In this article, we will classify all the new appointments in the college football bowl section from best to worst. We will divide the classification into subheadings and place them between the
tags. We will also provide a brief description for each subsection.
1. Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico
He’s a winner, plain and simple. Mendenhall has had great success at two stops, Brigham Young and Virginia, where he made bowl appearances every year except for his first season with the Cavaliers. He was also a former assistant at New Mexico under Rocky Long and has deep knowledge of the program and the wider region. Being one of the safer bets in coaching and a great ambassador for the program and athletic department, he is an incredible transition for the Lobos.
2. Willie Fritz, Houston
Speaking of successful hires: Fritz brings an undeniable track record to Houston, showcasing a 23-4 record over the last two seasons with a New Year’s Bowl win against the University of Southern California in the Cotton Bowl. Since his start at Blinn College in the early ’90s, Fritz has developed innovative offenses that leverage talent. With the Cougars in the Big 12, he will have the opportunity to work with higher-level players and compete for a college football championship.
3. John Sumrall, Troy
While his record is less impressive compared to other names at the top of the list, Sumrall is considered one of the rising stars in the profession after achieving a 23-4 record and winning two Sun Belt championships in his two seasons at Troy. He was also a former SEC assistant at Mississippi and Kentucky and spent three years as a co-defensive assistant with the Green Waves.
4. Kurt Signetti, Indiana
History suggests that Signetti won’t achieve much at Indiana, one of the toughest places to win in the Big Ten. In three or four years, he might be the latest in a long line of those who try and fail to turn the Hoosiers into a contender. But consider this: Signetti has been a head coach at multiple levels since 2011 – FCS, the championship subdivision, and the Big Ten – and has yet to record a losing season. Recently, he led James Madison to a highly successful two-year transition into the FBS, achieving a 19-4 overall record and finishing first in Sun Belt East in both seasons.
5. Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
Smith has flown under the radar at Oregon State until recent seasons, when it seemed the Beavers spent most weeks in the US LBM AFCA coaches’ poll. His commitment to physical offense and ability to develop players will align well with Michigan State, which needs to avoid quick-fix solutions through the portal and build a roster that can compete with the best programs in the Big Ten.
6. Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Elko’s defensive track record is a breath of fresh air at Texas A&M after a string of failed hires that came with offensive backgrounds, with Jimbo Fisher being the latest and most obvious example. He’s a high-level hire that can set a minimum of eight wins for Texas A&M while cultivating a stronger culture that should avoid the downturns that have plagued the program for almost a generation.
7. Spencer Danielson, Boise State
Danielson is the latest assistant at Boise State to get a shot at the top job, following Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, Brian Harsin, and Andy Avalos. He took over at the end of last season and led the Broncos to a Mountain West Championship. Danielson is respected in the locker room, plus his high-energy style offers a refreshing change from recent history.
8.
Bob Chesney, James Madison
Chesney is an unknown at this level but is considered one of the best coaches at the FCS level since the start of his six-year tenure at Holy Cross. He boasts a record of 44-21 with the Crusaders, including four FCS playoff appearances and five Patriot League titles. Like Summerall, Chesney is an ascending coach taking on a very strong challenge at JMU.
9. Sean Lewis, San Diego State
Lewis had a rough season as offensive coordinator under Deion Sanders at Colorado, losing play-calling duties after the Buffaloes fell off following a strong start. However, he proved himself at Kent State as a leading offensive mind, meaning San Diego State could have a formidable attack. Based on the talent available in his new area, Lewis could build something special on this side of the ball.
10. Manny Diaz, Duke
More than deserving of another chance in the Power Five after transforming Penn State’s defense into one of the best units in the country. He holds a record of 21-15 with three bowl appearances in three years at Miami, giving him ACC experience, and he can take over the Elko role and continue the Blue Devils’ progress in the conference standings.
11. Jeff Choate, Nevada
Choate has one of the most interesting resumes of recent hires. He began his Power Five career as an assistant under Petersen at Boise State. He then spent four years as an assistant in the Pac-12 before becoming the head coach at Montana State, where he led the Bobcats to two FCS playoff appearances and a fifth-place ranking in 2020. Additionally, he has spent the last three years under Steve Sarkisian at Texas, making him very well-prepared for this tough opportunity at Nevada.
12. Fran Brown, Syracuse
Brown comes to Syracuse after two seasons as the defensive backs coach under Kirby Smart at Georgia, and it’s hard to overlook the credibility that comes from working in one of the top programs in the Power Five. But his most focused background is under Matt Rhule, who gave Brown his first opportunity as an on-field coach at Temple in 2013 and brought him to Baylor in 2017. He knows how to build a program, and there’s another aspect he does very well: Brown is an elite recruiter who will bolster the program’s efforts in the transfer portal and with traditional recruits.
13. Jay Sawvel, Wyoming
Sawvel takes over for Craig Bohl after spending the last four years as Wyoming’s defensive coordinator. The Cowboys finished third in the Mountain West in average yards allowed per game twice in those four years, including second last season. There’s always significant risk in hiring first-time head coaches, but the coaches Sawvel has worked under help mitigate that risk. Since 2001, he has been a defensive assistant under some of the best coaches in the business in Jerry Kill, Dave Clawson, and Bohl.
14. Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee
Mason has been a head coach at Vanderbilt and a respected assistant at several Power Five teams and will run a good and clean program and build strong defenses, so this hire looks solid on paper. He also brings a well-known name to MTSU and a fresh vision after a long stint for the program under former coach Rick Stockstill. The direction the new Blue Raiders offense takes will dictate whether Mason’s second stint as a head coach will be better than the first.
15. Trent Bray, Oregon State
This was a smart hire at the right moment for the Beavers, who are facing an uncertain future due to the Pac-12 decline and perhaps hadn’t attracted very high-level candidates to replace Smith. Bray did solid work as the Beavers’ defensive coordinator and has the support of the team and knows exactly what it takes to win in tough circumstances in Corvallis. But there are still some doubts about his ability to manage his own program, which is completely understandable.
16.
Scottie Walden, Texas-El Paso
Although he is only 34 years old, Walden has been a head coach at two different stops, East Texas Baptist University and Austin Peay, and was the interim coach at Southern Mississippi for most of the shortened 2020 season. However, given the difficulty of winning at Texas-El Paso, his overall lack of experience is a concern. Still, he was born and raised and began his career in Texas, so he knows the area. And perhaps being young is a very good thing: Texas-El Paso needs a spark.
17. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
Lebby needs to bring the Mississippi State offense back to relevance, at least. The former coordinator at Oklahoma has also been embraced by fans who were affected by Zach Arnett’s failure in one year. This is a good start. In the bigger picture, however, Lebby enters the best conference in college football and needs to prove he can develop the culture necessary to offset the inherent shortcomings of the countries compared to most of the SEC.
18. Bryant Vincent, Louisiana-Monroe
Vincent takes over one of the worst situations in the country at Louisiana-Monroe, which has had only one winning season since joining the Sun Belt in 1994. He will need to perform miracles to succeed as many others have failed before him. Vincent deserves credit for playing a significant role in the rise of the University of Alabama-Birmingham from the ashes under former coach Bill Clark, so he knows a thing or two about winning in extremely difficult circumstances.
Source: https://www.aol.com/ranking-best-college-football-hires-112358412.html
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