Coaching Carousel

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A 2020 college football season that stretched into mid-to-late December resulted in an unprecedented coaching carousel. And as the past weekend proved, the hits could keep coming.
Seemingly out of left field Sunday, Texas fired fourth-year head coach Tom Herman and hiredsecond-year Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, a move that came less than a month after the Longhorns reportedly pursued Urban Meyer â€” while Herman was still at the helm.
As the NFL carousel starts to spin, a handful of college head coaches could be candidates to fill voids. If so, more jobs could open at the Power Five level, which would pile on an early offseason that has not lacked intrigue.


In the meantime, 11 FBS jobs have been filled. How did each program do in the hiring process? CBS Sports' Barrett Sallee provides an idea, with grades for every move to this point.

WILL HALL, SOUTHERN MISS: B+


CBS Sports Says: "Hall comes from the Willie Fritz school of spread option football, which should work well at a school that has a strong talent base to recruit from. He has head coaching experience at West Alabama and West Georgia, so Golden Eagles fans shouldn't have to worry about the responsibilities being to big for Hall to handle early in his career."

247Sports' Take: Hall, 40, spent the past two season as Tulane's offensive coordinator from 2019-20. A former head coach by way of Division II West Alabama (2011-13) and West Georgia (2014-16), Hall went 25-11 and 31-9, respectively, before making a jump to the FBS level as Louisiana's offensive coordinator (2017) and Memphis' associate head coach/tight ends coach (2018).


BLAKE ANDERSON, UTAH STATE: A-



CBS Sports Says: "His success with a wide open offense should play well with an Aggies program that needs a spark."

247Sports' Take: A former North Carolina offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach (2012-13), Anderson went 51-37 overall and 38-18 against Sun Belt play with six bowl appearances in seven years at Arkansas State from 2014-20. He resigned from his head-coaching position and accepted the Utah State job Dec. 12. Until a 4-7 finish in 2020, Anderson never finished below the .500 mark. The 51-year-old gets a fresh start with the Aggies after a tenure with the Red Wolves in which he won a pair of Sun Belt championships at the helm.


KANE WOMMACK, SOUTH ALABAMA: B+



CBS Sports Says: "The 33-year-old is now the youngest FBS coach, and will bring well-documented recruiting prowess to a Group of Five program with a lot of potential."

247Sports' Take: A former South Alabama defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2016-17 before leaving for the same title at Indiana, Wommack returns to the Jaguars knowing what he is getting into. His coordinating experience date back to Eastern Illinois from 2014-15. One of five finalists for the 2020 Broyles Award, Wommack is a rising star and has the chance to prove that further at South Alabama.


TERRY BOWDEN, LOUISIANA-MONROE: C



CBS Sports Says: "He only went to two bowl games in seven years with the Zips, and the competition is much tougher in the Sun Belt."

247Sports' Take: A longtime head coach by way of Salem (1983-86), Samford (1987-92), Auburn (1993-98), FCS North Alabama (2009-11) and Akron (2012-18), Bowden returns to the role via Louisiana-Monroe. The 64-year-old Bowden, who spent the past two years as a graduate assistant at Clemson, owns a 175-114-2 record across all head-coaching stops. Most recently with the Zips, Bowden did solid work at a tough job in the MAC, going 35-52 overall — including an 8-5 (5-3) finish for the 2015 season as a high point.


BUTCH JONES, ARKANSAS STATE: F



CBS Sports Says: "Jones was solid as a Group of Five coach at Central Michigan and Cincinnati, but drove Tennessee into the ground. The real Jones coached on Rocky Top, and a brief stint as Nick Saban's intern won't change him."

247Sports' Take: Jones went 34-27 with the Volunteers but became a popular punching bag for his occasional comments, like when he said one of his teams "won the biggest championship — that's the championship of life." After consecutive 9-4 campaigns from 2015-16, Jones started 4-6 (0-6 SEC) in 2017, leading to Tennessee's midseason termination. With the Vols, Jones went 14-24 in SEC play but won three straight bowl games from 2014-16. Jones, 52, saw success with Central Michigan (2007-09) and Cincinnati, respectively posting 27-13 (21-3 MAC) and 23-14 (12-9 Big East) marks. Whether or not a three-year stint in the Alabama program made any difference remains to be seen, and his Tennessee tenure never got over the hump, but he is entering a strong foundation at Arkansas State from what Anderson built with the Red Wolves.


JEDD FISCH, ARIZONA: B-



CBS Sports Says: "He is regarded as a quality offensive mind. His lack of head coaching experience — two games as UCLA's interim — means that Wildcat fans will have to be patient."

247Sports' Take: After going the retread route with a disastrous result in Kevin Sumlin, who followed a 51-26 (25-23 SEC) tenure at Texas A&M (2012-17) by going 9-20 (6-17 PAC-12) for the Wildcats (2018-20), Arizona went outside the box and hired a first-time head coach. Fisch, 44, returns to college football after a three-year stint in the NFL as an offensive assistant with the Los Angeles Rams (2018-19) and New England Patriots (2020). Previously, he was UCLA's offensive coordinator in 2017, taking over on a two-game interim basis after the Bruins fired Jim Mora, and went 1-1. His prior stops included Michigan's passing game coordinator (2015-16), the Jacksonville Jaguars' offensive coordinator (2013-14) and Miami's offensive coordinator (2011-12). One way or another, Arizona is making a bold hire. But how much longer can the Wildcats afford to be patient after Sumlin's setback?


CLARK LEA, VANDERBILT: B



CBS Sports Says: "He is a former Vandy player who knows the challenges that the school faces."

247Sports' Take: A Nashville, Tennessee, native and former Vanderbilt fullback from 2002-04, Lea knows what he is getting into with essentially the SEC's toughest job. Lea, 38, needs assistance from the Commodores' administration but has a chance to get his alma mater back on track. After starting out as Notre Dame's linebackers coach in 2017, Lea received additional duties of defensive coordinator in 2018. Lea reportedly finished second in the Boston College coaching search last year, so his star has been rising.


BRET BIELEMA, ILLINOIS: B+



CBS Sports Says: "Bielema returns to the Big Ten after a stint as an NFL assistant and should fit well with the program. Smith recruited well enough for Bielema to hit the ground running with his old-school style."

247Sports' Take: Illinois parted ways with Lovie Smith after five years Dec. 13, and the Fighting Illini made a bold hire by bringing Bielema back to the Big Ten West after a successful Wisconsin stint from 2006-12. Bielema struggled at a tough job in the SEC West at Arkansas from 2013-17, going 29-34 overall and 11-29 against SEC play. The 50-year-old Bielema steps into an Illinois job that is positioned to take another step in a fluctuating Big Ten West, one that he found success with during his Wisconsin chapter, going 68-24 (37-19 Big Ten) with two Rose Bowl Game appearances. Bielema's return comes after a three-year stint as an assistant in the NFL with the New England Patriots (2018-19) and New York Giants (2020).


SHANE BEAMER, SOUTH CAROLINA: B-



CBS Sports Says: "Beamer is also a relentless recruiter and well-respected within the coaching community. South Carolina will have to be patient with Beamer as he jumps in the deep end of the pool as a first-time coach in the SEC."

247Sports' Take: Shane Beamer is the son of legendary former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, but he has carved out his own path as an assistant since 2000. Beamer, 43, was a third-year assistant at Oklahoma coaching the tight ends and H-backs. Prior to his stints as Georgia's tight ends coach/special teams coordinator (2016-17) and Virginia Tech's associate head coach/running backs coach (2011-15), he was an assistant at South Carolina from 2007-10. Beamer broke in with the Gamecocks as a cornerbacks coach from 2007-08. His final two years at South Carolina, he was a linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Despite not being an offensive or defensive coordinator throughout his career, Beamer has been groomed for the eventual head-coaching job, and he knows from prior experience what it takes to win at South Carolina. In a CEO-type role, Beamer could flourish getting the Gamecocks back on track as a competitor for the SEC East, but the process will not be an overnight fix after Will Muschamp.


BRYAN HARSIN, AUBURN: B+



CBS Sports Says: "He is a relative outsider to the SEC, so hiring a staff will be a big key to his success. If he lures assistants with deep recruiting ties, this could turn out to be one of the best hires of the offseason."

247Sports' Take: Auburn fired Gus Malzahn after eight years Dec. 13, an understandable move if the Tigers had a sure thing lined up, but the process dragged out with twists and turnsuntil seemingly settling for Harsin. With that said, Harsin was a nice find out of the Auburn coaching search. After going 7-5 overall and 5-2 against Sun Belt play as a first-time head coach at Arkansas State, Harsin kept Boise State humming along when Chris Petersen left the Broncos for Washington, with a 69-19 (45-8 Mountain West) mark from 2014-20. Harsin, 44, is stepping into a prestigious but tough job in the SEC West and lacks conference experience. But he is a proven winner and has the right mindset. How far that gets him against the likes of Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M in his division alone remains to be seen.


STEVE SARKISIAN, TEXAS: A



5COMMENTS
CBS Sports Says: "The former USC and Washington head coach has a tremendous mind for offensive football, develops quarterbacks and has had two seasons learning from the best coach of all time. He will bring Texas 'back.'"
247Sports' Take: Will Sarkisian bring Texas "back?" The Longhorns sure hope so. Herman, 45, went 32-18 (22-13 Big 12) at Texas from 2017-20. The Longhorns won all four bowl games, including a 55-23 rout of Colorado in last Tuesday's Alamo Bowl. Texas appeared to turn the corner with a 10-4 (7-2) finish in 2018, Herman's second season, but the Longhorns took a couple steps back by going 8-5 (5-4) and 7-3 (5-3) from 2019-20. In comes Sarkisian, who evolved Alabam's offense from 2019-20 and revived his coaching career after he hit rock bottom at USC. First at Washington, Sarkisian went 34-29 (24-21 Pac-12) from 2009-13. After a 5-7 (4-5) debut on the 2009 season, Sarkisian registered three straight 7-6 (5-4) finishes before going 8-4 (5-4) in 2013. With the Trojans, Sarkisian posted a 12-6 (7-5 Pac-12) record before getting fired Oct. 12, 2015, due to several reported alcohol-related instances. Sarkisian will have the resources at Texas, and he has earned his second chance, but it will be an enormous one from with high expectations and little patience.