Evaluating Every ACC Offensive Coordinator: Which Program Has the Best Signal Caller?

How does each ACC offensive coordinator look?

Al.com

As the ACC edges closer towards another football season, there has been mass restructuring across the conference. Since last year saw two ACC teams make the College Football Playoff. Yet, both Clemson and SMU endured short tenures as both SMU and Clemson were eliminated in the first round of the Playoff.

Today's task? To evaluate each ACC offensive coordinator.

Boston College: Brian Lawling

Lawling is in his second year as offensive coordinator of the Eagles. Boston College produced the fifth-worst yards per game in the ACC (365.7). It is worth noting this was Lawling's first ever year as a Division I offensive coordinator with his last offensive coordinator stint at Division III school Juniata College.

California: Bryan Harsin

Harsin is a former head coach at Arkansas State, Boise State, and Auburn, where he marked an 85-36 record with a chunk of success coming at Boise State, where he marked a 69-19 record. For now, Harsin will have to be resigned to an assistant position at the recently promoted ACC school.

Harsin was hired by the California in early December.

In five seasons as the Broncos' offensive coordinator, Boise State’s record was 61-5, and his offenses were in the top five nationally in scoring four times, capped by ranking first in 2009 (42.2 ppg) and second in 2010 (45.1 ppg). In all, Boise State averaged 41.4 ppg during his time as coordinator.

Clemson: Garrett Riley

Riley was pipped by Clemson after a stint at TCU, which saw him be a part of a Horned Frogs squad that made the College Football Playoff in 2023.

In Riley's first season at Clemson, the Tigers tied for the national lead with six games reaching both 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards. Riley led Clemson to a No. 15 national rank in first downs per game (23.4), ninth-best in Clemson history, in 2023. Clemson’s 76.8 plays per game represented its highest average since 2016 (81.4).

Duke: Jonathan Brewer

Brewer is en route to his second year with the Blue Devils under Manny Diaz.

Duke produced a measly offense last season that tallied the third-worst yards per game in the ACC (336.8). The Blue Devils marked just 41 touchdowns and the third-worst yards per play (5.2).

Florida State: Gus Malzahn

Malzahn, comes from the University of Central Florida, and before that a storied role as Auburn head coach, including a trip to the BCS National Championship where the Tigers fell to the Seminoles in early 2014.

Malzahn was hired in late 2024, and will be tasked with rebuilding the worst offense in the ACC. The 'Noles marked 270.3 yards per game, which ranked last in the ACC. Florida State scored just 19 touchdowns last season, as FSU rang in just two wins last season.

Georgia Tech: Buster Faulkner

Faulkner spent last season with the ACC's second-best 187.0 rushing yards per game, the Yellow Jackets spent last season finishing sixth in ACC yards per game (424.5).

While Faulkner's first season was a lot more productive than his last. In his first season with the Yellow Jackets, Faulkner directed a Georgia Tech offense that led the ACC in rushing (203.8) and ranked among the conference leaders in total offense (424.6), scoring (31.1 ppg – fourth).

Louisville: Brian Brohm

Jeff Brohm's younger brother Brian, marshaled the Cardinals last season under current NFL quarterback Tyler Shough.

Shough passed for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns in his lone year with the Cardinals. Brohm saw his quarterback complete 67.2 percent of his throws and toss just six interceptions on 389 pass attempts

As offensive coordinator in 2024, Brohm directed an offense that averaged 36.5 points per game and was the only team in the country to score at least 24 points in each game. The explosive offense averaged 449.2 yards per game, which ranked 13th nationally, and averaged 6.85 yards per play.

Miami: Shannon Dawson

Dawson was a part of a corps that saw the Hurricanes lead the ACC in points per game (43.9), while also toppling the conference with over 530 yards per game, with a school that was led by eventual first pick of the NFL Draft Cam Ward.

Miami placed 657 yards above second-place Clemson while playing 84 snaps less on offense than Dabo Swinney's Tigers.

NC State: Kurt Roper

Roper was suddenly launched into the helm of the Wolfpack's offense when former offensive coordinator Robert Anae left the program. Roper was the former Wolfpack quarterback coach, where he took over freshman CJ Bailey. Bailey ranked seventh among all FBS freshmen in passing yards with 2,413.

North Carolina: Freddie Kitchens

Kitchens is former Cleveland Browns head coach. Before taking over the AFC North squad. Kitchens had previous experience as an assistant with the Browns, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Arizona Cardinals in a variety of different roles. All coming after time spent in the college ranks, which saw Kitchens work under legendary college football coach Nick Saban.

Pittsburgh: Kade Bell

Bell is set to improve on his stellar first-year with the Panthers.

In Bell's first season with Pitt in 2024, Bell directed Pitt to a dramatic improvement in the passing game. The unit averaged 277.8 yards per game through the air in the regular season, which ranked 15th nationally and third in the ACC. Bell also helped redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein establish himself as one of college football's top newcomers in 2024, as he was named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. On the season, Holstein completed 62% of his passes (180 of 291) for 2,228 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions.

SMU: Casey Woods

Woods marked the fifth-best offense in the ACC in yards per game (429.5), the Mustangs pinned 62 touchdowns along with 36.5 points per game.

Last season, SMU earned back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time in Mustangs history. Although SMU was quickly exited out of the playoffs after a disheartening 38-10 loss to Penn State, the second-year ACC school is en route to continued assertion as an established ACC school.

Stanford: Nate Byham

Stanford has recently appointed former tight ends coach Nate Byham as offensive coordinator.

Byham is joining ranks with new head coach Frank Reich. Both will be taking on new roles at the Northern California School.

Byham spent time at FCS school Albany as co-offensive coordinator before taking the tight ends job at Stanford heading into 2023.

The former NFL tight end mentored QB Reese Poffenbarge. Poffenbarger was named a freshman All-American and was named Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 under Byham at Albany

Syracuse: Jeff Nixon

Nixon is heading into his second year as the Orange offensive coordinator. Last season, while being led by Fran Brown, Syracuse tallied 467.6 yards per game

Syracuse finished last season with 56 touchdowns, which ranked fourth in the ACC. The Orange finished last season fifth in ACC play with 34.1 points per game.

Expectations are rising for Nixon and a Syraucse squad that is on its way to the top of the ACC.

University of Virginia: Desmond Kitchings

UVA ranked second-lowest in the ACC game with 22.7 points per game, the Cavaliers also averaged the fourth-worst yards per game (360.9).

Following the 2022 season, Kitchings was awarded the ACC's R2SportsTech’s Graphite Award. The award is based on analytics that show a play caller’s ability to align their team’s strengths on their opponent’s weaknesses.

Virginia Tech Hokies: Philip Montgomery

Montgomery was an elite offensive coordinator while taking charge of the Baylor Bears.

Montgomery made his first big splash in his post-RGIII offenses, which saw quarterbacks of little-known backgrounds (Bryce Petty and Nick Florence) each reel in All-American honors as Montgomery led the Baylor offensive duties.

It will take little time to see the numbers Montgomery raked up in Waco. These numbers include a top-five passing offense for four years running, along with a finalist position for the Broyles Award in 2013.

Wake Forest: Rob Ezell

The former South Alabama offensive coordinator is in his first year as Demon Deacons offensive coordinator

South Alabama was among the top offensive teams in the Sun Belt Conference in 2024, averaging 34.4 points and 441.8 yards per game. Ezell’s offense put up nearly 6,000 yards over the course of the season, c. Six different offensive players for South Alabama were named All-SBC for their performances during the 2024 season. Ezell helped guide the program to its most successful season at the FBS level, going 10-3 during the 2023 season.

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