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Coaching Carousel
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December 11th
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Rich Rodriguez returning to Morgantown to coach West Virginia
From CBS Sports … Rich Rodriguez appears to be on the verge of returning to West Virginia, CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd confirms. Rodriguez, who has been at Jacksonville State for the past three seasons, coached the Mountaineers from 2001-07, winning four Big East titles in the process.
During that span, he amassed a 60-26 record with a 34-14 mark in conference play and was known for an innovative, high-scoring spread-option offense. Under his guidance, the Mountaineers twice reached New Year’s Six bowls and came close to a BCS National Championship Game appearance in 2005.
Now, 17 years later, it looks like Rodriguez will be back on the sidelines in Morgantown.
Should the hire come to fruition, Rodriguez will replace Neal Brown, who was fired after a six-year stint leading the program. Brown went 37-35 overall and just 25-28 in conference play as WVU struggled to compete for a league title as a member of the Big 12.
Rodriguez, now 61, has bounced around since his time in Morgantown. He left West Virginia for Michigan, but lasted only three seasons in Ann Arbor. He was fired after going 15-22 with a miserable 6-18 record in Big Ten play.
From there, Rodriguez coached Arizona for six seasons. He had a 43-35 record, including a 10-win 2014 campaign, but he was fired after the 2017 season amid an off-field controversy.
He later served stints as an assistant at Ole Miss and UL Monroe before accepting the head-coaching job at Jacksonville State. He oversaw the program’s transition from the FCS to FBS level and capped that off by winning the Conference USA title last week. The Gamecocks went 9-2 in their final year of FCS ball and are a combined 18-8 (13-3) in two seasons as an FBS program.
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December 10th
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With Kansas OC Jeff Grimes leaving for Wisconsin, Jayhawks hire Nevada OC Matt Lubick
From ESPN … Kansas hired Nevada offensive coordinator Matt Lubick to help direct the Jayhawks’ offense Tuesday, the latest in a series of moves that have reshaped coach Lance Leipold’s staff after a disappointing season that ended without a bowl berth.
Lubick will be co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach and work alongside Jim Zebrowski, who spent last year as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The duo is replacing Jeff Grimes, who left for a coordinator job at Wisconsin.
Lubick, the son of longtime Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick, spent two years at Kansas prior to leaving for the Wolf Pack, serving as a senior offensive analyst on Leipold’s staff. The Jayhawks made their first bowl appearance in more than a decade in 2022 and won nine games and beat UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl the following season.
The 52-year-old Lubick was working for Kansas in 2023 when a bone marrow biopsy revealed he had acute myeloid leukemia. Lubick had a stem cell transplant last December and the cancer went into remission.
“Coach Leipold and his staff embraced me as family when I became an analyst in 2022,” Lubick said. “I am beyond grateful for their continued support and love they have given me throughout my recovery of leukemia. The turnaround of Kansas football has been awesome to follow and the best is yet to come.”
… Continue reading story here …
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December 9th
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Utah’s Kyle Whittingham to return for the 2025 season: “I’m back”
From CBS Sports … Kyle Whittingham will return next season as Utah’s coach.
There has been some speculation about Whittingham’s future plans, but the 65-year-old coaching veteran announced Sunday that he has no plans to step aside. And he channeled Michael Jordan in signaling his intention to return for the 2025 season with a two-word press release: “I’m back”.
Whittingham has led the program since 2005 but saw a streak of 10 consecutive winning seasons snapped this year as the Utes — picked to win the Big 12 in their first season as members — were plagued by injuries yet again. Utah started the season 4-0 before enduring a seven-game losing streak that included a heartbreaking home loss to rival BYU, which was undefeated and ranked No. 9 in the country at the time.
Utah closed out the regular season with a win over UCF, but finished 5-7 to miss out on a bowl game.
With Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley already carrying the “coach-in-waiting” label in Salt Lake City, some wondered whether Whittingham would step aside. Instead, he will be back on the sidelines for his 21st season as coach and 32nd overall with the program.
Utah has struggled offensively in the past two seasons with quarterback Cam Rising dealing with multiple serious injuries. Andy Ludwig, Utah’s offensive coordinator since 2019, stepped down from his position on Oct. 20. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Whittingham hired Jason Beck from New Mexico to serve as offensive coordinator next season.
In all, Whittingham has a 167-86 record with three conference titles — one in the Mountain West and two in the Pac-12 — during his time leading the program.
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December 8th
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UCF (re)hires Scott Frost as head coach “Today marks an exciting reunion for UCF Football”
From ESPN … UCF hired Scott Frost as its head football coach on Saturday, reaching agreement on a five-year contract through the 2029 season.
The move reunites the Knights with one of their most successful coaches in program history.
Frost coached UCF from 2016 to 2017 and led a remarkable turnaround in his second year, guiding the Knights to a perfect 13-0 season and a No. 6 finish in the Associated Press poll. Frost earned national coach of the year honors for that achievement and went 19-7 in his two seasons before leaving to take over Nebraska, his alma mater, in 2018.
“Today marks an exciting reunion for UCF Football as we welcome back Scott Frost, a coach who ignites the spirit and passion of Knight Nation,” athletic director Terry Mohajir said in a statement. “Scott’s love for his players along with his leadership, enthusiasm and vision were pivotal in making the decision to bring him back to UCF. Throughout this national search, his passion for UCF was clear. I believe no one wanted to lead our program more than Scott.”
Frost, 49, joined the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff in September and has not coached at the college level since he was fired by Nebraska during the 2022 season.
The UCF job opened Nov. 30 when Gus Malzahn resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State under coach Mike Norvell, who had previously worked for Malzahn as a graduate assistant at Tulsa in 2007 and 2008.
Malzahn went 28-24 in four seasons in Orlando while guiding the program through its transition to Power 4 football from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 in 2023.
The Knights have finished 6-7 and 4-8 in their first two seasons in their new conference and are seeking a spark from a head coach who turned the program into an offensive powerhouse in his two seasons in charge.
… Continue reading story here …
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December 7th
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Mike Gundy to return at Oklahoma State after bitter restructuring
From ESPN … Oklahoma State and Mike Gundy have reached an agreement on a restructured contract, and he will remain the Cowboys’ coach, the school announced on Saturday.
The two sides had discussions Friday and Saturday about a new deal after the Oklahoma A&M regents, who oversee Oklahoma State, held a special meeting Friday morning to discuss Gundy’s employment and other football staff employment matters. The meeting did not end with any resolution Friday, but board chair Jimmy Harrel told local reporters, “We have a plan.”
“We are happy to announce that we have agreed on a new contract with the winningest coach in OSU history with terms that benefit Oklahoma State University, OSU student-athletes and Cowboy Football,” Oklahoma State said in a statement. “Details will be announced once the contract is signed.”
As part of the restructuring of Gundy’s contract, his $7.75 million annual salary will be reduced to be redistributed as part of revenue sharing with players, and his buyout will be reduced, sources told ESPN. Gundy would have been owed $25.3 million had he been fired without cause.
Sources said Gundy was already on board to give up part of his salary to help with revenue sharing but that the two sides differed initially on the amount of the salary reduction, leading to two days of uncertainty surrounding his future.
Sources told ESPN that Gundy had the support of school president Kayse Shrum and athletic director Chad Weiberg but that at least one regent was in favor of moving on from Gundy.
… Continue reading story here …
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Scott Frost to return to UCF?
From ESPN … UCF is set to hire Scott Frost as its head football coach, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Chris Low on Saturday, a move that reunites the Knights with one of their most successful coaches in program history.
Frost led UCF from 2016 to 2017 and led a remarkable turnaround in his second year, guiding the Knights to a perfect 13-0 season and a No. 6 finish in the Associated Press poll. Frost earned national coach of the year honors for that achievement and went 19-7 in his two seasons before leaving to take over Nebraska, his alma mater, in 2018.
Frost, 49, joined the Los Angeles Rams’ coaching staff in September and has not coached at the college level since he was fired by Nebraska during the 2022 season.
The UCF job opened on Nov. 30 when Gus Malzahn resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State under coach Mike Norvell, who had previously worked for Malzahn as a graduate assistant at Tulsa in 2007 and ’08.
Malzahn went 28-24 in four seasons in Orlando while guiding the program through its transition to Power 4 football from the AAC to the Big 12 in 2023.
The Knights have finished 6-7 and 4-8 in their first two seasons in their new conference and are seeking a spark from a head coach who turned the program into an offensive powerhouse in his two seasons in charge.
Frost’s 2017 UCF team featured the No. 1 scoring offense in FBS at 48.2 points per game and rolled to an undefeated season and an AAC title, a rapid turnaround following a 6-7 debut season. The Knights were left out of the four-team College Football Playoff but claimed a national championship after they defeated a Malzahn-led Auburn team 34-27 in the Peach Bowl to complete its 13-0 season.
Frost left at the end of the season to rebuild Nebraska. The quarterback was a two-year starter for the Huskers and led the program to a national championship in 1997, but he struggled to achieve a turnaround during his five-year tenure as head coach. The Huskers went 16-31 under his leadership and did not achieve a winning season or play in a bowl game.
… Continue reading story here …
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December 2nd
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Nebraska loses defensive coordinator (and best recruiter) to Florida State
From ESPN … Florida State has finished filling its coordinator vacancies as Nebraska‘s Tony White signed a three-year contract to oversee the Seminoles’ defense, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Monday.
White spent the past two seasons at Nebraska, which ranks 20th nationally in points allowed this season after finishing 13th in 2023. He replaces Adam Fuller, who was fired last month.
White, who came up under defensive guru Rocky Long, has previously held coordinator posts at Syracuse, Arizona State and San Diego State. He played college football at UCLA.
Florida State is 88th in points allowed and 87th in yards allowed, following a 2-10 season under coach Mike Norvell.
… Continue reading story here …
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December 1st
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West Virginia fires Neal Brown after six seasons (37-35)
From CBS Sports … West Virginia is set to fire sixth-year coach Neal Brown, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Brown’s ouster comes on the heels of a devastating 52-15 loss at Texas Tech to drop the Mountaineers to 6-6 on the season and Brown to 37-35 overall in Morgantown.
Ultimately, Brown’s undoing was a product of that mediocrity; his teams were rarely outright bad, but they were even more rarely able to punch up. The Mountaineers always won at least three Big 12 games and reached a bowl game in four of his final five seasons, but West Virginia posted more than six wins only once over that stretch. West Virginia joins Texas Tech and Rutgers as the only teams in the Power Four to not reach the AP Top 25 at any point since 2019.
Against Texas Tech, the wheels finally flew off for the Mountaineers. The Red Raiders took a 35-3 lead in the first half and cleared 569 total yards, including 188 yards and three touchdowns on the ground from star running back Tahj Brooks. It was the third loss of five touchdowns or more in the past three seasons.
… Continue reading story here …
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Gus Malzahn resigns at UCF; joins staff at Florida State
From CBS Sports … UCF coach Gus Malzahn is resigning from the Knights to become the new offensive coordinator at Florida State, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ John Talty. Malzahn posted a 28-24 record in four seasons with the Knights but had consecutive losing seasons after joining the Big 12.
“We would like to thank Coach Malzahn for his contributions to our football program over the past four seasons, including our transition into the Big 12 Conference,” a UCF spokesperson wrote in a statement released by the school. “We appreciate his professionalism and dedication to our student-athletes throughout his tenure at UCF and wish he and his wife, Kristi, the very best in their future endeavors.”
Malzahn is tasked with repairing a Florida State offense that struggled mightily during a lifeless campaign. The Seminoles finished No. 131 in the nation in total offense and scoring offense, mustering only 15.8 points per game against an ACC schedule one year after going 13-1 with a conference championship.
The Knights were seen as a potential dark horse heading into the Big 12, but they’ve struggled with quarterback issues. Four different players took major snaps in 2024 as the Knights finished only 2-7 in conference play and 4-8 overall. The record was the worst at UCF since 0-12 in George O’Leary’s final season in 2015.
… Continue reading story here …
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Former Buff Ryan Walters out as head coach at Purdue
From CBS Sports … After leading one of the nation’s top defenses at Illinois in 2022, then-36-year-old Ryan Walters was viewed as one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the nation. Purdue tasked him with replacing a big name in Jeff Brohm at the time, but two years later, the Boilermakers are going in a different direction. Purdue fired Walters on Sunday following a 1-11 season and a winless campaign in the Big Ten.
One name the Williams has identified as a potential target on the premium message board is Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell. Chadwell was reportedly passed over for SEC opportunities in recent years, but landing at a Big Ten program might be a better fit if he’s looking to break into the Power Four ranks.
Chadwell won big late in his tenure at Coastal Carolina, going 31-6 from 2020-22. Instead of jumping to a power program at that point, he instead replaced Hugh Freeze at Liberty, and he’s gone 21-4 through two seasons with the Flames, including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl last season.
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7 Replies to “Coaching Carousel”
Ding, ding, ding! This is exactly what Deion’s been doing: https://sports.yahoo.com/bill-belichick-confirms-that-hes-talked-to-unc-discusses-his-vision-of-a-college-football-program-223139998.html
Now, all the brain trust at the NCAA, playoff committee, Big Fox, SECSPN, et al need to realize, is they gotta go full on in with the NFL/pro model, with real, actual revenue sharing across the entire enterprise of college athletics, collective bargaining, salary caps, etc. It’s the only reason the NFL still has teams in Green Bay, Buffalo, etc. Same can be said for small market NBA and MLB teams, too.
Will they see it? We’ll find out. But the playoff interest and money w/ a more diverse and drama filled structure sure is getting more eyeballs than ever, and that means more money than ever. Spread the wealth a little, and watch it grow.
Go Buffs
Checked the Utah commits. There are at least 24 of them. Four 4 stars two 2 stars and the rest 3 stars including 2 QBs….speaking of which, little bro Wilson is in the portal. Maybe that and some good feelings about the portal convinced Whittingham to disappoint his “coach in waiting.” That guy is the DC and there has to be several teams that would give him a pay raise maybe a few the head job (scuse the porn)
corn fans already saying that losing Tony White ain’t no big thing, but it’s just further evidence of how far they’ve fallen into the world of have-nots and misfit toys.
Here is hoping Rhule will stay a lot longer. I doubt the cobbs will be hitting any heights with him. His demeanor on the sideline and in interviews doesn’t impress me at all. His best chance is to be Hawkins to a Peterson.
Agree. Rhule may find the rebuild very tough at kNU. Two more mediocre and/or a bad season, and he may be out the door.
Since you posted one of the cobb back up qbs has entered the portal. He was supposedly in one of the elite 11 camps (so was the Hawkins spawn). Raiola was ok as a freshman but the jury is still out on setting any hair on fire.
I dont see Rhule as q good recruiter. Maybe he has a better demeanor in private but what I have seen on the tube he doesnt come across as a confident person.
I got a real kick out of your link. Especially the sour grapes posts. The one who complained about White going to a 2-10 team had me laughing.
I think kNU lost in this departure, but this ball could bounce a few ways: (1) kNU lost Tony White and Knighton (Dl coach) not the other way around–Rhule was blindsided to a degree; (2) kNU defense was great in ppg. and some other metrics but was exploited through the air with D losing some close games–fans expected more than 6 wins (not 3-6 in conference) knowing the offense w/ True Frosh was work in progress; (3) no doubt kNU’s defense improved with White (he did the same at Cuse), but the 19.3ppg may look better on paper, given outside of OSU (played them close) and Indiana (doors blown off) they played the B12 black and blue teams some featuring struggling offenses; (4) many fans/media indicate that White was their best recruiter, and White might have decided it was too hard to recruit elite talent to land of misfit toys–perhaps he felt the ceiling was low at kNU (lower than FSU); (5) kNU’s offense was putrid T-98 in points scored and really tailed off in conference play, so White/the D felt the pressure, when White may have felt their unit did enough (is kNU’s offense going to improve enough next year??); (6) the general P-4 CFP trend this year is firing coordinators, however White left bringing a coach with him and they do not have a ready candidate–that will hurt for player retention and this recruiting period.
They lost 5 of 6 to close the season–their O scored 20 or less in the 5 losses.
The fans seem to feel this is a loss, not a gain. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/nebraska-fans-react-to-the-possible-loss-of-tony-white-and-terrance-knighton-to-florida-state/ar-AA1v8Mnr