Several school’s moved quickly to fill vacant college football coaching jobs. Here is a break down of some of those moves and grade each of the hires:
BUFFALO
Out: Jeff Quinn
In: Lance Leipold
The Buzz: It was only a matter of time before Leipold, 50, found himself in charge of a Football Bowl Subdivision program and Buffalo seems like a good starting point. A lot of coaches have cut their coaching teeth in the Mid-American Conference (Urban Meyer, Jerry Kill) and it’s the perfect place for Leipold to make the transition. In eight seasons, he’s put together a career record of 106-6 including winning five NCAA Division III national championships at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Grade: B+
FLORIDA
Out: Will Muschamp
In: Jim McElwain
The Buzz: Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley was all in when it came to getting his next football coach — Jim McElwain. McElwain, 50, spent four seasons as Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2008-11. During that time, the Crimson Tide were 48-6 including capturing two Bowl Championship Series national championships (2009, 2011). At Alabama, he recruited players like quarterback A.J. McCarron and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. In three seasons at Colorado State, the Rams saw dramatic improvement from four wins in 2012 to 10-wins in 2014. While not a flashy hire, McElwain brings a knowledge of the SEC as well as a coaching style that should fit in with the Gators.
Grade: B
NEBRASKA
Out: Bo Pelini
In: Mike Riley
The Buzz: Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst brought about the first major surprise of the coaching moves with his hiring of former Oregon State coach Mike Riley. Riley, 61, is considered in most circles as one of the nicest coaches in college football. He spent 14 seasons in Corvallis leading the Beavers to a 93-80 overall record, but recently the program slumped including a dismal 5-7 overall record this season. His teams lean on the passing attack (Oregon State ranked 31st in passing offense) making his move to Nebraska even more of a surprise (Huskers ranked 90th in passing offense). His hiring would be considered thinking outside of the box, but at 61 — Riley’s hiring seems more of a quick fix, not a long-term renovation.
Grade: B-
SMU
Out: June Jones
In: Chad Morris
The Buzz: SMU athletic director Dave Hart hit a home run with the hiring of Morris, a Texan native and former high school coach. Those connections are already paying off as Morris reportedly hired former Desoto (Texas) High coach Claude Mathis as his running backs coach. Winning the recruiting battle in the Lone Star state will be critical if Morris wants to ensure long-term success of the program. It’s a tall order as programs like Texas, Texas A&M, TCU and Baylor dominate the recruiting arms race, but having better national visibility as a by-product of the school’s move to the American Athletic Conference will help.
Grade: A
TROY
Out: Larry Blakeney
In: Neal Brown
The Buzz: Brown’s familiarity with the Troy program — he was offensive coordinator as well as recruiting coordinator for a brief time under Blakeney — lends a sense of optimism moving forward especially as the program looks to transition into a new era. It was with Brown’s help that Troy became a Sun Belt power from 2006 to 2009. The Trojans were next to last in scoring offense this season and near the bottom of the league in total defense, making this more of a reclamation project than a total rebuild.
Grade: B