Hey All,
Part of my rituals of summer involves analyzing college football schedules across the land. So please enjoy this latest edition of the summer reading program here at Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
The tour around the BCS schedules begins with the AAC and the ACC.
AAC
Five Big Ones: Non-Conference
8/31 Temple at Notre Dame: The good news for Matt Rhule is that by taking the Temple job, he is now an honest-to-goodness FBS Head Coach. The bad news is that his first game as HC is on the road at Notre Dame. With QB Everett Golson dismissed from ND for "Academic Issues," Temple's chances for pulling the upset did improve from slim/none to highly doubtful. However, Tommy Rees should be wary of the Owls defense. I know they can run faster than the cops that Rees couldn't outrun a couple of years ago.
9/14 UCF at Penn State: This game provides a legitimate shot for the AAC to pick up their first big non-conference win. For the Nittany Lions a win here would be big as this is the last year that they will be anywhere near the Blue and White we all know. In 2014, PSU has to cut down to 65 scholarship players.
9/21 Arkansas at Rutgers: SEC teams don't travel out of their comfort zone for non-conference games. So, when one does venture out of the south, it's a big deal. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the two schools. Rutgers upset the Razorbacks in Fayetteville last year, 35-26. Rutgers could beat the Hogs again if QB Gary Nova can duplicate last year's performance. In 2012, He lit up the Arkansas defense for 397 yards and five TDs through the air.
9/21 Michigan at Connecticut: This Wolverines beat UConn, 30-10 in 2010 at The Big House and should beat the Huskies by a similar margin in Storrs. For the Huskies, this game will be a measuring stick for how far the program has come since Paul Pasqualoni took over the program in 2011 after Randy Edsall bolted for Maryland. Eight starters return on offense for the Huskies, but an inexperienced front seven on defense will have problems stopping the Maize N' Blue.
9/28 South Carolina at UCF: Once again, SEC teams don't like leaving their comfort zone for non-conference games. So taking on an upset-minded UCF team on the road is worth noting. The Gamecocks should survive this trip easily if they are the National Title Contender they are being hailed as by the preseason media. If UCF pulls the upset, then the AAC gains instant credibility and media standing for the season.
Five Big Ones- Conference
10/5 UCF at Memphis: Welcome to the new AAC Memphis! You're first conference game is against one of the league's powers. The Tigers do have an experienced team coming back, but they are only in the second year of a rebuild program. This one will be a tough AAC baptism for the Tigers.
10/12 Memphis at Houston: After being welcomed to the league by UCF a week earlier, the Tigers now become Houston's first AAC opponent. The Cougars should easily break their AAC maiden in this one.
10/18 UCF at Louisville: The winner of this mid-October clash will have the inside track to the AAC Title and a BCS bid. Louisville is a strong team with 10 returning defensive starters and a nasty attitude. I think this is the team that nobody in the nation really wants to play right now. Their physically dominating win over Florida in the 2013 Sugar Bowl sent shockwaves throughout the land. For UCF a win here would really put the Golden Knights on the map and most likely make QB Blake Bortles a household name.
11/29 SMU at Houston: Even though the great Dan Jenkins once wrote that the decline of the Southwest Conference began when Houston was admitted to the league, I do like to see a game between old Southwest Conference foes. With the two offenses in this game, the scoreboard could blow out.
12/5 Louisville at Cincinnati: If the Cardinals live up to their billing, this is the last hurdle on their way to a BCS bowl. For the Bearcats, this game could be their back door shot at the AAC Title. Cincy has a bye before this game and we all now how teams can stumble with a BCS bid in their grasp.
AAC Schedule Quick Hits
Loving those cream puffs; Louisville's non-conference slate consists of Ohio U, Eastern Kentucky, SEC bottom-feeder Kentucky, and FIU.
Feeling Southwestern; SMU has four former Southwest Conference teams on their schedule. They take on Houston in league play. The Ponies also host Texas Tech and will take road trips to Texas A&M and TCU in their non-conference slate.
Talk about a bad travel agent; Nobody in their right mind would want to be in Fresno in August, (or really ever for that matter), but the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers will make only their second trip ever to California when they take on Fresno State on August 29th.
Tough Double; Houston makes consecutive road trips to Louisville and UCF on November 9th and 16th.
Rutgers goes west redux; The Scarlet Knights have only made two other regular season far western trips in the last 40 years. In 1999, they lost at CAL, 21-7. Then, back in 1974, they lost at Hawaii, 28-16. They took on the Rainbows that day in Honolulu Stadium because Aloha Stadium was still a year away from being completed.
A Big Ten audition; Cincinnati takes on Purdue and Illinois to start the season.
Time warp for the Owls; With Notre Dame, Fordham, and Army on their schedule, somebody should tell Temple it's not 1946.
The FCS, it's what's for dinner; Eight out of the 10 teams in the AAC will host an FCS team this season. Only UCF and Cincinatti have a full FBS slate.
Grudge Match; Emotions will run high when HC Randy Edsall and his Maryland squad visits UConn on 9/14. Randy might learn that he can't go home again.
History is a cyclical thing; Temple could be the last place team in both inaugural seasons of the same conference. Huh? Yeah, that sentence does not make sense, but it kind of does. Back in 1991, the Owls finished last in the first season of Big East football. They could easily finish last in the AAC this year. It kind of reminds of the player in baseball who ended up being traded for himself, but that tale is for another blog.
ACC
Five Big Ones: Non-Conference
8/29 North Carolina at South Carolina: The Tar Heels haven't played in Columbia since 1990 and haven't beaten the Gamecocks at home since 1983. UNC is coming off their one year bowl ban and could be a 10-win team under 2nd year HC Larry Fedora. An upset by the Tar Heels would ruin South Carolina's season before it really gets started.
8/31 Georgia at Clemson: National prestige begins and ends with this game. It's that simple. A victory validates the national title contender tag for the winner and relegates the loser to a season of trying to get back into the big picture. Tiger fans hope that QB Tahj Boyd leads the team to big win while starting his Heisman campiagn with a bang.
8/31 Virginia Tech v. Alabama at the Georgia Dome: The Hokies have a shot to knock off the two-time defending National Champions. It's not a great shot, but anything can happen in an opening game. VaTech must be better running the ball than last season where they averaged a paltry 3.7 yards per carry. Tech's two new starting OTs will get a baptism by fire from the Alabama defensive line. Look for the boys from Blacksburg to keep the game tight until the fourth quarter where Alabama's size and depth should take over.
9/7 Oregon at Virginia: There will be a Webfoot sighting in Charlottesville. This game is the first ever meeting between the two schools. If the Ducks get off to another one of their quick starts, the Cavaliers could find themselves in a deep hole in a matter of minutes. The Wahoos have never beaten a Pac 12 foe and that streak should continue.
11/30 Clemson @ South Carolina: What could be at stake in this game is staggering. Let's say both teams come into this game undefeated. That means that each team would be playing in what amounts to a BCS national title elimination game one week before they play in their respective conference title games. A team could go from heading out to Pasadena for shot at the crystal football to getting a bid to the Chick-Fil-A Bowl in just 14 days.
Five Big Ones: Conference
9/2 Florida State @ Pitt: The Panthers will learn the lesson that Colorado and Utah have been taught in the Pac12. Expansion teams aren't brought in to win. The Seminoles should dominate this one from the outset. The two teams haven't met since 1983 when Foge Fazio was roaming the Pitt sidelines.
10/5 Clemson at Syracuse: Hey Syracuse, welcome to the ACC! The Tigers will easily win this battle of the Orange-clads. This game could make the 'Cuse faithful wish that they still had Temple to kick around.
10/5 North Carolina at Virginia Tech: If Miami is rendered irrelevant by the NCAA, then this game should decide the ACC Coastal Division. The Tar Heels would have been in last season's ACC title tilt if they weren't serving a one-year bowl ban. However, UNC is only 2-7 lifetime at Blacksburg so they'll have to be hitting on all cylinders to pull off the upset.
10/19 Florida State @ Clemson: Mark it down, the winner of this game will win the Atlantic Division and play in the ACC Championship Game. Whoever wins the battle up front will win this game. FSU is just loaded on both sides of the line. Clemson does have the home field advantage and could easily rise to the occasion to beat the Seminoles.
11/9 Virginia Tech @ Miami: This one should decide the winner of the Coastal Division of the ACC. I say should because who knows if the NCAA will drop their hammer on Miami even after they've botched the investigation? If the hammer falls, then this game has a drastically reduced impact. If the Hurricanes get off light, then this game will be big. As for the football aspect of it, the matchup between Miami's 10 returning starters on offense V. VaTech's nine returning starters on defense could be epic.
ACC Schedule Quick Hits
The Doug Flutie Double; On 11/2 and 11/9 VaTech hits the road to Boston College and Miami.
Talk about creampuffs; Clemson will play a pair of FCS schools by taking on South Carolina State and that bastion of football excellence, The Citadel, this year.
Devils dance the Virginia Reel; Duke plays back-to-back roadies at Virginia and VaTech on 10/19 and 10/26.
A technicality ; Officially 11 of the ACC's 14 teams have an FCS team on their schedule. However, the three that don't, Pitt, UNC, and Maryland all have Old Dominion on their slate. 2013 is Old Dominion's first season in the FBS.
SEC bookends; Clemson begins the season with Georgia and finishes the regular season with South Carolina.
BCx2; On 9/21 Florida State hosts Bethune-Cookman. The next week they travel to Boston College.
Keeping it going; Through years of independent schedules to their time in the Big East, the Pitt-Syracuse series lives on in the ACC. The two schools have met every season since 1955.
Winds of the Carolinas; VaTech will play North, Western, and East Carolina this season. I guess they couldn't get South Carolina on the slate to complete some form of compass point perfection.
The real thing v. unleaded: Knowing that Georgia Tech calls Atlanta home, I wonder if they'll take a few cases of regular Coca-Cola with them when they visit BYU on 10/12.
A-H-A-H-BYE-A-H-A-H; That's Maryland's ACC slate. Eight games perfectly balanced with a bye in the middle. All league schedules should be so clean.
Are you ready for some football, eh?
The league with 3 downs, the 110 yard field and the Rouge is back. That's right folks, the road to the 101st Grey Cup begins this week. Canadian Football League play opens up on Thursday when the Montreal Alouettes take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Until next time folks, remember that everyone looks good on paper.
-The Commissioner
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Conference Shuffle
Hey All,
As in the past few seasons you can't tell the conferences without a scorecard. Well, here are some new Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard to get us through. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
The Conference Shuffle
It's the AAC, not the ACC; The Big East is no more. The league is now called the American Athletic Conference. I do give credit to the league for changing its' name when it didn't really fit anymore. Hint, hint, Big Ten and Big XII. Pitt and Syracuse have left for the ACC, while Houston, Memphis, SMU, and Central Florida come in as refugees from C-USA. The AAC will have 10 teams this season. They are Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Rutgers, SMU, Temple, UCF, and USF. One more thing, Rutgers will move to the Big Ten and Louisville will leave the league to got to the ACC in 2014.
It's the ACC, not the AAC; A lot of people thought this league was on its' last legs, but the ACC big wigs managed to survive Maryland's imminent move to the Big Ten, and actually expand with Pitt and Syracuse beginning ACC play this year and Louisville coming to the league in 2014. The league stands at 14 teams this season split into two divisions. The Atlantic Division consists of Clemson, Florida State, N.C. State, Maryland. Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Boston College. Miami, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Virginia, and Duke play in the Coastal Division. Maryland moves to the Big Ten in 2015.
The last ride of the Leaders and Legends; Oh folks, I know you're all gonna miss the Leaders and Legends divisions of the BIg Ten after 2013. Coming in 2014 the divisions will simply be the East and West divisions. As for now the league stays at 12 teams split into two divisions for this season. The Leaders Division is home to Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Indiana, Purdue, and Illinois. The Legends Division consists of Nebraska, Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota.
It's less than they say; The Big XII still has the same 10 teams like last season. The league has no divisions and consists of Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech, Iowa State, West Virginia, and Kansas.
Pacific is Spanish for calm; The Pac 12 stands pat at 12 teams. The 12 teams are split into two, 6 team divisions. Arizona, Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Colorado, and Utah inhabit the Pac 12 South, while Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, and Washington State play in the Pac 12 North.
The only thing missing are the trees at Toomer's corner; The SEC has the same 14 teams as last season. The 14 teams are split into two, seven team divisions. The SEC West teams are Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, and Mississippi State. The SEC East teams are South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky
Baby, I just couldn't leave you; Boise State and San Diego State looked to be off to the new AAC, but they decided it really wasn't so bad in the Mountain West Conference and stayed. So, the MWC expands to 14 teams this year as San Jose State and Utah State joined the league after the WAC died. There are two, seven team divisions for 2013. The Mountain Division consists of Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, Air Force, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The West Division is home to Fresno State, San Diego State, San Jose State, Nevada, Hawaii, and UNLV.
Oh, those teams in the Mighty MAC; The MAC stays at 13 teams split into two divisions. The MAC West consists of Northern Illinois, Toledo, Ball State, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan. The MAC East is home to Bowling Green, Ohio, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami, Akron, and UMass.
A way station in the FBS; C-USA is truly a conference in transition. Memphis, UCF, Houston, and SMU all left for the AAC, while East Carolina, Tulsa, and Tulane will leave the league for the AAC in the 2014 season. To combat the mass exodus, the league officials that were left raided the Sun Belt and then picked up a couple of WAC orphans to replenish the league for 2013. The Sun Belt teams making their C-USA debut this season are FIU, FAU, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee State. The two WAC orphans are Louisiana Tech and University of Texas- San Antonio (UTSA). The league has 14 teams split into two divisions. The East Division has Marshall, East Carolina, Southern Miss, UAB, MTSU, FAU, and FIU. The West Division consists of Tulsa, Rice, Tulane, LaTech, North Texas, UTEP, and UTSA.
The Sun Belt is the entry level conference of the FBS; Sun Belt teams look good, play hard, and move on to other leagues when they get better. Four schools left the Sun Belt for C-USA this season. They are FIU, FAU, North Texas, and MTSU. In their stead comes FBS newcomer Georgia State, and WAC refugee Texas State. The league will consist of eight teams with no divisions this year. They are Louisiana, ULM, WKU, Arkansas State, Troy, Texas State, South Alabama, and Georgia State.
The Island of Misfit Toys exists in college football; That's what I call this year's grouping of independent teams. There are seven this year. 2012 independents Notre Dame, Army, Navy, and BYU are joined by 1st year FBS team Old Dominion and New Mexico State and Idaho from the ruins of the WAC.
With no observation section in this column, here's a potshot to leave you all with...
When Charlie Weis took the HC job at Kansas last year, he told the Jayhawk faithful that the program has "nowhere to go, but up," after the team went 2-10 in 2011 under then HC Turner Gill. Well, the Jayhawks went down, going 1-11 last year without beating an FBS opponent. Their lone win came against South Dakota State of the FCS. I guess all those other schools did not not know that the Jayhawks had the schematic advantage.
Until next time folks, remember that Super Conferences will rule the FBS in a couple of years.
-The Commissioner
As in the past few seasons you can't tell the conferences without a scorecard. Well, here are some new Notes on a Pac 12 Scorecard to get us through. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
The Conference Shuffle
It's the AAC, not the ACC; The Big East is no more. The league is now called the American Athletic Conference. I do give credit to the league for changing its' name when it didn't really fit anymore. Hint, hint, Big Ten and Big XII. Pitt and Syracuse have left for the ACC, while Houston, Memphis, SMU, and Central Florida come in as refugees from C-USA. The AAC will have 10 teams this season. They are Cincinnati, Connecticut, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Rutgers, SMU, Temple, UCF, and USF. One more thing, Rutgers will move to the Big Ten and Louisville will leave the league to got to the ACC in 2014.
It's the ACC, not the AAC; A lot of people thought this league was on its' last legs, but the ACC big wigs managed to survive Maryland's imminent move to the Big Ten, and actually expand with Pitt and Syracuse beginning ACC play this year and Louisville coming to the league in 2014. The league stands at 14 teams this season split into two divisions. The Atlantic Division consists of Clemson, Florida State, N.C. State, Maryland. Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Boston College. Miami, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Virginia, and Duke play in the Coastal Division. Maryland moves to the Big Ten in 2015.
The last ride of the Leaders and Legends; Oh folks, I know you're all gonna miss the Leaders and Legends divisions of the BIg Ten after 2013. Coming in 2014 the divisions will simply be the East and West divisions. As for now the league stays at 12 teams split into two divisions for this season. The Leaders Division is home to Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Indiana, Purdue, and Illinois. The Legends Division consists of Nebraska, Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Iowa, and Minnesota.
It's less than they say; The Big XII still has the same 10 teams like last season. The league has no divisions and consists of Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech, Iowa State, West Virginia, and Kansas.
Pacific is Spanish for calm; The Pac 12 stands pat at 12 teams. The 12 teams are split into two, 6 team divisions. Arizona, Arizona State, USC, UCLA, Colorado, and Utah inhabit the Pac 12 South, while Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, and Washington State play in the Pac 12 North.
The only thing missing are the trees at Toomer's corner; The SEC has the same 14 teams as last season. The 14 teams are split into two, seven team divisions. The SEC West teams are Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, and Mississippi State. The SEC East teams are South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky
Baby, I just couldn't leave you; Boise State and San Diego State looked to be off to the new AAC, but they decided it really wasn't so bad in the Mountain West Conference and stayed. So, the MWC expands to 14 teams this year as San Jose State and Utah State joined the league after the WAC died. There are two, seven team divisions for 2013. The Mountain Division consists of Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, Air Force, Wyoming, and New Mexico. The West Division is home to Fresno State, San Diego State, San Jose State, Nevada, Hawaii, and UNLV.
Oh, those teams in the Mighty MAC; The MAC stays at 13 teams split into two divisions. The MAC West consists of Northern Illinois, Toledo, Ball State, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan. The MAC East is home to Bowling Green, Ohio, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami, Akron, and UMass.
A way station in the FBS; C-USA is truly a conference in transition. Memphis, UCF, Houston, and SMU all left for the AAC, while East Carolina, Tulsa, and Tulane will leave the league for the AAC in the 2014 season. To combat the mass exodus, the league officials that were left raided the Sun Belt and then picked up a couple of WAC orphans to replenish the league for 2013. The Sun Belt teams making their C-USA debut this season are FIU, FAU, North Texas, and Middle Tennessee State. The two WAC orphans are Louisiana Tech and University of Texas- San Antonio (UTSA). The league has 14 teams split into two divisions. The East Division has Marshall, East Carolina, Southern Miss, UAB, MTSU, FAU, and FIU. The West Division consists of Tulsa, Rice, Tulane, LaTech, North Texas, UTEP, and UTSA.
The Sun Belt is the entry level conference of the FBS; Sun Belt teams look good, play hard, and move on to other leagues when they get better. Four schools left the Sun Belt for C-USA this season. They are FIU, FAU, North Texas, and MTSU. In their stead comes FBS newcomer Georgia State, and WAC refugee Texas State. The league will consist of eight teams with no divisions this year. They are Louisiana, ULM, WKU, Arkansas State, Troy, Texas State, South Alabama, and Georgia State.
The Island of Misfit Toys exists in college football; That's what I call this year's grouping of independent teams. There are seven this year. 2012 independents Notre Dame, Army, Navy, and BYU are joined by 1st year FBS team Old Dominion and New Mexico State and Idaho from the ruins of the WAC.
With no observation section in this column, here's a potshot to leave you all with...
When Charlie Weis took the HC job at Kansas last year, he told the Jayhawk faithful that the program has "nowhere to go, but up," after the team went 2-10 in 2011 under then HC Turner Gill. Well, the Jayhawks went down, going 1-11 last year without beating an FBS opponent. Their lone win came against South Dakota State of the FCS. I guess all those other schools did not not know that the Jayhawks had the schematic advantage.
Until next time folks, remember that Super Conferences will rule the FBS in a couple of years.
-The Commissioner
Monday, June 10, 2013
Coaching Carousel 2013
Hey All,
It's now under 85 days to kickoff of the 2013 season, so here's the first installment of my summer reading program to help you all to get ready for the upcoming season. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
It's time to take a ride on the ol' Coaching Carousel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31 new head coaches will roam the sidelines during the 2013 season. Here's a snapshot of all the hires.
Arkansas
OUT: John L. Smith/ IN: Bret Bielema
The departure of John L. Smith signals the end to nightmare that was the Bob Petrino era in Fayetteville. The move of Bielema from Wisconsin to Arkansas is a real head scratcher. He had just led Wisconsin to their third straight Rose Bowl and had a stranglehold on the Big Ten. Bielema left all that behind in the blink of an eye for the job with the Razorbacks. He never even informed AD Barry Alvarez that he was even thinking of leaving. He just told Alvarez he was leaving after accepting the job offer from Arkansas. That incredible breach of coaching etiquette basically burned all Bielema's bridges at Wisconsin, so he better succeed with the Razorbacks.
Arkansas State
OUT: Gus Malzahn/ IN: Bryan Harsin
If you think the words "Arkansas State" and "High Expectations" don't belong in the same sentence, think again. The Red Wolves are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons that were capped with a pair of Sun Belt titles and bowl appearances. Bryan Harsin comes to ASU after spending the last two seasons as the OC at Texas, but the bulk of his experience comes from Boise State. He spent 10 years in the Bronco program and served the last five seasons as the OC for HC Chris Petersen.
Auburn Tigers
OUT: Gene Chizik/ IN: Gus Malzahn
Malzahn is the winner of the reality show, Survivor: Coaches Island. After delivering Mitch Mustain and several other teammates to Arkansas from Springdale High in exchange for the OC job there in 2005, he's managed to work his way from Arkansas to Temple to Tulsa to Auburn to Arkansas State and now back to Auburn leaving a lot of garbage behind in his wake. He's never been anywhere though where he hasn't produced good results. Auburn fans hope they get the good from Malzahn without the garbage.
Boston College
OUT: Frank Spaziani/ IN: Steve Addazio
Frank Spaziani went 22-29 at BC with the team's win total dropping in each of his four seasons at the helm. Last year's 2-10 finish was the worst for any BC team since the Eagles went 0-11 in 1978. Steve Addazio comes into the job after being the HC at Temple for past two seasons. However, the brightest part of his coaching resume is that he was on Florida staff from 2005-2010 where he worked his way up form OL coach to the OC.
California
OUT: Jeff Tedford/ IN: Sonny Dykes
Jeff Tedford won more games than any other head coach in Golden Bear history. He was also fired after his squad went 3-9 last season. In his stead comes Sonny Dykes from Louisiana Tech. Dykes led the Bulldogs to a 22-15 record over his three seasons there. His 2012 team went 9-3 while averaging 51.5 points and 577.9 yards of offense per game. It's clear that Cal administration hired a coach that they believe can put an exciting brand of football in the newly renovated Memorial Stadium.
Cincinnati
OUT: Butch Jones/ IN: Tommy Tuberville
Cincinnati has become a stepping stone school in the FBS. Mark Dantonio left the school after the 2006 season for Michigan State. Next, Brian Kelly left after the 2009 season for Notre Dame and then Butch Jones left after last season to take the reins at Tennessee. Now, the Bearcats welcome Tommy Tuberville to campus. However, Tuberville is not a coach on the rise. He's a coach looking for redemption after his dismal three year run at Texas Tech produced just a 9-17 record in Big XII play and the infamous moment where he ripped the headphones off one of his assistants during a game. If Tuberville gets his act together he might stay awhile at UC.
Colorado
OUT: Jon Embree/ IN: Mike MacIntyre
The Colorado program hit rock bottom in the two seasons that Embree was at the helm in Boulder. The slide had been going on for years and accelerated under Embree's predecessor Dan Hawkins. The Buffaloes may have made one of the best hires of the year when they took Mike MacIntyre from San Jose State. He turned the Spartan program from a loser that was on the chopping block due to budget cuts into a 10-win squad that beat Bowling Green in the Military Bowl. He'll get way more support than he ever got at SJSU and is a coach on the rise.
Florida International
OUT: Mario Cristobal/ IN: Ron Turner
Cristobal took over a winless team in 2007 and in his fourth season the Panthers won the Sun Belt crown and beat Toledo 34-32 in the Little Caesar's Bowl. However, the Panthers limped to a 3-9 record in 2012 and he was fired. The big rumor was that he was going to be replaced by Butch Davis. Instead, Ron Turner got the nod. I wonder if he'll offer his brother Norv a job soon?
Georgia State
OUT: Bill Curry/ IN: Trent Miles
Bill Curry retired after taking this program from inception to the FBS in just four seasons. Trent Miles gets the job after bringing Indiana State back to respectability from 2008-2011. Before being at Indiana State, Miles had been all over the map as an assistant with gigs from Hawaii to Notre Dame and almost everywhere in between.
Idaho
OUT: Robb Akey/ IN: Paul Petrino
Akey had no ties to the Idaho program, but had been in the Palouse as an assistant to both Mike Price and Dill Doba at Washington State. Akey's squads went a miserable 20-70 in his six seasons in Moscow and he was fired eight games into the 2012 season. Paul Petrino comes in trying to shake off the stigma of being Bob Petrino's brother. However, the hire isn't as strange as it sounds as he does have ties to the area. Petrino was born in Butte, Montana and played QB for his father, Bob Petrino, Sr. at NAIA power Carroll College in Helena, Montana. This is his first HC job on any level.
Kent State
OUT: Darrell Hazell/ IN: Paul Haynes
Coaches who have good seasons in the MAC, usually find their way to the Big Ten. This is true of Darrell Hazell. After leading the Golden Flashes to an 11-3 record and a league title in 2012, he found his way to Purdue. Taking Hazell's place is Paul Haynes. His area of expertise is defense. He's been the DC at Ohio State and Arkansas. He's returning to his Alma Mater, where played from 1987-1991.
Kentucky
OUT: Joker Phillips/ IN: Mark Stoops
Phillips went just 13-24 in his stint with the Wildcats. That made him the 9th straight HC to leave the bluegrass state with a losing record. In fact. since Bear Bryant left UK after the 1953 season, Blanton Collier is the only HC to leave with a winning record at 41-36-3. Stoops takes the reins after serving as the DC at Florida State. He's the youngest of the Stoops brothers. He served on Mike Stoops' staff at Arizona from 2004-2009 as the DC/ defensive backs coach.
Louisiana Tech
OUT: Sonny Dykes/ IN: Skip Holtz
After Sonny Dykes took his light-up-the-scoreboard offense to CAL, Skip Holtz landed on his feet at LaTech after being fired by USF. The Bulldogs move into Conference USA this season and they hope Holtz can repeat the success he had when he led East Carolina to consecutive C-USA crowns in 2008-2009. Holtz will have his work cut out for him as he has only 6 returning starters, (2O/4D) back on both sides of the ball.
North Carolina State
OUT: Tom O'Brien/ IN: Dave Doeren
O'Brien left Boston College after the 2004 season for NC State. His teams never quite got over the hump and he was let go after compiling a less than stellar 40-35 record. Doeren survived the stigma of being a Grad Assistant at USC during the Hackett era to become a fine head coach. He went 23-4 in two seasons at Northern Illinois which culminated in the Huskies 2013 Orange Bowl appearance. The Orange Bowl bid was the first BCS bid in MAC history.
Nevada Wolfpack
OUT Chris Ault/ IN: Brian Polian
Ault, the father of the Pistol offense retires after a couple of stints as the HC at Nevada. His 233-109-1 record included taking the Wolfpack from the 1-AA ranks to being a successful FBS program. Trying to fill his shoes is Brian Polian. The Polian name may sound familiar to you, his dad is NFL super executive Bill Polian. The younger Polian has spent all of his coaching career in the college game and has the reputation of being a great recruiter. However, is he ready to be a HC at the FBS level? He's only served as a special teams coordiantor at his previous three jobs with Texas A&M, Stanford and Notre Dame. Only time will tell with this hire.
New Mexico State
OUT: DeWayne Walker/ IN: Doug Martin
The New Mexico State job is a coach-killer. This year another victim was added to the list as DeWayne Walker got the axe after compiling a dismal 10-40 record over the last four seasons. The Aggies have replaced Walker with Doug Martin who spent last season as the OC and QB coach for Boston College. Martin is returning to NMSU after serving as the OC for the Aggies in 2011. If Martin can rebuild the program it will be a bigtime accomplishment as NMSU hasn't been to a bowl game since 1960. In the 1960 Sun Bowl, HC Warren Woodson's Aggies beat Utah State 20-13 to finish the season at 11-0, claiming both the Border Conference championship and a #19 ranking in the AP Poll.
Northern Illinois
OUT: Dave Doeren/ IN: Rod Carey
Carey only has to come in and be as good as Doeren who went 23-4 in two seasons at UNI. Carey was the OL coach for the Huskies and was promoted to HC the day after Doeren ran off to NC State and is already 0-1. The Huskies got smacked by Florida State 31-10 in the Orange Bowl. UNI fans hope Carey has an easier time with MAC opponents in 2013.
Oregon
OUT: Chip Kelly/ IN: Mark Helfrich
Chip Kelly traded the many horrid shades of Oregon green for the midnight green of the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving Eugene a step ahead of NCAA investigators. Mark Helfrich became the third straight Oregon OC to become HC of the Ducks. However, nobody is really interested in how Helfrich will do at UO. Everyone really wants to know if the NCAA sanctions the Ducks back to irrelevancy.
Purdue
OUT: Danny Hope/ IN: Darrell Hazell
Hope is both gone and back in West Lafayette. Danny Hope replaced Joe Tiller as HC back in 2009. He compiled only a 22-27 mark over four seasons in charge. He was fired at the end of the regular season before Purdue was smashed in the Heart of Dallas Bowl by Okie State, 58-14. (Note: The fact I typed that last sentence shows that there are way too many bowl games.) So, In comes Darrell Hazell from Kent State where he turned the team around from being a MAC doormat to an 11-win squad that in 2012 with an appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. So the Purdue faithful have new hope that Hazell can work that same magic with the Gold And Black.
San Jose State
OUT: Mike MacIntyre/ IN: Ron Caragher
MacIntyre left some big shoes to fill in San Jose. All he did was take the left-for-dead program and build it into an 10-game winner in three seasons. Caragher comes in as a California guy who played QB at UCLA. Never heard of him? He never saw the field. He was a backup to Troy Aikman. He went on to serve on Buffet Bob Toledo's staff at UCLA as a grad assistant. Then after a three year stint as the running backs coach at Kentucky, he succeeded Jim Harbuagh as the HC at the University of San Diego from 2007-2012. Word in the coaching circles is that he is a coach on the rise with UCLA already eyeing him if Jim Mora fails in Westwood.
Southern Mississippi
OUT: Ellis Johnson/ IN: Todd Monken
Ellis Johnson was run out of town on a rail after one season at USM. Why? Maybe because the Golden Eagles finished the season at 0-12, making them the only FBS squad in the land to finish with a winless record. He may have also been fired because someone in the administration at USM realized that they hired a guy whose only real head coaching experience came from three seasons at The Citadel. Monken comes into the job after being the OC at Oklahoma State, which makes him the third HC in the last four at USM to come from the Cowboys. If Monken just goes .500 in his first year, USM fans will be impressed.
Syracuse
OUT: Doug Marrone/ IN: Scott Shafer
Marrone has shuffled off to Buffalo to run the Bills. The Orange didn't conduct a big search for their next HC by promoting from within DC Scott Shafer. Shafer has been around the college scene for awhile serving on several staffs in the Big Ten and the MAC as the DC, but his biggest claim to fame as an assistant is he was the DC for Jim Harbaugh in Stanford's famous upset of USC as 41 point underdogs in 2007. His defenses have always put up great numbers in regards to sacks and tackles for loss.
Tennessee
OUT: Derek Dooley/ IN: Butch Jones
Derek Dooley was shown the door at Tennessee even before the 2012 season ended. He went 15-21 in his almost three seasons in Knoxville. Butch Jones gets that job after several high profile coaches turned the Vols down flat. So, the Orange faithful are not to thrilled with Jones. However, it should be remembered that Jones did build Cincinnati back up after Brian Kelly left for ND following the 2009 season. He went 23-14 with the Bearcats with two bowl appearances.
Temple
OUT: Steve Addazio/ IN: Matt Ruhle
With Addazio taking the Boston College job, Mark Ruhle steps back into familiar territory. Ruhle served on Al Golden's Temple staff from 2006-2011 working his way up from DL coach to OC during that time. Getting the program to be as agood as when Golden was in charge won't be easy. His three returning offensive starters are all on the line, leaving him with a very green group of skill position players. However, Ruhle does know the lay of the land for recruiting kids to Temple. So things could be good for the Owls in the coming years.
Texas Tech
OUT: Tommy Tuberville/ IN: Kilff Kingsbury
With the Tommy The Headset Ripper gone, the Red Raiders have turned to their former star QB to lead them. Kinsgbury will only be 34 when the season starts, but he has already built a good resume by being the co-offensive coordinator at Houston for three years under Kevin Sumlin. He then went with Sumlin to Texas A&M for 2012 season where he was the OC for Johnny Manziel's Heisman run. Kinsgbury will bring the Air-Raid offense back to Tech. The university has already ordered extra bulbs for the scoreboard in anticipation.
University of South Florida
OUT: Skip Holtz/ IN: Willie Taggart
The son of Lou only went 16-21 in three seasons with Bulls, never finishing higher than fifth in the Big East. So, Sean Kugler now is the Bulls HC after two seasons at Western Kentucky. Kugler only went 16-20 at WKU, but it is his link to the Harbaughs that got him the job. He played for Jack at WKU, then coached for him at WKU. He also served on Jim's staff at Stanford from 2007-2009 where he coached running backs on The Farm.
UTEP
OUT: Mike Price/ IN: Sean Kugler
What if Mike Price hadn't been playing around with those strippers back in 2003? Would he be retiring form Alabama right now with Nick Saban running some other team somewhere? We'll never know the answer, but we do know Price is done. He's hung up his whistle and rode off into the west Texas sunset. In his place comes Sean Kugler. Kugler played for the Miners from 1984-88 and has been an assistant in the NFL for the 10 of the last 11 seasons for the Lions, Bills, and Steelers working with the offensive line. He also comes to UTEP cheap. His 280,000 thousand dollar annual salary is the second lowest in the FBS behind Louisiana-Monroe's Todd Berry who makes 250,000 a year.
Utah State
OUT: Gary Andersen/ IN: Matt Wells
Andersen took the open Wisconsin job after his 2012 team went 11-2 with a dismantling of Toledo, 41-15, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Matt Wells was promoted from OC to HC in December. He's a former Aggie QB and has spent five years as the QB coach at Navy. This is his first HC gig.
Western Kentucky
OUT: Willie Taggart/ IN: Bob Petrino
Willie Taggart left the Hilltoppers to roam sidelines at South Florida. The new big cheese at WKU is that cheesy wannabe Hell's Angel himself, Bob Petrino. Why did WKU hire this guy? He has proven over the years that he has no integrity. What parent would entrust the football health and welfare of their son to him? He's the worst hire of the offseason.
Western Michigan
OUT: Bill Cubit/ IN: P.J. Fleck
Cubit was let go at WMU after eight seasons with a 51-47 record and three bowl appearances. In comes Fleck who's only 32 and has never been even a coordinator at any level. He worked as an assistant under Jim Tressel at Theee OSU and with Greg Schiano at both Rutgers and the Buccaneers. Fleck is also the answer to a great Trivia question. He's the first FBS head coach ever hired who was born in the 1980s.
Wisconsin
OUT:Bret Bielema/ IN: Gary Andersen
Every AD in the country has a short list of coaches to call when his HC leaves suddenly or his fired. Barry Alvarez went to that list and snapped up Gary Andersen from Utah State after Bret Bielema bolted for Fayetteville. I think the sales pitch was easy. Alvarez offered Anderson, real coca-cola, real beer, and a Starbucks card. Andersen's a great hire. He turned around a lifeless Utah State program and he now inherits a Badger squad with 14 returning starters off last season's Rose Bowl team. Andersen could make Wisconsin fans say "Bret Who?" in a couple of seasons.
Up next folks on this year's summer reading tour is a look at the conference shuffle. Are you ready for the American Athletic Conference?
-The Commissioner
It's now under 85 days to kickoff of the 2013 season, so here's the first installment of my summer reading program to help you all to get ready for the upcoming season. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
It's time to take a ride on the ol' Coaching Carousel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
31 new head coaches will roam the sidelines during the 2013 season. Here's a snapshot of all the hires.
Arkansas
OUT: John L. Smith/ IN: Bret Bielema
The departure of John L. Smith signals the end to nightmare that was the Bob Petrino era in Fayetteville. The move of Bielema from Wisconsin to Arkansas is a real head scratcher. He had just led Wisconsin to their third straight Rose Bowl and had a stranglehold on the Big Ten. Bielema left all that behind in the blink of an eye for the job with the Razorbacks. He never even informed AD Barry Alvarez that he was even thinking of leaving. He just told Alvarez he was leaving after accepting the job offer from Arkansas. That incredible breach of coaching etiquette basically burned all Bielema's bridges at Wisconsin, so he better succeed with the Razorbacks.
Arkansas State
OUT: Gus Malzahn/ IN: Bryan Harsin
If you think the words "Arkansas State" and "High Expectations" don't belong in the same sentence, think again. The Red Wolves are coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons that were capped with a pair of Sun Belt titles and bowl appearances. Bryan Harsin comes to ASU after spending the last two seasons as the OC at Texas, but the bulk of his experience comes from Boise State. He spent 10 years in the Bronco program and served the last five seasons as the OC for HC Chris Petersen.
Auburn Tigers
OUT: Gene Chizik/ IN: Gus Malzahn
Malzahn is the winner of the reality show, Survivor: Coaches Island. After delivering Mitch Mustain and several other teammates to Arkansas from Springdale High in exchange for the OC job there in 2005, he's managed to work his way from Arkansas to Temple to Tulsa to Auburn to Arkansas State and now back to Auburn leaving a lot of garbage behind in his wake. He's never been anywhere though where he hasn't produced good results. Auburn fans hope they get the good from Malzahn without the garbage.
Boston College
OUT: Frank Spaziani/ IN: Steve Addazio
Frank Spaziani went 22-29 at BC with the team's win total dropping in each of his four seasons at the helm. Last year's 2-10 finish was the worst for any BC team since the Eagles went 0-11 in 1978. Steve Addazio comes into the job after being the HC at Temple for past two seasons. However, the brightest part of his coaching resume is that he was on Florida staff from 2005-2010 where he worked his way up form OL coach to the OC.
California
OUT: Jeff Tedford/ IN: Sonny Dykes
Jeff Tedford won more games than any other head coach in Golden Bear history. He was also fired after his squad went 3-9 last season. In his stead comes Sonny Dykes from Louisiana Tech. Dykes led the Bulldogs to a 22-15 record over his three seasons there. His 2012 team went 9-3 while averaging 51.5 points and 577.9 yards of offense per game. It's clear that Cal administration hired a coach that they believe can put an exciting brand of football in the newly renovated Memorial Stadium.
Cincinnati
OUT: Butch Jones/ IN: Tommy Tuberville
Cincinnati has become a stepping stone school in the FBS. Mark Dantonio left the school after the 2006 season for Michigan State. Next, Brian Kelly left after the 2009 season for Notre Dame and then Butch Jones left after last season to take the reins at Tennessee. Now, the Bearcats welcome Tommy Tuberville to campus. However, Tuberville is not a coach on the rise. He's a coach looking for redemption after his dismal three year run at Texas Tech produced just a 9-17 record in Big XII play and the infamous moment where he ripped the headphones off one of his assistants during a game. If Tuberville gets his act together he might stay awhile at UC.
Colorado
OUT: Jon Embree/ IN: Mike MacIntyre
The Colorado program hit rock bottom in the two seasons that Embree was at the helm in Boulder. The slide had been going on for years and accelerated under Embree's predecessor Dan Hawkins. The Buffaloes may have made one of the best hires of the year when they took Mike MacIntyre from San Jose State. He turned the Spartan program from a loser that was on the chopping block due to budget cuts into a 10-win squad that beat Bowling Green in the Military Bowl. He'll get way more support than he ever got at SJSU and is a coach on the rise.
Florida International
OUT: Mario Cristobal/ IN: Ron Turner
Cristobal took over a winless team in 2007 and in his fourth season the Panthers won the Sun Belt crown and beat Toledo 34-32 in the Little Caesar's Bowl. However, the Panthers limped to a 3-9 record in 2012 and he was fired. The big rumor was that he was going to be replaced by Butch Davis. Instead, Ron Turner got the nod. I wonder if he'll offer his brother Norv a job soon?
Georgia State
OUT: Bill Curry/ IN: Trent Miles
Bill Curry retired after taking this program from inception to the FBS in just four seasons. Trent Miles gets the job after bringing Indiana State back to respectability from 2008-2011. Before being at Indiana State, Miles had been all over the map as an assistant with gigs from Hawaii to Notre Dame and almost everywhere in between.
Idaho
OUT: Robb Akey/ IN: Paul Petrino
Akey had no ties to the Idaho program, but had been in the Palouse as an assistant to both Mike Price and Dill Doba at Washington State. Akey's squads went a miserable 20-70 in his six seasons in Moscow and he was fired eight games into the 2012 season. Paul Petrino comes in trying to shake off the stigma of being Bob Petrino's brother. However, the hire isn't as strange as it sounds as he does have ties to the area. Petrino was born in Butte, Montana and played QB for his father, Bob Petrino, Sr. at NAIA power Carroll College in Helena, Montana. This is his first HC job on any level.
Kent State
OUT: Darrell Hazell/ IN: Paul Haynes
Coaches who have good seasons in the MAC, usually find their way to the Big Ten. This is true of Darrell Hazell. After leading the Golden Flashes to an 11-3 record and a league title in 2012, he found his way to Purdue. Taking Hazell's place is Paul Haynes. His area of expertise is defense. He's been the DC at Ohio State and Arkansas. He's returning to his Alma Mater, where played from 1987-1991.
Kentucky
OUT: Joker Phillips/ IN: Mark Stoops
Phillips went just 13-24 in his stint with the Wildcats. That made him the 9th straight HC to leave the bluegrass state with a losing record. In fact. since Bear Bryant left UK after the 1953 season, Blanton Collier is the only HC to leave with a winning record at 41-36-3. Stoops takes the reins after serving as the DC at Florida State. He's the youngest of the Stoops brothers. He served on Mike Stoops' staff at Arizona from 2004-2009 as the DC/ defensive backs coach.
Louisiana Tech
OUT: Sonny Dykes/ IN: Skip Holtz
After Sonny Dykes took his light-up-the-scoreboard offense to CAL, Skip Holtz landed on his feet at LaTech after being fired by USF. The Bulldogs move into Conference USA this season and they hope Holtz can repeat the success he had when he led East Carolina to consecutive C-USA crowns in 2008-2009. Holtz will have his work cut out for him as he has only 6 returning starters, (2O/4D) back on both sides of the ball.
North Carolina State
OUT: Tom O'Brien/ IN: Dave Doeren
O'Brien left Boston College after the 2004 season for NC State. His teams never quite got over the hump and he was let go after compiling a less than stellar 40-35 record. Doeren survived the stigma of being a Grad Assistant at USC during the Hackett era to become a fine head coach. He went 23-4 in two seasons at Northern Illinois which culminated in the Huskies 2013 Orange Bowl appearance. The Orange Bowl bid was the first BCS bid in MAC history.
Nevada Wolfpack
OUT Chris Ault/ IN: Brian Polian
Ault, the father of the Pistol offense retires after a couple of stints as the HC at Nevada. His 233-109-1 record included taking the Wolfpack from the 1-AA ranks to being a successful FBS program. Trying to fill his shoes is Brian Polian. The Polian name may sound familiar to you, his dad is NFL super executive Bill Polian. The younger Polian has spent all of his coaching career in the college game and has the reputation of being a great recruiter. However, is he ready to be a HC at the FBS level? He's only served as a special teams coordiantor at his previous three jobs with Texas A&M, Stanford and Notre Dame. Only time will tell with this hire.
OUT: DeWayne Walker/ IN: Doug Martin
The New Mexico State job is a coach-killer. This year another victim was added to the list as DeWayne Walker got the axe after compiling a dismal 10-40 record over the last four seasons. The Aggies have replaced Walker with Doug Martin who spent last season as the OC and QB coach for Boston College. Martin is returning to NMSU after serving as the OC for the Aggies in 2011. If Martin can rebuild the program it will be a bigtime accomplishment as NMSU hasn't been to a bowl game since 1960. In the 1960 Sun Bowl, HC Warren Woodson's Aggies beat Utah State 20-13 to finish the season at 11-0, claiming both the Border Conference championship and a #19 ranking in the AP Poll.
Northern Illinois
OUT: Dave Doeren/ IN: Rod Carey
Carey only has to come in and be as good as Doeren who went 23-4 in two seasons at UNI. Carey was the OL coach for the Huskies and was promoted to HC the day after Doeren ran off to NC State and is already 0-1. The Huskies got smacked by Florida State 31-10 in the Orange Bowl. UNI fans hope Carey has an easier time with MAC opponents in 2013.
Oregon
OUT: Chip Kelly/ IN: Mark Helfrich
Chip Kelly traded the many horrid shades of Oregon green for the midnight green of the Philadelphia Eagles, leaving Eugene a step ahead of NCAA investigators. Mark Helfrich became the third straight Oregon OC to become HC of the Ducks. However, nobody is really interested in how Helfrich will do at UO. Everyone really wants to know if the NCAA sanctions the Ducks back to irrelevancy.
Purdue
OUT: Danny Hope/ IN: Darrell Hazell
Hope is both gone and back in West Lafayette. Danny Hope replaced Joe Tiller as HC back in 2009. He compiled only a 22-27 mark over four seasons in charge. He was fired at the end of the regular season before Purdue was smashed in the Heart of Dallas Bowl by Okie State, 58-14. (Note: The fact I typed that last sentence shows that there are way too many bowl games.) So, In comes Darrell Hazell from Kent State where he turned the team around from being a MAC doormat to an 11-win squad that in 2012 with an appearance in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. So the Purdue faithful have new hope that Hazell can work that same magic with the Gold And Black.
San Jose State
OUT: Mike MacIntyre/ IN: Ron Caragher
MacIntyre left some big shoes to fill in San Jose. All he did was take the left-for-dead program and build it into an 10-game winner in three seasons. Caragher comes in as a California guy who played QB at UCLA. Never heard of him? He never saw the field. He was a backup to Troy Aikman. He went on to serve on Buffet Bob Toledo's staff at UCLA as a grad assistant. Then after a three year stint as the running backs coach at Kentucky, he succeeded Jim Harbuagh as the HC at the University of San Diego from 2007-2012. Word in the coaching circles is that he is a coach on the rise with UCLA already eyeing him if Jim Mora fails in Westwood.
Southern Mississippi
OUT: Ellis Johnson/ IN: Todd Monken
Ellis Johnson was run out of town on a rail after one season at USM. Why? Maybe because the Golden Eagles finished the season at 0-12, making them the only FBS squad in the land to finish with a winless record. He may have also been fired because someone in the administration at USM realized that they hired a guy whose only real head coaching experience came from three seasons at The Citadel. Monken comes into the job after being the OC at Oklahoma State, which makes him the third HC in the last four at USM to come from the Cowboys. If Monken just goes .500 in his first year, USM fans will be impressed.
Syracuse
OUT: Doug Marrone/ IN: Scott Shafer
Marrone has shuffled off to Buffalo to run the Bills. The Orange didn't conduct a big search for their next HC by promoting from within DC Scott Shafer. Shafer has been around the college scene for awhile serving on several staffs in the Big Ten and the MAC as the DC, but his biggest claim to fame as an assistant is he was the DC for Jim Harbaugh in Stanford's famous upset of USC as 41 point underdogs in 2007. His defenses have always put up great numbers in regards to sacks and tackles for loss.
Tennessee
OUT: Derek Dooley/ IN: Butch Jones
Derek Dooley was shown the door at Tennessee even before the 2012 season ended. He went 15-21 in his almost three seasons in Knoxville. Butch Jones gets that job after several high profile coaches turned the Vols down flat. So, the Orange faithful are not to thrilled with Jones. However, it should be remembered that Jones did build Cincinnati back up after Brian Kelly left for ND following the 2009 season. He went 23-14 with the Bearcats with two bowl appearances.
Temple
OUT: Steve Addazio/ IN: Matt Ruhle
With Addazio taking the Boston College job, Mark Ruhle steps back into familiar territory. Ruhle served on Al Golden's Temple staff from 2006-2011 working his way up from DL coach to OC during that time. Getting the program to be as agood as when Golden was in charge won't be easy. His three returning offensive starters are all on the line, leaving him with a very green group of skill position players. However, Ruhle does know the lay of the land for recruiting kids to Temple. So things could be good for the Owls in the coming years.
Texas Tech
OUT: Tommy Tuberville/ IN: Kilff Kingsbury
With the Tommy The Headset Ripper gone, the Red Raiders have turned to their former star QB to lead them. Kinsgbury will only be 34 when the season starts, but he has already built a good resume by being the co-offensive coordinator at Houston for three years under Kevin Sumlin. He then went with Sumlin to Texas A&M for 2012 season where he was the OC for Johnny Manziel's Heisman run. Kinsgbury will bring the Air-Raid offense back to Tech. The university has already ordered extra bulbs for the scoreboard in anticipation.
University of South Florida
OUT: Skip Holtz/ IN: Willie Taggart
The son of Lou only went 16-21 in three seasons with Bulls, never finishing higher than fifth in the Big East. So, Sean Kugler now is the Bulls HC after two seasons at Western Kentucky. Kugler only went 16-20 at WKU, but it is his link to the Harbaughs that got him the job. He played for Jack at WKU, then coached for him at WKU. He also served on Jim's staff at Stanford from 2007-2009 where he coached running backs on The Farm.
UTEP
OUT: Mike Price/ IN: Sean Kugler
What if Mike Price hadn't been playing around with those strippers back in 2003? Would he be retiring form Alabama right now with Nick Saban running some other team somewhere? We'll never know the answer, but we do know Price is done. He's hung up his whistle and rode off into the west Texas sunset. In his place comes Sean Kugler. Kugler played for the Miners from 1984-88 and has been an assistant in the NFL for the 10 of the last 11 seasons for the Lions, Bills, and Steelers working with the offensive line. He also comes to UTEP cheap. His 280,000 thousand dollar annual salary is the second lowest in the FBS behind Louisiana-Monroe's Todd Berry who makes 250,000 a year.
Utah State
OUT: Gary Andersen/ IN: Matt Wells
Andersen took the open Wisconsin job after his 2012 team went 11-2 with a dismantling of Toledo, 41-15, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Matt Wells was promoted from OC to HC in December. He's a former Aggie QB and has spent five years as the QB coach at Navy. This is his first HC gig.
Western Kentucky
OUT: Willie Taggart/ IN: Bob Petrino
Willie Taggart left the Hilltoppers to roam sidelines at South Florida. The new big cheese at WKU is that cheesy wannabe Hell's Angel himself, Bob Petrino. Why did WKU hire this guy? He has proven over the years that he has no integrity. What parent would entrust the football health and welfare of their son to him? He's the worst hire of the offseason.
Western Michigan
OUT: Bill Cubit/ IN: P.J. Fleck
Cubit was let go at WMU after eight seasons with a 51-47 record and three bowl appearances. In comes Fleck who's only 32 and has never been even a coordinator at any level. He worked as an assistant under Jim Tressel at Theee OSU and with Greg Schiano at both Rutgers and the Buccaneers. Fleck is also the answer to a great Trivia question. He's the first FBS head coach ever hired who was born in the 1980s.
Wisconsin
OUT:Bret Bielema/ IN: Gary Andersen
Every AD in the country has a short list of coaches to call when his HC leaves suddenly or his fired. Barry Alvarez went to that list and snapped up Gary Andersen from Utah State after Bret Bielema bolted for Fayetteville. I think the sales pitch was easy. Alvarez offered Anderson, real coca-cola, real beer, and a Starbucks card. Andersen's a great hire. He turned around a lifeless Utah State program and he now inherits a Badger squad with 14 returning starters off last season's Rose Bowl team. Andersen could make Wisconsin fans say "Bret Who?" in a couple of seasons.
Up next folks on this year's summer reading tour is a look at the conference shuffle. Are you ready for the American Athletic Conference?
-The Commissioner
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