Ranking the 2008 Head Coaches
Let the debates begin ... Ranking 61 to 119
By
Richard Cirminiello
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2008 Coaching Rankings ...
No. 1 to No. 60
Whenever a ranking of head coaches is done, it’s worth keeping in mind
that it’s a highly subjective exercise. With that in mind, try to use it
as a topic for debate rather than a source for high blood pressure. For
these purposes, the nation’s 119 FCS have been based on their ability to
coach today. That’s t-o-d-a-y. The fact that a guy won the
conference in 1989 is nice, but it’s not so relevant if his teams have
been awful this decade. You wouldn’t say Daunte Culpepper is one of the
NFL’s best quarterbacks because of his 39 touchdown passes in 2004,
right? Coaches should be judged by similar standards.
Oh, and while you’re browsing, consider some of these head-to-head match
ups and feel free to pop off some of your own: Joe Paterno or Bobby
Bowden? Phil Fulmer or David Cutcliffe? Charlie Weis or George O’Leary?
Bo Pelini or Turner Gill or Frank Solich? Urban Meyer or Mark Richt?
Hmmm.
119. Mario Cristobal, Florida International – The Panthers will
be patient with Cristobal, who has his hands full coaching the nation’s
most impotent program. Still young and learning, the only way is up
after last year’s 1-11 disaster.
118. Jeff Genyk, Eastern Michigan – The calls for Genyk’s ouster
won’t subside as long as the Eagles continue winning no more than four
games a season. In four seasons in Ypsilanti, he’s managed to win just
13 games.
117. Brent Guy, Utah State – In his defense, Guy inherited an
awful program four years ago. However, he hasn’t done much to make the
situation better in Logan, winning just six of his first 35 games.
116. Stan Brock, Army – An unpopular choice to replace Bobby
Ross, Brock debuted with a 3-9 mark in his first head job at this level.
He’s got a tough job, but don’t expect many excuses after Navy and Air
Force bowled a year ago.
115. Greg Robinson, Syracuse – Syracuse should be better than
this, right? In an era when Rutgers, Connecticut, and Cincinnati are
thriving, the Orange has managed an unacceptable seven wins in three
years. If he’s back in 2009, it’ll be a monumental upset.
114. Doug Martin, Kent State – Time
is running out on Martin, who’s yet to produce a winning record in four
seasons. His Flashes appeared to be breaking through after beating Iowa
State in the 2007 opener, but lost the final seven games to go 3-9.
113. Robb Akey, Idaho – The former Washington State defensive
coordinator gets a mulligan after going 1-11 in his first season with
the Vandals. With 18 starters returning, however, his team needs to show
improvement, such as avoiding the WAC cellar.
112. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy – Paul Johnson says Niumatalolo is
ready for this promotion. He’ll have enormous shoes to fill. He’s never
been a head coach, but few know the program or the option offense
better.
111. Rickey Bustle, Louisiana-Lafayette – Bustle has been a major
disappointment since arriving six years ago, going 26-44 and just 1-5
versus rival Louisiana-Monroe. It’s do-or-die time for the former
Virginia Tech assistant.
110. Steve Fairchild, Colorado State – Folks around Fort Collins
are hoping Fairchild can be to Colorado State what Troy Calhoun was to
Air Force a year ago. Needing a shot in the arm, the program will put
its fate in the hands of a coach that’s spent this decade in the NFL and
has no head coaching experience.
109. Steve Roberts, Arkansas State – Roberts has done a
respectable job with the Red Wolves, perennially hovering around .500
and winning the Sun Belt crown in 2005. Through six seasons, he’s done a
good of maintaining stability within a quality staff.
108. Mike Sanford, UNLV – Sanford was supposed to be the coach
that led the Rebels to higher ground. Instead, the program is worse off
than before he arrived from Utah, going a miserable 6-29 in three years
and stumbling badly on offense, the coach’s forte.
107. David Bailiff, Rice – In his first season in Houston,
Bailiff did little to maintain the momentum created by Todd Graham,
going 3-9. His roots are on defense, the side of the ball where the Owls
need the most help.
106. Mark Snyder, Marshall – A major disappointment since
arriving from Ohio State, he has won just 12 games in three years and
sunk to a new low last fall. He’s got a veteran team and likely one
final chance to get things right in Huntington.
105. Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State – Under Stockstill,
the Blue Raiders have been a streaky team, losing at least six games in
each of the last three seasons. He’s a good fit for the program after
waiting a couple of decades for his first job.
104. Greg McMackin, Hawaii – McMackin is facing the impossible
job of replacing June Jones the season after the Warriors played in the
Sugar Bowl. He has a world of experience as a defensive coordinator, but
hasn’t been a head coach since leading Aloha High School in 1973.
103. Hal Mumme, New Mexico State – June Jones light. A vagabond
who attracts controversy, he can supercharge just about any passing
game, but has struggled to win consistently. In three years with the
Aggies, he’s gone just 4-29 versus FCS opponents.
102. Kevin Sumlin, Houston – Sumlin is the next in a growing line
of former Oklahoma assistants to get head jobs. An offensive wiz, Cougar
fans are hoping he’ll be more successful than Mike Stoops and Chuck
Long.
101. J.D. Brookhart, Akron – In four seasons with the Zips,
Brookhart has started laying a solid foundation, winning 22 games,
including the MAC championship in 2005. Since then, however, Akron has
slipped to consecutive losing seasons and is in danger of a third
straight year under .500.
100. Todd Dodge, North Texas – Will unbridled high school success
translate to the Sun Belt? We’re going to find out. A legendary figure
at Southlake Carroll (Tex.) High School, he opened with a 2-10 mark with
the Mean Green, gradually getting his system and personnel in place.
99. Chuck Long, San Diego State – Like Sanford at UNLV, Long has
been a Mountain West disappointment needing to turn things around soon.
He’s won just seven games in two years, and last year’s 4-8 squad had
four players drafted in April.
98. Shane Montgomery, Miami University – In three years,
Montgomery has gone 15-21, squeaking out a couple of first place
divisional ties. In the three years before he replaced Terry Hoeppner,
the RedHawks were 28-11. He needs to deliver with a team that’s favored
to win the East.
97. Neil Callaway, UAB – After building a solid resume as an
assistant in the SEC, Callaway is trying to infuse some life into
talent-starved UAB. It won’t be easy, as last year’s 2-10 record
indicated. Still, he’s a quality coach if he can surround himself with
more playmakers.
96. Joe Glenn, Wyoming – It wasn’t that long ago that Glenn was
on many AD’s short lists, even getting attention from his hometown
Nebraska Huskers after Frank Solich was fired. He’s since fallen on hard
times in Laramie, getting above .500 only once in five years and needing
a turnaround to get off the hot seat.
95. Butch Jones, Central Michigan – Jones was a success in his
head coaching debut, picking up where Brian Kelly left off and leading
the Chippewas to another MAC championship. He’ll be just fine as long as
Dan LeFevour is barking out signals, but there needs to be some
semblance of a defense in a real hurry.
94. Larry Fedora, Southern Miss – For his work as an assistant at
Florida and Oklahoma State, Fedora is considered one of the bright young
offensive strategists in the game. If he maintains that success in
Hattiesburg, he could have a short stay in Conference USA and a long
flight up this list.
93. Charlie Weatherbie, ULM – An accomplished coach on his third
head gig, Weatherbie led Utah State and Navy to bowl games before
landing in the Sun Belt. He has owned rival UL-Lafayette and led the
Warhawks to a stunning upset of Alabama a year ago.
92. Bill Cubit, Western Michigan – Cubit has quietly done a solid
job in his three seasons with the Broncos, going 20-16 and knocking off
Iowa and Virginia along the way. In 2005, he was named MAC Coach of the
Year, and in 2006, he led the program to its first bowl game in 18
years.
91. Tim Brewster, Minnesota – Although the Gophers were
historically miserable last year, going 1-11, the school is still
excited about the energy and talent Brewster is bringing to Minnesota. A
Mack Brown disciple, he’ll have to prove he can develop players as well
as he recruits them.
90. Paul Wulff, Washington State – The Cougars are banking on one
of its former players to help mold them into Pac-10 contenders. Wulff
played for Dennis Erickson and Mike Price in Pullman, while cutting his
coaching teeth nearby at Eastern Washington.
89. Tommy West, Memphis – A no-nonsense throwback, West’s head
coaching career began 15 years ago at Clemson. He’s resurrected his
career at Memphis, keeping the Tigers respectable most years and bowling
in all but one of the last five seasons.
88. Bob Toledo, Tulane – Best known for a seven-year stint at
UCLA, Toledo has largely had an inconsistent career on the sidelines.
Always an offensive innovator, his teams rarely play much defense or
with any degree of sustained excellence.
87. Derek Dooley, Louisiana Tech – Don’t be fooled by Dooley’s
ranking. He’s one of the deeply hidden gems of the coaching ranks. He
did a solid job in his first year in Ruston, and at the age of 40, will
get better with more experience on the sidelines.
86. Brady Hoke, Ball State – While it’s taken five years, Hoke
finally has the Cardinals inching toward respectability after leading
them to a winning record and bowl game for the first time in 11 years.
With many of the key parts from that squad back, Ball State is thinking
MAC title in 2008.
85. Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green – Considering he followed in the
footsteps of Urban Meyer, Brandon has done a very nice job, winning the
division twice and going 27-14 in league play. Aside from 2006, his
offenses have perennially been among the most potent in the MAC.
84. Bill Stewart, West Virginia – Stewart has an opportunity to
make a lot of naysayers look foolish over the next few seasons. For now,
however, he’s college football’s Kajagoogoo, a one-hit wonder with an
impressive Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and little else to justify such
a huge promotion. On the plus side, he has put together a tremendous
staff.
83. Randy Shannon, Miami – A recruiting machine and terrific
defensive coach, Shannon appeared out classed throughout last year’s
dismal 5-7 campaign. He has time to climb the rankings, but the first
impressions were not encouraging.
82. Mike Stoops, Arizona – The hiring of Stoops four years ago
made all the sense in the world. Today, however, he’s sporting a 17-29
mark and needing to get into the postseason to save his hide. One more
sub-.500 and he becomes the classic case of a terrific assistant who
can’t make the leap to head coach.
81. Turner Gill, Buffalo – Sometimes it’s necessary to look
beyond the numbers to accurately gauge a coach’s performance. Gill is an
ideal example. After two seasons, he’s only 7-17, but he’s got the Bulls
playing competitive football in the MAC, a pipe dream before he accepted
the job.
80. Ron Prince, Kansas State – After just two seasons and a 12-13
record, Prince is showing hints of desperation by signing a recruiting
class dominated by JUCO transfers. He’s gotten the best of Texas in each
of the last two seasons, but against the rest of the Big 12 is just 5-9.
79. Mike Price, UTEP – After starting so quickly in El Paso,
Price has shown signs of wear and tear, getting just nine wins over two
years from a team that’s had problems finishing. Not long ago, it looked
like he’d use UTEP as a stepping stone, but that may no longer be an
option.
78. Al Golden, Temple – Like Gill at Buffalo, Golden is a young
and upwardly mobile coach making some waves in the MAC. Just 39 years
old, he has the Owls playing their best football in ages, which hasn’t
been lost on athletic directors at much larger programs.
77. Gene Chizik, Iowa State – Chizik is an ace as a defensive
coordinator, but can he excel as the head man? His first season in Ames
produced just three wins, but it’ll take a couple of years and
recruiting classes before an accurate reading of his potential can be
made.
76. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern – If Fitzgerald was a stock, you
might want to get in now. The youngest coach in the country at 33, he’s
still learning after two years on the job, but was born to lead this
program and has a high ceiling in Evanston.
75. Bill Lynch, Indiana – While Lynch did a magnificent job
guiding the Hoosiers to a bowl game in the wake of Terry Hoeppner’s
passing, he’ll need to maintain that success to ascend higher. He’s
spent his entire coaching career in the state of Indiana, including an
up-and-down eight-year stint at Ball State.
74. Tom Amstutz, Toledo – Although wildly popular and as
successful as any MAC coach over the last eight years, Amstutz is facing
the first crisis of his career. The Rockets have gone 5-7 in
back-to-back seasons, finishing fifth in the West division both years.
73. Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois – You don’t know Kill now, but
you might in a couple of seasons. Credited with completely turning
around a Southern Illinois program that had been on life support, he’s
being asked to get Northern Illinois back on the winning track.
72. Larry Blakeney, Troy – Since becoming the head coach in 1991,
Blakeney is credited with guiding the Trojans out of Division II and
Division I-A and into a position of prominence in the Sun Belt. He’s
taken Troy to its first two bowl games and perennially develops a couple
of NFL caliber players.
71. Kyle Whittingham, Utah – In the three years since Urban Meyer
left for Gainesville, Whittingham has kept the momentum going despite
injury problems, winning a bowl game at the end of each season. Now he
has to derail BYU and get back in the hunt for a Mountain West crown.
70. Tyrone Willingham, Washington – It’s always tough ranking
Willingham, the kind of coach you’d want your kid to have, but not if he
wants to win championships. He’s produced run-of-the-mill throughout his
career, losing as many games as he’s won and winning just one bowl game
in 13 years.
69. Bobby Johnson, Vanderbilt – Johnson is doing about as much as
he can at Vanderbilt, getting painfully close to turning the corner. He
doesn’t attract the best talent to Nashville, yet his teams are always
competitive and fundamentally sound. In a league loaded with rock star
coaches, he’ll struggle for attention.
68. Bo Pelini, Nebraska – Now that Bill Callahan has failed to
revive Nebraska, it’s Pelini’s turn. Although he’s a great defensive
coach and looks like the right fit on paper, the real proving ground for
these purposes begins in September.
67. Rocky Long, New Mexico – Long earns a nomination as one of
the most underrated coaches in America, quietly piloting the Lobos to
five bowl games over the past six years. He’s been a perfect fit at his
alma mater, and is likely to finish his career in Albuquerque.
66. Jim Harbaugh, Stanford – It’s tempting to rate Harbaugh a lot
higher following his success at non-scholarship San Diego and impressive
debut with the Cardinal. He’s got the energy, personality, and pedigree
to get Stanford to a point where it competes for bowl eligibility every
season.
65. Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh – On so many levels, it’s
crossroads time for Wannstedt. Sure, he can recruit like nobody’s
business, but he also can get outwitted by other coaches on game day. In
a largely mediocre head coaching career, he has to produce better
results this fall.
64. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State – Although Gundy is a game below
.500 through three seasons, he’s laying a foundation for sustained
success in Stillwater. He’s won back-to-back bowl games and his offenses
are typically unpredictable and difficult to stop.
63. Skip Holtz, East Carolina – In the not too distant future,
some larger program is going to scoop up Holtz and make him its coach.
Despite being just 44, he already has eight years of head coaching
experience, which includes taking the Pirates to consecutive bowl games.
62. Mike Sherman, Texas A&M – Some long-time NFL coaches flourish
when they make the transition to college. In Sherman, who coached the
Green Bay Packers for six seasons, the Aggies hope they’ve got Pete
Carroll and not Bill Callahan.
61. Sylvester Croom, Mississippi State – After three straight
three-win seasons to open his Mississippi State career, Croom finally
got the breakthrough year he needed. Now he needs to build on last
year’s 8-5 record by keeping the Bulldogs from slipping back into the
SEC’s netherlands.
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2008 Coaching Rankings ...
No. 1 to No. 60