Coaches to keep your eye out for to take the jobs that the current coach leaves to take over a major program
I stole this list from a Football Scoop article ( link below)I read.
Scott Abel, Rice (55): A college baseball player, Abel learned football as a Virginia high school coach, then went 39-24 as the head coach at Washington & Lee from 2012-17 and 47-28 at Davidson from 2018-24. He's currently 4-4 in his first season at Rice -- a school that last enjoyed a winning season in 2014. Abel's gun option offense might be an issue for a program that feels like it needs to recruit NFL players to win, but it would be an asset for a program that wants to win and figure out the rest later.
Bob Chesney, James Madison (48): How many of you can pinpoint Salve Regina and Assumption on a map? Chesney can; he went 67-25 there from 2010-17. Chesney then went 44-21 from 2018-23 at Holy Cross, and is now 15-5 at Cignetti's own James Madison. Their last names even begin with the same letter!
Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan (56): If you're not impressed by Creighton's 59 wins across 12 seasons at Eastern Michigan, it's because you're not familiar with Eastern Michigan. The Eagles enjoyed two bowl trips -- ever -- before he took them to the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, and they've been five times since. Creighton got the job by going 32-9 at Ottawa University, 63-15 at Wabash College, and 44-22 at Drake.
Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan (42): Drinkall went 42-17 as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan from 2014-18, then spent six seasons in a variety of roles at Army helping Monken modernize his offense. He's now 5-3 in Year 1 at Central Michigan, equaling the Chips' highest win total over the past three seasons.
Jason Eck, New Mexico (48): Eck took the offensive line job at Winona State in 2007, and in the 18 years between '07 and 2024, he spent all but two at the sub-FBS level. He grinded his way to FBS, including a 26-13 3-year run as Idaho's head coach, where his five wins have already matched UNM's high-water mark since 2016.
Charles Huff, Southern Miss (42): Huff isn't as far along in his head coaching career as Cignetti, but both coached an offensive skill position under Saban, and Huff "pulled a Cignetti" by winning the Sun Belt at Marshall, then bringing much of that team with him to Southern Miss, where he's currently 6-2 in Year 1.
Sean Lewis, San Diego State (39): Lewis's 24-31 mark at Kent State must be judged on on a Sandy Koufax curve. His two 7-win seasons are tied for the second most since 1976, and the program has won four games total since his 2022 departure. In Year 2 at SDSU, he's taken the Aztecs from 3-9 to 6-1.
Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State (45): Mack won three straight MEAC championships in his 30s at North Carolina Central, then jumped up a level to become Rice's offensive coordinator. It took longer that he probably expected -- seven years, including a stop as an NFL assistant -- before landing his first FBS head coaching job, but in Year 1 at Kennesaw State he's 5-2 and tied for first in C-USA. The Owls went 2-10 last season.
Eric Morris, North Texas (40): Morris is crafting an argument to be the most successful Mike Leach disciple. He got Incarnate Word's program up and running (Morris went 24-18 with two FCS playoff appearances, the two head coaches prior to him were 30-64), put Cam Ward on the FBS map in one season at Washington State, and has progressed from 5-7, to 6-7, to 7-1 and counting at North Texas. Morris has more QB identification and development skins on the wall than anyone in college football next to Lincoln Riley. After Drew Mestemaker into a star after last starting a game on the Freshman B-team, Morris's next act should be to put up 40 points with an actual Freshman B-team quarterback.
Willie Simmons, FIU (45): Simmons went 21-11 at Prairie View A&M from 2015-17, and 45-13 at Florida A&M from 2018-23. He bet on himself in 2024 by taking the running backs job at Duke, and is now 3-4 in Year 1 at FIU. Two more victories would qualify as the Golden Panthers' most successful season since 2019.
I stole this list from a Football Scoop article ( link below)I read.
Scott Abel, Rice (55): A college baseball player, Abel learned football as a Virginia high school coach, then went 39-24 as the head coach at Washington & Lee from 2012-17 and 47-28 at Davidson from 2018-24. He's currently 4-4 in his first season at Rice -- a school that last enjoyed a winning season in 2014. Abel's gun option offense might be an issue for a program that feels like it needs to recruit NFL players to win, but it would be an asset for a program that wants to win and figure out the rest later.
Bob Chesney, James Madison (48): How many of you can pinpoint Salve Regina and Assumption on a map? Chesney can; he went 67-25 there from 2010-17. Chesney then went 44-21 from 2018-23 at Holy Cross, and is now 15-5 at Cignetti's own James Madison. Their last names even begin with the same letter!
Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan (56): If you're not impressed by Creighton's 59 wins across 12 seasons at Eastern Michigan, it's because you're not familiar with Eastern Michigan. The Eagles enjoyed two bowl trips -- ever -- before he took them to the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, and they've been five times since. Creighton got the job by going 32-9 at Ottawa University, 63-15 at Wabash College, and 44-22 at Drake.
Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan (42): Drinkall went 42-17 as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan from 2014-18, then spent six seasons in a variety of roles at Army helping Monken modernize his offense. He's now 5-3 in Year 1 at Central Michigan, equaling the Chips' highest win total over the past three seasons.
Jason Eck, New Mexico (48): Eck took the offensive line job at Winona State in 2007, and in the 18 years between '07 and 2024, he spent all but two at the sub-FBS level. He grinded his way to FBS, including a 26-13 3-year run as Idaho's head coach, where his five wins have already matched UNM's high-water mark since 2016.
Charles Huff, Southern Miss (42): Huff isn't as far along in his head coaching career as Cignetti, but both coached an offensive skill position under Saban, and Huff "pulled a Cignetti" by winning the Sun Belt at Marshall, then bringing much of that team with him to Southern Miss, where he's currently 6-2 in Year 1.
Sean Lewis, San Diego State (39): Lewis's 24-31 mark at Kent State must be judged on on a Sandy Koufax curve. His two 7-win seasons are tied for the second most since 1976, and the program has won four games total since his 2022 departure. In Year 2 at SDSU, he's taken the Aztecs from 3-9 to 6-1.
Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State (45): Mack won three straight MEAC championships in his 30s at North Carolina Central, then jumped up a level to become Rice's offensive coordinator. It took longer that he probably expected -- seven years, including a stop as an NFL assistant -- before landing his first FBS head coaching job, but in Year 1 at Kennesaw State he's 5-2 and tied for first in C-USA. The Owls went 2-10 last season.
Eric Morris, North Texas (40): Morris is crafting an argument to be the most successful Mike Leach disciple. He got Incarnate Word's program up and running (Morris went 24-18 with two FCS playoff appearances, the two head coaches prior to him were 30-64), put Cam Ward on the FBS map in one season at Washington State, and has progressed from 5-7, to 6-7, to 7-1 and counting at North Texas. Morris has more QB identification and development skins on the wall than anyone in college football next to Lincoln Riley. After Drew Mestemaker into a star after last starting a game on the Freshman B-team, Morris's next act should be to put up 40 points with an actual Freshman B-team quarterback.
Willie Simmons, FIU (45): Simmons went 21-11 at Prairie View A&M from 2015-17, and 45-13 at Florida A&M from 2018-23. He bet on himself in 2024 by taking the running backs job at Duke, and is now 3-4 in Year 1 at FIU. Two more victories would qualify as the Golden Panthers' most successful season since 2019.