Ranking College Football's New Coordinators: Chip Kelly, Will Muschamp Lead

Three former head coaches and three Group of Six imports headline a seven-man list shaped by wins over Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State.

Northwestern Wildcats offensive coordinator Chip Kelly looks on before a game against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

College football's new coordinators have reshaped several programs through Week 5 of the 2026 season, with three former head coaches and three assistants from Group of Six staffs driving some of the sport's biggest turnarounds.

This ranking weighs results, the quality of opponents and how much each coordinator changed what he inherited. ESPN's efficiency ratings and strength-of-schedule rankings, current as of Oct. 8, support those judgments rather than drive them.

7. Skyler Cassity, Oklahoma State defensive coordinator

Skyler Cassity, DC coach at the first practice of spring football at Oklahoma State University | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity delivered one of September's best defensive performances when the Cowboys upset No. 6 Oregon 39-31. His unit held the Ducks to 281 total yards and a combined 5-for-17 on third and fourth down.

The 31-year-old son of former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Cassity followed head coach Eric Morris from North Texas, where his defense cut nearly 10 points per game from the previous year's scoring average. Morris says Cassity runs the defense with full autonomy.

"Skyler, he's a star in the making," Morris said.

Cassity sits seventh because the rest of the resume is thinner. Oklahoma State is 3-1, and ESPN ranks the defense 26th in efficiency against the 51st-ranked schedule, a good profile rather than an elite one.

6. Kevin Decker, Memphis offensive coordinator

Memphis offensive coordinator Kevin Decker talks through a drill with players during fall practice | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Memphis offensive coordinator Kevin Decker arrived from Old Dominion with a fast-tempo, wide-split spread offense, and it has translated quickly on a roster that added more than 70 new players. The Tigers are 4-1, and ESPN ranks their offense 11th nationally in efficiency.

Quarterback Marcus Stokes, a Division II transfer from West Florida, has thrived in the system. He threw for 384 yards in a road loss at Boise State and went 26-of-32 for 258 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-21 win over UT Martin.

Head coach Charles Huff admired Decker's offenses for years and faced them several times while at Marshall before hiring him.

"When you look at his track record, and you go all the way back to Fordham, that's my litmus test for a coordinator," Huff said.

An 88th-ranked schedule, per ESPN, keeps Decker from climbing higher.

5. Dean Kennedy, UCLA offensive coordinator

UCLA Bruins offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy during the spring game at Rose Bowl | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UCLA offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy has helped turn a 3-9 program into a 4-0 team built on the run game. Through four games the Bruins averaged 44.5 points, third-most in the Big Ten, with wins over Cal, San Diego State, Purdue and Maryland.

Kennedy followed head coach Bob Chesney from James Madison, where his 2025 offense averaged 37.1 points per game during a College Football Playoff season. Running back Wayne Knight made the same move, giving quarterback Nico Iamaleava a proven running mate in a run-first system.

"Both Colin and Dean played integral parts to our historic success at James Madison," Chesney said of Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler.

ESPN ranks UCLA's schedule 113th, softer than any faced by the four teams ranked above the Bruins here, so Saturday's trip to Oregon is the first major test for Kennedy's ground attack.

4. Arthur Smith, Ohio State offensive coordinator

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on the field before the game against the Ball State Cardinals | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith inherited more talent than anyone on this list, and the former Atlanta Falcons head coach has built a top-five offense with it. The Buckeyes rank fourth in ESPN's offensive efficiency ratings and piled up 484 yards in a 31-14 win at No. 14 Iowa last Saturday.

Quarterback Julian Sayin hit receiver Jeremiah Smith for touchdowns of 12 and 57 yards in Iowa City.

Head coach Ryan Day explained his January hire of the former Pittsburgh Steelers play-caller.

"I just felt like going into this season in particular, we needed somebody with some play calling experience that really could take over that room and allow me to kind of step back," Day said.

The lone blemish came in a 24-23 loss at Texas after Ohio State led 23-3 entering the fourth quarter.

3. Buster Faulkner, Florida offensive coordinator

Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner works out the quarterbacks during the first day of Florida Spring football practice | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner took over an offense that averaged 21.6 points per game in 2025, and the Gators scored 66, 52, 44 and 52 points in their first four games, including a top-10 win over Ole Miss.

Faulkner reunited with quarterback Aaron Philo, who played for him at Georgia Tech, and running back Jadan Baugh ran for 600 yards and 11 touchdowns through four games.

The 45-17 loss at Missouri was the lone misstep, as Florida ran for 42 yards and faced 10 third downs of 10 yards or longer.

"We need to make sure that at the end of this week, that is the outlier," Faulkner said.

ESPN ranks the offense seventh in efficiency and the defense 77th, so Faulkner's unit carried the 4-1 start and earns the edge over Smith's Ohio State offense.

2. Will Muschamp, Texas defensive coordinator

Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp observes his players before a game against the UTSA Roadrunners | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp left a semi-retired role at Georgia to return to Austin, and his defense now carries the No. 1 Longhorns. Texas is 4-0, and ESPN ranks the unit second in efficiency against the country's second-toughest schedule.

Texas held Ohio State to three second-half points while rallying from a 23-3 deficit for a 24-23 win, and edge rusher Colin Simmons set a school record with 5 1/2 sacks in a 20-17 win at Tennessee.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian brought the former Florida and South Carolina head coach back to make the defense more aggressive.

"We felt like we wanted to get back to playing a style of defense that I was accustomed to," Sarkisian said.

Muschamp ranks second because he inherited a defense that recorded 41 sacks in 2025.

1. Chip Kelly, Northwestern offensive coordinator

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has produced the most dramatic change of any new coordinator in the country. From 2015 to 2025, the Wildcats ranked 132nd out of 137 teams in scoring, and last season's offense averaged 23.4 points per game.

The former Oregon and UCLA head coach has Northwestern at 3-1, with the only loss coming 29-23 at Indiana. The Wildcats ran for 413 yards in a 34-13 win over Penn State on Oct. 2, their highest rushing total since 2003, as Caleb Komolafe ran for 188 yards and Joseph Himon II added 162.

"I just have to give Coach [Chip] Kelly and our entire offensive staff a ton of credit," head coach David Braun said.

ESPN ranks the offense eighth in efficiency against the 13th-toughest schedule played so far, and Game on Paper's opponent-adjusted model rates it first in the country.