Bud Wilkinson. The belief with some in the coaching world is that Samples could be this years Randall Joyner. Posted 130 catches in six NFL seasons, including 47 catches for 754 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. Former USC star wide receiver (2000-03) who left as the Trojans career leader in receptions. Was contacted by Boise State about a job with a bigger title this past coaching cycle. 4) and punt-return defense (No. After serving as a little-used backup in 2019, Bentley broke out in his first season under Samples and led the AAC with 913 rushing yards in 2020. And we have a history of Saban turning around other programs. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. And thats what Clemson was: a good program left stranded in the shadow of some of their conference mates, far away from ever being a national power. After moving from the Mountain West to the Pac-12 and starting 18-19 over the first three years, the Utes now have won at least nine games in five of the last six seasons, not including the shortened 2020 season. Led by Etheridge and coordinator Derek Mason, the Tigers are expected to have one of the better secondaries in the SEC this season. Continues to be regarded as one of the nations top recruiters. -- Brian Hartline made $105,000 as Ohio State's interim wide receivers coach in 2018. However, he fell to a combined 15-22 over his last three seasons, more in line with what Louisiana is as a program they had two seasons in their history above the 9-4 mark before Napier took the program in 2018. Washington, who has known Ohio State coach Ryan Day since they were together at Boston College in 2003 and 04, joined the Buckeyes staff after Day became coach. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Also is Boston Colleges defensive pass game coordinator. Three potential candidates for Texas' WR coach - Longhorns Wire Under Harris, FIU running back DVonte Price developed into one of the nations most productive running backs last season (116.2 yards per game) and a potential early-round 2022 NFL Draft pick. Sure, there might be an inclination to not have them at No. Is a former Sooners player (2000-01) and the younger brother of Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom. 1. (Obviously, Gattis is also an offensive coordinator.) 16). 22. Bryan McClendon, Georgia -- $700,000+ 4. Prior to his first recruiting class in 2016, Oklahoma had not ranked in the top 10 in recruiting since 2010. We might forget that Urban Meyer served as Utah's head coach for only two seasons, and while he may have started the Utes down this track, Whittingham has sustained a level of success the school has never even come close to enjoying before. Has been contacted about at least a couple of coordinator opportunities the past few years. Monken has not only surpassed those seven wins four times in seven years but hes also added two double-digit winning seasons. Here's what coaches look for in a great wideout. Already has worked in a few Power 5 conferences and has coordinator experience at the FCS level (Southern Utah). Is a former Ohio State grad assistant (2013-15) who assisted with players such as current Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. JaMarcus Shepard, Washington -- $650,000+ 6. Landed two four-star defensive backs in that 2021 class. As a player, Simpson was a starting cornerback at South Alabama in 2010 and 11, when current UAB coach Bill Clark was the Jaguars defensive coordinator. Even with Fisher serving as offensive coordinator, the team stumbled to three seven-win finishes in the last four years of the Bowden era. College football recruiting: Ranking the top 10 recruiters that hauled "In life I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted," he sent in a text to his players on his way to Coral Gables. Now hes revamped the Texas A&M program, going 26-10 in three seasons and coming off a 9-1 season with huge aspirations for a national title hunt in 2021. The Heupel-led staff felt like they uncovered a diamond in the rough when they initially hired Merritt at UCF. Ranked as the top recruiter in the Pac-12 in 2020 and 21, and is ranked No. In his first season as Washingtons defensive backs coach, Harris was part of the Huskies improving from No. For the final part of On3s three-part project on up-and-coming coaches, we take a look at rising-star position coaches as well as some highly regarded support staffers. Also has worked and learned under Billy Napier at Louisiana, one of the nations top up-and-coming head coaches. Was a two-time Doak Walker Award finalist as a running back at Michigan and finished his Wolverines career (2004-07) as the programs leading career rusher (5,040 yards). Hankton netted a $300,000 raise to become the highest-paid wide receivers coach in the industry. Well, volatility will always play a role in the process because our group of voters, consisting of writers from both CBS Sports and 247Sports, aren't given a set of guidelines to follow. Braden Layer is set to return to the Gators after spending 2022 at Dayton. Being groomed by new Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, whose UCF offenses ranked No. Has been the lead recruiter on six on the 18 players that FSU has committed in its 2022 recruiting class, including four four-star recruits. It is unheard of to have back-to-back nine-win seasons at Vanderbilt, and the program quickly fell off when Franklin left for Penn State. Has been working up at the college level since 2015 after two jobs as a high school coach. Former Texas A&M starting quarterback; he beat out current Tennessee Titans starter Ryan Tannehill for the Aggies starting QB job. 9), punt-return average (No. The Cougars also were first in the AAC in kick-return defense and net punting. Cortez Hankton, LSU -- $850,000+ 2. Courtney Hawkins, Michigan State -- $425,00020. Taylor coached current NFL star Christian McCaffrey at Stanford and now has 2020 All-ACC running back Kyren Williams at Notre Dame. Arrived at Army as a quality control coach, then was promoted last year to tight ends coach. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $535,000 3. Was promoted to run game coordinator for the Nittany Lions in 2020. In the end, nearly everybody is angry. Simmons is one of two coaches to coach two Biletnikoff winners Michael Crabtree and Dede Westbrook and the Sooners' passing game has been one of the nation's best during his tenure. Has been interviewed for multiple FBS head-coach openings, including South Alabama this past cycle. Of those six, three were ranked 50th or lower last year. Teams: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers. -- Another notable name missing is Miami's Josh Gattis. The greatest coach in college football history wonders aloud how the SEC could possibly be so cruel to the Crimson Tide. The Elite Quarterback & Wide Receiver Training Program | QBElite.com Promoted to defensive pass game coordinator earlier this year. Such is the all-encompassing importance of the quarterback position. 2019 New England Patriots (O-Cord & QB Coach) 2018 New England Patriots (O-Cord & QB Coach) 8-3. Serves as Oklahomas associate head coach of offense in addition to being the Sooners tight ends and H-backs coach. Was the lead recruiter on five-star 2022 linebacker C.J. Not a single Indiana coach won more than 50% of his games since Bo McMillins run between 1934 and 1947. FSU has gone 14-20 in that period. Has recruited and coached players like DeMarvin Leal, a former five-star recruit who could be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Interviewed for the Boston College coaching job two years ago and turned down the Tennessee coordinator job this past cycle. Brian Hartline, Ohio State -- $600,000+7. The highest-paid quarterbacks coaches in college football: 2022 edition Some value accomplishments on the field above all else, while others may give greater weight to recruiting prowess or the possibility of future success. Viewed as a rising star inside the Ohio State building and outside of it as well. The Top 25 Head Coaches in College Football History Charges dropped against Georgia WR Rara Thomas, UCLA, Kelly agree to extension through 2027, Four Pac-12 programs renew contact with Big 12, NCAA committee approves new college football rules, Saban sounds off on proposed permanent opponents. Matt Simon, Minnesota -- $395,00023. At Alabama, he worked with players such as 2018 first-round NFL draft pick Daron Payne and 2019 first-round selection Quinnen Williams. A Texas graduate, he is married with three children and lives outside Fort Worth, Texas. Joker Phillips, NC State -- $415,000+21. JaMarcus Shepard, Washington -- $650,000+6. Top 10 returning wide receivers in college football for the 2022 - PFF A veteran Power 5 head coach mentioned Hankton as someone he sees as a potential Group of 5 head-coach candidate. There were only two new entries in our top 25 at this point 12 months ago. His 2020 Ole Miss special teams unit ranked 17th nationally in kick-return defense and 23rd in kick-return average. Ranking the top 10 college football coaches under age 45 entering the 4 in 2020 (398.5). Has produced at least one first- or second-team All-Big 12 selection in each of the past five seasons. PFF's 2021 College Football Preview Magazine. Has coached so well since arriving at West Point in 2014, he has passed 2 other . Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $610,000+ 7. Whittingham has won 67% of his games in his 17 years as head coach for a program that was invisible for most of its history. Within a four-day period in July, he landed two of the top-ranked recruits in SMU program history five-star wide receiver Jordan Hudson and four-star safety Chace Biddle. If you haven't yet checked out our ranking of Power Five coaches outside the top 25, you can catch up here. Best wide receiver tandems in college football - NFL.com Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs in the second quarter against the Utah Utes during the 2022 Rose Bowl college football game at the Rose Bowl. While Williams salary numbers arent public, a source told On3 that Williams is the highest-paid non-coordinator in the nation. Was also on the radar as a possibility for multiple other teams with secondary coach openings, including LSU as the Tigers explored potentially hiring a safeties coach. While playing in eight games for Miami last season, he caught four passes for . Brian Early has been a part of the Houston staff since 2019 and was at Arkansas State previously. Contributed to Southern Utah winning the Big Sky championship in 2017 with a defense that forced 29 turnovers and ranked third in the conference in scoring defense. Freakin superstar was the feedback from one LSU staffer. Kelly, who is widely known as one of the top innovators in the rise of the spread offense in college football, helped the Bruins rack up 503.6 yards per game and 7.01 yards per play, both of which . Was looked at by Kentucky for its secondary coach opening this offseason. Kelly has led the Bruins to 17 total wins over the past two seasons. 1 thus far for the 2022 class. Has been heavily pursued for college and NFL jobs in recent years. In his second season as the offensive coordinator at St. Ambrose (an NAIA school in Davenport, Iowa), Drinkalls offense ranked No. 4 in NAIA in scoring, total offense and passing offense. Led by Wright and his group, UTSA ranked No. The Best College Football Wide Receivers of All Time - Ranker Behind Greggs line, the Flames ran for a school-record 2,776 yards in 2020 and ranked No. Since 2016, the Utes have been the best defense in the conference, posting a cumulative -0.149 EPA allowed per play in those five seasons. Coaches consistently have mentioned him the past couple years as someone they expect to be a head coach and a good one at some point in the not-too-distant future. Is seen in the coaching world as someone who will be a coordinator in the near future. In 2019, Pro Football Focus two highest-graded safeties were from Gonzales group Moehrig and ArDarius Washington. 50 rising-star position coaches you need to know - On3 Initially was hired by Healy at Chattanooga in 2009 and has worked for him every year since other than the one season at Minnesota. Aided by Merritt, James Madison ranked sixth in the FCS in rushing offense last season (232.6 yards per game) and 10th in 2019 (242.9 yards per game). Dameyune Craig, Texas A&M -- $675,000 5. Syndication Montgomery By Seth Galina Jul 7, 2021 Two of Simpsons cornerbacks were named second-team All-Conference USA last season (Brontae Harris and TD Marshall). Breaking news. When Buffalo came back to Division I-A football in 1999, they embarked on a journey of countless losses. Regarded as one of the best recruiters in the country. Another Trojans cornerback, Olaijah Griffin, finished with the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade for 2020 among Pac-12 corners. Cincinnati handed the reins to Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly, Butch Jones, Tommy Tuberville and now Luke Fickell in consecutive seasons. What college coaches look for in a wide receiver prospect The Florida State dynasty of the late 1980s and 1990s produced 14 straight years where the team finished in the top five of the AP Poll under Bobby Bowden. NFL-style clock rules could come to college football, but the most extreme proposal will not. Returned to coaching in 2019 after two years working in the private sector. He is repeatedly hitting home runs on the recruiting front and is breeding high-upside players into elite-level route-runners. Cortez Hankton, Georgia -- $375,000 10. His last team, the 1958 squad, went 8-0-1 and represented the end of the great Army football program of yesteryear. Was an all-conference defensive back in 2007 and 08 at Lambuth University, an NAIA school in Jackson, Tenn., playing for current Liberty coach Hugh Freeze. Transfer Portal 2023 Rankings: Wide Receivers. That came after Powledges 2019 return man at Louisiana (Raymond Calais) earned first-team all-conference honors and led the Sun Belt in kick-return average. As a new season approaches, let's take a moment to compare Saban's accomplishments -- and those of other active coaches -- to the best of college football's modern times. Here are the 25 best college football coaches in America heading into the 2022 season. They improved that ranking to 40th in 2018, 41st in 2019 and 14th last season. Produced 48 all-conference players during his seven seasons as an offensive coordinator at West Georgia and West Alabama, including two All-American offensive linemen at West Georgia (Harley Vaughan and Austin Kastl). Helped Rutgers tie for second in the Big Ten with 19 takeaways last season,almost double what the Scarlet Knights tallied in 2019 (10) despite playing four fewer games. Steve Spurrier, Jr., Mississippi State -- $390,000+, -- Notable names missing: Ike Hilliard (Auburn), Keary Colbert (Florida), Jacob Peeler (Missouri), Fontel Mines (Virginia Tech), Brennan Marion (Texas), Taylor Stubblefield (Penn State), Adam Henry (Indiana), Garrick McGee (Purdue), Joel Filani (Washington State). Holtz won 76% of his games in South Bend. A 3-4 season in the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign put a slight damper on Fleck's progress, so 2021 is a big year for him. That includes a 40-8 mark from 2015-18, the best four-year run in program history. As coordinator at Division II Albany (Ga.) State in 2017, his unit held opponents to an average of 287 yards per game. Before Oregon, Chance was part of Minnesota improving from No. Returner Trestan Ebnar was the Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and became the first player in modern school history with two kick-return touchdowns in one game. Went 42-17 in five seasons as coach at Kansas Wesleyan, an NAIA school located about two hours from the University of Kansas. Top 25 young college football coaches to watch - Yahoo Sports Also coached an all-conference tight end during that 2018 season (Dylan Stapleton). Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater was already somewhat of a national power at that level when Leipold took over the team in 2007, but his 109-6 record with the team is still truly remarkable. Williams coached Chris Steele to second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. As long as we're asking humans to complete this fundamentally thankless task, there's room at the table for people who really know ball. Has been one of the lead recruiters on eight top-50 overall recruits that Ohio State has landed in its past three classes, including two quarterbacks and three five-star wide receivers. Was an FCS All-American linebacker at Stony Brook as a player (2006-10) and was named to the Big South Conference All-Decade Team. Because of his achievements with the Seminoles team of Florida State University, Bobby Bowden is one of the most famous and greatest college coaches of all time. Allen led the team to a 32nd-place finish in his one year as defensive coordinator in 2016 and sits at 28th over the last two seasons. That includes 2020 Jim Thorpe Award winner Trevon Moehrig, who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of this years NFL draft. Helped Iowa State compile a top-10 ranking in 2020 along with a Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon. Staggs had been set to join the Western Kentucky staff as an assistant coach.