquerque, he turns 37 next month.
Like the SEC, the ACC has two new head coaches – Jeff Brohm at Louisville and Brent Key at Georgia Tech. Brohm left the head job at Purdue to take the job at Louisville. He is a native of Louisville and played quarterback for the Cardinals (1989-1993). After several years as an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Louisville, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, UAB and Western Kentucky, Brohm became the head coach at Western Kentucky in 2014. Following three seasons coaching the Hilltoppers, he became the head coach of Purdue in 2017. He coached the Boilermakers for six seasons. Brohm, 52, replaces Scott Satterfield at Louisville.
Four games into the 2022 season, Georgia Tech fired Geoff Collins and made offensive line coach Brent Key the interim coach for the rest of the season. Key went 4-4. When the season was over, Tech named Key the full-time head coach. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Key played football for the Yellow Jackets (1997-2000). As a coach, he spent 15 seasons with UCF as the Knights offensive line coach. He then held the same position at Alabama (2016-2018) and at Georgia Tech (2019-2022). Key turned 45 on August 1.
The lone new head coach in the Big 12 is Scott Satterfield. Few head coaches get fired by one school and hired as the head coach by another school in the same month. Last December, Satterfield, 50, was fired by Louisville and hired by Cincinnati. He will coach the Bearcats in their debut season in the Big 12. Satterfield spent several seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Appalachian State, Toledo and FIU. He returned to App State as the offensive coordinator in 2012 and became head coach of the Mountaineers in 2013. In five seasons, Satterfield compiled a 51-24 record at App State. In 2019, he became the head coach at Louisville, where he coached for four seasons. His record at Louisville was so-so – 25-24. Satterfield played college football at Appalachian State. A native of Hillsborough, North Carolina, he is 50.
No conference, Power Five or Group of Five, has as many new head coaches this season as the AAC. The AAC has no less than seven new coaches. Leading the way in the AAC is a familiar name from the past – Trent Dilfer. Dilfer, the former quarterback, is the new head coach at UAB. It’s his first head coaching job in college. Dilfer was a quarterback for 14 seasons (1994-2007) in the NFL for five different teams. He spent the past three seasons coaching a high school team in Nashville, Tennessee. A native of Santa Cruz, California, Dilfer, 51, played college football at Fresno State.
Tulsa will have an experienced and dynamic coach in 2023. He is Kevin Wilson. Wilson comes to Tulsa from Ohio State where he was the offensive coordinator for the Buckeyes from 2017 to 2022. Last season, Ohio State was 9th in the country in total offense (490.7 yards per game) and 2nd in scoring (44.2 points a game). Prior to Ohio State, Wilson was the head coach at Indiana (2011-2016). Before that, he was an offensive coordinator for many seasons at Oklahoma, Northwestern and Miami (Ohio). A native of Maiden, North Carolina, Wilson is 61.
Like UAB, Florida Atlantic’s new head coach is a blast from the past. The Owls new coach is none other than Tom Herman. Herman, 48, is a former head coach at Texas and Houston and a former offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Ohio State, Iowa State, Rice and Texas State. His overall coaching record is 54-22 – 22-4 at Houston. His first season at Houston (2015), the Cougars were 13-1, beating Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Houston was the highest-ranked Group of Five team that season. Herman, 48, is a native of Simi Valley, California.
The new coach at South Florida is Alex Golesh. At USF, Golesh is making his debut as a head coach in college football. Golesh comes to South Florida from Tennessee, where he was Josh Heupel’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons (2021-2022). Last year, the Vols were 1st in the country in total offense (525.5 yards per game) and 1st in the country in scoring (46.1 points a game). Prior to Tennessee, Golesh was Heupel’s offensive coordinator at UCF. Just 39, Golesh is a native of Moscow, Russia. He graduated from Ohio State in 2006. Golesh has been a position coach at Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Toledo, Illinois and Iowa State.
Charlotte has an interesting new head coach – Biff Poggi. Poggi is a financial investment manager and has never coached college football before. However, he comes to Charlotte from Michigan where he was an offensive analyst for Jim Harbaugh for two seasons (2021-2022). Prior to Michigan, Poggi was a successful high school football coach in Maryland for 32 years. A graduate of Duke and a native of Baltimore, he is 63.
North Texas hired a former head coach and a recent offensive coordinator – Eric Morris. Morris, 37, comes to North Texas from Washington State where he was the offensive coordinator for the Cougars during the 2022 season. Prior to Washington State, Morris was the head coach of Incarnate Word for four seasons. Morris played college football at Texas Tech, where he was a wide receiver. A native of Littlefield, Texas, Morris is 37.
The last coach fired at the end of the 2022 season was Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. And Navy wasted no time firing Niumatalolo. He was fired in the locker room immediately following the Army game. Navy also wasted no time hiring Niumatalolo’s replacement – Brian Newberry. No sooner had Niumatalolo been fired, and Newberry was hired. This is Newberry’s first head coaching position. Previously, he was Navy’s defensive coordinator for four seasons. Newberry played college football at Baylor.
Those are the seven new head coaches in the AAC. Four of them – UAB’s Trent Dilfer, Florida Atlantic’s Tom Herman, Charlotte’s Biff Poggi and North Texas’ Eric Morris will be coaching their team’s debut season in the AAC.
There are six more new hires among the Group of Five schools – two in the Sun Belt, two in the MAC and one each in the MWC and Conference-USA. The two new coaches in the Sun Belt are Tim Beck at Coastal Carolina and G.J. Kinne at Texas State. In Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina got a coach with lots of good offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach experience. Beck’s resume as an OC/quarterbacks coach includes Missouri State, Nebraska, Texas and Ohio State. Last season, he was the OC/quarterbacks coach at NC State. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Beck played college football at Kansas State. He is 57.
Texas State hired the second youngest of all the new head coaches this season. G.J. Kinne is 34. Kinne is another offensive coordinator genius. He was the OC/quarterbacks coach at UCF in 2021 and the head coach at Incarnate Word last season. Incarnate Word went 12-2. A native of Mesquite, Texas, Kinne played college football at Tulsa.
The two new coaches in the MAC are Lance Taylor at Western Michigan and Kenni Burns at Kent State. Taylor comes to Western Michigan from Louisville, where he was the offensive coordinator last season. Prior to 2022, Taylor was a position coach at Alabama, Appalachian State, Stanford and Notre Dame. He also has NFL coaching experience with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers. Taylor, 42, played college football for Alabama (2000-2003). He is a native of Mount Vernon, Alabama.
Kenni Burns joins Kent State from Minnesota where he was the running backs coach for the past four seasons. Prior to Minnesota, he was a position coach at Southern Illinois, North Dakota State, Wyoming and Western Michigan. A native of Springfield, Illinois, Burns, 39, was a running back at Indiana in college (2003-2006).
The new head coach in the MWC is a well-known name from the past. He is Barry Odom, the new coach at UNLV. Odom was previously the head coach of Missouri for four seasons from 2016-2019. The past three seasons, he has been the defensive coordinator at Arkansas. He was also the DC at Memphis and Missouri from 2012 to 2015. A native of Lawton, Oklahoma, Odom, 46, was a linebacker at Missouri in college (1996-1999).
Last, but not least, the new coach at Liberty made a name for himself as the head coach at Coastal Carolina the past few seasons. In five seasons with the Chanticleers, Jamey Chadwell was 39-22 – 31-6 the last three seasons. Most thought when Chadwell left Coastal Carolina, it would be to a bigger school. Liberty is kind of a lateral move and to a weaker conference. Prior to Coastal Carolina, Chadwell was the head coach at North Greenville, Delta State and Charleston Southern. In college, Chadwell, 46, played quarterback at East Tennessee State. He is a native of Caryville, Tennessee.
That’s your list of head coaches who will be debuting at new schools this season. Of the 25 hires, college football analysts consider Brian Newberry at Navy to be the worst hire of the bunch. In fact, CBS Sports already has Newberry on the hot seat before coaching his first game at Navy. Only time will tell.
Tomorrow (August 16), you’ll find out who is on the hot seat.
Touchdown Tom
August 15, 2023
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
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