Meet the New Hires: Mike Sherman

1978 Stamford HS
1979–1980 Worcester Academy
1981–1982 Pittsburgh (GA)
1983–1984 Tulane (OL)
1985–1987 Holy Cross (OL)
1988 Holy Cross (OC)
1989–1993 Texas A&M (OL)
1994 UCLA (OL)
1995–1996 Texas A&M (OL)
1997–1998 Green Bay Packers (TE)
1999 Seattle Seahawks (OC)
2000–2005 Green Bay Packers (HC)
2006 Houston Texans (Asst. HC)
2007 Houston Texans (OC)
2008–present Texas A&M (HC)

Mike Sherman comes to Texas A&M bringing an emphasis on changing the offense as well as building an identity as a hard nosed defensive squad. Sherman was Texas A&M's top target to become the 28th head coach all along. Texas A&M didn't interview any other candidates, which raised a few eyebrows amongst minority coaches, however they knew who they wanted and got him as soon as possible. Sherman comes back to the college game where he was a line coach at Tulane, Holy Cross, UCLA, and lastly at Texas A&M. Though Sherman is not a TAMU alumni, he's always felt at home in College Station, which was one of the strongest reasons he decided to come back to the college game.

Sherman is best known for being the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2000-2005. During his span in Green Bay he had nice success in the regular season, but wasn't able to bring his highly talented team to the Super Bowl. Before coming to the Aggies, Sherman was the offensive coordinator with the Houston Texans. There was much speculation that Sherman would be offered a head coaching job in the NFL if he were to of waited a few years, but instead he jumped to Texas A&M and signed a 7 year contract. One interesting thing that Sherman opted to do was to take a paycut from the salary that departed head coach Dennis Francione last had ($2 million a year). He instead signed a contract worth $1.8 million a year with the intent of spending that excess money on hiring quality assistants. This is one of the smarter decisions he could have made, especially when he has no collegiate head coaching experience.

With the money Sherman brought in his former wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell. Cromwell last season was the wide receivers coach with the Seattle Seahawks. Cromwell's major duty is to transition a run heavy offense into a pro style offense at College Station. There should undoubtedly be some bumps in the road at least for the first season. Sherman's initial defensive coordinator hire was Reggie Herring from Arkansas. Herring bolted to become the linebacker coach with the Dallas Cowboys instead. From there Sherman moved to hire former Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines. Kines had the nation's #2 defense in both 2004 and 2005. This is a fantastic hire for Sherman.

As long as the transition isn't too shaky on the offensive side of the ball, Texas A&M seems to have made a good hire with Sherman. The approach to acquire high paid assistant coaches is a great move for a new head coach. Things won't be easy for Sherman, but the Aggies will remain competitive for years to come due to this hire.

Ripper Ramblings: Offseason Edition

Ripper Ramblings was a staple throughout the college football season. This time the Ripper will give his take on some of the off season happenings.

Hollywood, Fl. The BCS meetings (held in Hollywood, Fl.) went down with plenty of discussion but no real change. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive proposed a seeded plus-one system but fell mainly of deaf ears. With the exception of ACC Commissioner John Swofford, none of the other BCS commissioners were interested in any type of radical change. The Big Ten's and Pac Ten's continued opposition came as little surprise. There were rumblings that the Big East and Big 12 might have interest. However, that was very much not the case. In fact, after the meetings Dan Beebe disclosed that previous to the meetings he had met with his 12 member schools, and all 12 were against a plus-one. A non-seeded plus-one using the existing bowls and traditional tie-ins got nothing more than casual talk. The reason behind not giving that type of system more consideration is that it wouldn't limit any controversy.

Hollywood, FL. 2. One order of business taken care of at the meetings turned out to be significant due to how little news it made. The Big East's status as a BCS conference and their automatic bid was reconfirmed with almost no fanfare. When the ACC raided the Big East the BCS adopted rules for conferences to for qualifying for an automatic BCS bid. The rule became known as the "Big East Rule." The little news that the Big East's continued status made goes to show just how unexpectedly successful the Big East has been since the raid.

Hollywood, Fl. 3. Outside of the six BCS conference commissioners there were six other attendees to the meetings: Notre Dame AD Kevin White and the commissioners of the five non-BCS conferences. The representation shows just how powerful Notre Dame continues to be. The presence of the non-BCS commissioners shows that they at least have a place at the table. Whether they are allowed to speak unless spoken to is another question.

Big East Expansion. There have been rumors that East Carolina and Memphis have interest in joining the Big East, perhaps in a football only role. In the case of ECU, they may be willing to bend over backwards to gain membership. They have suggested things like not taking any share of the BCS money initially and guaranteeing 2,500 fans attending road games. Nonetheless, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese responded by stating that the Big East wants to stay at 8 football members. He suggests that they arn't interested in only a partial member. It is surprising that the Big East wouldn't be open to expansion due to the scheduling benefits a ninth football member would bring. Currently, Big East schools have to schedule five non-conference games, one more than all other FCS conference schools. Additionally, a seven game conference schedule requires each school to play an unbalanced number of home and road conference games. UConn head coach Randy Edsell has been outspoken about the scheduling challenges. Given the benefits, its surprising that Tranghese would take such a hard stance. Perhaps he is just trying to play a hard bargain or perhaps he just doesn't see ECU and Memphis as being good fits.

New Bowls. There were a significant number of 6-6 BCS conference teams that were left home for bowl season. The solution to that problem appears to be more bowls. Two new bowls were approved for the upcoming season. One bowl, to be played in Salt Lake City, did not earn certification. The motive for more bowls has less to do with including all 6-6 teams and more to do with the fact that the lesser bowls are profitable. One potential looming problem, however, is the possibility of not having enough bowl eligible teams. If that were to be the case, either a 5-7 team would have to play in a bowl or a bowl would have to be canceled. Either solution would be very embarrassing for the bowl system and would certainly cause there to be some very upset Blazers.

Manginotown. Rumor has it that the population of Manginotown may be on the decline. The burly ball coach has taken to a workout program this off season and supposedly has been dropping weight. In and interview with SI.com Mangino says, "I've started back in my workouts that I've ignored for a long, long time." The rigors of the workout program are unknown. Also, Mangino would not provide specifics for what his weight is...

10 Out of Conference Games To Get Excited About

1. Clemson vs Alabama *in Atlanta (Aug 30)
This will be yet another major test for the SEC as Alabama will take on Clemson in Atlanta. Clemson will be very highly ranked and Bama should be ready for the challenge in Saban's second year.

2. Missouri vs Illinois *in St. Louis (Aug 30)
Two teams that had spectacular seasons last year for their respective conferences were Missouri and Illinois. These two teams renew their rivalry once again in St. Louis. Both of these teams will be loaded for the next season. It's just a shame they don't play this game on a college campus.

3. Tennessee @ UCLA (Sept 1) Credit Tennessee for actually challenging Pac 10 teams in recent years as opposed to talking about how badly the SEC would beat the Pac 10 (Les Miles). UCLA will have a new look this year with Slick Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow returning to the college coaching circuit. This will be a great early season test for both teams.

4. Ohio State @ USC (Sept 13)
This is the game of the year in college football. These two teams could be #1 and #2 in the preseason polls. This will be the second time in recent years that Ohio State has scheduled an out of conference powerhouse (Texas).

5. Arkansas @ Texas (Sept 13)
These 2 former Southwest Conference rivals will square off once again. This used to be one of the most tradition rich rivalries in all of college football before Arkansas went to the SEC. This year Arkansas will be ready with new head coach Bobby Petrino.

6. Kansas @ South Florida (Sept 13)
The Fighting Mangino's travel to South Florida for a great early season challenge. Jim Leavitt's team had a lot of early season success last year, and they'll need it again if they want to knock off the Jayhawks. This game will determine what late hype the Kansas program will have this season.

7. Georgia @ Arizona State (Sept 20)
The last time the Bulldogs left SEC country to take on a team, Lyndon Johnson was in office. Georgia is going to be a highly ranked preseason team with a lot of hype surrounding the program. Arizona State is coming off one of it's best season's in a long time due to Dennis Erickson's revitalization in Tempe.

8. Virginia Tech @ Nebraska (Sept 27)
Virginia Tech's loss last season at LSU definitely leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. They hope to find more success when the try their luck against the Big 12. This game will showcase two of the best defensive minds in the game squaring off in Lincoln.

9. Auburn @ West Virginia (Oct 23)
This matchup loses some of it's luster after the departure of Rich Rodriguez to Michigan, but it will be a great SEC vs Big East matchup on a Thursday night in Morgantown. The Plainsmen vs the Mountainmen will tell a lot about both conferences.

10. Notre Dame @ Washington (Oct 25)
Charlie Weis vs Ty Willingham. Notre Dame's past vs present. Charlie Weis was given a 10 year extension due to his 9-3 first season. Willingham went 10-3 during his first year with the Irish and got nothing. Willingham was fired in his 3rd season after posting a 6-5 record in route to a bowl game. Weis was not fired after missing a bowl game and posting a 3-9 record. Overall Ty Willingham was 21-15 at ND, Weis currently stands at 22-15 after 3 seasons. Look for a lot of mud to be thrown in the face of ND around the time of this game.

College Gameday Handicap - Week 1

One of college football’s most recent phenomena is College Gameday, and few shows receive such attention when they are out on the road. So, with that in mind, CGB would like to handicap the race for week 1’s College Gameday visit.

When looking at the schedule, it is clear that three games in particular will be in the running. These are Illinois-Missouri, Alabama-Clemson, and LSU-Appalachian State. Each has their pros and cons, but in the end you can make a guess as to who will be hosting the crew.

A year ago, the Illinois-Missouri matchup would not garner much attention outside of the Midwest. However, both teams had excellent seasons a year ago, and come into 2008 with their eyes on a BCS bid. In addition, it is very likely that the game will be an exciting one. Last year Missouri took a large lead in the third quarter, but nearly saw it slip away as the Illini threw an interception deep in Missouri territory as time expired. Both Chase Daniel and Juice Williams are electric quarterbacks, though they approach the game in different ways. In particular, the matchup between Daniel and a hungry Illinois defense should be worth the price of admission.

On the downside, the game is at the dreaded “neutral site,” in this case, St. Louis. While St. Louis seems like a natural choice to host the game, a budding rivalry like this should be rotated between Columbia and Champaign. If this game doubled as the coming out party for the renovated Memorial Stadium in Champaign, it could have been a real showcase event.

Alabama-Clemson is the second game in the College Gameday running, and it has a couple of advantages. First, it has the most “name” recognition of the three games, with Nick Saban and Alabama taking on Tommy Bowden and Clemson. There is also the influence of a southern ACC/SEC crowd, which could make it a wild atmosphere. Finally, both Alabama and Clemson are adding great recruiting classes, so in this day and age that is a draw.

However, it is another neutral site game, this time at the Georgia Dome. This factor may also negatively influence the atmosphere. In addition, this game lacks the rivalry aspect of Illinois-Missouri, as the game was put together as an ACC/SEC showcase by the Chick-fil-a Bowl committee.

The third game I am going to highlight today is an interesting choice at first glance – LSU-Appalachian State. However, when you look more closely you can see reasons why College Gameday would travel to the game. Its main attraction is the fact that it features two national champions. Normally the FCS champion would not attract as much attention, but following Appalachian State’s upset of Michigan in 2007, they have become somewhat of a household name. This game will also feature the full atmosphere of an SEC football game, which cannot be said for either of the previous two matchups.

Unfortunately, it is tough to look past the projected competitiveness of the game. While Appalachian State did beat Michigan, you will not find anyone picking them to win this game against the defending champion. In fact, if they kept it close it would be considered an upset. Also, this game lacks any natural rivalry, as many FBS/FCS matchups do.

So, who is the College Gameday favorite. For the answer, it may help to look at a new point of emphasis at ESPN – recruiting coverage. The network spent a great deal of time analyzing classes both during and after the season, and two teams that were mentioned frequently were Alabama and Clemson. In the end, CGB thinks that this will be the deciding factor, and Chris, Lee, and Kirk will be traveling to Atlanta on Labor Day weekend.

Photo Legend: Charles McClendon

Charles McClendon coached the LSU Tigers from the years of 1962-1979. No LSU head man has coached longer than "Cholly Mac". He's also the the winningest coach in Tiger history. He's yet another coach who's a product of Bear Bryant, when he played for him while at Kentucky. His career record at LSU was 137-59-7, good for a .692 winning percentage. During his time at LSU he never won a national championship as a head coach although he was an assistant on LSU's 1st ever national championship in 1958. Also during his time at LSU he only won 1 SEC championship. A lot of that would be due to the overwhelming success of Bear Bryant during that time at Alabama.

Though Charlie never won many championships, he was known for putting LSU into many high profile bowl games and finishing with a strong showing in the AP polls. His teams finished ranked in the AP polls 9 seasons. During those seasons his average poll ranking was just above #9 on average. It was tough being a coach in the SEC and competing against The Bear, but for Charlie Mac to do it for as many seasons as he did, and still have the success he was able to accomplish speaks volumes to his record. Charles McClendon has won the National Coach of the Year award and has been inducted into the college football hall of fame. He passed away December 6th 2001, just 2 days after the Bayou Bengals brought home the SEC crown. The practice facility is named in McClendon's honor at LSU, and his legacy is as strong as anybody's in the SEC.

Meet the New Hires: Larry Fedora

2005-2007: Oklahoma State - Offensive Coordinator
2002-2004: Florida - Offensive Coordinator
1999-2001: Middle Tennessee State - Offensive Coordinator
1997-1998: Air Force - QB/WR Coach
1991-1996: Baylor - WR/TE/RB Coach
1987-1990: Garland (TX) HS - Head Coach

Of all of the coaching changes during the 2007 offseason, the most surprising may have been Jeff Bower leaving the University of Southern Mississippi. While he officially resigned, it was assumed that he was nudged out the door by the USM program.

While asking someone like Bower to leave the program may not be the best thing for USM’s karma, the hiring of Larry Fedora has worked out so far. Even though he had an abbreviated period of time to recruit, Fedora landed five star receiver DeAndre Brown along with other top prospects.

In order to figure out where Fedora picked up his recruiting acumen it helps to trace his career back to 2002, when Ron Zook hired him onto his staff at Florida. Fedora had previously coached at Baylor, Air Force, and Middle Tennessee State, but Florida would be a new test for him. While the staff’s on field results were not up to par with the Steve Spurrier era, Zook and company were able to stockpile talent that would help lead to Urban Meyer’s BCS title in 2006. Zook has quickly turned around the Fighting Illini, and Fedora does not have as daunting a rebuilding job in Hattiesburg.

However, the early recruiting success by Fedora was not the reason he was hired. He has long been hailed as one of the best offensive minds in college football. He built this reputation prior to being hired by Oklahoma State, but his results there really cemented it. Following an adjustment to his personnel in 2005, Fedora had back to back seasons of top 20 performances in total offense. What makes that stat even more impressive is the turmoil at quarterback he had to deal with in 2006, when Bobby Reid slowly lost his job to Zac Robinson, which led to Mike Gundy’s famous explosion this past season.

Fedora also made waves in Oklahoma city with his salary, which was nearly $400,000 per year. This was partially the reason he never defected back to the SEC as an offensive coordinator. T. Boone Pickens understood what Fedora could do to his offense, and made sure that Oklahoma State kept him.

One thing that Fedora does not have is D-1 head coaching experience. It remains to be seen how this will affect his performance, and you cannot find out for sure before he gets a season or two under his belt. Much of it will come down to how effectively Fedora can delegate the coaching to his assistants while “managing” the program. This is another aspect where Fedora may have learned from Zook. One of the key’s to Zooks success at Illinois has been the trust he has in, and the capability of, his assistants. If Fedora can duplicate this model he should be very successful at USM.

As far as next year goes, look for Fedora to have a down offensive year by his standards, similar to what happened at Oklahoma State. However, USM had a strong enough team last year that a bowl game is not out of the question. In addition, if he can adjust to being a head coach, look for Fedora to have great success in CUSA, and potentially compete for a coveted BCS bowl in the future.

First Year Coaches Review: Part 3

In the finality of its review of first year coaches, College Gridiron Boss assess what light year one for these coaches shed on their future.

Troy Calhoun, Air Force (9-4): The hiring was hailed in this space when it happened, but Calhoun exceeded even the loftiest of expectations. Calhoun came from the Jim Grobe School of Football, then got his "PhD in football" in the NFL. To top it off, he's a cadet. He finished 2nd in the nation in rushing in his first season. With Paul Johnson gone from Navy, the Commander-in-Chief trophy will return to Colorado Springs for an extended period of time, just as it did for much of the Fisher DeBerry tenure. Calhoun will likely stay at Air Force for an extended period of time. A BCS bowl birth could be in the future and what a story that would be.


Nick Saban, Alabama (7-6): Some would argue that Saban's struggle in his return to the SEC is a testament to just how tough the league has gotten since he left. The embarrassing loss to Louisiana-Monroe goes against that argument. Saban locked up a solid recruiting class and will ultimately be in the mix annually in the SEC. Just don't expect him to wipe that slick smile off of Tommy Tubberville's face too soon.

Dennis Erickson, Arizona State (10-3): The white haired wonder is up to his old tricks. He built off of a solid foundation laid by Dirk Koetter (we'll see him again). His hiring was criticized for being short sighted, but he may just set up the Sun Devils to take off in the coming years.

Stan Brock, Army (3-9): If Navy and Air Force have taught us anything, it is that Army could win if they hired a creative and intelligent coach. That is something Brock is not. Bobby Ross was criticized for delaying his retirement to force the hiring of Brock. If true, he handcuffed Army football for a few years. Unfortunately, the only thing the Blacknights have to look forward to about their clash with Navy is signing their Alma Mater after getting beat.

Jeff Jagodzinkski, Boston College (11-3): Coach Jag played in the ACC title game and produced a Heisman candidate QB, but those results could be misleading. Last year's BC team was likely the best Tom O'Brien team moving forward. That isn't necessarily a knock on Jag, but rather cautioning to take a wait and see approach with him. He came in with the reputation as being an expert in the NFL's zone running attack. His first BC team finished 106th nationally in rushing. That is a knock.

Butch Jones, Central Michigan (8-6): Jones was a questionable hire, but did manage to win a MAC title in year one. Dan LeFevour may graduate as the most statistically impressive QB in college football history. He should muster better than an 8-6 season in the MAC. Jones came in with a profile of a guy who could learn on the job. We'll see if he's a quick enough study to cash in on LeFevour's tremendous talents.

Brian Kelly, Cincinnati (10-3): Kelly is exhibit 1 in how conference realignment can drive the growth of a program. That being said, it would be hard to envision Kelly settling into the Queen City. A guy who gut his teeth in Division II, it is difficult to tell what type of challenge he would like to take on next. Whatever it is, he'll do well.

Mario Cristobal, FIU (1-11): With all the positive publicity Florida's smaller programs got (UCF, USF, FAU), FIU flat out stunk in Cristobal's first season. He recruited well and a new stadium is on the way, but Cristobal may be too raw of a sideline man to have success in this situation.

Rob Akey, Idaho (1-11): A hire like Akey is a great reason for why things in the panhandle aren't as pleasant as they are in the high desert. Some proud football teams used to run out of the Kibbie Dome tunnel, but that hasn't been the case for years. My advice to Idaho: NEXT.

Bill Lynch, Indiana (7-6): It was without question a special season for the Hoosiers and one that should be remember for years to come. The bowl birth forced the administration to take the interim tag off of Lynch. Ironically, Terry Hoeppner's death gave birth to a great opportunity for Lynch, who's career had seemed to pass him by. He'll likely have to bite off more than he can chew. If Kellen Lewis isn't eligible this fall, things could get ugly quick at IU.


Gene Chzik, Iowa State (3-9): The highly sought after Chzik came to Iowa State with little fan fare, pretty much proving that it is nearly impossible for a program like Iowa State to make a big splash with a hirer. Nonetheless, Chzik is a fantastic hire for this program. Chzik's year was a classic first year of a tough rebuilding process: over the course of a lot of lumps, the team had some pretty high moments. Chzik's first year in Ames looked much more like Ron Zook's second year at Illinois than his first. The only concern for Chzik is that he joined the Big 12 North at a time when its never been tougher and has never had better coaches.

Derek Dooley, Louisiana Tech (5-7): Bill Belichick's biography is called "The Education of a Coach." Dooley will likely be able to some day pen a book called "The Education of an SEC Coach." He had a successful first year on the field and took on the dual role of Athletic Director this off-season. He'll be in dad's old league in a few years.

Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville (6-6): Louisville acted quick in hiring the highly regarded Kragthorpe. Nobody could have expected the disappointment he would bring to Derby City. Kragthorpe did more damage to his career in one season than anyone in memory. He's retooled his coordinator's but Kragthorpe is gasping for air.

Randy Shannon, Miami (5-7): Howard Schnellenburger, Jimmy Johnson, Dennis Erickson, Butch Davis. Miami was able to hire a string of coaches in order to build a dynasty. Unfortunately, the infrastructure was never established - both in terms of the fan base and facilities - to maintain that dynasty through a string of bad coaches. Shannon came in as a great example of the good things associated with the Miami football dynasty. However, he could be remembered as a key contributor to bringing it down.

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State (7-6): Dantonio is the type of coach that can make guys like Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, Jack Mollenkopf, and Duffy Daugherty proud. Michigan State is a school foaming at the mouth to embrace a gridiron winner. They may have found one in Dantonio.

Tim Brewster, Minnesota (1-11): When Minnesota opens $288.5 million TCF Bank Stadium in 2009, there is a real risk they could lose their opener (opponent TBA). Brewster could be credited with being the biggest waster of tax payer dollars. I can see Glen Mason's white teeth now. What could have been the rebirth of a football dynasty, Brewster will work against much of the positive energy the stadium will bring. He may have lucked out in having his defensive coordinator, Everett Withers (119th in total defense), hired away this off season (UNC). While he recruited well, his first season was perhaps the worst the Big Ten has seen since the pre-Gary Barnett Northwestern days.

Butch Davis, North Carolina (4-8): Davis is a solid football coach that finds himself competing against some pretty solid coaches the ACC has acquired in recent years. We'll likely see a few more years of a bunch of 0.500 type teams in that conference. Will someone break from the pack? Davis has as good a shot as anyone.

Tom O'Brien, North Carolina State (5-7): O'Brien is a very solid coach. He's very much in the quagmire that is the ACC. Despite having a statistically inept year, O'Brien almost snuck into a bowl game. Similar to Chzik, there were some high points in an otherwise tough year.

Todd Dodge, North Texas (2-10): The Dodgeball era of football got off to a rough start, but there is hope. He managed to score 27 or more points in a losing effort seven times, including a 74-62 loss to Navy. He kicked his high school pal defensive coordinator to the curb. Things will get better in Denton.

David Bailiff, Rice (3-9): Rice football saw a lot of points scored last season, unfortunately on both sides of the ball. In a short period of time Rice has moved very far away from the prodding wishbone days of the Ken Hatfield era. Bailiff will be competitive in C-USA, but don't expect big things.

Jim Harbaugh, Stanford (4-8): Despite his prolific playing career, Harbaugh comes for a coaching family. He had some pretty nice moments in year one, most notably beating USC and Cal. It was expected that Harbaugh would need to learn on the job. He appears to be on the right track but it could take awhile.

Bob Toledo, Tulane (4-8): Toledo rode talented running back Matt Forte all he could, but still saw only moderate results. The hire is similar to Erickson's at ASU and Dick Tomey's at San Jose State, but this one likely won't have near the success of either of those moves.

Todd Graham, Tulsa (10-4): Graham often gets mentioned as a rising star destined to take over a BCS program. Not so fast. While he has had success at his two C-USA head coaching gigs, the defensive minded Graham did so despite woeful performances on defense. His Rice team had the 112th best defense and his Tulsa team was 108. His success at both places has been due largely to his offensive coordinators, Major Applewhite and Gus Malzahn respectively. Proceed with caution BCS programs.

Neil Callaway, UAB (2-10): This discussion should have been about a solid season by Jimbo Fisher, but for political reason's its about a 2-10 Callaway season. UAB has bigger problems than simply who their head ball coach is. Nonetheless, Callaway certainly isn't the guy.

First Year Coaches Review: Part 2

This past fall there were 22 new head coaches roaming the sidelines. Some had more success than others. Some may have appeared to be more successful than others. When you break it down, however, to see who had the greatest impact to their program you may be surprised at the results.

There are obviously many more factors that are needed to be looked at when judging the success of a 1st year coach (player development, signature wins, recruiting, etc.), but in terms of wins and losses compared to the season before Troy Calhoun from Air Force was a rung above the rest. Other coaches like Dennis Erickson, Jeff Jagodzinski, and Brian Kelly had wildly successful 1st seasons, but they were acquiring teams who had more success the season before. Falling to the bottom tier of coaches was Tim Brewster and Steve Kragthorpe. Brewster is one who hopes to follow Ron Zook's philosophy of focusing on recruiting to turn around the program. He had a terrible season at Minnesota, but was in the top 20 nationally in recruiting. The most disappointing coach was probably Steve Kragthorpe. He was hired almost instantaneously after Bobby Petrino left for the Atlanta Falcons, but never really produced results for a highly successful team from the season before. It will be an uphill battle for Kragthorpe this season without star quarterback Brian Brohm.

Below is the rankings of last season's new hires based on the number of games improved from the school's previous season's record. Half games occurr due to a different number of total games played between the two seasosn.

+/- games from previous season

+4.5 Troy Calhoun- Air Force 9-4 (6-2)
+3 Dennis Erickson- Arizona State 10-3 (7-2)
+3 Jim Harbaugh- Stanford 4-8 (3-6)
+2.5 Mark Dantonio- Michigan State 7-6 (3-5)
+2.5 Derek Dooley- LA Tech. 5-7 (4-4)
+2 Brian Kelly- Cincinnati 10-3 (4-3)
+2 Tom O'Brien- NC State 5-7 (3-5)
+1.5 Todd Graham- Tulsa 10-4 (6-2)
+1 Nick Saban- Alabama 7-6 (4-4)
+1 Butch Davis- North Carolina 4-8 (3-5)
+1 Mario Cristobal- Florida International 1-11 (1-6)
+0.5 Jeff Jagodzinski- Boston College 11-3 (6-2)
0 Bob Toledo- Tulane 4-8 (3-5)
0 Stan Brock- Army 3-9
-1 Gene Chizik- Iowa State 3-9 (4-8)
-1 Todd Dodge- North Texas 2-10 (1-6)
-1 Neil Calloway- UAB 2-10 (1-7)
-1.5 Randy Shannon- Miami 5-7 (2-6)
-3 Rob Akey- Idaho 1-11 (0-8)
-3.5 David Bailiff- Rice 3-9 (3-5)
-4.5 Tim Brewster- Minnesota 1-11 (0-8)
-5.5 Steve Kragthorpe- Louisville 6-6 (3-4)

First Year Coaches Review: Part 1

Here is a list of the records for all Division 1 first year coaches in 2007.

Air Force
Troy Calhoun 9-4
Alabama
Nick Saban 7-6
Arizona State
Dennis Erickson 10-3
Army
Stan Brock 3-9
Boston College
Jeff Jagodzinski 11-3
Central Michigan
Butch Jones 8-6
Cincinnati
Brian Kelly 10-3
FIU
Mario Cristobal 1-11
Idaho
Robb Akey 1-11
Indiana
Bill Lynch 7-6
Iowa State
Gene Chizik 3-9
Louisiana Tech
Derek Dooley 5-7
Louisville
Steve Kragthorpe 6-6
Miami (Fla.)
Randy Shannon 5-7
Michigan State
Mark Dantonio 7-6
Minnesota
Tim Brewster 1-11
North Carolina
Butch Davis 4-8
North Carolina St.
Tom O'Brien 5-7
North Texas
Todd Dodge 2-10
Rice
David Bailiff 3-9
Stanford
Jim Harbaugh 4-8
Tulane
Bob Toledo 4-8
Tulsa
Todd Graham 10-4
UAB
Neil Callaway 2-10

A few records stand out in particular. On the positive side, Troy Calhoun came in and led a 4.5 game turnaround for Air Force, from 4-8 to 9-4. This bodes well for the Falcons, especially given the coaching change at Navy. Paul Johnson had a stranglehold on the Commander in Chief’s Trophy while he coached the Midshipmen, but do not be surprised if Calhoun takes it back to Colorado Springs in 2008.

In addition, Dennis Erickson gave Arizona State a shot in the arm. While Dirk Koetter was able to put together some solid seasons, Erickson stepped in and immediately had the Sun Devils in BCS contention. One thing Erickson has been known for over the years is the quick program turnaround, so look for Arizona State to field Pac-10 contenders for the near future.

Unfortunately, not every new coach had a positive effect on their team’s record in 2007. The most obvious example is Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville. The Cardinals seemed primed for a BCS run in 2007, but instead regressed in every area of the game and missed the bowls altogether. The season resulted in the firing of both coordinators, but unless Kragthorpe picks things up, it may not be enough. Another interesting note is the fact that Todd Graham stepped in for Kragthorpe at Tulsa and duplicated his success from 2006. Needless to say, Kragthorpe needs a good 2008.

Finally, there is the curious case of Tim Brewster at Minnesota. Glen Mason had brought the program to a respectable level, but could never get over the hump to challenge for Big Ten titles. Brewster was a high risk/high reward hire, but no one could have expected the Gophers to be so terrible in 2007. While the offense developed as the season went on, the defense was one of the worst in recent memory. However, he has managed to build some excitement over the program with an excellent recruiting class. Regardless, Brewster needs to have some success on the field if he wants to last long enough in Minneapolis to reap the benefits of his recruiting.

It is impossible to gauge the long term health of a program one year following a coaching change. However, in parts 2 and 3 of our first year coaches review, CGB plans on taking a closer look at how these coaches performed, and looking into the future to guess which coaches will be the most successful in the long term.

Photo Legend: John Wilce

The career path of John Wilce is like nothing we will likely see again. After serving as a high school coach and assistant at Wisconsin, Wilce became the head coach at Ohio State in their inaugural Big Ten season of 1913. His coaching career ended in 1928 when he opted to step down so he could focus on a career as a medical professor.

His 16 year career as Ohio State's head coach saw him win 69% of his games and three Big Ten titles. He also took the Buckeye Nation on their first trip to Pasadena, playing in the Rose Bowl following the 1920 season. Ohio State didn't return until 1950. Wilce is credited with generating much of the enthusiasm for the Ohio State football program that still persists today. The school's fight song, "Across the Field," was written as a tribute to Wilce. Wilce became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. Upon his resignation as head coach Wilce commented, "Football was becoming too much of a business. The game was being taken away from the boys. I was a faculty-type coach who believed educational aspects were more important than winning games."

It was that mentality that launched a great career in medical education. Wilce spent the rest of his career as a professor of preventative medicine at Ohio State. He also served as Director of Student Health Services from 1934 to 1958. The John W. Wilce Student Health Center was built on campus in 1969. Wilce specialized in the research and treatment of heart diseases. Ironically, complications of that disease led to his death in 1963.

Meet the New Hires: June Jones

1999-2007: Hawaii - Head Coach

1998: San Diego Chargers - QB Coach
1994-1996: Atlanta Falcons - Head Coach
1991-1993: Atlanta Falcons - Assistant Head Coach
1989-1990: Detroit Lions - QB & WR Coach

1987-1988: Houston Oilers - QB Coach

1986: Ottawa Roughriders (CFL) - Assistant Coach

1985: Denver Gold (USFL) - Offensive Coordinator

1984: Houston Gamblers (USFL) - WR Coach

1983: Hawaii - QB Coach

Long time Hawaii head coach June Jones is taking over for the SMU Mustangs in 2008. His pass-happy offenses have often times come off as gimmicky, but nobody argues about the statistical results Jones has put up at Hawaii. In his 8 seasons at Hawaii Jones racked up a career 75-41 record. His high water mark came last season when his team posted a 12-1 record and a 17th ranked finish to the season. During his time he's been known to make ordinary quarterbacks into offensive passing machines. Colt Brennan was his last great college quarterback who became as well known as just about any other player in the country.

Moving to SMU from Hawaii, Jones will enter a much more normal program and college football lifestyle. Hawaii is by far the most unique program in the country due to their distance from any other college football program. Jones at SMU will now be tossed into a major recruiting battleground as well as lofty expectations. These are two things not really present in Hawaii. He also will have a financially sound alumni base who believes in investing in their coach and facilities in order to improve the program. At Hawaii, Jones was openly criticized by the Hawaii natives for being the highest paid public employee in the state.

Jones will have a golden opportunity to prove his system is effective wherever he coaches without criticism. Many times people handicap the Hawaii program due to their significant home field advantage, but at SMU he's on an equal playing field. Ultimately if Jones can put up a defense that doesn't make his offense score 60 points a game, Jones should be successful.

Coordinator Carousel: Pac Ten, WAC

Part six of a six part series breaking down all of the coordinator changes happening in college football this off-season.

Pac Ten
California Offensive Coordinator
Out: Jim Michalczik. He will stay on the staff as offensive line coach, one of three Jeff Tedford assistants who's role was changed this off season.
In: Frank Cignetti. Tedford will yield his play calling duties to Cignetti in an effort to allow himself to focus on his head coaching duties in a strategy similar to what Charlie Weis is doing at Notre Dame. Cignetti served as QB coach for the San Fransisco 49ers last season. Prior to that, he spent a year as the offensive coordinator under the lame duck John Bunting at North Carolina. He served as Fresno State offensive coordinator from '02 to '05, doing well.

Stanford Defensive Coordinator
Out: Scott Shafer. Rich Rodriguez was able to pull Shafer back to the Great Lakes State to serve as his defensive coordinator. Shafer was hired by Jim Harbaugh without the two having a previous relationship.
In: Ron Lynn & Andy Buh. Lynn hasn't coached since 2004 and hasn't coached at the collegiate level since 1982. He has served as defensive coordinator for three different NFL teams, but not since 1996. Lynn got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Toledo in 1966. Buh, a 1996 Nevada grad, wasn't even close to being born when Lynn cracked into coaching. Buh served as LB coach for the Cardinal in Harbaugh's first season.

UCLA Offensive Coordinator
Out: Jay Norvell. A casualty of the Karl Dorrell regime, Norvell took the Oklahoma co-offensive coordinator job after interviewing to be Joe Tiller's successor at Purdue.
In: Norm Chow. Few coordinator hirings have brought so much excitement. Chow comes to Westwood charged with the responsibility to slay the giant across town, the same giant that he was instrumental in developing. Slick Rick Nueheisel did a tremendous job in obtaining Chow and in retaining defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. The trio of Nueheisel, Chow, and Walker threaten to loosen the grip Southern Cal has on the Pac Ten.


Washington Defensive Coordinator
Out: Kent Baer. Tyrone Willingham's longtime aid was expendable in the face of Willingham's own poor job security. His defense allowed a school record 446.4 ypg last season. Baer signed on with Dick Tomey at San Jose State.
In: Ed Donatell. Willingham tabbed an NFL man to solidify his defense. Donatell hasn't coached at the college level since 1989, but has logged 7 seasons as an NFL defensive coordinator (Atlanta '04-'06 & Green Bay '00-'03). Donatell is certainly an experienced coach, but Willingham is banking on him making a quick adjustment to the college game.

Washington State Offensive Coordinator
Out: Mike Levenseller. He will stay in the Palouse as WR coach. He's coached at Washington State since 1992 and was the offensive coordinator under both Bill Doba and Mike Price. He was the OC for the Cougs' most recent Rose Bowl.
In: Todd Sturdy. Sturdy follows Wulff to Washington State after serving one season as his offensive coordinator at Eastern Washington. His offense finished 5th in the FCS. Prior to joining Wulff, he served as St. Ambrose's head coach for 11 seasons.

Washington State Defensive Coordinator
Out: Bill Doba. For the first time since 1993 Washington State will have a new defensive coordinator.
In: Jody Sears & Chris Bell. Sears served as defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington under Wulff, producing the 80th best FCS defense in '08. Bell was Price's secondary coach on the Palouse from '00 to '02 and has since held the same position at Alabama and most recently Pittsburgh.

WAC
Fresno State Offensive Coordinator
Out: Jim McElwain. After only one season in the Valley, McElwain took the step up to Alabama as OC.
In: Doug Nussmeier. Nussmeier is yet to be an offensive coordinator in the U.S. He served as the QB coach for the St. Louis Rams of the NFL last season. His previous job was as the QB coach of Drew Stanton and Jeff Smoker at Michigan State under John L. Smith.

Hawaii Offensive Coordinator

Out: June Jones. The Island legend opted to take on another rebuilding project, this time at SMU.

In: Ron Lee. Lee has been the WR coach at Hawaii for the last nine seasons and is well schooled in the June Jones / Mouse Davis offensive philosophy. But make no mistake about it, losing Jones is a big hit.

Hawaii Defensive Coordinator

Out: Greg McMackin. After serving as DC for one season, McMackin dropped the title when he was named head coach.

In: Cal Lee. The brother of Ron, Cal Lee has spent the last two seasons as LB coach at Hawaii. Prior to that, however, he served as head coach of St. Louis High School on the island. While there, he won 15 state titles and left as the winningest high school coach in state history. His brother, Ron, served as the St. Louis offensive coordinator for many years.

Nevada Defensive Coordinator

Out: Ken Wilson. Wison will move to being Inside LB coach at Nevada after being the defensive coordinator for the second time in his career. He did so previously after taking a five year layoff from coaching.

In: Nigel Burton. Burton has spent the previous five seasons as CB coach at Oregon State. Long time Wolfpack head coach Chris Ault may have been looking at the stat sheet upside down. The Beavers had the nation's best defense against the run last season, but struggled against the pass, 72nd.

New Mexico State Defensive Coordinator

Out: Woody Widenhoffer. The former Vanderbilt head coach decided to retire

In: Joe Lee Dunn. Dunn has served as defensive coordinator of three different SEC schools and was the head coach of New Mexico in the '80's. However, he was a high school coach for one season last year.

Coordinator Carousel: Big 12 and Mountain West

In part 5 of our coordinator series, CGB will be looking at changes in the Big 12 and the Mountain West Conference.

Big 12

Baylor: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Lee Hays
Hays wasn't retained after posting the nation's 85th ranked offense last season.

In: Randy Clements and Phillip Montgomery
Clements and Montgomery have made the move with Briles from Houston to take over the Baylor program. We'll see if they can compete with the big boys this year or if Briles opts to try and upgrade.

Baylor: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Larry Hoefer. Hoefer will be moved to linebackers coach.

In:Brian Norwood.
Norwood comes to Baylor after being the safeties coach at Penn State last season. Norwood comes from a very strong defensive unit as well as having the luxury of having coached under Joe Paterno. He should be ready for the transition to coordinator.

Kansas: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Bill Young. Young got picked up by Miami this offseason.

In: Clint Bowen
Bowen has huge shoes to fill after Young's departure to the sunshine state. This should be a smooth transition from last season for the Jayhawks. Bowen was very much involved with the defense last year as he was co-defensive coordinator and worked heavily with the special teams and safeties.

Kansas State: Offensive Coordinator
Out: James Franklin. Franklin is going to be the offensive coordinator for the Maryland Terps this season.

In: Dave Brock
Brock got the promotion from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator this offseason. While coaching the wide receivers his claim to fame was developing Jordy Nelson. He's also known to be a sound recruiter for the Jayhawks.

Nebraska: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Kevin Cosgrove. It's about time.

In: Carl Pelini
Carl Pelini who was a former coach under Frank Solich comes back to Nebraska after a stint as defensive line coach with Ohio. Carl is the brother of Bo Pelini, and the Husker faithful can rest assured that Bo will very keep his hands in the defense as much as possible from the head coaching roll. Carl more than likely wouldn't be coaching this defense if it weren't for the family relationship.

Oklahoma: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Kevin Sumlin. Sumlin takes over at Houston for the departed Art Briles.

In: Jay Norvell.
Norvell comes back to the Big 12 after a short stint at UCLA. Before then he was the offensive coordinator for Bill Callahan at Nebraska. In his 4 seasons as an offensive coordinator at Nebraska and UCLA his teams have not been overly productive with the exception of his 2006 campaign in Lincoln.

Oklahoma State: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Larry Fedora. Fedora was hired as the new head coach at Southern Miss.

In: Trooper Taylor.
Taylor comes to Oklahoma State as the former Wide Receivers coach from Tennessee. He is best known as a recruiting machine. This was probably the primary reasoning behind Boone Pickens and Oklahoma State signing Taylor. He's also worked with several big name receivers and running backs while at Tennessee. He comes from a major program and can recruit, but can he run an offense? My guess is this will be a great hire.

Texas: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Larry MacDuff.

In: Will Muschamp
This is the more than likely the top coordinator hire of the offseason. Muschamp is highly regarded as one of the top defensive coordinators in all of college football. While at Auburn he had consistently some of the top defenses in the nation. If you Youtube Muschamp you'll see the fire he brings to the table.

Texas A&M: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Les Koenning. Was not retained by Mike Sherman, and is now the offensive coordinator at South Alabama.

In: Nolan Cromwell.
Cromwell is one of Sherman's guys. He's been with him for the past 9 seasons in the NFL as the wide receivers coach in Seattle. There's always question marks about how this will translate to the college game, but typical NFL coaches are very good.

Texas A&M: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Gary Darnell

In: Joe Kines
Kines was definitely not the Aggies first choice to take over for Gary Darnell. That honor would go to Reggie Herring who initially signed, but later jumped ship to coach for the Cowboys in the NFL. Kines didn't coach last season, although he brings to the table an extensive resume that includes being head coach at Arkansas, defensive coordinator at Florida and Georgia, and most recently the defensive coordinator at Alabama in 2006. He's had a lot of success, however at 64 he isn't getting any younger.

Mountain West

BYU: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Bronco Mendenhall. Mendenhall will turn over the defensive coordinator duties this season.

In: Jaime Hille
Hille was the secondary coach for BYU the past two seasons and also had defensive coordinator experience. His major defensive coordinator experiences come from the XFL where he coached the San Francisco Demons and then later in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders and the Ottawa Renegades. Recently when a head coach hands over coordinator duties it has been a very successful move. I would expect much of the same at BYU this season.

Colorado State: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Dan Hammerschmidt. Hammerschmidt was not retained and is currently the wide receivers coach at Rice.

In: Greg Peterson
Peterson much like the situation at Texas A&M was not the first choice for offensive coordinator at Colorado State. Their first choice, Curtis Modkins of Georgia Tech, left the Rams to coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. Peterson comes to Colorado State as the former Tight Ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington State. Before then he was the offensive coordinator at Kansas from 2004-2005.

Colorado State: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Steve Stanard. Was hired by Ohio to take over for Pelini as defensive line coach.

In: Larry Kerr
Kerr comes back to Colorado State after a previous 10 year stint as Sonny Lubick's defensive coordinator. After that time he moved on to coach at UCLA and lastly Duke. He should make himself right at home at CSU.

New Mexico: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Osia Lews. Lews was hired as UTEP's defensive coordinator. He left on bad terms as the NCAA has investigated wrong doings at New Mexico for academic fraud.

In: Troy Reffett
Reffett was promoted from cornerbacks coach this season. He's been the cornerbacks coach for the past 4 seasons at New Mexico. Previous to that he was at UTEP for 13 years as the linebacker coach, secondary coach, and also the recruiting coordinator.

Coordinator Carousel: Big Ten and MAC

In part 4 of our coordinator series, CGB will be looking at changes in the Big Ten and the MAC.

Big Ten

Michigan Offensive Coordinator
Out: Mike Debord. Lloyd Carr left Michigan, so there was a massive staff overhaul.

In: Calvin Magee. Magee has been with Rich Rodriguez since 2001, so he has a familiarity with the offense. His performance will be key to any Michigan success in 2008.

Michigan Defensive Coordinator
Out: Ron English. English left Michigan to go to Louisville where he will try and rebuild a decimated defense.

In: Scott Shafer. Shafer has some Big Ten experience at Illinois, but his last stop was at Stanford, where he coached with a Jim Harbaugh, a “Michigan Man.”

Minnesota Defensive Coordinator
Out: Everett Withers. Withers was hired as North Carolina’s defensive coordinator. It could not have been because of his 2007 defense. Minnesota was awful in every respect, and any hope of a turnaround must start on defense.

In: Ted Roof. While many fans will remember Roof from his less than stellar days as the Duke head coach, his trek up the coaching ladder was as a defensive assistant. He will have a lot of work to do.

Northwestern Offensive Coordinator
Out: Garrick McGee. McGee took a demotion of sorts, heading to Arkansas where he will coach Bobby Petrino’s quarterbacks.

In: Mick McCall. Northwestern has been very successful on offense while using the spread attack, and the hiring of McCall should keep that philosophy in place.

Northwestern Defensive Coordinator
Out: Greg Colby. Colby was fired following an uninspired 2007 performance by his defense, which was capped by an embarrassing lay down at Illinois.

In: Mike Hankwitz. This is a very interesting hire. Hankwitz had a couple of very good defenses at Wisconsin the past two seasons. However, he was fired by Bret Bielema during the offseason. Hankwitz is a very experienced coach, and may be the perfect fit for the young Pat Fitzgerald. Regardless, the Wisconsin/Northwestern matchups in the future will be a little more intriguing.

Purdue Offensive Coordinator
Out: Bill Legg. With Danny Hope coming on board, Legg was reassigned and chose to leave and become the coordinator at FIU.

In: Ed Zaunbrecher. Zaunbrecher is now the sole offensive coordinator, though with Hope on the staff, it remains to be seen how much control he will really have in West Lafayette.

Wisconsin Defensive Coordinator
Out: Mike Hankwitz. Hankwitz was let go during the offseason, and will be working at Northwestern in 2008.

In: Dave Doeren. Doeren has been promoted from linebackers coach, but these moves have Bielema’s fingerprints all over them.

MAC

Bowling Green Offensive Coordinator
Out: Mick McCall. McCall is heading to Northwestern to take over a Big Ten offense.

In: Troy Rothenbuhler and Matt Campbell. Rothenbuhler and Campbell are both being promoted to serve as passing and running game coordinators respectively.

Northern Illinois Offensive Coordinator
Out: Roy Wittke. Wittke was not retained by Jerry Kill.

In: Matt Limegrover. Limegrover had the same position at Southern Illinois while Kill was the coach.

Northern Illinois Defensive Coordinator
Out: Denny Doornbos. Doornbos was also not retained.

In: Tracy Claeys. Claeys is also a Jerry Kill disciple.

Toledo Offensive Coordinator
Out: John Shannon. Shannon is taking the same position at Marshall in 2008.

In: Chris Hedden. Hedden was promoted from wide receivers coach. He is familiar with the offense, as he has been at Toledo for eight seasons.

Photo Legend: Bob Blackman

Bob Blackman had a chance to become a professional football player. However, his dream was cut short following his freshman year at USC by polio. Nonetheless, Blackman determined to make his career in football, and it culminated in a hall of fame career.

In 1955, Blackman found the place where he would find most of his success – Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth, Blackman compiled a record of 104-37-3 in 16 seasons. While that accomplishment may not seem noteworthy in today’s college football landscape, the Ivy League was still a formidable conference in the 50’s and 60’s. While at Dartmouth, Blackman won 7 conference titles, and finished undefeated 3 times.

Blackman was extremely successful in Hanover, but his lifelong dream was to coach in the Rose Bowl. In order to help him attain this goal, he took the Illinois job in 1971. Unfortunately, he was never able to place higher than third in the Big Ten, and later moved back to the Ivy League to coach at Cornell.

Blackman’s lasting legacy in the Ivy League was his reputation as a tireless recruiter. In an era when most schools in the conference recruited regionally, Blackman made a point to create national recruiting networks. It only seemed natural for a California man to do this. To this day, this is how he is remembered by some of his peers.

Meet the New Hires: Paul Johnson

1981-1982: Lees-McRae - Offensive Coordinator
1983-1984: Georgia Southern - DL Coach
1985-1986: Georgia Southern - Offensive Coordinator
1987-1994: Hawaii - Offensive Coordinator
1995-1996: Navy - Offensive Coordinator
1997-2001: Georgia Southern - Head Coach
2002-2007: Navy - Head Coach

Unlike the vast majority of Division I coaches, Paul Johnson never played collegiate football. However, that has not prevented him from becoming one of the preeminent offensive minds in the game today.

Following his graduation from Western Carolina, Johnson joined the staff at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina. After a quick stint he moved on to Georgia Southern, where he formed the connections that would lead him to his first head coaching job. Following his first tour of duty with Georgia Southern, he moved onto Hawaii and Navy, where he was the offensive coordinator in both spots. Looking back on it, Hawaii was able to see both Johnson and June Jones in the 90s – both successful offensive minds, though their methods are complete opposites of each other.

Prior to the 1997 season Johnson was hired as the head coach at Georgia Southern. He was immensely successful. In five seasons Johnson won 62 games and appeared in three national title games. While he lost in his first appearance, Georgia Southern won the Division 1-AA title in 1999 and 2000.

In 2002, Navy decided to allow Johnson to try his offense at the D-1A level. It is hard to argue with the results. Following a 2-10 season in 2002, Johnson led the Midshipmen to five consecutive bowl games. Along the way Navy put up spectacular rushing totals. In fact, in three of the last four seasons they have led D-1A in rushing.

While there should be no discussion as to whether or not Johnson can succeed at Georgia Tech given his track record, his offensive philosophy does raise some eyebrows. Johnson is a proponent of the triple option, which has not been the focal point for a successful BCS offense in recent history. However, it is hard to believe that Johnson will not find a way to make his offense work. While it is conventional wisdom in the NFL that defenses are too fast to have consistent success with the option, it should be possible for Johnson to create a speed and agility advantage at Georgia Tech. In addition, Johnson himself has said he is not averse to opening up his passing game. Quite frankly, he is too good of an offensive coach to not put up good numbers.

Another benefit of moving to Georgia Tech is the talent pool Johnson will be able to pull from in Georgia and Florida. While he has not coached for either of Georgia’s D-1A teams, he has built up solid contacts from his Georgia Southern days. This was a very good hire by Georgia Tech. Johnson should at worst be a consistent bowl coach, at best I can see multiple ACC titles in his future.

Coordinator Carousel: SEC & Sun Belt

This is the third of a six part series covering coordinator changes

SEC
Alabama Offensive Coordinator
Out: Major Applewhite. Considered a rising star in the coaching, Major made a peculiar move in going from offensive coordinator at one of college football's most prestigious programs to being a running backs coach at Texas. Many have hailed the move as a testament to just how rough of a boss Nick Saban is. Applewhite may be trying to position himself to take over for Mack Brown down the road.
In: Jim McElwain. McElwain takes his third job in as many years, most recently serving as offensive coordinator at Fresno State. McElwain isn't as highly thought of as Applewhite, but he may get along with Saban better.

Arkansas Offensive Coordinator
Out: David Lee
In: Paul Petrino. Paul has been his brother's right hand man going back to their days at Louisville. Arkansas Defensive Coordinator Out: Reggie Herring. This is a big loss for the Razorbacks and college football. In: Willy Robinson. Robinson comes from the NFL and was the third man to hold this job in a little more than a month.

Auburn Offensive Coordinator
Out: Al Borges
In: Tony Franklin. Franklin began installing his unique spread attack for last season's Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Auburn rolled up 423 yards of offense against a Clemson defense ranked 9th nationally. Franklin was the offensive coordinator during Hal Mumme's Kentucky days and had great success. He tattled on Mumme for NCAA violations while there, effectively causing him to be blackballed from the coaching profession temporarily. After writing a book and beginning an offensive coaching consulting business, Franklin was back in the college game at Troy where he turned around a struggling offense. The Mississippi River Boat Gamble got a gem in Franklin and look for the Tigers to have their best team since 2004, largely due to his presence.

Auburn Defensive Coordinator
Out: Will Muschamp. Muschamp goes the way of Gene Chizik, leaving the Auburn defensive coordinator spot to take the same post at Texas. Expect for him to do like Chizik again and become a BCS conference head coach in the near future. Losing Muschamp is a hit for Auburn
In: Paul Rhoades. Rhoades' Pittsburgh team had a surprisingly good year in 2007, finishing 5th in total defense. His unit's performance against West Virginia was likely the best defensive effort by anyone all season. Tuberville tried to hire Rhoades previously. He should do fine in the Plains but is probably a slight downgrade to the highly regarded Muschamp.

Florida Defensive Coordinator
Out: Greg Mattison. The veteran coach moved on to the NFL.
In: Charlie Strong. The Ron Zook staff holdover simply removes the "co-" from his title. He'll do fine.

LSU Defensive Coordinator
Out: Bo Pelini. Pelini heads back to Lincoln to fix the black shirt defense.
In: Doug Mallory & Bradley Dale Peveto. Promoting two guys from the staff should allow for an easy transition, but losing Pelini is a bigger hit than losing Dorsey. Mallory, though, certainly has the blood lines.

Mississippi State Defensive Coordinator
Out: Ellis Johnson. Left for Arkansas before ultimately taking the South Carolina defensive coordinator job.
In: Charlie Harbison. Promoted from safeties coach. Pretty vanilla.

Ole Miss Offensive Coordinator
Out: Dan Werner.
In: Kent Austin. Saskatchewan is a long ways from Oxford and the Canadian Football League is a lot different from the SEC, but Austin is an Ole Miss alum. This is a real wild card of a hire by Houston Nutt.

Ole Miss Defensive Coordinator
Out: John Thompson
In: Tyrone Nix. The inbred nature of the SEC coaching circle helps Nutt crab a solid guy from the OBC's staff.

South Carolina Defensive Coordinator
Out: Tyrone Nix
In: Ellis Johnson. This job was briefly filled by Brian Von Gorder, but he opted to stay in the NFL. Johnson had success in the SEC under Sly Croom.

Tennessee Offensive Coordinator
Out: David Cutcliffe. Coach Cut took on the task of turning around Duke.
In: Dave Clawson. Phillip Fulmer struggled the first time he lost Cutcliffe, but expect Clawson to have more success than Randy Sanders did. Clawson was a two time I-AA coach of the year at Richmond. A successful run as the Vol's offensive coordinator will have Clawson in line for a head gig.

Sun Belt
FIU Offensive Coordinator
Out: James Coley
In: Bill Legg. Legg served as co-offensive coordinator for Purdue the last two seasons and led the Big Ten in yards both seasons. This is a nice pull for a struggling program.

Louisiana Lafayette Offensive Coordinator
Out: Blake Anderson. Left to become QB coach at Southern Miss.
In: Ron Hudson. Promoted from offensive line coach.

Louisiana Monroe Defensive Coordinator
Out: Kim Damerson
In: Manny Michel & Phil Elmassian. Elmassian will coach his 35th season at his 13th school.

North Texas Defensive Coordinator
Out: Ron Mendoza. The switch from Southlake Carroll High School to the Sun Belt was too much for Mendoza.
In: Gary DeLoach. DeLoach served as cornerbacks coach at UCLA and is now returning to North Texas in the same capacity as when he left in 2002.

Troy Offensive Coordinator
Out: Tony Franklin. Clearly a huge loss.
In: Neal Brown. Promoted from inside receivers coach so Franklin's system will remain.

Coordinator Carousel: ACC and Independents

This is part 2 of the 6 part series looking at coordinator changes in college football this season. This installment consists of teams from the ACC and Independent schools.

ACC
Duke: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Peter Vaas
In: Kurt Roper. Roper was brought in as the running backs coach from UT and had served under Cutcliffe as the QB coach at Ole Miss. He's been very successful and should be a large improvement over Vaas.

Duke: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Ted Roof: Roof was fired as Duke's head coach after several years of continued mediocrity.
In: Mike MacIntyre. MacIntyre, much like Corwin Brown, comes to the college game after being a defensive backs coach at the Jets. Brown's hiring was publicized as a great hire. Nothing has really been said about MacIntyre. My guess is MacIntyre will be as good if not better than Brown.

Georgia Tech: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Jon Tenuta. Tenuta's loss will be huge. Notre Dame took the theory of if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. They hired Tenuta as their assistant coach for defense. Look for him to take over for Corwin Brown as coordinator soon.
In: Dave Wommack. A huge red flag goes up when looking at the progression of Wommack's career, where he hit his peak as the defensive coordinator at Arkansas from 2002-2004. Since that time he's moved to secondary coach and linebacker coach at South Carolina until 2006, before moving to Southern Miss to become outside linebacker coach. Replacing a guy like Tenuta with a guy who was a LB coach at a mid-major is a major step down for the Ramblin' Wreck.

Maryland: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Ralph Friedgen. The Friedge has hopped on the bandwagon of head coaches giving up their play calling duties to focus on other aspects of the team. He hopes it works out as well as it did for Mark Richt at Georgia last season.
In: James Franklin. Franklin served as Kansas State's offensive coordinator the past 2 seasons. In 2006 K State was ranked 85th in total offense and in 2007 they improved to 40th in the nation. This decision should work out nicely for the Terps.

Miami: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Tim Walton. Walton was fired after a season that included Miami (OH) giving up less points than Miami (FL).
In: Bill Young. Bill Young comes off a spectacular defensive season at Kansas. He was up for coordinator of the year honors. Much is still in question as to what exactly made Kansas so unexpectedly good last season, but you can't argue against having the nation's #4 ranked defense. This should be a good hire for Miami, however, Young may not have been the sole or main reason for the success at Kansas.

North Carolina: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Chuck Pagano (hired by the Baltimore Ravens)
In: Everett Withers. In what is hands down the biggest head scratcher was the hiring of Withers by North Carolina. Withers comes off a season with Minnesota where his defense gave up 518.7 YPG, last in the nation! Withers is known as a decent recruiter, and that would fit into the recruiting heavy philosophy that UNC is trying to establish.

Virginia: Defensive Coordinator
Out: Mike London (new Richmond head coach)
In: Bob Pruett. The former longtime head coach at Marshall is coming out of retirement to take over the UVA defense. This seems to be a great hire. He was very successful at Marshall, but was rarely talked about. One glaring question is going to be whether or not there's still enough fuel in the Pruett tank to be an effective coach.

Wake Forest: Defensive Coordinator
Out:Dean Hood (hired as head coach at Eastern Kentucky)
In: Brad Lambert. Lambert got the promotion from linebackers coach to DC after Hood left. He did a nice job coaching a underskilled linebackers to highly achieving athletes.

Independents
Navy: Offensive Coordinator
Out: Paul Johnson (New head coach at Georgia Tech)
In: Ivin Jasper. Johnson was almost certainly the brains behind the offensive success at Navy. Jasper was promoted from fullbacks/QB's coach. He should allow for a smooth transition for the offense and has done nice things with the offensive running game.

Coordinator Carousel: Big East and Conference USA

Starting today, CGB is taking two weeks to look at the various coordinator changes in college football this past off season. While head coaches get most of the glory, a good coordinator can single handily morph a unit from sub par to successful given the right coaching strategies. Where applicable we'll add some commentary, but we just wanted to make sure our readers were on top of the less publicized coaching changes of the off season.

Big East

Louisville Offensive Coordinator
Out: Charlie Stubbs. Quite frankly, Louisville was a disaster this past season, so it is no surprise that Stubbs resigned from his position after following Steve Kragthorpe from Tulsa.

In: Jeff Brohm. The older brother of former quarterback Brian Brohm, Jeff has been on successful Louisville teams in the past, and as a local product, Louisville fans hope that he can improve the offense from last season.

Louisville Defensive Coordinator
Out: Mike Cassity. In a tenure that closely compared to the one he had at Illinois, Cassity followed up a BCS bowl season with an absolutely abysmal performance. Louisville could not get rid of him soon enough.

In: Ron English. English was perhaps the most respected assistant from Lloyd Carr's old staff, and this could turn out to be a great hire for the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh Defensive Coordinator
Out: Paul Rhoads. Rhoads left Pittsburgh, where he had the fifth ranked defense in the country this past season, to become the defensive coordinator at Auburn, and it is hard to argue that it is not a step up for him.

In: Phil Bennett. While Bennett was not a successful head coach at SMU, he got that opportunity by being a very good defensive coordinator at Kansas State. This is a pretty safe and solid hire by Pittsburgh.

Syracuse Offensive Coordinator
Out: Brian White. White left for a position on Ty Willingham's staff, but I do not think that Syracuse fans were disappointed to see him go.

In: Mitch Browning. This is without question the best hire in the Big East. Browning was one of the masterminds behind Minnesota's fantastic rushing attack under Glen Mason. This was the perfect hire for a school and coach that needs to quickly find a successful offensive identity.

Syracuse Defensive Coordinator
Out: Steve Russ. Russ also left for an assistant position, this one at Wake Forest.

In: Derrick Jackson and Greg Robinson. Jackson was promoted from defensive line coach, and Robinson is going to make sure that he takes an active role in the defense in his "put up or shut up" season.

West Virginia Offensive Coordinator
Out: Calvin McGee. McGee followed Rich Rodriguez to Michigan.

In: Jeff Mullen. Mullen was formerly the quarterbacks coach at Wake Forest, where he helped lead Riley Skinner to his successful freshman season. This is a good stylistic fit with the skills that West Virginia's offensive players have.


Conference USA

Houston Offensive Coordinator
Out: Randy Clements and Phillip Montgomery. Clements and Montgomery followed Art Briles to Baylor.

In: Jason Phillips. Phillips was the wide receivers coach this past year for Houston's high powered offense. Houston hopes that this promotion will help keep their offensive momentum intact.

Houston Defensive Coordinator
Out: Alan Weddell. Weddell was not retained following Briles' departure.

In: John Skladany. Before spending one season at UCF, Skladany was the defensive coordinator under Dan McCarney at Iowa State from 1997-2006.

Marshall Offensive Coordinator
Out: Larry Kueck. Kueck was fired after Marshall's sub par season.

In: John Shannon. Shannon was the offensive coordinator for some productive Toledo squads.

Marshall Defensive Coordinator
Out: Steve Dunlap. Dunlap left for a position on the new West Virginia staff.

In: Rick Minter. Minter's last job was as Notre Dame's defensive coordinator in 2006. However, he is familiar with CUSA, having coached Cincinnati from 1994-2003.

Memphis Defensive Coordinator
Out: Rick Kravitz. Kravitz was fired after his defense gave up more than 400 points in 20007.

In: Tim Walton. Walton was Miami's defensive coordinator this past season, so it will be interesting to see how he does with less raw talent at Memphis.

SMU Defensive Coordinator
Out: Jim Gush. Gush was not retained after Phil Bennett was fired.

In: Tom Mason. Mason hopes some of the winning attitude that was around the program at Fresno State rubs off on his new players. He was the linebackers coach during Fresno State's recent run of success.

Southern Miss Offensive Coordinator
Out: Jay Johnson. Johnson was not retained from Jeff Bower's staff.

In: Darrell Wyatt. Wyatt comes from Arizona where he led a successful passing attack in 2007.

Southern Miss Defensive Coordinator
Out: Jay Hopson. It was not a good off season for Jays at USM as Hopson was also not retained.

In: Todd Bradford. Bradford was the linebackers coach at Oklahoma State where Larry Fedora was on staff.

Tulane Defensive Coordinator
Out: Thom Kaumeyer. Kentucky hired Kaumeyer as their secondary coach.

In: O'Neill Gilbert. Tulane kept the hire in house as Gilbert was promoted from defensive line coach.

UCF Defensive Coordinator
Out: John Skladany. Skladany left to become the defensive coordinator at Houston.

In: Dave Huxtable. UCF's staff did a very good job in 2007, so they just promoted Huxtable from linebackers coach to the coordinator position.

UTEP Offensive Coordinator
Out: Eric Price. Price will be coaching wide receivers for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008.

In: Bob Connelly. While Connelly is coming from UCLA, the reason he was hired was his close relationship with head coach Mike Price. Connelly was the offensive line coach for Price when the two were in Pullman, WA.

UTEP Defensive Coordinator
Out: Tim Hundley. Hundley left to join SMU's staff as an assistant head coach.

In: Osia Lewis. Lewis has coached on BCS conference staffs before, but he cut his coordinator teeth at New Mexico. Price stayed in the southwest for this hire.

Photo Legend: Bo Schembechler

Glenn "Bo" Schembechler was one of the most heralded head coaches of our time. While coaching at Michigan he and Woody Hayes of Ohio State we're bitter rivals. Together they battled year after year in what became known as the 10 year war. The early stages of this war were set when Woody was Bo's mentor while coaching at Miami, OH. Bo may very well be the reason that made Michigan as prestigious of a football team as they are today. Bo's real signature win was during his first season when he defeated an Ohio State team who was #1 in the country, the defending natonal champions and hadn't lost for 22 games. The year before Woody Hayes pummeled Michigan by a score of 50-14. Hayes opted to go for the 2 pt conversion at the end of the game. Asked after the game why he went for 2, he replied: "Because I couldn't go for 3." Bo's 69' victory over Ohio State was monumental in the rebuilding process of Michigan

In the 27 years that Bo coached he won 234 games. Few coaches have ammassed that many wins in so little time. While coaching at Michigan, Bo only lost 24 conference games over the course of 21 years. Bo brought 13 Big Ten championships to Ann Arbor. The main knock on Bo was his lack of success in the bowl games and most notably his Rose Bowl record. He also was never able to win a National championship while at Michigan. On the eve of possibly the most significant Michigan vs Ohio State battle ever in 2006 Bo Schembechler passed away. His name goes hand in hand with every ounce of tradition at Michigan.

Meet the New HIre: Jerry Kill

1985-1987: Pittsburg (KS) State - Defensive Coordinator
1988-1989: Webb City (MO) High School - Head Coach

1990-1993: Pittsburg State - Offensive Coordinator

1994-1998: Saginaw Valley State - Head Coach
1999-2000: Emporia State - Head Coach

2001-2007: Southern Illinois - Head Coach

There are many paths one can take to become a Division I-A head football coach. New Northern Illinois head football coach took the path less traveled. All 325 miles of US-51 from Carbondale to DeKalb, Illinois to be exact. When Kill lines up against Minnesota to kickoff the 2008 season, it will be his first game in Division I-A - coaching or playing. Interesting enough, he comes to NIU with 14 years of head coaching experience. However, that experience game at such college football outposts as Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, and Southern Illinois.

In 2001 Kill took over a Southern Illinois program that had only one winning season (1991) since 1986. After two rebuilding years, Kill won 9 or more games in his final five seasons, culminating in a 12 win season in 2007. The fiery Kill won three Gateway Conference Championships and played in the I-AA playoffs five times. Two BCS programs announced the hiring of I-AA coaches to be their head coach this off season - Paul Wulff at Washington State and Danny Hope at Purdue. Kill's resume is significantly more impressive than either of those coaches.

Kill was the result of a very thorough search process by then athletic director Jim Phillips (now AD at Northwestern). He utilized Parker Executive Search and reviewed 1,261 bios in the process that led to Kill.

Besides coming up through low level programs, Kill also had to battle health problems on his way up the ladder. While at SIU, he suffered from seizures which were ultimately determined to be caused by a cancerous tumor. However, after surgery Kill has been given a clean bill of health and now operates the Coach Kill Cancer Fund.

The man that Kill replaces at NIU had similar success to what Kill had at SIU. Joe Novak took over a program in shambles. The 2-10 season in 2007 was the programs first losing season since 1999. The aging Novak opted to retire following the season. NIU recently upgraded their football facilities and are gaining support from the Chicago market. With Kill on board, expect NIU to become the premier MAC program and could even challenge for a BCS at-large birth.