List of Potential Head Coaching Candidates that Georgia Tech Should Consider
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Georgia Tech made the decision to move on from head coach Geoff Collins and the search is already underway for the leader of the Yellow Jackets football program.
There are several coaching candidates out there and Tech needs to exhaust all options when looking. This is a huge hire for the direction of this program after the past few seasons and the administration must get this hire right. If Georgia Tech wants some of the coaches on this list, it is going to have to find money to pay for them
This list is merely of guys that I think Tech should consider and is NOT reporting.
So who should Georgia Tech consider to be their next head coach?
Deion Sanders- Jackson State Head Coach
Should Georgia Tech consider Jackson State's Deion Sanders as the next head coach?
I list Sanders first because his name is going to be a big discussion point by fans and members of the media. He has interviewed with programs like TCU and Arkansas but has not been a coach at the power five level yet. That is the thing that might worry me the most about Sanders if he is considered or hired.
This is undoubtedly the biggest risk/reward candidate out there for Georgia Tech. Sanders is loved in the city of Atlanta from his time with the Falcons and the Braves and is a charismatic guy that can recruit and could bring much-needed energy to the program. He has also not coached at a power five program and with Tech's academic restrictions, it could be difficult for him to recruit the way that he wants to.
If Sanders was given the resources to recruit and hire competent staff, this could be a home run for Georgia Tech if they are interested in going down this road. There is a considerable downside though.
Dan Mullen- Former Florida and Mississippi State Head Coach
Former Florida head coach Dan Mullen should be a candidate for Georgia Tech
Mullen had a bad ending at Florida, but he is one of the best offensive minds and play callers in college football. He directed some of the best offenses while in Gainesville and has previous success as the head coach at Mississippi State, a school that is also a challenging job.
The biggest knock on Mullen is as a recruiter, but some of that was overblown. He still recruited at a top 10-15 level while with the Gators but was not keeping up with Kirby Smart and Georgia on the trail. He can coach and develop quarterbacks, something Tech lacked under Collins, and would bring credibility to the program.
However, Tech is probably going to have to shell out some money and compete with other schools for Mullen and it is unclear if they will be willing to do that.
Jamey Chadwell- Coastal Carolina Head Coach
Jamey Chadwell has been one of the best head coaches in the country at Coastal Carolina
The best group of five coaching candidate not named Luke Fickell is Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell. Chadwell has brought the Chanticleers onto the national scene and runs an innovative offense and has developed quarterback Grayson McCall into one of college football's best.
Chadwell will be a sought-after commodity on this coaching carousel and Georgia Tech will have to compete with other schools for him. He has reportedly turned other jobs down in the past and could be waiting for that right opportunity. That could be at Georgia Tech.
Lance Leipold- Kansas Head Coach
Kansas Head Coach Lance Leipold has done one of the best rebuilding jobs while with the Jayhawks
This would be my first call if I was in charge of this coaching search. Kansas is arguably the toughest power five coaching job in the country and what Lance Leipold has done in just two seasons to make the Jayhawks more competitive is astounding. Leipold has been a successful head coach everywhere he has been, whether it was at Wisconsin-Whitewater or Buffalo, he knows how to build a culture and build a program and his teams play hard for him.
That is something that should be appealing to every Georgia Tech fan and don't get caught up looking at the record at Kansas. He has done a great job in making them more competitive and could do something similar at Georgia Tech if given the chance. He does not have much experience in the state of Georgia but would be a good hire.
Todd Monken- Georgia Offensive Coordinator
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken is one of the best play callers in the country
Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken has done a great job with the Georgia offense and has established himself as one of the best play callers in college football. He has experience as a head coach at the collegiate level when he was with Southern Miss from 2013-2015 and experience as a play caller in the NFL as an offensive coordinator.
I think this hire would come with risk, but this has a chance to be successful. He is one of the best offensive minds in the sport and that is highly valued.
Bill O'Brien- Alabama Offensive Coordinator
Alabama Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien will be a coaching candidate around the country
Bill O'Brien is going to be a name that some will love and others will hate. Either way, he is going to be a candidate at some college jobs and could possibly look to return to the NFL as well.
O'Brien has had some success everywhere he has been. He was the offensive coordinator for Tom Brady in New England, he helped bring Penn State out of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and won four division titles as the head coach of the Houston Texans. He has helped develop Bryce Young at Alabama as well. I am not sure if O'Brien would want the job at Georgia Tech, but he is a name to know.
Al Golden- Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator
Notre Dame's Al Golden should be in the hunt for another college head coaching job
This is another name that will have some people divided. Al Golden is the former head coach at Temple and at Miami and most will remember him at Miami and getting fired during the middle of the 2015 season.
Golden has since been in the NFL before taking the job as the Notre Dame defensive coordinator this past offseason and waiting for his chance to be a college head coach again. He had to deal with some early NCAA troubles at Miami that did make his job harder and I think he deserves another chance to be a head coach again. He rebuilt the program at Temple a decade ago and has experience with tough rebuilding jobs.
Jeff Grimes- Baylor Offensive Coordinator
Grimes has elevated his name since helping guide BYU to be a top offense in college football in 2020 and helping get Zach Wilson picked second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Grimes is regarded as one of the best offensive minds in college football and has helped turn around Baylor's offense since being hired away in 2021. He has not been a head coach before, but Grimes could be an intriguing candidate for the job if he is interested.
Jeff Monken- Army Head Coach and Troy Calhoun- Air Force Head Coach
I am going to lump these two coaches in together and list them as candidates. Both are successful service academy coaches that have won games at Air Force and Army. I think it is unlikely that Tech goes back to running the triple option, but it should not totally be discounted. The Yellow Jackets had a lot of success under Paul Johnson and could decide they want to try that again and stick with it. Again, I am just throwing it out there because it is a distinct, but unlikely possibility.
Long Shot Candidates
Sean Lewis- Kent State Head Coach
Sean Lewis has done a tremendous job at Kent State
Lewis has helped turn around the Kent State program and become a contender in the MAC regularly and recently just won the schools first ever bowl game. The offenses at Kent State are challenging for opponents and Lewis is well thought of around the country. Kent State gave Georgia all they could handle yesterday as well. If Georgia Tech opts to not spend a ton of money, Lewis is one of the guys whose name could come up.
Brain Hartline- Ohio State Wide Receiver Coach and Passing Game Coordinator
This would be a big step up for Hartline and I doubt that he would be interested in the job, but it could be worth a shot. He is perhaps the best recruiter in the country and has developed multiple first-round picks at wide receiver for Ohio State. However, he has not even been an offensive coordinator yet and that might not be a risk that Georgia Tech is wanting to take right now.
Doug Belk- Houston Defensive Coordinator
Belk has been a successful defensive coordinator at Houston and has been rumored to be a candidate for some power five defensive coordinator jobs. Belk is a former grad assistant at Alabama and cornerbacks coach at West Virginia and has done a great job at Houston. The Cougars had one of the best defenses in the country last season and Belk is responsible for their growth on that side of the ball. Going from a defensive coordinator to power five head coach is a big jump which makes this move unlikely.
Alex Golesh- Tennessee Offensive Coordinator
Tennessee has one of the best offenses in the country and while head coach Josh Heupel deserves a lot of credit for that, it is Golesh that is calling the plays. He was a top offensive coach when he was with Heupel at UCF as well. At the very least, Georgia Tech would have an offensive edge to them and be explosive.
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