Steve Addazio made Boston College into a consistent bowl team and pulled off some big upsets during his time in The Heights. He also had a very clear ceiling: Seven wins.
After recording seven wins in five of his first six seasons, Addazio likely needed to at least match the mark this fall to secure his position for 2020. Even though Boston College upset Pitt to reach bowl eligibility, the school opted to make a change on Sunday.
Addazio, who faced some job pressure late last fall, couldn't overcome home losses to Kansas and a Florida State team that had just fired its coach. He finished 44-44 overall and 22-34 in ACC play.
Boston College remains one of the toughest Power 5 jobs. Despite recent facilities investments, BC lacks the internal resources of many of its ACC competitors. It also has much less direct access to high-level talent because of its location. An urban campus brings both positives for coaching candidates and their families but also drawbacks, namely a higher cost of living.
Athletic director Martin Jarmond is a young, dynamic administrator eager to make a mark. Industry sources expect Jarmond's roots as an Ohio State administrator (2009- 17) to be key in how he shapes the candidate pool. Boston College also has some financial limitations and could be replacing basketball coach Jim Christian later this season.
Here's a look at an interesting and fairly strong pool of potential candidates for the BC job as the search gets underway.
The candidates
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell: There's little doubt Jarmond, who knows Fickell from their time together at Ohio State, would love to bring in the Bearcats' coach to lead BC. Fickell, 46, is a strong recruiter who has proven the past two years that he can lead a program (21-4 the past two seasons). The question is whether the Boston College job would tempt him, as he likely could aim higher in this year's coaching cycle or next. Unlike Moorhead, Fickell is a great fit at Cincinnati and could target bigger jobs.
Toledo coach Jason Candle: If Boston College wants a young coach with strong offensive credentials, Candle would be a smart choice. He led Toledo to a MAC title in 2017 and will post his fourth winning season with the Rockets this year. Candle, 39, is a sharp offensive mind who understands what it's like to coach at an urban campus. The downside: He has lost momentum since 2017, when he led Toledo to a MAC title and won coach of the year honors.
New England Patriots defensive line coach Bret Bielema: He's already living in the area and would return to college football for the right job. Bielema's contract with the Patriots allows him to leave for an FBS head-coaching position. Arguably, no realistic candidate for Boston College could match Bielema's profile, as he guided Wisconsin to three consecutive Big Ten championships and won eight or more games in six of seven seasons.
Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead: Moorhead's name bubbled up for the Rutgers job several weeks ago. While Rutgers brought back Greg Schiano, Moorhead remains a coach who seemingly fits better in the Northeast than the SEC West. The 46-year-old has been a head coach at an urban setting, with Fordham, and also served as an assistant at Pitt. Moorhead's stock surged as Penn State's offensive coordinator. Moorhead sounds like he wants to stay at Mississippi State, but Boston College should at least gauge his interest.
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley: Although Hafley is a new arrival at Ohio State and didn't overlap with Jarmond in Columbus, he has helped transform an underachieving defense into one of the nation's best. He's charismatic and comfortable in front of the media, and also can blend NFL knowledge (worked the past six seasons with three NFL teams) into a college program. The New Jersey native spent the first decade of his coaching career in the Northeast before entering the NFL in 2012.
Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed: The former Boston College defensive back understands the job and how to have success, as he played on three bowl teams that recorded AP Top 25 finishes. Reed also knows the league after successful stints at NC State and now Clemson, where he has been a part of two national championship runs. He lacks head-coaching experience but checks boxes other candidates don't because of his BC ties.
Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington: He lacks head-coaching or coordinator experience but still meets some of the criteria Jarmond could want in this hire. Washington is among the new defensive coaches who have transformed a breakdown-prone unit into one of the nation's best this season. He also played defensive line at Boston College and served as an assistant from 2012 to 2015. Washington is a young, on-the-rise coach.
Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko: His Aggies defense might be a year away from truly breaking through, but he remains on the radar for search firms and athletic directors as a future head coach. Elko, 42, has been a defensive coordinator at four FBS schools. The New Jersey native and Penn alum spent the first chunk of his career in the Northeast and understands the recruiting landscape. He also has worked at academically oriented programs such as Wake Forest and Notre Dame, which would help him if at Boston College.
Oklahoma defensive coordinator Alex Grinch: The Ohio native has worked all over the country but brings some ties to the Northeast, as he landed his first full-time coaching job at FCS New Hampshire and remained there for four seasons. Like Candle, Grinch is part of the Mount Union coaching mafia and has even deeper roots in the profession, being Gary Pinkel's nephew. Although Grinch seems in no rush to leave Oklahoma, he should generate interest in the cycle from Power 5 and upper-level Group of 5 jobs.
Detroit Lions linebackers coach Al Golden: He wasn't the right fit at Miami but could be at Boston College, where he served as linebackers coach from 1997 to 1999. Few candidates know the Northeast and the ACC better than Golden, a New Jersey native who played at Penn State and coached at four ACC programs, as well as Temple, where he won 17 games in his final two seasons. Golden, 50, has coached on both sides of the ball for the Lions and could be ready to reenter the college ranks at a familiar program such as BC.
Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown: Though I doubt Brown fits the profile of what Jarmond wants, Brown's coaching ability and connection to Boston College and the state makes him worth including. Brown, 64, served as BC's defensive coordinator from 2013 to 2015 and has held head-coaching positions at two in-state programs (Northeastern and UMass). He would like one more chance to lead a program and could be a down-the-list option for Jarmond.
Recommendation: Jeff Hafley
I don't expect Fickell to have interest in BC, and Moorhead's Egg Bowl win means he probably stays put. Instead, I'm going with Hafley, who was a relative unknown until this season but has quickly made his mark at Ohio State. He reminds me of a defensive version of Ryan Day, who also rapidly increased his profile in Columbus. Hafley has strong leadership skills and could energize Boston College's recruiting efforts. The New Jersey native spent about a decade coaching college in the Northeast before heading to the NFL in 2012.