Is Baylor's Jeff Grimes College Football's Hottest Coordinator?
By this time next season, fans shouldn't be surprised if Jeff Grimes is coaching elsewhere than Baylor. Not as an offensive coordinator with a team on the rise, but rather as a head coach.
Grimes earned his keep last season in Waco as the Bears' primary play-caller. If Baylor can continue to develop quarterback Blake Shapen from a middle-tier starter to a future franchise quarterback, schools will be paying attention.
Phones will ring. Meetings will be held. Grimes will be at the forefront of those conversations and for good reason. In large part, he'll be one of the catalysts in terms of growth from Baylor rather than regression.
That alone should have multiple programs looking at ways to bring him in for an interview.
When looking back at the history of Grimes, it mirrors a similar story to that of now Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. Grimes has spent the last two decades perfecting the craft of building team's trenches, often serving as the offensive line coach and developing talent across the front five.
In 2018, Grimes finally had his shot to become a coordinator. Kalani Sitake was looking for better results in Provo following BYU's lackluster season in 2017. The Cougars finished the year ranked 118th in total offense and averaging 17.1 points per game — seventh-fewest among FBS programs.
When Grimes departed BYU to head back to his home state, the Cougars' offense had been one of the top units in program history. In 2020, they ranked sixth in total offense, eighth in passing (336.4) and fourth in scoring (43.5).
Baylor's race to first place following a 2-7 campaign under Dave Aranda served in large part due to Grime's role on the offense. In 2020, the Bears' offensive line allowed 31 total sacks. Last season, Baylor allowed just 18.
In a similar fashion to to BYU, Baylor's offense nearly duplicated its success in one season. Under former coordinator Larry Fedora's play design, the Bears ranked No. 118 nationally. Fourteen games and a Big 12 title later, Baylor finished just outside to the top 50 at No. 53.
From a recruiting standpoint, Grimes has ties across the country. Since entering the college ranks in 1995, the 53-year-old has spent time across the country in some of the biggest conferences. Those stops include Virginia Tech, Auburn, Arizona State, LSU and others.
When Sitake was being considered for a promotion with a different program, Grimes became a favorite to replace him back in Provo. The same rung was true in Waco when rumors circled that Aranda could be headed out west to Oregon and USC.
Two key traits needed for talented teams in today's game are recruiting and the development of the offensive line. Grimes has shined in both aspects and has nearly two decades of sources to back up the claim.
Baylor's odds repeat as Big 12 champs are high in large part due to the returning cast of players. This also includes both Grimes and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts.
Of the two, Grimes looks to be the hotter name. Another season like 2021 and it would be hard to imagine the veteran offensive coordinator returning for a third season.
He'll likely have a much bigger fish to fry at a new program he's running solo.
