The College Football Coaching Carousel: Keeping Up with the Latest Hires
The college football head coach hiring season is upon us. Now that only bowl games remain, coaches and coordinators have started to pack up shop and head for their new homes.
And this year is no different, with 17 Division 1 football programs already finding new head coaches. The Pac-12 has welcomed two new coaches and is expecting at least one more, as Stanford's David Shaw resigned last week.
With all the hullabaloo of head coaches, it can be hard to keep up. Here's a breakdown of the most prominent college football hires so far.
1. Kenny Dillingham-Arizona State
Former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham vs. Georgia.
Scott Boldt/Ducks Digest
This one hurts the most for Oregon Ducks' fans. After one season as Oregon's offensive coordinator, Dillingham returned to his alma mater. His college coaching career started in Tempe in 2014 where he was an offensive assistant.
At 34 years old, Dillingham is now the youngest college football head coach. At times this season Dillingham's youth was visible, with aggressive play-calling that was hit-or-miss in crucial moments. As he ascends to head coach, Dillingham's decisions will be put under an even finer microscope.
But one thing is certain: Dillingham is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football, turning a lack-luster Oregon offense into one of the nation's most efficient units. Dillingham is also an excellent recruiter, and is a big reason why both Bo Nix and five-star recruit Dante Moore are Ducks (fingers crossed on the latter).
All-in-all, Dillingham is undoubtedly the right man for the Sun Devils.
2. Deion Sanders-Colorado
Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders is fresh off an undefeated season with Jackson State.
Money talks.
A move that seemed unfathomable days ago has now brought "Prime Time" to Colorado.
The Buffaloes rolled out the Brinks Truck for Deion Sanders with a mouth-watering five-year, $29.5 million deal. Sanders made waves leading Jackson State to an undefeated record, but he brought a tsunami with him in his opening talk with Colorado players.
"We got a few positions already taken care of, because I’m bringing my luggage with me — and it’s Louis" said Sanders, referring to the Jackson State players following him to Colorado. "So I wan’t y’all to get ready, to go ahead and jump in that portal."
Whether you agree with Sanders' approach or not is irrelevant. Colorado and Sanders don't fit at all on paper. But if Colorado wants this to work, it needs to be ready to adapt to Sanders' tough mentality.
Colorado will be a very interesting watch as they try to bounce back from a 1-11 season in designer fashion.
3. Luke Fickell-Wisconsin
Luke Fickell is a season removed from taking Cincinnati to its first College Football Playoff.
© Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
Luke Fickell was the hottest name on the carousel last season. With Cincinnati in 2021, Fickell brought the first Group of Five school to the College Football Playoff, and saw nine Bearcats selected in the last NFL Draft.
Over his six years leading Cincinatti, Fickell had plenty of opportunities to move up to a "better" program but preferred to stay put and build up his own squad. But the Wisconsin job that opened up in the middle of the season was just what Fickell was looking for.
He doesn't have to move too far from Cincinnati. He returns to the Big Ten where he played college ball and coached for Ohio State. And he will continue to recruit largely in the midwest, where both Wisconsin and Fickell have had repeated success.
A huge get for Wisconsin. The right fit for Fickell. This hire looks like a home run for the Badgers.
4. Matt Rhule-Nebraska
Matt Rhule and Nebraska have both had a tough time recently. Rhule was the first NFL coach fired this season back in October after leading the Carolina Panthers to a 1-4 record to start the 2022 season, and an unsightly 11-27 overall record since being hired in 2020. Nebraska hasn't totaled more than five wins since the 2016 season.
But it wasn't always this way.
Rhule was once one of the hottest names on the carousel thanks to his work with Baylor, culminating in a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2020. Nebraska was once a consistent member in the top-25 and big bowl games.
"If there's one thing I've learned in the last couple years in the NFL — it's that anybody can lead when things are easy," Rhule said in his opening press conference in Lincoln. "That's easy leadership. Who steps up when things are hard? Who steps up when the coaches leave? I'm glad I'm one small part of that."
It's another uphill battle for Rhule, but college ball is much more his speed. Look out for Nebraska getting back in the mix in the Big 12 with Rhule at the helm.
5. Hugh Freeze-Auburn
This one's got some history behind it.
Hugh Freeze is back in the SEC five years after resigning in the midst of a scandal at Ole Miss involving paying players. After a year off from coaching, Freeze took over at Liberty with success, holding a 31-15 record over his three seasons there and producing NFL-level talent like quarterback Malik Willis.
If Freeze is trending up, Auburn is definitely trending down. The Tigers suffered back-to-back losing seasons and fired coach Bryan Harsin to make him the shortest-tenured Auburn coach in a century.
Looking at the receipts, Freeze's $6.5 million salary for six years is fairly modest considering Freeze's success on the field and the money being thrown around to less-qualified coaches at other schools.
Freeze has always been strong in developing talent, and Auburn is smack-dab in the middle of a hotbed of elite recruits. Look for the Tigers to get back on track.
6. Tom Herman-Florida Atlantic
Tom Herman looks to get back on track with the Florida Atlantic Owls.
One product of the coaching carousel is following big name head coaches, and poaching the assistants and coordinators that make the teams pop. Tom Herman was once at the top of this list thanks to his work under Urban Meyer at Ohio State.
Herman used his success as offensive coordinator with the Buckeyes, which included winning the 2014 National Championship with a third-string quarterback, to get his next two jobs at Houston and then Texas.
Despite four bowl victories in his four years in charge of the Longhorns, the sky-high expectations were not met by Herman and he was let go. Herman was briefly an offensive assistant for the Chicago Bears in 2021, but he gets his shot to lead a team again in the Florida Atlantic Owls.
FAU has proven to be a place where downtrodden coaches can dust themselves up and get back into Power Five job contention. Lane Kiffin and Willie Taggart were the two previous Owls' coaches. Herman will win here, and be a target on the carousel once again.
7. Trent Dilfer-University of Alabama at Birmingham
Trent Dilfer played 13 seasons in the NFL, but has never coached a college football team.
This hire has the least experience on this list in coaching, but by far the most experience on the field.
Trent Dilfer was hired as the new head coach of the UAB Blazers instead of interim coach Bryant Vincent, who has the Blazers set to play in the Bahamas Bowl. Dilfer was the sixth overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, and had a long 13-year career at quarterback for multiple teams.
Dilfer has coached for four years at the high school level, and has back-to-back Mississippi Division II Class AA State Championships. But he simply has never coached college football, Group of Five school or otherwise.
The learning curve for Dilfer and the Blazers could be tricky.
8. Jeff Brohm-Louisville
Jeff Brohm has turned around the Purdue program for consecutive eight-plus win seasons.
Jeff Brohm's hiring is nearly polar opposites with Dilfer's. It's been a long time coming for Brohm, but now he's home.
The links between Louisville and Brohm are everywhere. Brohm played quarterback for the Cardinals, and started his college coaching career in Louisville where he stayed for seven seasons.
At every stop on his coaching timeline, Brohm worked to turn around underperforming teams: FAU, Illinois, Western Kentucky, and most recently Purdue to name a few.
After three straight losing seasons in charge of the Boilermakers, Brohm righted the ship with consecutive eight-plus win seasons. This season would be Brohm's magnum opus, winning the Big Ten West, if the Louisville job wasn't such a perfect fit.
A homecoming story is always a welcome read, and Brohm's return to Louisville looks like a success story waiting to be written.
Big Vacancies Still to be Filled
David Shaw resigned last week as Stanford's most successful head coach in program history.
© Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The carousel isn't done spinning just yet.
The Pac-12 still has another new coach to welcome with longtime Stanford coach David Shaw resigning last week. Despite a lackluster final few seasons, Shaw's legacy is cemented as the best Cardinal coach ever, taking the squad to new heights and producing NFL superstars like Andrew Luck and Christian McCaffrey.
Purdue also needs a new leading man after Brohm went home to Louisville, and those will also be big shoes to fill. Outside of the Power Five, North Texas is on the market for a new HC after firing Seth Littrell.
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