Been putting a list together for a few days. Its got HC's who are presently not coaching, HC's, OC's and a few DC's. We should be looking at all of them since we will hopefully be in need of an OC and DC if Bo stays. If we get an older HC (Tressel, Brown...) we need to find an OC/DC who would be willing to be mentored till the HC retires.
There are 60 names here and I'm leaning towards:
HC:
Paul Johnson, Jim Tressel, Doc Holiday, Matt Wells, or Mark Hudspeth
OC:
Scott Frost, Matt Cavanaugh, Jake Spavital, or Chad Morris (Gonna be hard to get any one of theswe guys to take a lateral move)
DC:
Will Muschamp, Geoff Collins, Justin Wilcox, or Bob Diaco
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Here's the entire list:
Joe Moglia
Jim Tressell
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Mac Brown
Dennis Erickson (Utah)
Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette
Pat Narduzzi, Michigan State defensive coordinator
Rhett Lashlee, Auburn offensive coordinator
Matt Wells, Utah State head coach
Matt Campbell, Toledo head coach
Brent Venables, Clemson defensive coordinator
Tony Levine, Houston head coach
Joey Jones, South Alabama head coach
Jim McElwain, Colorado State head coach
Scott Frost, Oregon offensive coordinator
Geoff Collins, Mississippi State defensive coordinator
Pete Lembo, Ball State head coach
Eddie Gran, Cincinnati offensive coordinator
Kurt Roper, Florida offensive coordinator
Doc Holliday, Marshall head coach
Dible, Dana NC State Offensive Coordinator
Bobo, Mike Georgia Offensive Coordinatork
Bollman, Jim Ohio State Offensive Coordinator
Brohm, Jeff Louisville Offensive Coordinator
Cavanaugh, Matt Pitt Offensive Coordinator
Cignetti, Frank Cal Offensive Coordinato
Christensen, Dave Missouri Offensive Coordinator
Clawson, David Tennessee Offensive Coordinator
Clements, Randy Baylor Co-Offensive Coordinator
Crowton, Gary LSU Offensive Coordinator
Davis, Greg Texas Offensive Coordinator
Dykes, Sonny Arizona Offensive Coordinator
Franklin, James Maryland Offensive Coordinator
Franklin, Tony Auburn Offensive Coordinator
Gregory, Greg USF Offensive Coordinator
Harsin, Bryan Boise State Offensive Coordinator
Haywood, Michael Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator
Helfrich, Mark Colorado Offensive Coordinator
Lappano, Tim Washington Offensive Coordinator
Lobotzke, Steed Wake Forest Offensive Coordinator
Chad Morris is a rising star as Clemson's offensive coordinator.
As with any list of rising stars or coaches, there are always a handful of names that miss out on the list. However, that isn’t a knock on their coaching ability. Coordinators like Alabama’s Kirby Smart or Michigan State’s Pat Narduzzi have been known for a few years now and will get plenty of looks to be a head coach in the future.
Clemson’s Chad Morris is perhaps the hottest name for potential open vacancies after the 2013 season, as the former Texas high school coach has transformed the Tigers’ into one of the nation’s best offenses. Morris is certainly known around the nation.
Bob Diaco, defensive coordinator, Notre Dame
Diaco was the architect behind Notre Dame’s top-10 defense last season. The Fighting Irish finished seventh nationally in total defense and second in points allowed in 2012, and only two opponents scored over 20 points. Diaco followed coach Brian Kelly from Cincinnati to South Bend, and he worked in assistant jobs with Virginia, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan before joining the Bearcats. Diaco has quietly built an impressive resume and should get a chance to be a head coach soon. With a loaded defense returning to South Bend for 2013, Notre Dame should be one of the top-10 defenses in college football, which will make the New Jersey native a hot commodity in coaching searches once the 2013 season is over.
D.J. Durkin, defensive coordinator, Florida
Durkin was promoted to defensive coordinator in mid-January after Dan Quinn left for the NFL. Coach Will Muschamp plays a large role in shaping Florida’s defense, but Durkin’s promotion shouldn’t be overlooked. The Ohio native is highly regarded among coaches in the SEC and worked under two of the best coaches during the BCS era – Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. This is Durkin’s first chance to be a coordinator, but with Muschamp on the sidelines, don’t expect Florida’s defense to suffer much of a drop in production in 2013 and beyond.
Tom Herman, offensive coordinator, Ohio State
Urban Meyer has a good eye for finding talent in the assistant ranks, so it was no surprise when he picked Herman to join his staff. Herman came to Columbus after three years directing Iowa State’s offense. The Cyclones didn’t have a ton of talent to work with on offense but averaged over 20 points a game in each of Herman’s three seasons. Before Iowa State, Herman called the plays at Rice and directed the Owls’ offense to an average of 41.3 points per game in 2008. Learning under one of the best coaches in college football should only raise Herman’s profile, and the California native should help Meyer direct one of the nation’s top offenses in 2013.
Mike Norvell, offensive coordinator, Arizona State
Norvell was the engineer behind Arizona State’s high-powered offense last season, which averaged 38.4 points a game and ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in total offense. At 32 years old, Norvell is one of college football’s youngest coordinators. However, there’s no doubt he is one of the Pac-12’s rising stars in the assistant ranks. Before coming to Arizona State, Norvell followed Todd Graham to stops at Tulsa and Pittsburgh and started four years at receiver during his playing career at Central Arkansas. Norvell has some holes to fill with running back Cameron Marshall and two receivers departing, but the Sun Devils should once again have one of the best offenses in the Pac-12.
Nick Rolovich, offensive coordinator, Nevada
Rolovich is the lone non-BCS coordinator to make this list for 2013. The California native played quarterback at Hawaii from 2000-01 and had a short professional stint with the Broncos, before spending five seasons in the Arena Football League and one in NFL Europe. Rolovich has been on a quick rise through the assistant ranks, as he spent two years at the City College of San Francisco from 2007-08 and was hired as Hawaii’s quarterbacks coach by Greg McMackin in 2008. Rolovich worked in that capacity until the 2009 season, when he was promoted to offensive coordinator. The Warriors averaged over 30 points a game in 2010 and 2011 under Rolovich’s watch. After Norm Chow was hired as Hawaii’s head coach, Rolovich left to join Nevada’s staff and spent the year learning the Pistol offense under Chris Ault. With his background under two different schemes and success with molding quarterbacks into starters, Rolovich is one of college football’s up-and-coming offensive playcallers.
Jake Spavital, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Texas A&M
After working with Case Keenum at Houston and Geno Smith at West Virginia, Spavital gets to tutor Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel in 2013. The Oklahoma native has been on a fast track through the assistant ranks, starting his career at Tulsa under Gus Malzahn in 2008, before joining Dana Holgorsen at Houston in 2009. Spavital worked for two years under Holgorsen at West Virginia, serving as the team’s quarterbacks coach.
Justin Wilcox, defensive coordinator, Washington
Wilcox transformed Washington’s defense from one of the worst in the nation in 2012 to rank fourth in the Pac-12 in points and yards allowed in 2013. The Oregon native started his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Boise State in 2001 and worked in that capacity until joining California as a linebackers coach in 2003. After three years with the Golden Bears, Wilcox was selected as Boise State’s defensive coordinator in 2006 and coached in that role until 2009. He served for two years as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator under Derek Dooley in 2010 and took over at Washington in 2012. Wilcox is only 36 years old, but he is ready to be a head coach. However, until he leaves Seattle, expect the Huskies to rank among the best defenses in the Pac-12.
Mike Yurcich, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma State
A few eyebrows were raised when Mike Gundy announced Yurcich as his new offensive coordinator. However, the Ohio native appears to be a perfect replacement for Todd Monken, who left to be the head coach at Southern Miss. Yurcich comes to Stillwater after a two-year stint as Shippensburg’s offensive coordinator. Under his watch, Shippensburg’s quarterback (Zach Zulli) won the Harlon Hill Award for the top player in Division II, while the offense averaged 529.2 yards per game in 2012. Yurcich doesn’t have to make wholesale changes at Oklahoma State, as the offense will largely use most of the same scheme from the previous year. However, expect Yurcich to put his own tweaks into the system, which as evidenced on the Division II level, should work out well for the Cowboys.
Mike Bobo (Georgia)
Bobo has had a great career since he started at Georgia in 2007. He started as the quarterbacks coach and helped develop talents like Matthew Stafford into NFL-caliber players. He then became the offensive coordinator and has helped guide Georgia to an extremely successful offense, taking advantage of the blue chip recruits the Bulldogs bring in.
Georgia knows how valuable Bobo is to the program. They recently re-signed him to a multi-year deal that made him one of the highest paid assistants in the SEC.
Bobo returns a ton of talent on offense, including quarterback Aaron Murray and running back Todd Gurley.
Cam Cameron (LSU)
Cameron was fired near the end of the 2012 season by the Baltimore Ravens. However, he is still an excellent playcaller. He was the offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers from 2002-2006, and helped them to playoff appearances in every season.
Cameron also has significant college experience. He spent 1983--1993 at Michigan and was the head coach of Indiana from 1997-2001. He will be expected to help turn around a Tigers offense that finished 77th in total offense last season, despite having good talent at every position.
James Coley (Miami)
Coley is an up-and-coming offensive coordinator who has been stuck in the shadow of Jimbo Fisher. He started as a graduate assistant under Fisher at LSU. Then, Coley ended up as Fisher’s assistant at Florida State under head coach Bobby Bowden. He was then promoted to offensive coordinator when Fisher replaced Bobby Bowden as head coach.
However, since Fisher took over as the Seminoles’ head coach, he has been the playcaller, not Coley. So finally, after a few years as the coordinator at Florida State, Coley moves on to the Hurricanes, where Coley will have an opportunity to call plays and will have plenty of weapons to ease the transition. The offense will be led by quarterback Stephen Morris and running back Duke Johnson.
Other Candidates
Josh Heupel (Oklahoma)
Clay Helton (USC)
Danny Langsdorf (Oregon State)
Brian Johnson (Utah)
Doug Nussmeier (Alabama)
Brent Pease (Florida)
Les Koenning (Mississippi State)
Jeff Jagodzinski (Georgia State)
If you're interested in something from left field here's a name for you. Kurtiss Riggs. he has been a very
successful player and coach here in Sioux Falls. A multiple National Champion QB and coach at USF and a multiple
league championship head coach of the IFL 5 time consecutive champion Sioux Falls Storm. Might be worth a look as
QB coach with a shot to move up to OC.
T_O_B
