College football's head-coaching carousel has been spicier than expected, as Auburn, Texas and Tennessee all made somewhat surprising changes.
But the real flavor of the 2020-21 cycle always seemed more likely to occur at the coordinator level. Struggling programs reluctant to make head-coaching changes would instead replace playcallers. Top coordinators would become head coaches, creating voids for their former employers and playcalling opportunities for their new staffs. Promotions, firings and retirements were coming.
The coordinator carousel delivered, and it's not done. The seemingly annual raid on Nick Saban's Alabama staff came from within, as new Texas coach Steve Sarkisian poached multiple assistants from Tuscaloosa. Jim Harbaugh eventually signed his own extension -- can his remade defensive staff help Michigan close the gap with the Big Ten's powers? Will LSU's new coordinators help Ed Orgeron recapture the magic of his 2019 title run? And can an outsider take Auburn to the next level with a staff stocked with SEC veterans?
Here's a look at the most notable moves among coordinators and other assistant coaches around college football this winter.
The Saban Institute for Coaching Reclamation reopens
Saban is accustomed to losing assistants, especially after Alabama wins national championships. Two of his assistants who shaped arguably the greatest offense in college football history -- Steve Sarkisian, the coordinator and playcaller, and running backs coach Charles Huff -- landed head-coaching opportunities at Texas and Marshall, respectively. Former Tennessee coach Butch Jones, who served as a special assistant to Saban, left for the top job at Arkansas State. Saban supports these moves, although it irks him when outgoing assistants poach his staff, which Sarkisian did (more on this later).
The departures of four full-time assistants, as well as Jones and several analysts, including Charlie Strong (Jacksonville Jaguars), means the Saban Institute for Coaching Reclamation is open once again. The success of SICR means a new level of clientele. Rather than fired college coaches, Alabama is hiring fired NFL coaches who were once college coaches. Former Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien is replacing Sarkisian as coordinator, while former Jaguars coach Doug Marrone is replacing Kyle Flood as offensive line coach. O'Brien and Marrone are longtime friends, stretching back to their time together at Georgia Tech in the mid-1990s. Before leading NFL teams, O'Brien went 15-9 at Penn State, steadying the program at the most challenging time in its history. Marrone had two eight-win seasons and a share of the 2012 Big East title at Syracuse.
That two fired NFL coaches would flock to Saban underscores what he has built at Alabama, and how time spent there can reboot careers. Has anyone spotted Adam Gase in Tuscaloosa yet?
Michigan's youth movement on defense
Michigan's defense was getting old in more than one way. A system that had worked brilliantly under coordinator Don Brown from 2016 to 2018 -- Michigan led the nation in yards allowed (269.3 per game) and ranked fifth in points allowed (17.44 per game) and third in defensive efficiency (83.14) -- began to slip, falling off sharply during the shortened 2020 season. Ohio State was no longer the only team gashing Michigan, which finished 95th nationally in points allowed and 89th in yards allowed last fall. Jim Harbaugh not surprisingly is continuing as head coach, but without Brown. The veteran coordinator was fired in December and then hired by new Arizona coach Jedd Fisch, who worked with Brown under Harbaugh in 2016.
Although Brown is very respected throughout the sport, Michigan needed some new blood on defense. Recruiting had declined on defense with an older staff of assistants, as Tom VanHaaren and I wrote about. Harbaugh replaced the 65-year-old Brown with Mike Macdonald, a 33-year-old linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens under John Harbaugh, Jim's older brother. Macdonald lacks playcalling experience but has been around great coaches at both the NFL and college levels. Michigan also hired two other young defensive assistants in Mo Linguist, 36, who will serve as co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach after coaching defensive backs with the Dallas Cowboys; and George Helow, 34, who will coach safeties after overseeing Maryland's special teams and inside linebackers. Both Helow and Linguist are excellent recruiters with experience in multiple regions and Power 5 leagues. Two older defensive assistants, Mike Zordich (57) and Bob Shoop (54), will not return. Michigan's offensive staff also got younger with Harbaugh hiring former Wolverines Mike Hart (34) and Ron Bellamy (39), but the changes on defense stand out more.
Defensive line coach Shaun Nua, 39, is being retained, as is linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary, 45, making him the oldest member of Michigan's revamped defensive coaching staff. Michigan's youth movement doesn't guarantee success, especially with a first-time playcaller, but the changes are likely to galvanize recruiting and overall energy with the program.
Sark making Texas into Tuscaloosa West
Texas hired Sarkisian primarily to replicate the magic on offense -- especially at the quarterback position -- that he generated at Alabama. The composition of Sarkisian's first staff should come as no surprise. He hired Flood, whom he began working alongside in 2017 with the Atlanta Falcons, as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Sarkisian also plucked special-teams ace Jeff Banks, Alabama's tight ends coach, who reportedly will become the first seven-figure special-teams coordinator in college football. Of all the coaches Alabama is losing, Banks might be the one who stings Saban the most, as he had significantly upgraded the Tide's special teams -- one of the program's few shaky areas -- during the past three seasons.
Sarkisian also hired quarterbacks coach A.J. Milwee, the former Akron offensive coordinator who spent last season as an offensive analyst at Alabama. "Coach Saban, he's going to be OK," Sarkisian said Friday. These are all strong hires for Texas, but Saban likely won't forget Sarkisian's poaching when Alabama faces the Longhorns in 2022 and 2023.
Texas' offensive staff certainly has an Alabama feel, while the defensive staff is more diverse. Washington's Pete Kwiatkowski was a somewhat surprising coordinator hire, although he oversaw a very talented unit in Seattle. Sarkisian never overlapped with Kwiatkowski at Washington, a program he led from 2009 to 2013, but twice faced Kwiatkowski's defenses. While coaching USC in 2015, Sarkisian's squad lost 17-12, converting just 1 of 13 third-down opportunities. During Sarkisian's first stint at Alabama in 2016, as an offensive analyst, the Tide faced Washington in the CFP semifinal and only scored 17 offensive points in a 24-7 win (Sarkisian took over for Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator in the national title game). Sarkisian hired Notre Dame's Terry Joseph to coach the secondary, the Detroit Lions' Bo Davis -- a former Alabama assistant who has worked at Texas before -- to coach defensive line, and Montana State coach Jeff Choate to coach linebackers and assist Kwiatkowski.
Brady Bunch on the Bayou
In 2019, Joe Brady became the most important assistant coach in LSU history. He revolutionized an underperforming offense as LSU surged to a national title behind Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. A drop-off seemed likely after Brady left for the Carolina Panthers, and LSU's offense was less effective in 2020. Coach Ed Orgeron couldn't get Brady back to the Bayou, so he did the next best thing in hiring Panthers assistants Jake Peetz and DJ Mangas as offensive coordinator and passing game coordinator. Peetz worked as Carolina's quarterbacks coach under Brady, while Mangas, a former college teammate of Brady's at William & Mary, worked with him at LSU in 2019 before moving to the Panthers as an offensive analyst in 2020. "I believe in that passing game," Peetz said. "Joe Brady really helped me learn that at a different level." Peetz and Mangas must prove themselves in enhanced roles at LSU, but Orgeron's hires show a clear vision of what LSU is trying to recapture in 2021.
LSU's defensive coordinator search has been rockier. The Tigers couldn't land Cincinnati's Marcus Freeman, who instead picked Notre Dame. LSU then targeted New Orleans Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, who played for Orgeron at USC and coached under him at Ole Miss. Nielsen connects with Orgeron and could have thrived at LSU. But the Saints blocked the move and gave Nielsen an enhanced contract and title. LSU ended up hiring Minnesota Vikings assistant Daronte Jones, who boasts plenty of experience coaching pro and college defensive backs but lacks coordinator experience at those levels.
Penn State's bold move on offense
Two things surprised me about Kirk Ciarrocca's brief tenure as Penn State's offensive coordinator: That he didn't have more success, and that he's out after only one season. I thought Ciarrocca, hired from Minnesota after a record-setting 2019 season, would take PSU's offense to the next level. Big Ten coaches liked the move, too. PSU's offense wasn't awful, but quarterback Sean Clifford regressed, and the unit didn't shine in any area. Clifford improved down the stretch as PSU won its final four games, and Ciarrocca seemed likely to return in 2021. Then, Texas fired Tom Herman, leaving offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich unemployed. Penn State coach James Franklin acted quickly, dismissing Ciarrocca to hire Yurcich.
The boldest move of this year's coordinator carousel is one that could vault Penn State back into contention for the Big Ten title and its first CFP appearance. Yurcich's offenses at Oklahoma State produced well, and while Texas had a few bumps, the Longhorns still averaged 42.7 points and 475.4 yards per game in 2020. Yurcich also coached Justin Fields at Ohio State in 2019, when Fields put up Heisman-caliber numbers (3,273 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, three interceptions). He's also a Cleveland-area native who played college ball in Pennsylvania (California University) and developed as a Division II assistant in the state (Edinboro, Shippensburg) before Mike Gundy hired him at Oklahoma State. He's a great fit for Penn State, which needs a boost at quarterback. Franklin brought seven assistants from Vanderbilt to Penn State when he got the job and typically favors staff continuity and loyalty. But recently he has been more aggressive with changes when he feels an upgrade is needed, and he didn't hesitate this time.
"Yurcich is a guy that I've been in contact with and communicating with for a long time," Franklin said last week. "At the end of the day, it was a very tough decision obviously, but philosophically, I felt like it was the right thing for us to do."
Harsin's SOS for SEC help at Auburn
Bryan Harsin arrived on the Plains as a true outsider. The new Auburn coach had spent just three seasons outside the Pacific Northwest and only four away from Boise State, his alma mater in his hometown. He had never coached in the SEC, so he needed to compile a staff who had. Not surprisingly, Harsin hired two coordinators who know the league well. Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo grew up in Georgia, played quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs, later served as Georgia's quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator under Mark Richt, and spent the 2020 season as South Carolina's offensive coordinator. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason was Vanderbilt's head coach the past seven seasons.
Offensive line coach Will Friend held the same role at Tennessee the past three seasons. New defensive line coach Tracy Rocker played at Auburn, coached there in 2009 and 2010 and has worked for six different SEC programs (Rocker reportedly will join the Philadelphia Eagles' staff instead). Harsin also retained running backs coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, a former All-American for Auburn.
"That was purposeful," Harsin said Thursday. "Mike Bobo's been in this league, Derek Mason's been in this league, Will Friend has been in this league, Cadillac [Williams] has been in this league, [Tracy] Rocker has been in this league. That experience is helping me, what they've been able to go through and be a part of over the years in the SEC has certainly given me a lot of information that's valuable."
Coordinator odds and ends
The three major programs in Indiana all made interesting defensive coordinator hires. Notre Dame landed Freeman, whose stock has surged at Cincinnati, but he needed to break away from Luke Fickell and show what he can do on his own. Freeman, an Ohio native who has spent his entire coaching career in Ohio or Indiana, made the right call in picking Notre Dame over LSU. Brad Lambert is a really strong hire for Purdue, which will split coordinator duties between him and Anthony Poindexter. Lambert, the former Charlotte coach, oversaw a Marshall defense that led the nation in points allowed and ranked second in yards per play allowed in 2020. He will be Purdue's third defensive playcaller in as many years, and overseeing a defense opposite Jeff Brohm's offense isn't always easy. But Lambert is a proven option. Indiana hired Georgia defensive backs coach Charlton Warren to replace Kane Wommack. Warren has established himself as an elite defensive backs guru and recruiter, but last coordinated a defense in 2013 at Air Force, his alma mater. If there's a learning curve for him, head coach Tom Allen should be able to assist.
Oregon coach Mario Cristobal is known for being thorough in hiring assistants, and he cast a wide net for the Ducks' defensive coordinator vacancy. Candidates included Mississippi State defensive coordinator Zach Arnett, Army defensive coordinator Nate Woody, Atlanta Falcons assistant Tosh Lupoi, Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and Chris Ash, the former Rutgers coach who spent 2020 as Texas' defensive coordinator. There also were internal candidates. He ended up choosing Cal's Tim DeRuyter, who since 2017 has helped revive the Bears' defense alongside Justin Wilcox. DeRuyter somewhat puzzlingly became Cal's No. 2 coordinator in 2020 as Peter Sirmon, a top recruiter with a mixed playcalling profile, was promoted into the primary role. DeRuyter inherits a very talented group at Oregon and could make things tougher for a division competitor in Cal.
The Big 12 is increasingly becoming a more balanced conference, but offense still carries the most weight, and both Baylor and Texas Tech are looking for more with new playcallers. After averaging just 23.3 points in 2020, Baylor split with Larry Fedora and brought in BYU's Jeff Grimes, who helped orchestrate the nation's No. 3 scoring offense (42.9 points per game) and top yards-per-play unit (7.84). Grimes worked with Baylor coach Dave Aranda at LSU, returns to his native state and should help boost the offense, starting with the line, his specialty. Texas Tech also added familiarity in Sonny Cumbie, the former Red Raiders quarterback, who replaces David Yost in Lubbock. Cumbie, a coordinator at TCU the past seven seasons, needs to elevate quarterback play and overall production in a pivotal season for coach Matt Wells.
I really like the staff Bret Bielema put together at Illinois. Although Bielema has been out of the college game for a while, he remains very connected and is a coach for whom good assistants want to work. The defensive staff jumps out with coordinator Ryan Walters, seen as a rising star in the business, and Kevin Kane, who had been SMU's defensive coordinator, a candidate for Power 5 coordinator jobs and the runner-up for Northern Illinois' head-coaching job two years ago. Bielema had Kane on his Wisconsin staff and also coached Aaron Henry, who will work with Illinois' secondary. Henry and offensive line coach Bart Miller, who worked for Bielema at Wisconsin, are well regarded. Offensive coordinator Tony Petersen is a somewhat surprising hire, but he also knows the Big Ten after working for Glen Mason at Minnesota and brings a philosophy that meshes with Bielema's. Illinois also deserves credit for giving Bielema a strong staff salary pool to make these hires.
It's always notable when head coaches decide to take over or step back from playcalling duties. The ACC saw coaches choose both routes. Miami's Manny Diaz, who built his reputation as a defensive playcaller at Miami and other schools, will take over the defensive playcalls in 2021. The Hurricanes went 8-3 but allowed 104 total points in losses to North Carolina and Clemson, and struggled against the run. Diaz's loyalty to Blake Baker kept the coordinator in place, although the rest of the defensive staff will look different. Duke's David Cutcliffe, meanwhile, is giving up offensive playcalling duties after a 2-9 season that included a 48-0 home loss to ... Miami. Co-offensive coordinator Jeff Faris shifts from tight ends coach to quarterbacks and now will handle playcalling. Faris is young -- the former Duke safety joined the coaching staff after graduating in 2012 -- but he might provide the spark the Blue Devils need after consecutive losing seasons.