Tag: Coaching Carousel

Duke football assistant coach agrees to become Florida International head coach

Duke football lost one of its top assistants to a head coaching job on Saturday morning.

The Duke football program lost one of its most decorated assistant coaches on Saturday morning when the FIU Panthers reportedly hired Willie Simmons as their next head coach.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Simmons agreed to a four-year contract with the program.

Simmons spent the past season as the Blue Devils’ running backs coach, and he helped veteran transfer Star Thomas and sophomore Peyton Jones both average more than four yards per carry. With presumed starter Jaquez Moore out with an injury for most of the season, that duo combined for 1,170 yards and 10 scores on the ground, and Thomas rattled off three straight 100-yard games in Weeks 3-5.

Before Simmons joined Manny Diaz’s staff this offseason, he spent nearly a decade as a head coach at Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M. He compiled a 66-24 record with both programs, including a stunning 12-1 season with the Rattlers in 2023.

FIU finished with a 4-8 record in 2024, the program’s third straight season with that exact record, and the Panthers have a 13-40 mark since 2020.

Coaching rumor mill: Penn State coordinator mentioned as potential candidate for West Virginia opening

Will West Virginia come looking for one of Penn State’s coordinators to be the next head coach in Morgantown?

West Virginia was among the schools that opted to make a head coaching change in the days following the conclusion of the 2024 college football season. Neal Brown was fired by the school after leading the Mountaineers for the past six seasons to a record of 37-35. Two of those losses came against Penn State in the past two seasons, including this year’s season opener. West Virginia wrapped up a 6-6 regular season with a 52-15 dubbing on the road at Texas Tech, leaving the school ready to make a change rather than allow Brown a chance to coach in the upcoming bowl season.

Naturally, that has led to a number of college football writers coming up with a list of potential ideal candidates for the vacancy in Morgantown. Among the names mentioned by CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli was Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag]. Kotelnicki is certainly no stranger to having his name floated for potential head coaching opportunities this round on the coaching carousel, and we will likely see his name pop up again before this year’s coaching carousel comes to a full and complete stop.

“Kotelnicki has been coordinating exciting and explosive offenses for years, first under Lance Leipold at Buffalo and Kansas and now not too far down the road from Morgantown at Penn State,” Fornelli wrote on CBSSports.com. “It feels like it’s only a matter of time before he gets a head coaching job. Could West Virginia lure him away from Happy Valley?”

It does feel as though Kotelnicki is on track to become a head coach, and that certainly should not be surprising given the recent trend of Penn State coordinators under James Franklin. A number of coordinators for Franklin have gone on to become head coaches including Joe Moorhead, Ricky Rahne, Brent Pry, Manny Diaz.

Kotelnicki is likely to leave Penn State at some point for a head coaching opportunity, especially if Penn State continues to have success with him calling the plays. Kotelnicki will be locked in on preparing the Penn State offense for a massive test against Oregon in this week’s Big Ten championship game, and the College Football Playoff is on the horizon.

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Former Penn State coordinator Joe Moorhead addresses uncertain head coaching future

Former Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is just 8-28 in three seasons at Akron. Could he be looking for work in 2025?

Former Penn State offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Moorhead[/autotag] could be in some interesting waters as the college football coaching carousel swings into full motion. With Akron’s season in the books following a 4-8 season, head coach Moorhead faces questions he may not be able to answer about his future with the program.

Moorhead has said he is focusing on preparing for the offseason as if he will be back in charge of the Akron program in 2025, but leadership changes and a disappointing overall coaching record in three years could take the decision out of his hands. Moorhead has commented on the state of the resources available to his program as he addressed his future.

“What I’ve learned enough in this business is you never say never,” Moorhead said following Akron’s regular-season finale earlier this week, per Football Scoop. “I don’t have a crystal ball, I’m just excited about what we’ve been able to do, and come in here despite the resources – or lack thereof – that we are provided, that we have been able to fight, and scratch, and claw and first become incredibly competitive, and now find a way to win.”

Moorhead spent two seasons coaching the Penn State offense after being named offensive coordinator in 2016. He left behind his role as head coach at Fordham and quickly helped elevate the Penn State offense to help win a Big Ten championship with players like Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorely, Chris Godwin, and Mike Gesicki at his disposal.

After two seasons as offensive coordinator at Penn State, Moorhead returned to head coaching when Mississippi State made an offer. Moorhead spent two seasons as head coach at Mississippi State but was fired at the end of the 2019 season. He then went to Oregon to be the offensive coordinator of the Ducks for two seasons before getting a chance to be the head coach at Akron in 2022.

Moorhead won two games in each of his first two seasons with the Zips and doubled the win total this season to sit at just 8-28 as head coach at Akron.

Penn State could be in a spot where it could potentially need a new offensive coordinator. [autotag]Andy Kotelnicki[/autotag] is a name being thrown around for some possible head coaching opportunities, and co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag] could be getting a head coaching opportunity soon too. If both happen to leave, would Franklin work to bring Moorhead back to Happy Valley?

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College football coaching rumors: Penn State assistant on the radar for head coaching job

Will this weekend be the final game coached by Ja’Juan Seider at Penn State?

The college football coaching carousel is up and running and it would not be a shocker to see an assistant on Penn State’s staff to get some calls. One assistant reportedly on the radar for a head coaching job is co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Ja’Juan Seider[/autotag].

As reported by Football Scoop, Seider has been on the list of potential candidates to fill a head coaching vacancy at FAU. FAU fired Tom Herman as head coach following a loss to Temple last week as the FAU Owls fell to a disappointing record of 2-8. Herman was just 6-16 in his two seasons with the program.

Seider would check off a number of bullet points that would make for an attractive coaching hire for the FAU program. Seider is a Florida native who played a season at Florida A&M following time at West Virginia. He started his coaching career as a high school coach in Florida before getting into the college ranks, including a season as a running backs coach for Florida before moving to Penn State for the past seven seasons. Seider has put in his time as an assistant and gained valuable experience under Franklin, and his time to become a head coach may have arrived.

Seider is not necessarily considered a favorite for the FAU job, but he is clearly a name to watch. FAU likely won’t be hiring a head coach from somewhere else, so a rising offensive coordinator type seems to fit the ideal mold for what the program is looking for. Football Scoop also mentions SMU offensive line coach Garin Justice as a candidate for the job.

It is expected FAU will be ready to hire a head coach in the next week. The timing of that would seem to make some sense given that Penn State and SMU will be wrapping up their respective regular seasons this weekend. SMU will be playing in the ACC championship game next week, and there is still a chance Penn State could be playing for a Big Ten title next week. Penn State appears to be firmly in position to play in the upcoming College Football Playoff, while SMU may need to win the ACC to secure a playoff spot.

So is Seider coaching his final game with the Nittany L:iosn this weekend at home against Maryland? That remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure. We’ll be watching this particular coaching search with great interest as Seider could be getting his opportunity like a number of former Penn State assistants have received.

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Penn State coordinator named potential candidate for North Carolina job

The UNC head coaching vacancy will be worth watching as one Penn State assistant has been mentioned as a potential candidate.

North Carolina is making a significant head coaching change this season, and Penn State could be a program that loses a coordinator out of the change. North Carolina is moving on from the legendary Mack Brown after a disappointing season. He will get one final curtain call with the program this weekend against in-state rival NC State, but the UNC job is effectively vacant, and this is currently one of the most attractive jobs on the coaching carousel.

And as has become a regular thing for Penn State, the football staff has at least one name being thrown around as a potential candidate to fill the vacancy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki was mentioned as a potential coaching candidate for the North Carolina job by CBSSports.com.

“Kotelnicki is a turnaround specialist and was part of Lance Leipold’s staff as he turned both Buffalo and Kansas into winners,” CBSSports.com said. “His misdirection offense is one of the most innovative in the game and helped the Nittany Lions move from No. 55 to 21 in total offense.”

Kotelnicki has certainly delivered on the hope of injecting some much-needed life into the Penn State offense, although there is still some room for improvement with the overall wide receiver production. Whether he is an actual candidate for the UNC brass is unknown, but it stands to reason that Kotelnicki will be a name thrown around for possible head coaching vacancies with his current track record.

The lack of head coaching experience shouldn’t necessarily be a disqualifier for Kotelnicki, but the UNC job may end up being more likely to go to an experienced head coach. Among the names thrown around in the coaching rumor mill and media have included Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell, former Florida and Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, and UNLV head coach Barry Odom. The CBS list also included Colorado head coach Dein Sanders and Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall.

Unlike every other coach on this list, Kotelnicki does not have head coaching experience and he has only been at the power conference level for four years. Still, Kotelnicki is an obvious rising star that could be worth a swing.

Our friends at Tarheels Wire have an updated coaching big board. At this time, Kotelnicki is not included on their radar, but we’ll see if that changes at any time.

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College football coaching carousel could see former Penn State assistant moving on to bigger opportunity

Charles Huff is a win away from playing for a conference title, and he could be on the move this offseason.

The final weekend of the college football season is here but the coaching carousel is already in full swing across the country. And the coming days should see things spin a bit more as programs make some tough, or not so tough, decisions about the future of their respective programs. As has become a tradition around Happy Valley, coaching opportunities could attract a name or two from the current staff working under [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag]. But one former assistant of Franklin’s has already moved on toa. head coaching opportunity and enjoyed some success. And now, he could be on the move to a better opportunity.

[autotag]Charles Huff[/autotag], a former Franklin assistant at Vanderbilt and Penn State, is coming off his fourth season as head coach at Marshall, and the lack of a renewed contract has led to speculation he could be on the move this offseason. With a record of 30-20 since taking over the Thundering Herd, Huff has Marshall in a position to play for the Sun Belt Conference championship (Marshall clinches a spot with a win this weekend at James Madison). Yet, the school has not found a way to extend the relationship with Huff beyond this season.

And Southern Mississippi is a program reported to have significant interest in bringing Huff to guide their program. Huff leaving Marshall on his own terms is indeed a possibility, although he has remained loyal to the job since he came to Marshall. Huff has been asked about various coaching rumors about his next step by reminding media he has stayed at Marshall when other jobs at power conference programs came along, like Virginia Tech and Michigan State.

But this year could potentially be different as his profile is continuing to gain stock. And if he can guide Marshall to a Sun Belt Conference title, it stands to reason the interest in Huff at a number of programs will only go up. Going to a conference opponent would be seen by some as a lateral move, but if Southern Miss is more devoted to financially supporting its program than Marshall is, it is a move that could make sense.

If Huff stays at Marshall, it certainly wouldn’t be a terrible decision as Marshall is a good quality mid-major program. And if he somehow sticks around until 2026, he could lead Marshall into Beaver Stadium to face Penn State. But given his track record, it may be difficult to see a successful Huff sticking around that long before getting an opportunity too good to pass up.

The North Carolina job is open, after all, and two former Franklin assistants have already taken ACC head coaching jobs at Virginia Tech (Brent Pry) and Duke (Manny Diaz).

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East Carolina parts way with head coach Mike Houston

ECU becomes the first school to jump on the coaching carousel in 2024.

The East Carolina Pirates have fired head coach Mike Houston following the 48-28 loss to Army. ECU becomes the first team in 2024 to jump on the coaching carousel.

Houston finishes his tenure with ECU with a record of 27-38 and 15-28 in American Athletic Conference play. He never saw anywhere near the same success as he did with James Madison. In five plus seasons the Pirates had two winning season where the team was 15-10 in 2021 and 2022. Outside of those two years, ECU was a combined 12-28 including 5-14 over the last 19 games.

The Pirates will begin their search for the next head football coach at East Carolina University. Defensive coordinator Blake Harrell has been named the interim head coach for the rest of the season, ECU announced in a press release on the move.

“After a comprehensive evaluation of our football program, I informed Mike Houston this morning that we are making a change in leadership,” said AD Jon Gilbert. “This was a very difficult decision. Mike has led our program the last five plus seasons with tremendous class and has positively impacted so many student-athletes. After earning back-to-back bowl invitations, we looked poised for continued success. Unfortunately, we have not seen the results we all want, and a change is needed to move the program forward. We have high expectations and those are not changing.

“We are confident we will identify the right leader for our football program. I believe ECU is a premier job with a passionate fan base, unprecedented support from our Pirate Club donors, and great facilities that continue to improve. Right now, we are focusing on our student-athletes as they compete for a postseason opportunity in the final five regular season games. My hope is Pirate Nation will rally around our student-athletes like they have always done.”

ECU still has an opportunity to make a run at a bowl game with five games left on the schedule. The Pirates will face the Temple Owls on Saturday, much like ECU they are looking to keep any fading hopes of a postseason bowl alive.

Lane Kiffin: Coach Florida fans crave, but a few factors tie him down at Ole Miss

All eyes are on Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin—an enticing candidate whose family ties and recent success may keep him from making the jump to the Gators.

Many believe that the Billy Napier era at Florida football has come to an end, which would conclude a three-season stretch marked by underwhelming performance and missed expectations.

The Gators skipper is not quite out the door but the fanbase nonetheless has been clamoring for a replacement since the Week 1 loss at home to the Miami Hurricanes.

Presumably, the program is now searching for a replacement head coach to get things moving back in the right direction. There have been a number of candidates that fans have been hoping Florida can reel in, but none are as big as Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.

Who wouldn’t want a coach like Kiffin? He brings the swagger, the charisma, and most importantly, creativity on the offensive side of the ball.

USA TODAY Sports writer Blake Toppmeyer wrote about a scenario that Florida football fans are hoping would happen to make everything line up to hire Kiffin.

“Florida fans who crave Lane Kiffin as their coach need the Rebels to lose a few games between now and Thanksgiving,” Toppmeyer wrote. “It’s a fine line: Win enough to still look desirable, but lose enough for Ole Miss to miss the College Football Playoff and make Kiffin wonder whether he’s hit his ceiling with the Rebels and ought to uproot and resettle in The Swamp.”

However, it may not be realistic at this point. Of course, we all remember back in 2009 when he suddenly left the Tennessee Volunteers to be the head coach for the USC Trojans after just one season, but things are different now.

He’s been in Oxford, Mississippi, for five years and has really enjoyed his time with the Rebels. Kiffin has settled in, and with the success he has going for him currently, it just doesn’t make sense for him to leave that all behind and start all over again in trying to man a rebuild for school.

Kiffin also has family ties with Oxford. His oldest daughter, Landry, is currently attending Ole Miss as a sophomore, and has been loving it. In fact, back in 2022 when Kiffin was rumored as the next head coach for the Auburn Tigers, it was Landry who convinced him to stay.

ESPN senior writer Chris Low revealed what Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, did to get him to stay with the Rebels. 

Low wrote, “Kiffin was leaning toward taking the Auburn job toward the end of the 2022 season when Landry came to him with a heartfelt message. ‘You left me one time for another job when you went to Alabama, and now I’m here with you and you’re going to do it again?’ she asked her father.”

Low continued, “Landry and her friends created a slideshow, complete with music, showing all of them together with Kiffin at Ole Miss.”

It just doesn’t seem logical for Kiffin to leave a school that his family loves.

Having worked under Nick Saban with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Kiffin may have learned the value of stability and long-term growth within a program. He might believe that continuing to develop the Ole Miss program will be more rewarding than jumping to a program that is currently in turmoil.

Kiffin has significantly improved the Rebels football program, achieving two seasons with at least 10 wins in the last five years, with the potential for a third this season. He has completely turned that program around and has helped his team make a bowl game every year he’s been there.

And now with the growth of Ole Miss’ NIL program, “The Grove Collective”, it has provided advantages in terms of recruiting and creating a presence with the transfer portal. Kiffin wouldn’t just throw that all behind and start from scratch at a new program.

With the way things are going with Florida in terms of desperately getting that program back to the mountaintop of college football, there needs to be an understanding that it will most likely take Kiffin some time to rebuild the program which can create pressure to produce immediate results.

While the allure of Kiffin’s coaching prowess and charisma may captivate Florida fans, the strong connections he has established at Ole Miss—coupled with the program’s recent successes and the stability he has built—suggest that it would be more prudent for him to continue his journey with the Rebels rather than embark on a challenging rebuild in Gainesville.

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Report: Lakers targeting UConn’s Danny Hurley as next head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to make a massive offer to hire UConn Huskies head basketball coach Danny Hurley.

The biggest NBA brand is looking to bring in the most successful college basketball coach, with ESPN reporting the Los Angeles Lakers are targeting UConn’s Danny Hurley for their vacant head coach position.

Hurley led the Huskies to back-to-back NCAA Championships, becoming the first coach to do so since Billy Donovan did it with the Florida Gators in 2007 and 2008.

The Lakers had been targeting former Duke guard and NBA analyst J.J. Redick for the role, but now the team is reportedly preparing to offer Hurley a huge contract to pull him to the NBA.

The 51-year-old would take over a team still hoping to keep their championship window open with 40-year-old LeBron James and veteran big man Anthony Davis in the mix. LA won the title in 2020 but lost twice in the first round, and missed the playoffs altogether, since then.

For UConn, if Hurley does depart the players on the roster will all have 30 days to enter the transfer portal, and all eyes will be on recent NBA draft returnee Alex Karaban as well as incoming freshman Liam McNeeley and transfer portal additions Aidan Mahaney (St. Mary’s) and Tarris Reed (Michigan).

This story is continuing to develop.

Green Bay hires radio personality Doug Gottlieb to coach men’s basketball

The Green Bay Phoenix are set to hire radio personality Doug Gottlieb to replace Sundance Wicks as head coach.

The college basketball coaching carousel is still moving, and the latest head coaching hire comes at Green Bay where the Phoenix are reportedly set to hire Doug Gottlieb to replace Sundance Wicks.

Wicks left just a few days ago to take the head coaching position at Wyoming in the Mountain West, a position vacated by Jeff Linder who went to Texas Tech to be an assistant coach in the Big 12.

Gottlieb is unquestionably an out of the box hire, coming to Green Bay as a well known figure in the sports media industry – with stops as a broadcaster at FOX Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and the Pac-12 Network.

He does have some coaching experience, leading Team USA at the 2017 Maccabiah Games and again in 2022 when they won gold. He also has stops at AAU and was a consultant for his alma mater Oklahoma State.

The 48-year-old does not have any head coaching experience at the collegiate level, however, and it’s unusual to say the least to see someone transition from the media space into coaching who has not previously been a head coach.

Green Bay went 18-14 last year and 13-7 in the Horizon League under coach Wicks, a huge improvement after winning just 11 games combined in the previous two seasons.

The Phoenix will hope Gottlieb, who interviewed for the job last year before Wicks was brought in, brings enough name recognition to the position to keep the positive momentum going in 2024-25.