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2 in the SEC in pass defense in its first season under Rushing and should be even better this fall. Anyone who saw him play at N.C. State knew the Rams and the Greatest Show on Turf got something special. A Texas graduate, he is married with three children and lives outside Fort Worth, Texas. Founded in 2009 by Dustin Smith and Ty Detmer. A 26-year-old who has quickly established himself as one of the premier recruiters and top young coaches in the nation. From 1892 to 2006, the team played in six bowl games. Well, volatility will always play a role in the process because our group of voters, consisting of writers from both CBS Sports and 247Sports, aren't given a set of guidelines to follow. Is assisting with Ohio States quarterbacks after previously working with Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes wide receivers unit. When Bud Wilkinson took over in Norman in 1947, the University of Oklahoma was still a stepping-stone destination for head coaches in college football. Ranked as the top recruiter in the Pac-12 in 2020 and 21, and is ranked No. The first three used the Bearcats as a stepping stone for Power Five jobs, but Fickell has outlasted each of them and now goes into his fifth season. Cains 2019 James Madison special teams unit ranked No. But Saban is still No. Joker Phillips, NC State -- $415,000+21. Within a four-day period in July, he landed two of the top-ranked recruits in SMU program history five-star wide receiver Jordan Hudson and four-star safety Chace Biddle. And Penn States 4-5 season in 2020 is the only reason why hes as low on this rankings list, as he went an astounding 42-11 from 2016 to 2019. Derrick Nix, Ole Miss -- $500,000+11. Has recruited and coached players like DeMarvin Leal, a former five-star recruit who could be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Of those six, three were ranked 50th or lower last year. Rejoined Will Healy in 2019 after one season at Minnesota. Turned down a Power 5 offensive coordinator job this past coaching cycle to continue to learn under Seminoles coach Mike Norvell. Under Hart, Stevie Scott was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2019 and 20. Promoted to defensive pass game coordinator earlier this year. Robinsons 2020 defensive line helped the Aggies finish No. Ole Miss, LSU and SMU competed for his services after the season before he ultimately decided to join Lane Kiffins staff at Ole Miss. A former record-setting wide receiver at Tulsa, where he set FBS records for single-season yards per catch (31.9) and career yards per catch (28.7). Brian Hartline, Ohio State -- $600,000+7. Also received interest for multiple NFL job openings. In fact, it is a historically bad football program. 12), pass efficiency defense (No. He is repeatedly hitting home runs on the recruiting front and is breeding high-upside players into elite-level route-runners. Played three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Landed two four-star defensive backs in that 2021 class. The Rockets lurched back to 5-5-1 the year after under Gary Pinkel. With free agency around the corner, players rated how teams treated them off the field: for better or for worse. What Campbell has done is nothing short of remarkable. Texas A&M ranked No. 1. That came after Powledges 2019 return man at Louisiana (Raymond Calais) earned first-team all-conference honors and led the Sun Belt in kick-return average. Was part of helping Liberty go 10-1 in 2020. But those were the high points until Monken turned the program around. The future looks bright, as well, as they currently sit 24th on PFF's preseason ELO rankings. The Guy Morriss era was short and painful. Age: 60. Flying above or below program expectations was the most important point when putting this list together. Was under consideration for the Marshall coaching job before the hire of Charles Huff. That's right, Day has . Billy Gonzales, Florida -- $632,000+ 5. 1 nationally in blocked kicks (six) and blocked punts (five) in 2019. Turned down NFL job opportunities this past coaching cycle. In the 10 years leading up to the longtime head coach, the team had only won 55% of their games. Riley was hired as the Sooners' offensive coordinator in 2015, and East Carolina fell to 65th in EPA per play while Oklahoma rose to ninth. Liberty also was 15th in the country in average time of possession (32:58). The Blazers also have been in the top 10 nationally in pass defense each of the past two seasons No. Has been contacted about at least a couple of coordinator opportunities the past few years. Was an all-conference defensive back in 2007 and 08 at Lambuth University, an NAIA school in Jackson, Tenn., playing for current Liberty coach Hugh Freeze. A former college baseball player at UC Davis, Gonzalez got his first opportunity as a football coach in 2007 and has been at TCU since 2012, working and learning under one of the top defensive minds in the country in Gary Patterson. Helped Rutgers tie for second in the Big Ten with 19 takeaways last season,almost double what the Scarlet Knights tallied in 2019 (10) despite playing four fewer games. Josh Gattis, Michigan -- $900,000* 2. Hicks, who committed to the Buckeyes in May. Ranked as the No. Returner Trestan Ebnar was the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and became the first player in modern school history with two kick-return touchdowns in one game. Was a linebacker at Georgia (2009-12) and made 17 career starts for the Bulldogs. Kelsey is in his first season an offensive analyst at Tennessee after a year as the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator at Gardner-Webb. Because of his achievements with the Seminoles team of Florida State University, Bobby Bowden is one of the most famous and greatest college coaches of all time. Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham then went on to win only 58% of their games combined before Charlie Weis five years produced a 56% win rate. Was contacted about an FBS special teams coordinator job this past cycle but opted to stay at James Madison. Dameyune Craig, Texas A&M -- $600,000 2. That kind of turnover played a role in the shakeups all over our list of 65 coaches, and this year we have six coaches cracking the top 25 for the first time. His 64 catches led the Big 12. Over the last two campaigns, Buffalo ranked fifth in EPA per rush in the FBS. While Williams salary numbers arent public, a source told On3 that Williams is the highest-paid non-coordinator in the nation. LSU had just three winning seasons in the entire decade coming into the 2000s, and then Saban won them a National Championship within three seasons. The headliners are preseason All-Americans Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, who has evolved from a three-star recruit into a first-round 2022 draft prospect under Hartlines coaching. Their rushing efficiency stands out for a program like this theyre 14th in the Power Five in EPA per rush over the last three seasons, a mightily impressive figure. Teams: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers. Was a three-year starting QB at Tulsa and was the 2010 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year with Chad Morris as his coordinator. Holmon Wiggins, Alabama -- $575,000+11. Jordan Addison has become a bona fide star under Marion at Pitt. Strange circumstances brought Martin and Malzahn together, but now the pair are united for a second time. Left after the season to take an analyst position at Oregon, then returned to the Ducks two years later to be the Ducks cornerbacks coach. As a player, Wright was an All-American defensive lineman at Texas and was one of the leaders of the Longhorns 2005 national championship team. The Cyclones' last four defenses rank eighth, 11th, 14th and 17th in EPA allowed per play among the 40 team seasons in the Big 12 since 2017. Has coached 11 All-American offensive linemen throughout his career. Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline has established himself as one of the best assistants in all of college football over the past few years. Williams coached Chris Steele to second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. FSU has gone 14-20 in that period. Despite having to use different offensive line configurations in six of FSUs nine games last season, Atkins group paved the way for the Seminoles to post their highest rushing average since 2016 (199.9 yards per game). Other college support staffers or NFL staffers who received votes: Stephen Adegoke (Michigan); Max Bullough (Alabama); Jamar Chaney (Mississippi State); Steve Cooper (Nebraska); Zachary Crabtree (Oklahoma State); Ty Darlington (Oklahoma); Jon DeCoster (Cleveland Browns); Ross Douglas (New England Patriots); Declan Doyle (New Orleans Saints); Will Johnson (Oklahoma); Conner McQueen (Oklahoma); Nick Perry (Atlanta Falcons); Ryan Osborn (Michigan); Effrem Reed (Michigan State); Ronnie Regula (Miami); Zac Robinson (Los Angeles Rams); Spencer Whipple (Arizona Cardinals); Nick Williams (Texas A&M). Toledo had gone 6-5 in 1989 before Saban took over for one year and led them to 9-2. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Currently ranked among the nations top 15 recruiters for the 2022 recruiting class. He'll earn $250,000 in 2022, per the 2-year deal he signed upon joining the Wolverine staff from Michigan's West Bloomfield High School. Some value accomplishments on the field above all else, while others may give greater weight to recruiting prowess or the possibility of future success. 12). A 3-4 season in the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign put a slight damper on Fleck's progress, so 2021 is a big year for him. Produced 48 all-conference players during his seven seasons as an offensive coordinator at West Georgia and West Alabama, including two All-American offensive linemen at West Georgia (Harley Vaughan and Austin Kastl). 1), kick-return average (No. Again, there was a win decrease in his first season, as the Gophers went from nine wins to five in 2017, but a two-game improvement in 2018 foreshadowed an 11-2 season in 2019. His 2020 Ole Miss special teams unit ranked 17th nationally in kick-return defense and 23rd in kick-return average. The program ranks sixth in the same metric in the five years since he became head coach. Drew Mehringer, Texas -- $350,000 10. Mike Krysl played for Willie Fritz at Central Missouri, coordinated special teams for him at Georgia Southern, and will now coach special teams again at Tulane. They improved that ranking to 40th in 2018, 41st in 2019 and 14th last season. JaMarcus Shepard, Washington -- $650,000+6. Top 10 returning wide receivers in college football for the 2022 season. We are now in Position 8 of 9 in our series examining the highest-paid position coaches in college football, and for just the second time we've found a position where the low end does not hit the $400,000 mark. In 2021, he returns a team talented enough to win ISUs first conference title. At James Madison in 2019, Smith helped lead a defense that ranked No. Also received interest for multiple NFL secondary coach openings. Currently ranked among the nation's top 15 recruiters for the 2022 recruiting class. After all, coaches who win a seemingly endless number of games arent necessarily good, and those who lose games arent necessarily bad. Was contacted by Boise State about a job with a bigger title this past coaching cycle. Was a four-year starter at safety for Auburn and a captain on the Tigers 2010 national championship team. Threw for 3,579 yards and 30 touchdowns as a junior at A&M in 2009. Cortez Hankton, LSU -- $850,000+ 2. 8 in 2019. Previously worked under Grinch at Washington State. (Part one in the series was on Group of 5 and FCS head coaches; part two was on nine non-Power 5 coordinators you need to know.). It's unlikely we'll ever learn what he's making at The U, a private school, but we do know he was set to become college football's first $1 million wide receivers coach had he remained in Ann Arbor. The Heupel-led staff felt like they uncovered a diamond in the rough when they initially hired Merritt at UCF. Kelly has led the Bruins to 17 total wins over the past two seasons. A rise this rapid from the FCS ranks is almost unheard of. -- Ron Dugans signed a new deal in January; the $450,000 salary was his 2021 figure. Recent jobs: Rutgers (2020-present), Temple co-coordinator/cornerbacks coach (2019), Baylor assistant head coach/cornerbacks coach (2017-18), Temple associate head coach/secondary coach (2016) Was Greg Schiano's first hire for his Rutgers staff. Played a big role behind the scenes last season at Ole Miss, contributing to a Rebels offense that ranked third nationally in total offense (555.5 yards per game) and seventh in passing offense (344.9 ypg). Was a fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2009 NFL Draft and played seven seasons in the NFL. Alabama head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian against Arkansas at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 26, 2019. The move to UCF reconnected him with Gus Malzahn, who was his quarterback coach at Tulsa in 2008. Junior Adams, Oregon -- $575,000+9. He won six national championships. Three of the coaches in last season's the top 25 lost their jobs following the 2021 season, including a top-10 coach in Dan Mullen and another who won a national title in 2019, Ed Orgeron. On this list for a second time, Duggan coached two of the ACC's best linebackers during his debut season with Boston College. Previously assisted in the development of Molden, McDuffie and others as the Huskies assistant defensive backs coach. 3 nationally in rush defense. Initially was hired by Healy at Chattanooga in 2009 and has worked for him every year since other than the one season at Minnesota. Prior to his first recruiting class in 2016, Oklahoma had not ranked in the top 10 in recruiting since 2010. They ranked 108th in the FBS in EPA per play over 2014 and 2015. Under Merritt, James Madison running back Percy Agyei-Obese was a first-team all-conference selection each of the past two seasons. Led Mercers 2018 special teams operation to four top-12 rankings in the FCS net punting (No. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $580,000+ 6. As a player, Simpson was a starting cornerback at South Alabama in 2010 and 11, when current UAB coach Bill Clark was the Jaguars defensive coordinator. Jacob Peeler, Ole Miss -- $425,000 6. Northwestern is not a historically good football program. That win rate climbed to 76% in the excellent Danny Ford era, leading to Clemson's first National Championship win in 1981, but then they went back to being Clemson between 1990 and Dabos full-time appointment in 2009, winning 61% of their games during that span. 1 in the Pac-12 last season (184.9 yards per game). Taylor, who was promoted to run game coordinator for Notre Dame last year, was looked at during the South Alabama and Buffalo coaching searches. Bill Clark, UAB He's amid one of the most underrated coaching jobs in this generation of college football, leading UAB back from the brink of extinction. Was promoted earlier this year to associate head coach. His team constantly made it to the Top 5 rankings for record-breaking 14 seasons! Due to the specialized nature of quarterback coaching, we've broken this list into two parts. By Anthony Treash. Finished his career with 344 catches, two 1,000-yard seasons and 14 career touchdowns. Has coached multiple all-conference and future NFL running backs, including Miles Sanders at Penn State and Charles Sims and Wendell Smallwood at West Virginia. The Western Michigan program was trending way down when Fleck took over the program in 2013. His current wide receiver corps includes two players who have developed into 2022 NFL Draft prospects. 12) and punt-return defense (No. At East Carolina, end Nate Harvey was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year under Wright. To help develop Drake Maye and the Heels' quarterbacks, Mack Brown is bringing in one of the NFL's most accomplished quarterbacks coaches. Such is the all-encompassing importance of the quarterback position. After a decent 7-7 start in 2018, the team is 21-4 over the last two seasons. A protege of Texas A&M coordinator Mike Elko, Santucci was a grad assistant at Wake Forest under Elko (2014-15), an analyst under Elko at Notre Dame (2017) and Texas A&M (2018) and now is in his second season back with Elko as the Aggies linebackers coach. The opportunity to win games was the biggest factor here. If you haven't yet checked out our ranking of Power Five coaches outside the top 25, you can catch up here. Was promoted to run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2020. An ex-Stanford and NFL defensive back who won a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006. Has helped Oklahoma go from last in the Big 12 in total defense in 2018 to second in 2019 and third in 2020. Abdul-Rahim was contacted about a Power 5 defensive coordinator job and at least one SEC secondary coach opening this past cycle. Jerry Rice. Was promoted to associate head coach after last season. As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest. Brian Hartline, Ohio State wide receivers coach: A young coach with NFL pedigree that's just getting going in the college game, Hartline looks like a rising star. 2. When we ranked Power Five college football coaches last year, there wasn't much change in the top 25. Was looked at by Kentucky for its secondary coach opening this offseason. Being groomed by new Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, whose UCF offenses ranked No. In Smiths first season at Virginia Tech, cornerback Dorian Strong developed into a Freshman All-American. He landed one of the. Now hes revamped the Texas A&M program, going 26-10 in three seasons and coming off a 9-1 season with huge aspirations for a national title hunt in 2021. Coaches consistently have mentioned him the past couple years as someone they expect to be a head coach and a good one at some point in the not-too-distant future. Thomas Cahill enjoyed mild success in the mid-1960s, going 23-7. Volatility was profitable for college football's elite wide receivers coaches in 2021. That came after East Carolina broke multiple records in 2018 with Wright, including the AAC record for tackles for loss in a game (15) and the conference record for tackles for loss in a season (105). Ranked as the sixth-best recruiter in the Pac-12 for the 2021 recruiting cycle. Also has worked and learned under Billy Napier at Louisiana, one of the nations top up-and-coming head coaches. Braden Layer is set to return to the Gators after spending 2022 at Dayton. Marion is an expert in the "Go-Go . Also has been contacted in recent years about NFL and SEC offensive line jobs. We must start with Franklin's time at Vanderbilt, where his 18-8 record in 2012 and 2013 is the best two-year mark since the 1920s. Was a high school head coach at Friendship College Academy in Washington, D.C., for 10 seasons (2004-13). Yes, Alabama claimed 12 championships before Saban's arrival, but it was a program going through turmoil and probation before he took the reins. Just look at his top two wide receivers heading into the 2021 season. Before Oregon, Chance was part of Minnesota improving from No. Other college position coaches who received mention: Josh Aldridge, Liberty defensive line coach; Matt Barnes, Ohio State secondary coach; Kelvin Bell, Iowa defensive line coach; Brian Braswell, Maryland offensive line coach; Elijah Brooks, Maryland running backs coach; Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech running backs coach; Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana co-OC/tight ends coach; Joe Graves, Georgia Southern tight ends coach/special teams coordinator; Tyler Grisham, Clemson wide receivers coach; Jim Harding, Utah offensive line coach; Jeremy Hawkins, Eastern Kentucky defensive line coach; Mark Hogan, Davidson safeties coach; Scott Huff, Washington offensive line coach; Chris Marve, Florida State linebackers coach; Gary McGraw, Sam Houston State cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator; Slade Nagle, Tulane tight ends coach; Rod Ojong, Buffalo safeties coach; Clay Patterson, Minnesota tight ends coach; Lee Rousell, Nicholls offensive line coach; Eric Sanders, Stanford inside linebackers coach; DeRail Sims, Louisville running backs coach; Clint Sintim, Virginia defensive line coach; Omarr Smith, Morgan State secondary coach; Jeremy Springer, Marshall special teams coordinator; Cole Weeks, Troy running backs coach; Ron Whitcomb, Buffalo tight ends coach; Jeremiah Wilson, Akron secondary coach; Levar Woods, Iowa special teams coordinator. We look back fondly on the Air Raid team of Hal Mumme in the late 1990s, but they only went 20-26. Under West, Alex Highsmith ranked in the top five nationally in sacks and tackles for loss in 2019. Between Craig Cirbus, Jim Hofher, Turner Gill and Jeff Quinn, the team won 3.25 games per season on average. Limited Ads. Received inquiries about at least a few Power 5 defensive line coach openings this offseason and turned down a job offer from a Big 12 program. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $610,000+ 7. Brian Hartline, Ohio State -- $600,000+ 7. Quarterback Elite (QBE) is one of the premier QB & WR development programs in the nation headquartered in Utah. #35 of 1,316. Brown has since come back with a vengeance. Has had members of his Florida linebacker room taken in two of the past three NFL drafts 2020 third-round pick Jon Greenard and 2019 fifth-round selection Vosean Joseph. Syndication Montgomery By Seth Galina Jul 7, 2021 But, as we'll explain below, there are reasons for that. 56 nationally in pass defense in 2019 (222.2 yards per game) to No. Was also on the radar as a possibility for multiple other teams with secondary coach openings, including LSU as the Tigers explored potentially hiring a safeties coach. We might forget that Urban Meyer served as Utah's head coach for only two seasons, and while he may have started the Utes down this track, Whittingham has sustained a level of success the school has never even come close to enjoying before. Was the lead recruiter for the Trojans on five-star 2022 cornerback Domani Jackson, who committed to USC in January. In addition to the opportunity at Pitt, which is less than an hour from where Marion grew up in Greensburg, Pa., he also garnered interest for a Group of 5 coordinator opening this past cycle. Helped Houston go from No. A Texas graduate, he is married with three children and lives outside Fort Worth, Texas. Holtz won 76% of his games in South Bend. Led a special teams unit that ranked second in the SEC in kick-return average (28.0). At Oregon in 2018, Williams cornerbacks group contributed to the Ducks posting 20 interceptions, which ranked second nationally. (Obviously, Gattis is also an offensive coordinator.) The QBE coaching staff over the years has included former D1 QB coach & Offensive Coordinator Brandon Doman, 10 year NFL QB Koy Detmer, Canadian . Interviewed for the Boston College coaching job two years ago and turned down the Tennessee coordinator job this past cycle. Tyler Grisham, Clemson -- $450,000+15. 11:31 am ET. Ranked as a top-10 recruiter nationally for the 2019 class and currently is ranked as one of the top recruiters in the Big Ten for the 2022 class. (McClendon was set to follow Mario Cristobal to Miami before returning to Athens.). Darrin Chiaverini, Colorado -- $400,000 7. Its always difficult to examine coaches through the prism of wins, losses and efficiency rankings. Among them were sacks per game (2.2) and tackles for loss per game (8.0). Was a four-year starter at safety for Texas (2008-11) and a two-time captain. He interviewed for the South Alabama head coach job this past cycle and has interviewed for NFL wide receivers coach openings with the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers. Is seen in the coaching world as someone who will be a coordinator in the near future. This list is booty cheeks. How did they climb so high, so quickly? Hes helped an offense that ranked 108th in the FBS in EPA per play over the last two Fedora years to a ninth-place finish over the past two seasons. That's when Fleck headed to Minnesota to rebuild the Gophers. From 2014 to 2017, the Gators offense ranked 120th in EPA per play that is not just bad, it is horrendous. Volatility is a hazard of the coaching business. 1. There isnt a lot more to say about these two. Darrin Chiaverini, Colorado -- $400,000 7. Dennis Simmons, Oklahoma -- $460,000 5. All Rights Reserved. The former Oklahoma quarterback and GA -- who turns 47 in April -- has been a Sooner for all but four years of his adult life. They have played in 10 under Fitzgerald. 4 in 2020 (398.5). He's led the program to four national championship games and two national Championship wins, a feat very few would have imagined all those years ago. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $535,000 3. Three of the coaches in last season's the top 25 lost their jobs following the 2021 season, including a top-10 coach in Dan Mullen and another who won a national title in 2019, Ed Orgeron. Worked at West Georgia with three other current Flames coaches (defensive coordinator Scott Symons, defensive line coach Josh Aldridge and cornerbacks coach Rickey Hunley).