ESPN: Ranking every hire in college football coaching carousel
College football brought us one of the wildest coaching carousels to ever grace the sport this season. Shocking hirings and surprising decisions stirred debate all throughout the country, even among fans with no ties to the schools involved.
With so many changes to the landscape of the spot, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg ranked each hire — assigning a letter grade to every decision. Certain decisions passed with flying colors, while others made Rittenberg press pause and think long and hard about their decision.
Big-name, shocking hires like Lincoln Riley’s move to USC and Brian Kelly leaving Notre Dame for LSU may forever be debated. Still, simpler moves like Kalen DeBoer taking over Washington and Brent Pry leading Virginia Tech could be under the radar. Nevertheless, each program believes they’re in a better spot than they were.
Ranking every hire in college football coaching carousel, via ESPN:
A Tier:
Mike Elko, Duke Blue Devils. Rittenberg believes Elko has been biding his time for an opportunity, and he’s ready to achieve success after rising through the ranks.
Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans. Perhaps no hire was met with more pomp and circumstance than Riley to USC. It’s warranted though, as the offensive guru can bring the Trojans back to glory.
A- Tier:
Mario Cristobal, Miami Hurricanes. While Rittenberg mentions Miami’s process wasn’t the most ethical, the Hurricanes got their wish in Cristobal. Still, the writer mentions that his in-game coaching needs some work.
Kalen DeBoer, Washington Huskies. DeBoer isn’t a big name, but Ritterberg believes the former Fresno State coach could be an exceptional hire for the Huskies.
Sonny Dykes, TCU Horned Frogs. Dykes going from SMU to TCU was a move where the writing was on the wall. It was obvious, but Rittenberg believes it’s a great move for the Horned Frogs.
Tony Eliott, Virginia Cavaliers. Finally, Elliott found the job on the coaching carousel he would leave Clemson for. Rittenberg mentions that while Elliott has always been a hot coaching candidate, it’s time to find out if he can really get the job done.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Rittenberg mentions that he wouldn’t normally rank an internal hire so high, but Freeman’s impact with the Fighting Irish has been undeniable.
Billy Napier, Florida Gators. Rittenberg gave Napier an A-, but his class in handling his departure from Lousiana a perfect grade. While he has a lack of coaching experience in the Power 5, Rittenberg believes his recruiting ability will be a huge plus for the Gators.
B+ Tier:
Jake Dickert, Washington State Huskies. After the Cougars were left looking for a coach, Dickert stepped up. Even though he likely wouldn’t have been named coach in a coaching search, Rittenberg believes there’s an opportunity for Dickert to grow into the job.
Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers. Kelly’s ability to adapt from Notre Dame to LSU is something Rittenberg will have his eye on. The writer mentions that the past three LSU coaches have won titles — it’s the standard in the Bayou.
Brent Pry, Virginia Tech Hokies. He may not have been as candidate for every job, but Rittenberg believes Pry is ready to make the jump from coordinator to coach. Still, how he adjusts to his new responsibilities is something the ESPN writer will have his eyes on.
Brent Venables, Oklahoma Sooners. In their history, Oklahoma is pretty good at this whole hiring process. So when faced with a surprising search, they pivoted to Venables. However, Rittenberg wonders if Oklahoma could’ve aimed higher.
B Tier:
Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks. Ritterberg mentions that Lanning’s charisma and recruiting ability are top tier. However, he believes it’s a bit of a gamble by the Ducks — but it could pay off handsomely.
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech Red Raiders. Rittenberg writes that the Red Raiders wanted a homegrown coach to lead their program. It doesn’t get more Texas than McGuire. However, there’ll be challenges for a first-year coach in the Big 12 — time will tell how McGuire adjusts.