There are no sure things in coaching across college football, but when the initial news conference takes place announcing a hire, it sure seems like every school got the perfect guy.
The fans are excited, the boosters are happy and the athletic director is able to relax a little bit after conducting an exhausting search. Then the real work begins.
Sometimes it all works out. There are home run hires who win titles and overlooked or uninspired coaches who do the same. Oftentimes, however, it’s just as easy to go off the rails and wind up with a discussion about buyouts.
With the 2025–26 coaching carousel tracking to become one of the most active in the sport’s long history, Sports Illustrated looked back at another inflection point in the industry with the 2021–22 cycle. Massive jobs came open, numerous big-name coaches changed locales and the balance of power around several conferences seemed to shift.
How did all that play out and what do many of those 29 hires look like in retrospect? Writers Pat Forde and Bryan Fischer regrade the coaching hires and look at why things went so wrong—or why some schools got it right.
Billy Napier, Florida
Initial reaction
After recruiting dropped off under Dan Mullen, the Gators wasted little time in making a change as the program slipped to a 6–7 season in 2021. Napier was in demand by several SEC programs given his years of experience in the league and that he led Louisiana to back-to-back Sun Belt titles and top-20 finishes. The Ragin’ Cajuns had last finished above .500 in 2014, but Napier instantly won a division title, made a bowl game and went 40–12.
Tenure
Napier oversaw a significant overhaul of Florida’s off-field staff and constantly pushed for more personnel to catch up to some of the Gators’ conference peers. An upset of No. 7 Utah in the Swamp in his first game gave plenty of people hope about the future, but it never materialized on the field with any consistency while numerous penalties and gaffes led the fan base to check out. There was plenty of NFL talent on the team, but Florida went just 22–23 under Napier before he was fired.
Forde’s regrade: F
Napier has the worst record at Florida of any full-time coach since the 1940s, despite being the beneficiary of facility upgrades during his tenure. The previous three post–Urban Meyer hires that didn’t work out in Gainesville, Fla., all had at least one very good season—Will Muschamp went 11–2 in 2012, Jim McElwain went 10–4 in ’15, Mullen won 21 games his first two seasons. Napier never did better than 8–5 and never competed for an SEC championship. I don’t blame Florida for hiring him coming off a 40–12 tenure at Louisiana and a Nick Saban assistantship, but he didn’t translate from Sun Belt to SEC.
Fischer’s regrade: C-
Napier left the job a better one than he found it in terms of modernizing the program, but never had the success to justify keeping him. When you can’t correct the mistakes that keep recurring on the field and fail to win at a place like Florida, this stacks up as one of the more disappointing tenures of the cycle.
Lincoln Riley, USC
Initial reaction
The Trojans finally seemed to wake up. Riley was easily regarded as one of the best coaches in the country by the time he surprisingly decamped to the West Coast, going 55–10 with the Sooners after taking over for the legendary Bob Stoops. That included three trips to the College Football Playoff, four conference titles and a slew of Heisman Trophy–winning quarterbacks. This move really kicked off a number of dominoes this cycle and was quite the statement of intent from USC.
Tenure
Naturally, Riley initially signed up to coach in the Pac-12 but was quickly thrown into the thick of realignment chaos with USC’s move to the Big Ten. He nearly won a conference title his first season while churning out another Heisman signal-caller, but things have gotten progressively worse in going 31–16 across four years. He’s made staff changes (especially on defense) and has revamped the program’s talent acquisition efforts, but skepticism is rife around L.A. that he’s capable of winning big.
Forde’s regrade: C
In terms of bang for all the bucks it took to hire Riley, he hasn’t delivered. USC’s record has dwindled from 11–2 to 8–5 to 7–6, although this season’s 5–2 team should finish better than that. The Trojans have repeatedly fallen short in the areas of physical and mental toughness: failing to hold fourth-quarter leads, being pummeled in the trenches and performing poorly in long-travel road games. Riley has often found excuses—or simply complained—after those losses. This season could still end well, but for now he is saved by the buyout.
Fischer’s regrade: B-
I thought USC knocked it out of the park in landing Riley and he would unlock what the program can offer. He’s done some of that and remains a great play-caller, but has also failed to understand the gig in numerous ways—from the stance on the Notre Dame rivalry to whining after losses to simply not developing any sort of toughness on the field. Things are building to a big 2026, but the promise of next year can only happen so many times.
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Initial reaction
Riley’s departure caused plenty of bad feelings around Norman, Okla., but the fan base quickly rallied around Venables, who had been mentioned for numerous coaching jobs over the years before finally leaving for Oklahoma. As a defensive mind, he was widely praised as somebody who would get the Sooners back to being much tougher on that side of the ball.
Tenure
Venables is 28–19 across four years and has hovered in the hot seat after just one double-digit winning season, 10–3, in 2023. He’s fixed the defense but never has found the balance needed on the other side of the ball. His record against Texas is bad, he lost the last Bedlam game and is just 6–8 against ranked teams.
Forde’s regrade: C
An all-time great defensive coordinator, Venables still hasn’t definitively proved that he’s head coach material. Oklahoma has worked hard to build around him, from splashy quarterback acquisitions to multiple offensive coordinator changes to a big personnel staff, but the program hasn’t gotten back to national championship contention. The month of November will be an important indicator of where the program is headed, and whether Venables can come close to replicating the success of his predecessors.
Fischer’s regrade: C+
I had high expectations of Venables based on his work as Clemson’s DC, but it just hasn’t clicked in Norman. The move to the SEC naturally made this a more difficult job, but it’s never good when your name keeps coming up next to John Blake at Oklahoma.
Brian Kelly, LSU
Initial reaction
Shock, bewilderment and a thought that the Tigers just might get back to winning a national title quickly after the Ed Orgeron era saw a quick reversal in results. Kelly had won everywhere he went and was fresh off three top-five finishes at Notre Dame in four years—nearly missing out on the playoff in 2021. There was a thought that he was never leaving South Bend unless the NFL called, but he became the splashiest hire of the cycle.
Tenure
Other schools would have killed to have the results that Kelly did in Baton Rouge, going 34–14 over 3½ seasons with an appearance in the SEC title game his first year and a Heisman Trophy winner in his second. However he never really sniffed the CFP race as expected and was dismissed after getting blown out by Texas A&M at home for a fourth straight season with at least three losses.
Forde’s regrade: C
When you get fired in the middle of your fourth season at a potential cost of more than $50 million to the school—plus an expensive staff—it didn’t work out. Kelly had some bright moments, winning the SEC West and helping Jayden Daniels win the Heisman Trophy, but the demands at LSU extend to competing for national titles. Kelly never did that.
Fischer’s regrade: B
The fit never made sense but that could have been overcome with enough winning—which Kelly never did. He had some great highlights in Baton Rouge but suffered far too many losses to teams he shouldn’t have. I thought it would work out and that Kelly is a quality coach, but sometimes it’s just a case of a square peg in a round hole.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Initial reaction
There was some thought that after Kelly made his shocking escape to LSU, that the school would wait around for Luke Fickell to conclude his CFP trip with Cincinnati. However, AD Jack Swarbrick swiftly moved to elevate Freeman before he could join Kelly in Baton Rouge. Players were ecstatic over the elevation but there was some well-founded concern that the job of coaching at a place like Notre Dame would overwhelm a first-time head coach who was still early in his 30s.
Tenure
Safe to say Swarbrick was right. Though there was a rough start to his time in charge, Freeman has proved just about everybody wrong and become the coach who has elevated the program into a regular CFP contender. There have been a few puzzling losses to Group of 5 teams, but he’s also gone 38–12 with a trip to the national title game to far outweigh such setbacks.
Forde’s regrade: A
One of the stars of this hiring cycle. Freeman grew quickly into the job, proving himself as a program CEO in addition to his established acumen as a recruiter, motivator and defensive strategist. He will win a national championship at Notre Dame if he declines interest in the NFL and stays long enough to get it done.
Fischer’s regrade: A
I’ll admit I was one of those who were highly skeptical of Freeman getting the job—mostly because of how much you have to deal with things outside the lines at a place like Notre Dame. He’s elevated the program into a regular CFP contender and done so well that the trick now is for the Irish to keep him around amid plenty of NFL interest.
Mario Cristobal, Miami
Initial reaction
There was a long, drawn-out process of luring Cristobal to his alma mater, but eventually he came back home to a place where he saw the program operating at its peak. It was a massive coup to lure him away from winning conference titles at Oregon and there was plenty of hope that the increased investment that he was promised would get the Hurricanes back to prominence in the ACC.
Tenure
Cristobal admits he didn’t know how much of a hole he would need to dig out of at Miami, but he’s progressed from five wins, to seven, to 10 a year ago and real CFP contention in 2025. There have been plenty of clock management issues, but things are mostly looking up with the way the Canes are recruiting and playing on the field.
Forde’s regrade: A-
A 16–4 record the last 1½ seasons, with two different quarterbacks and several other key changes, is proof that Cristobal can build a contender. All that remains is finishing the job by winning an ACC title and making the CFP, both of which are attainable this season. Of course, they were attainable last year as well until the Hurricanes spit up a 21-point lead to Syracuse, which exposed the nagging question about Cristobal’s in-game coaching.
Fischer’s regrade: A-
Cristobal has done the job he was hired to do in reviving The U. This is one of the few non–Power 2 programs that looks capable of matching up in the trenches, and he’s keeping more and more skill position talent around. I still slightly question the ultimate ceiling, but it’s hard to argue with the trend line.
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Initial reaction
The Ducks are one of the best jobs on the West Coast and had things rolling under Cristobal, so it was a slight surprise that Lanning was handed the keys as a first-time head coach. He was highly regarded for his work as an assistant and was part of Georgia’s ability to get over the championship hump.
Tenure
Lanning has managed to supercharge the operation in Eugene, Ore., winning 10 games right away and then adding one more each subsequent season while becoming a regular in the CFP conversation. Winning the Big Ten in the program’s first season and earning a No. 1 seed made 2024 one of, if not the, best seasons in school history.
Forde’s regrade: A
Lanning’s star rose quickly as a defensive coordinator at Georgia and has kept on ascending as a head coach. Like Freeman, he seems to be on a collision course with a national championship at some point. He’s demonstrated the ability to master all aspects of the modern head coaching job.
Fischer’s regrade: A
There’s a reason why every other major opening wants to hire Lanning. He’s young, relates to players well, recruits relentlessly and has just the kind of edge that make him perfect to keep rising up the ranks of one of the best in the sport.
Sonny Dykes, TCU
Initial reaction
He was the early name as soon as the Horned Frogs decided to move on from longtime stalwart Gary Patterson. While moving across the Dallas–Fort Worth line raised a few eyebrows locally, it made sense as TCU was in a power conference and seemed to mesh well with the offensive-minded Dykes, who was no stranger to the Big 12.
Tenure
It’s hard to start a new job better than Dykes did, leading the program to the national title game in his first season and collecting every major coach of the year honor in the process. There was a setback the following season without a bowl game but results have been solid, if unspectacular, ever since going 33–15.
Forde’s regrade: A
The Horned Frogs played in a national championship game. That’s a forever accomplishment, especially at a school that had to fight its way back into a power conference after years wandering the mid-major wilderness. Dykes hasn’t followed up that 2022 season with a sustained run of prominence, but he’s a solid 20–13 since then, and on the fringe of Big 12 title contention this season.
Fischer’s regrade: A-
TCU still loses a handful of games it shouldn’t, but Dykes has raised the program’s floor and become much more of a digestible watch for fans with his offense. You can’t take away being the last guy to beat Jim Harbaugh in college or that national championship run away either.
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Initial reaction
The internal promotion was easy to see coming after Lashlee had helped Dykes turn around the Mustangs. He had a healthy résumé and had much more of a fiery personality that resonated around the program following the way this opening came about.
Tenure
The job has changed significantly with the move to the ACC, but Lashlee has managed to raise expectations to go along with results on the field. He’s 24–4 in league play across four seasons and notably led SMU to the ACC title game in its first year in the conference plus the CFP.
Forde’s regrade: A
Taking SMU to the ACC championship game and then the CFP was an enormous breakthrough for the Mustangs and Lashlee, and has helped make him a desired commodity on the job market. He’s a sharp offensive mind, a proven recruiter and a savvy roster builder.
Fischer’s regrade: A
Lashlee will be a hot name on the coaching carousel this year for what he’s done in Dallas. He understands the right blend of high school talent and transfer portal additions and should have the Mustangs regularly contending if he sticks around moving forward.
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
Initial reaction
The Red Raiders job was much different when McGuire was hired (just three years of eight wins since Mike Leach left) than it was now, but he was celebrated around Lubbock for being a Texas guy through and through as a former high school coach in the state.
Tenure
Good but not spectacular until an offseason splurge made Tech one of the Big 12 favorites. McGuire hasn’t won more than eight games in a season but at 7–1 in 2025, has the team in the hunt for the CFP and the school’s first Big 12 title berth.
Forde’s regrade: B
McGuire came into this job having to prove he could be a college head coach, and he’s most of the way there. McGuire was bankrolled with plenty of money to land transfers, but he’s also giving the fans a decent return on that investment. The Red Raiders are 7–1 and in the thick of the Big 12 race this season despite quarterback injuries.
Fischer’s regrade: B
McGuire has managed to stabilize things in Lubbock and even beat Texas/Oklahoma in the same season—which goes a long way with the fan base. This feels like a make-or-break season given the investment however.
Tony Elliott, Virginia
Initial reaction
Elliott had quite the reputation from his days leading Clemson to regular CFP appearances and was picky about his first foray into being a head coach. After Bronco Mendenhall took the Cavaliers to the Orange Bowl a few years prior, the hire was met with plenty of excitement that Elliott could once again maximize the team on the field.
Tenure
The Hoos have failed to make a bowl in Elliott’s prior three seasons before turning into surprising ACC (and CFP) contenders at 7–1 in 2025. The school was well behind on transfers and NIL the last few years but invested heavily this offseason to great results.
Forde’s regrade: C+
He had to pilot the program through some terrible adversity early in his tenure, with a former player killing three of his teammates. This season, finally, Elliott seems to have found the winning formula. If he can finish off this fate-kissed season with an appearance in the ACC championship game, the grade goes up.
Fischer’s regrade: C+
I thought this was going to work out great for both sides before Elliott won enough to jump to a better job after a few years. That hasn’t been the case up until this season and it will be interesting to see what both do if Virginia makes it to Charlotte.
Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
Initial reaction
The Justin Fuente era trailed off significantly and the hope was that somebody with more connections to the region would help get the Hokies back to prominence in the ACC. Pry was highly regarded as a recruiter in the area, had done a great job with Penn State’s defense and was a former GA under Bud Foster.
Tenure
Rocky would be putting it mildly. Virginia Tech finished above .500 just once (7–6 in 2023) and lost to local rival Old Dominion multiple times under Pry. He failed to beat a single ranked team and finished just 16–24 before being shown the door amid a dreadful start to this season.
Forde’s regrade: F
He simply couldn’t get it done as a head coach, winning just 40% of his games. His tenure began and ended with losses to Old Dominion, which tells you why he lasted for only 40 games.
Fischer’s regrade: F
Pry never made sense initially and it was clear he was in over his head from the jump. The Hokies were not only bad but they were painful to watch, even during the 2024 campaign that had tons of returning starters stacked on the roster.
Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Initial reaction
DeBoer had only two seasons as an FBS head coach when hired, going 12–6 with Fresno State. He was praised for his ability to communicate and run an offense that put up plenty of points, which was the exact opposite of predecessor Jimmy Lake.
Tenure
DeBoer lasted just two seasons, going a remarkable 25–3 with the last Pac-12 championship in the old league to his name. He led the Huskies all the way to the national championship game before eventually being the choice to replace Nick Saban at Alabama.
Forde’s regrade: A+
The only thing that didn’t go right was keeping him for the long haul. Saban’s retirement opened up a job that was too good to pass up.
Fischer’s regrade: A+
He lost three games in two years and took Washington all the way to the CFP. Hard to argue with those results to the point where it was a hire that almost worked out too well for Washington.
Mike Elko, Duke
Initial reaction
Things had gotten stale under David Cutcliffe and the results for the Blue Devils returned to where they typically were historically. Elko knew the ACC well from his successful stint at Wake Forest and was ready to be a head coach for the first time after putting together some great defenses at Notre Dame and Texas A&M.
Tenure
Short but sweet. After just two bowl games in the past six seasons before his arrival, Elko led Duke to a pair of bowls during his two years in charge—including an impressive 9-4 mark in 2022.
Forde’s regrade: A
Elko established his head coaching chops very quickly with the Blue Devils, who couldn’t keep him when a football-first SEC school came after him. Elko helped reestablish a baseline competitiveness that Manny Diaz has maintained.
Fischer’s regrade: A-
Elko made Duke competitive again right away as all but two of his losses (both to teams in the top 20) were by one score. He’s taken things even further at Texas A&M but did quality work in Durham, N.C.
Jon Sumrall, Troy
Initial reaction
The Trojans took a big step back after Neal Brown left the program so hiring somebody who was part of that staff and grew up in the state of Alabama was well received both internally and externally.
Tenure
Sumrall lasted just two years at Troy, going 23–4 while winning a pair of Sun Belt titles.
Forde’s regrade: A+
Someday, when Sumrall is winning SEC championships, Troy can take some pride in saying it gave him his start as a head coach.
Fischer’s regrade: A+
The program was floundering in a competitive conference and Sumrall instantly turned it around. He’s doing the same at Tulane now and appears destined to run a big-time SEC program soon enough.
Jerry Kill, New Mexico State
Initial reaction
It felt like a massive coup for the Aggies to land a veteran coach like Kill, who had bounced around as an assistant but was highly regarded for his ability to turn programs around.
Tenure
One of the best stretches in program history resulted in NMSU’s second bowl game win since 1960, followed by 10 wins and a CSUA title game berth.
Forde’s regrade: A+
He breathed life into a dead program, and made serapes a football fashion statement. Kill’s 17 victories with the Aggies were the most in a two-season span since 1959–60. The only thing lacking in his tenure was longevity.
Fischer’s regrade: A
This might be one of the hardest jobs in the country and Kill led the Aggies to new heights before smartly hitting the eject button.
Joe Moorhead, Akron
Initial reaction
How did Akron land Moorhead? That was the initial thought anyway given how the veteran offensive coordinator was connected to a number of bigger openings. The former Fordham and Mississippi State head coach had a great reputation and it felt like a coup that a MAC team could land him.
Tenure
The Zips are one of the tougher gigs in the MAC and things haven’t gone great in terms of results since Moorhead took over, going 11–34 across four seasons.
Forde’s regrade: C-
The best thing you can say about Moorhead’s tenure is that it has gotten better as it has progressed. After consecutive 2–10 seasons, Akron is 7–14 since. That still isn’t enough to contend in the MAC.
Fischer’s regrade: C
This was a grand slam at the time in luring such an experienced head coach to a place like Akron but he just hasn’t been able to get the roster in a decent enough place to win enough.
Jay Norvell, Colorado State
Initial reaction
It was an eye-opening, bold move to swipe a conference rival’s head coach and spoke to the aspirations Colorado State had in nabbing Norvell following four straight bowl games at Nevada.
Tenure
It was a slow and steady build to eight wins in 2024—the Rams’ most since ’14—but Norvell never could get much momentum and finished above .500 in Mountain West play only once.
Forde’s regrade: C
There was some outcry when Norvell was fired midway through this season, but his full body of work in Fort Collins, Colo., wasn’t good. The 8–5 2024 season was a blip, with two losing records before it and another one in progress this season. Colorado State has put enough into football to do better than that in the Mountain West.
Fischer’s regrade: B-
This had all the hallmarks of being a success, taking a proven head coach in the league and handing him more resources. Things never could work out though and Colorado State was so inconsistent that a new AD eventually pulled the plug.
Clay Helton, Georgia Southern
Initial reaction
There were two thoughts about Helton being hired in Statesboro, Ga., the first being how impressive it was that a Sun Belt school could land a former USC head coach. The other was a bit of skepticism around bringing in somebody who loved to throw the ball around running the show at a place that was built on the option.
Tenure
Helton’s second game in charge delivered what might be the biggest FBS win in school history at Nebraska, but things have been a bit of a roller coaster ever since. He’s 23–24 overall with just one winning season.
Forde’s regrade: B-
Helton brought USC experience to the Sun Belt, but he hasn’t brought USC winning. He’s been a rank-and-file coach in the league, nothing more or less. If anything, his .500-ish record at Georgia Southern reveals how amazing it is that he held the USC job long enough to coach 70 games there.
Fischer’s regrade: C+
Helton is one of the nicest folks in the sport but has been just O.K. with the Eagles aside from that memorable upset of the Cornhuskers.
Timmy Chang, Hawai’i
Initial reaction
It’s hard to have a better reception than Chang did coming home to his alma mater considering he was a record-setting quarterback as a player.
Tenure
It’s been a slow build for Chang at one of the least-resourced schools in FBS. The record has improved each season and the Rainbow Warriors have a 6–2 mark in 2025 and are a real surprise in the MWC.
Forde’s regrade: B
This looked like a pure nostalgia hire, bringing home a former star player who was severely lacking in experience. But Chang has steadily improved the product at a place with limited resources, with his fourth team in contention for the Mountain West championship.
Fischer’s regrade: B+
Chang made a massive leap from position coach to the top job and you can tell he’s had to learn on the fly despite plenty of external issues. He seems to have things pointed in the right direction.
Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana
Initial reaction
It was a natural fit to elevate Desormeaux into the job as a local, former player and a longtime time assistant with the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Tenure
It was always going to be difficult to meet the bar Napier set as the first-time head coach has experienced his share of ups and downs. Desormeaux did go to the Sun Belt title game last season but is otherwise 25–24 across four years.
Forde’s regrade: C
Louisiana has had a drastic drop-off since Napier left. Going 10–4 last year and playing for the Sun Belt title was nice, but otherwise Desormeaux’s record is 14–20 at a program that was dominating the league when he took over.
Fischer’s regrade: B-
A sensible hire that knew what worked at the school, it feels like things are slipping around Lafayette, La., following last year’s big breakthrough campaign.
Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech
Initial reaction
After nine years of Skip Holtz in Ruston, La., there was some excitement over plucking a highly regarded Air Raid assistant with name recognition for his first full-time head coaching job.
Tenure
After a long stretch of consistency, the Bulldogs have failed to put together a winning season and have trended toward the bottom of CUSA in Cumbie’s four years. They’re better in 2025 but the fan base is restless.
Forde’s regrade: C+
Cumbie’s tenure could be epitomized by Tech’s 28–27 loss to Western Kentucky on Oct. 21. The Bulldogs fought, scraped and put themselves in position to win … and then didn’t. He’s 2–13 in one-score games.
Fischer’s regrade: C+
This is a tough job but one where you should regularly be in the top half of CUSA at a minimum. Cumbie has been all over the place with results and hasn’t been able to break through in close games.
Jim Mora, UConn
Initial reaction
A bit of a surprise hire given Mora’s résumé as a former NFL/Power 4 head coach with West Coast roots.
Tenure
As an FBS independent in an area without much talent, this is a difficult gig that Mora has managed to exceed even modest expectations with. The overall mark of 23–23 isn’t anything to write home about, but he won nine games in 2024 and has UConn primed for a third bowl game in four seasons.
Forde’s regrade: A-
Mora has taken one of the weirdest jobs in FBS and made it work, going 23–23 at the only independent program other than Notre Dame. He’s solidified a program that many thought would fade into irrelevance without a conference tie-in.
Fischer’s regrade: A
I was extremely skeptical about Mora working out in Storrs, Conn., given the job itself and how things went his final years at UCLA. But he’s made the most of things and should be in position to capitalize with a better job soon enough.
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State
Initial reaction
Mostly positive considering his first stint at the alma mater led to a pair of double-digit win seasons and a conference title before Tedford resigned due to health issues.
Tenure
Tedford’s health was a subplot throughout this short second stint, but he went 19–8 overall with a pair of bowl games across two seasons.
Forde’s regrade: B-
Tedford is a great coach who had two different tenures at Fresno end early due to health concerns. Perhaps the school should have been wary about that on the second go-round, but it would have been hard to pass up someone that good.
Fischer’s regrade: B+
Tedford 2.0 (3.0?) in Fresno was a natural hire after DeBoer’s stint in charge, but it’s too bad his health never allowed him to really keep things rolling.
Jake Dickert, Washington State
Initial reaction
It’s hard to take over amid more trying circumstances, but Dickert had significantly improved the Cougars defense and was well received by fans on the Palouse.
Tenure
In one of the most difficult spots in the country, Dickert went 23–20 with a trio of bowl games to his credit before the league he was coaching in all but collapsed.
Forde’s regrade: A
I don’t know whether anyone had a harder job than Dickert after the Pac-12 disintegrated and Wazzu was left holding the bag, but he made it work. Then he’s quickly proved to be a great hire at Wake Forest.
Fischer’s regrade: A-
Dickert made the most of things at Wazzu, but it just felt like he was pushing a boulder up the hill every season given the changes going on. For a first-time head coach, it was apparent that he was somebody quite capable of doing more with less.
Mike MacIntyre, FIU
Initial reaction
MacIntyre never really got things going during his only power-conference gig at Colorado (aside from 2016) but was highly regarded as a longtime assistant who did wonders reviving San Jose State.
Tenure
The Panthers went 4–8 each of MacIntyre’s three years before he was dismissed.
Forde’s regrade: D
It’s not easy to attract coaching talent to FIU. But this was a retread hire with retread results.
Fischer’s regrade: C-
I really thought this one was going to work out as MacIntyre did one of the best jobs in the Group of 5 leading the Spartans from one win to 10. He never recruited the roster as well as he should have and on the field it seemed like FIU kept getting in its own way of a potential breakthrough.
Stan Drayton, Temple
Initial reaction
The former Urban Meyer assistant was well known as one of the sport’s top recruiters and seemed like a natural fit for the job as an aspiring assistant getting his first head coaching position.
Tenure
Drayton never won more than three games in a season before being dismissed 10 games into Year 3.
Forde’s regrade: F
A bad hire from the outset, and it lived down to expectations. Drayton’s Temple teams committed 67 turnovers in his 34 games.
Fischer’s regrade: F
The program was slipping long before Drayton took charge, but he never got things rolling and was on the wrong end of far too many blowouts.
Don Brown, UMass
Initial reaction
An obvious nostalgia play, Brown had tons of connections to the program having previously led them to an FCS title game during his first time as head coach. However, the industry in general was much more skeptical at things working out given his age and how much his defenses had slipped before taking the job.
Tenure
Brown won just six times in three seasons and four of those victories came against FCS opponents. The team also finished 104th, 133rd and 125th in scoring defense.
Forde’s regrade: D
This is an impossible job at the FBS level, and Brown reinforced that fact by going 6–28.
Fischer’s regrade: F
You can understand why the Minutemen thought bringing someone back who knew the program was smart but most outside the state knew this was going to be a long shot to work out given how much the sport was changing.
Ken Wilson, Nevada
Initial reaction
After being spurned by Norvell, it was an easy route for the Wolf Pack to pluck an up-and-coming assistant who had spent 19 years under Chris Ault in Reno.
Tenure
Nevada went from winning eight games the season prior to Wilson’s arrival to going 4–20 across just two seasons.
Forde’s regrade: F
Wilson took over a program coming off four straight winning seasons and went 4–20. Nevada has stayed broken since he left, going 4–17.
Fischer’s regrade: C-
Wilson had done good work with Oregon and Washington State as an assistant and got the Ault seal of approval. However, he looked in over his head in the big chair and Nevada took a massive step back on the field.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Regrading the 2021–22 College Football Coaching Cycle: Two Unanimous Failures.