Head coach changes 2012 13

2012 NCAA Division I FBS FootballCoaching Changes Review

by Daniel Westra

Georgia State Panthers

Retired:Replacement:

Bill Curry (Aug 15, 2012) Trent Miles (Nov 30, 2012)

Review:

Georgia State is transitioning from the FCS to the FBS, and is joining the Sun Belt Conference next season. Their longtime coach Bill Curry retired, and they needed to find a replacement. Trent Miles is a successful FCS coach, but is not FBS material just yet. It was risky hiring a FCS coach to lead a transition, and I would have hired an FBS coach to lead the transition. However, Miles is a good coach and recruiter, and should see some relative success while at Georgia State. GRADE: B

Idaho Vandals

Fired:Hired:

Robb Akey (Oct 21, 2012) Paul Petrino (Dec 2, 2012)

Review:

It was a good decision for the Vandals to fire Robb Akey, who in four of six seasons led the team to two wins or less. Although Akey did lead the team to a win in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, the Vandals were so terrible this year that a new start was necessary. However, I don’t believe that Paul Petrino was a smart hire. The longtime assistant under his brother Bobby has shown time and time again that he is susceptible to failure, specifically pointing to how terrible his Razorback offense was this past year. He had NFL talent in Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis, and his offense was still a total disaster. My projection was Chris Tormey, the defensive coordinator of the Wyoming Cowboys, who would’ve been a much wiser, less scandalous hire. GRADE: C+

Kentucky WildcatsFired: Hired:Joker Phillips (Nov 4, 2012) Mark Stoops (Nov 27, 2012)

Review:

It was the right decision for the Wildcats to fire Joker Phillips. In the past three years when he was head coach, he led a fairly good team (6-7) to a bowl game in his first year, then fell off slope, leading his team to a record of 5-7 in 2011 and 2-10 in 2012. This team needs a fresh start. I am very supportive of Kentucky hiring Mark Stoops as their head coach. Mark Stoops, a member of the ever-famous Stoops family, has been a successful defensive coordinator for Houston, Arizona State, and Florida State. He was able to successfully recruit prospects in all three states, an area that Joker Phillips has struggled in. Stoops has helped Dameyune Craig and Florida State raid the talent-rich Florida, and he will need to do that as head coach. He deserves at least two years to develop the poor talent that Kentucky already has. GRADE: A-

Western Michigan Broncos

Fired:Hired:

Bill Cubit (Nov 17, 2012) P.J. Fleck (Dec 17, 2012)

Review:

It was smart of Western Michigan to fire Bill Cubit, the long-lasting unsuccessful head coach of their football program. I also find it smart to hire P.J. Fleck, the wide receivers coach under Greg Schiano of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The longtime Rutgers coach followed Schiano to the NFL, and has succeeded at both levels of the game. Fleck knows how to recruit, and I think when we look back at history 25 years from now, we will realize that Schiano is great at making good head coaches. I see Ron Turner (Tampa’s QB Coach) also getting a head coaching job in the near future. Schiano has also tutored Kyle Flood, a good head coach. I really like this hire, and I expect Fleck to succeed although he has low familiarity with the area. GRADE: A-

Tennessee Volunteers

Fired:Hired:

Derek Dooley (Nov 18, 2012) Butch Jones (Dec 7, 2012

Review:

Tennessee made the right decision to fire Derek Dooley; for he was unable to lead his incredibly talented team to the postseason in 2 of his 3 seasons. They also made the right hire in Butch Jones, the former head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats. Jones, in six seasons of head coaching, has led his team to the bowl game in five of those seasons. Jones has a track record of success. Another benefactor of hiring Jones is that he is a top-tier recruiter, for he led a 4-8 Cincinnati team to a 10-3 Cincinnati team, for he rearranged recruiting tactics to make his team better. Overall, a great change in Dooley to Jones. GRADE: A

UTEP Miners

Retired:Replacement:

Mike Price (Nov 19, 2012) Sean Kugler (Dec 8, 2012)

Review:

After a poor 3-9 season, Mike Price decided to retire from coaching. It was a good decision for both parties, because Price was not doing well as of late. After a long, exhaustive search that lasted nearly a month, the Miners hired Sean Kugler, the offensive line coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who formerly played at UTEP. Kugler is a weak hire, for he has no collegiate coaching experience. UTEP, a Texas school, has the means to get talent if they had good recruiters, but they don’t. UTEP should have gone for a coach with more recruiting experience in the state of Texas. Kugler, a good coach, may fare well. However, he will need to surround himself with a good coaching staff and recruiters in order to succeed as head coach. GRADE: B

California Golden Bears

Fired:Hired:

Jeff Tedford (Nov 20, 2012) Sonny Dykes (Dec 6, 2012)

Review:

Although I personally thought Jeff Tedford was a good head coach, I agree that it was time to let him go. California was a truly terrible team this season, having dropped from a 7-5 record to a 3-9 record. California needs a reshuffle of management. They made a very poor hire in Sonny Dykes. Now, this doesn’t criticize Dykes in the slightest, for he is a good head coach with a track record of success at Louisiana Tech. When I look for a head coach, I factor in his ability to recruit in the west coast. Dykes will simply struggle with this, having come from the south. Dykes will have a hard time recruiting California kids to play in-state and that is why I don’t expect him to have much success coaching at California. GRADE: B-

Arkansas Razorbacks

Fired:Hired:

John L. Smith (Nov 24, 2012) Bret Bielema (Dec 4, 2012)

Review:

After the Bobby Petrino scandal, the Arkansas Razorbacks were left scattered. They lost their leader, and they were scattered. So, they temporarily hired John L. Smith as head coach. Smith led the team to a 4-8 record, which was a letdown to all Razorback fans. So unsurprisingly, they let him go. In the search, they wanted a new coach with head coaching experience. After rounds of interviews, they landed Bret Bielema, the head coach of the University of Wisconsin. It is a shocker to all that Bielema, a true Midwesterner, left Madison for Fayetteville. The hire is a very dumb decision on Arkansas’ part. A problem with the Razorbacks is that they have lacked a successful recruiter, and hiring a coach with no recruiting experience in the SEC is a major problem. They would’ve been better off hiring a coach with more experience coaching the SEC, such as Dan Mullen or James Franklin. GRADE: B-

Auburn Tigers

Fired:Hired:Gene Chizik (Nov 25, 2012) Gus Malzahn (Dec 4, 2012)

Review:

It was a very dumb decision for Auburn to fire Gene Chizik in the first place. You don’t bail on a coach that led you to a National Championship win two years before. Chizik won the BCS Championship game in 2010, and was fired in 2012. Chizik should have had at least two more years to prove himself and his team. Well, if you fire him, you don’t hire another coach who is practically the same person. Malzahn is familiar with the Auburn community and knows how to recruit. However, why fire Chizik and replace him with somebody very similar? We will never know the answer. GRADE: C

Boston College Eagles

Fired:Hired:Frank Spaziani (Nov 25, 2012) Steve Addazio (Dec 4, 2012)

Review:

Frank Spaziani was a bad head coach, and Boston College fans must be excited that he is gone. Boston College may have made the best hire of the offseason in hiring Steve Addazio. Addazio, an Urban Meyer product out of Florida, had two fairly good seasons at Temple, having made a bowl game in one of those seasons. Addazio is ready for the prime-time, and Boston College found a leader with the ability to recruit in the northeast, for he has coached at Syracuse, Notre Dame, Indiana, and Temple. Addazio will change the pace of Boston College, and I expect him to be successful in his future endeavors at Boston College. GRADE: A+

Colorado Buffaloes

Fired:Hired:Jon Embree (Nov 25, 2012) Mike MacIntyre (Dec 10, 2012)

Review:

It was a surprise to many when we saw Colorado fire Jon Embree, their head coach of two years. However, I think this was a good move by athletic director Mike Bohn to fire him. First off, he is not NCAA-material. He was a longtime coach for the Redskins before hired by the Buffaloes. In his two years, he showed no ability to recruit or develop talent, and change was needed. Mike MacIntyre was a great hire. First off, he lead a time that was 1-10 in 2010 to a 10-2 record in 2012 and a first time bowl since 2006 and the second bowl appearance since 1990. MacIntyre showed ability to recruit west coach talent, an ability much needed for the Buffaloes job. This is a clear upgrade, and kudos to Mike Bohn for making the right choice in what appeared to be an exhaustive coaching search. GRADE: A

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Fired:Hired:

Tom O’Brien (Nov 25, 2012) Dave Doeren (Dec 1, 2012)

Review:

I didn’t see it necessary to fire Tom O’Brien, who has led N.C. State to a bowl game in the past three seasons. However, I think Dave Doeren is a good hire. Doeren had great success at Northern Illinois, where he trained two great quarterbacks in Chandler Harnish and Jordan Lynch. I think Doeren won’t struggle much with recruiting, and he may even be able to bring an edge and be able to recruit Midwest recruits for N.C. State. Overall, I don’t think that firing O’Brien was necessary, but Doeren is a good hire and can somewhat redeem firing O’Brien. GRADE: B

Purdue Boilermakers

Fired:Hired:

Danny Hope (Nov 25, 2012) Darrell Hazell (Dec 4, 2012)

Review:

It was necessary to fire Danny Hope. Having led Purdue to a bowl game in only one of his four seasons, they needed a change. They made a very smart hire in Darrell Hazell, the former head coach of Kent State. Hazell, a former Ohio State coach, led Kent State to its first bowl game in 40 years. At Kent State, Hazell also showed an extraordinary talent to recruit Midwest recruits, which will be necessary at Purdue, a Midwest school. Overall, the change from Danny Hope to Darrell Hazell is an upgrade in which both Hazell and Purdue benefit from. GRADE: A

Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Fired:Hired:Ellis Johnson (Nov 27, 2012) Todd Monken (Dec 10, 2012)

Review:

It was a tough and disappointing year for Ellis Johnson and Southern Miss fans. Johnson failed to win one game, and was deservedly let go after one season. Dave Bartoo, the owner and founder of College Football Martrix, a website that analyzes football statics, said that Johnson had done “probably the worst coaching job I’ve seen in the matrix this century in (FBS) football”. I agree, for it is very hard to bring a 12-0 team to 0-12 the next season. So, they need a fresh start. Hiring Todd Monken was a step in the right direction. In two seasons, Monken helped transform Oklahoma State, and assuredly made Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden NFL-caliber players. Monken is qualified to be a head coach, and I expect many turnarounds for Florida State this season. Good hire on athletic director Jeff Hammond’s part. GRADE: A

Northern Illinois Huskies

Hired by N.C. State:Replacement:Dave Doeren (Dec 1, 2012) Rod Carey (Dec 2, 2012)

Review:

It’s tough losing a head coach with the talents of Dave Doeren. Doeren, a successful head coach, was hired away by N.C. State, a bigger school with more funding. Carey was promoted to offensive coordinator this offseason, and flourished. Northern Illinois is in the Orange Bowl this season, and that will be a big test to see what Carey’s head coaching ability is. Since this was the same athletic director that hired Doeren, I have to trust that Carey will be somewhat competent as head coach. GRADE: B+

South Florida Bulls

Fired:Hired:

Skip Holtz (Dec 2, 2012) Willie Taggart (Dec 7, 2012)

Review:

I was surprised when I heard that South Florida fired Holtz, a relatively young coach with some success and some failure. There were some consequences of firing Holtz, for they lost their top recruit in Asiantii Woulard, a quarterback who appeared to be the future of South Florida football. However, they did make a good hire in Willie Taggart, the former head coach of Western Kentucky, who had two winning seasons at Western Kentucky in his three years there. Having been raised in Florida, he has the ability to recruit talent there, and showed recruiting ability as head coach at Western Kentucky. I think this is a good hire, but it is still a shocker to me that they fired Skip Holtz. GRADE: B+

Wisconsin Badgers

Hired by Arkansas: Replacement:Bret Bielema (Dec 4, 2012) Gary Andersen (Dec 18, 2012)

Review:

Bret Bielema surprisingly took the offer to leave Wisconsin for Fayetteville, AK and took most of the staff with him, which left Barry Alvarez and the Badgers in an awkward position. Gary Andersen is a solid hire, for he will be able to bring a fair share of his staff with him to Madison. Andersen is a good head coach who led Utah State to their first bowl win in 19 years. However, Andersen is very unfamiliar with the Wisconsin area, and will struggle with recruiting. However, Wisconsin is such a big program that recruits won’t worry about committing to Andersen and his program over in Madison. I trust that the athletic director and longtime head coach Barry Alvarez made the right decision. GRADE: A

Arkansas State Red Wolves

Hired by Auburn:Replacement:Gus Malzahn (Dec 4, 2012) Bryan Harsin (Dec 12, 2012)

Review:

It is tough to lose Gus Malzahn; no question there. Malzahn ran an up-tempo offense that immediately changed course of the Red Wolves, having a 10-2 record this season. However, Bryan Harsin was a great hire to replace Malzahn. Harsin, the former Texas Longhorns’ offensive coordinator, is a good play-caller who should step in immediately taking Malzahn’s place. Harsin deserves to build a program of his own, and I predict that he will be successful at Arkansas State. It’s tough to lose Malzahn, but Harsin is a great hire. GRADE: A-

Temple Owls

Hired by Boston College:Replacement:Steve Addazio (Dec 4, 2012) Matt Rhule (Dec 16, 2012)

Review:

It was tough for the Owls to see Steve Addazio go to Boston College. Although he had a losing record this season, he was a good coach. They made a great hire in Matt Rhule. The former Owls offensive coordinator coached the Giants offensive line this years. The players missed him so much that they begged the athletic director to hire him, and he did. The players will play hard for Rhule, and that is all that matters in the end of the day. Although he has little experience in recruiting, I expect Rhule to succeed. GRADE: A-

Kent State Golden Flashes

Hired by Purdue:Replacement:Darrell Hazell (Dec 4, 2012) Paul Haynes (Dec 18, 2012)

Review:

Hazell was a good coach who led an unlucky program to considerable success. He was hired by Purdue, a bigger program with more funding that would pay him a higher salary. So, they had to find a successor. Paul Haynes, a very good defensive coordinator, is the perfect man for Kent State. The alum embodies Kent State’s values, and knows how to recruit in Ohio and Arkansas. Very good hire by Kent State. Kent State needed to find a good coach to keep their program valid, and they succeeded by hiring Paul Haynes. GRADE: A+

Florida International Golden Panthers

Fired:Hired:

Mario Cristobal (Dec 5, 2012) Butch Davis (Dec 24, 2012)

Review:

Very poor decision by Florida International. They fire Mario Cristobal, a relatively successful coach who led their program from 1-1 to 7-6 in four seasons. Although he had a poor season this year, he deserved another 2-3 years at least. If they fire Cristobal, they should still hire a good replacement. They landed on Butch Davis, the former Head Coach of UNC who resigned last year because of ‘academic misconduct’. Davis is a coach who accepts players with low morale, and doesn’t seem to care much about the academic development of his student-athletes. Florida International definitely deserves the worst grade of this offseason. GRADE: F

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Hired by California:Replacement:Sonny Dykes (Dec 5, 2012) Skip Holtz (Dec 13, 2012)

Review:

It was sad for Bulldog fans to see Dykes leave the organization for California. Dykes was a successful head coach, and it’ll be tough finding a replacement. However, they score a perfect grade in hiring Skip Holtz. Holtz, a pass-heavy coach, will not change much from the Dykes era. Skip Holtz could also bring aboard Asiantii Woulard who was committed to USF when he was fired a few weeks ago. Holtz will maintain the up-tempo, air raid offense that Louisiana Tech succeeded with, and I predict a lot of success in the future. GRADE: A+

Cincinnati Bearcats

Hired by Tennessee: Replacement:Butch Jones (Dec 7, 2012) Tommy Tuberville (Dec 8, 2012)

Review:

It’s tough losing another head coach to a bigger school. In past years, Cincinnati has become a “feeder school”, having seen Mark Dantonio leave for Michigan State, Brian Kelly leave for Notre Dame, and now see Butch Jones leave for Tennessee. Their search was quick, having lasted one day. They landed on Tommy Tuberville, the head coach of Texas Tech with close ties to athletic director Whit Babcock from their days together at Auburn. Tuberville is a top-tier program manager who should restore Cincinnati’s credibility as a football program. It doesn’t hurt that Tuberville has experience recruiting in all areas of America. It sucks to lose Butch Jones, but Tommy Tuberville is a fine replacement. GRADE: A-

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Hired by South Florida: Replacement:Willie Taggart (Dec 7, 2012) Bobby Petrino (Dec 10, 2012)

Review:

This was a confusing hire. First off, it must suck to lose head coach Willie Taggart to USF. However, you need to find a replacement with moral hazards. Multiple time in his career, Petrino screwed a football team over for money or inappropriate actions. Petrino knows how to win, but how can he go into a locker room and educate student-athletes on moral hazard? Although his hire puts an emphasis on winning, this was a very confusing hire for a team that values education along with athletic development. Poor hire! GRADE: D

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Hired by Cincinnati: Replacement:Tommy Tuberville (Dec 8, 2012) Kliff Kingsbury (Dec 12, 2012)

Review:

Tommy Tuberville abruptly left for Cincinnati, which was a shock to Red Raider nation. So, they went on a new coaching search, searching to replace Tuberville, their former savvy program manager. They landed on Kliff Kingsbury, their former quarterback who most recently served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach of Texas A&M. Kingsbury notably tutored Johnny Manziel, their starting quarterback, into a Heisman winner this season. Kingsbury is a smart hire, for he runs the Air Raid Offense, the same offense that successful former head coach Mike Leach ran. Kingsbury is a smart hire, and I expect that he will have immediate success. GRADE: A

San Jose State Spartans

Hired by Colorado: Replacement:Mike MacIntyre (Dec 10, 2012) Ron Caragher (Dec 17, 2012)

Review:

Mike McIntyre was a great coach, and I predict he will have success at Colorado. San Jose State needed to find an adequate replacement, and Ron Caragher is not it. Caragher has had little success at the FCS level, and I don’t expect that will fly at FBS level. San Jose State is now relevant, and I don’t think Caragher will maintain that legacy. Caragher does know how to recruit, but is that all you look for. San Jose State should have approached a head coach with a better track record, and Caragher is not it. If I ran the search, I would have approached candidates like former Cal coach Jeff Tedford, Stanford Defensive Coordinator Derek Mason and I would have considered promoting successful defensive coordinator Kent Baer to head coach. Poor job, especially when it is vital to keep this program relevant GRADE: D

Utah State Aggies

Hired by Wisconsin:Replacement:Gary Andersen (Dec 18, 2012) Matt Wells (Dec 20, 2012)

Review:

Gary Andersen was a talented, defensive-minded coach who and left a small program for a program with more money and a larger fan-base. Matt Wells was a logical hire, for he is known by the program and knows their offense well. Wells can remain intact with their recruits, and will stabilize the team. Matt Wells was a great play-caller, and helped lead the team to a win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl this past season. Although they could’ve gotten a bigger name, a good play-caller like Wells can succeed. I predict success in the future. GRADE: A-