11-04-2025, 06:41 AM
27) Mark Stoops (Kentucky): I had earlier talked myself into having Stoops much higher in the likely event he gets fired from Kentucky, largely because I think a competent SEC coach can be a boon and because I like the Stoops family, especially for turnaround situations. On reflection I’m not sure I’m feeling it for Stanford. But we could do a lot worse.
28) Charles Huff (Southern Miss): Energetic, motivational culture builder with bona fides from two FBS head coach jobs plus a great network of mentors. First year at Southern Miss has been spectacular so far, an insane 109 spots better than he inherited and 64 spots better than the five year median, which follows 32-20 at Marshall including two 9+ win seasons including ten wins his last year. Love that he’s worked for Nick Saban, James Franklin, PJ Fleck, and Ralph Friedgen. I am somewhat chastened by somebody I trust throwing some cold water on my enthusiasm about the fit and how impressed I am, rightly pointing out that these G5 schools have been able to succeed in the past and are not the hardest jobs.
29) Mike Norvell (Florida State): Another program’s trash could be our treasure. I loved what he had going on at Florida State until the undefeated team got spurned and it messed with the vibes and they never recovered. That the program lacked resilience under his watch is not good. But even this year he’s got a fringe top 30 team and somebody who has consistently been at that level at both Memphis and Florida State has some chops. Scares me that he’s been in such a different environment relying on such a different model than what he’d need to do at Stanford.
30) Brent Brennan (Arizona): I’m not as big a fan as I once was as he’s proven more methodical than supernova at both San Jose State and Arizona, but he’s managed very positive trajectories at both. Bona fide Bay Area native coaching prospects don’t grow on trees. Having Arizona as respectable as he has them this year has my attention.
31) Jake Dickert (Wake Forest): The former Washington State coach already having the Demon Deacons with more wins this year than either of the last two has my attention. Three year inherited median of #87 and now in the first year is #66. Not world-beating, but I don’t think Wazzu or Wake in recent years are the easiest places and he’s managed a winning record.
32) Sean Lewis (San Diego State): This is my pick for the geographically obvious, likely gettable, underrated option so much better than his record suggests. I would dig it more than you’d think for a 34-41 Group of Five coach. It’s hard to call him a diamond in the rough since San Diego State is one of the better Group of Five jobs, but I feel like he’s really going under the radar. At 39 he’s still young and hungry and I think the two jobs that didn’t work out were more feathers in the cap than black marks – as head coach at Kent State he had two of their five 7+ win seasons in 50 years and as an assistant at Colorado it seemed like Prime scapegoated him but even getting picked for that all-star staff was a nice nod. Now at San Diego State he’s got them one of the top ten non-Power Four programs in the country. He’s probably not elite though and this is more a backup plan than something to be excited about.
33) Eric Morris (North Texas): I am not inclined to think either deep Texas ties guys or Washington State spread offense guys are a fit for us and I’m not really here either, but I’d be remiss not to mention a guy with at least some multi-school success (a ranked Incarnate Word team) and an impressive steadily-improving trajectory in his current G5 role. Having North Texas on the cusp of top 50 this year is spectacular. An upward trajectory like that is something I feel like I can’t ignore as it was a lower level coaching hallmark for Jeff Brohm, PJ Fleck, Dave Clawson, and Jim Harbaugh. A really good sign. I feel pretty confident Morris, like Golesh above, will be a good coach for somebody with this hallmark.
34) Jason Eck (New Mexico): So far so good at New Mexico (17 spots better than what he inherited and 45 spots higher than the five year median) and if that continues it couples with his progressively improving FCS playoff seasons at Idaho to paint a picture of one of the West’s more competent coaches. He’s a culture and offensive line specialist, two of the more attractive profiles for us, but compared to some others who have established themselves more in FBS I think it’s risky to give him too much credit in those dimensions before proving himself more. Generally speaking, if we were to hire a Group of Five coach I’d want somebody who’d coached a few top 60 teams, not merely someone doing well relative to their school’s historical norm.
35) KC Keeler (Temple): People will think I’m crazy including somebody who will be 67 before next season and only has a few years of FBS experience but this guy is an awesome coach (winningest coach in football now that Brian Kelly isn't active) and I think would be a good fit. After seeing Cignetti’s success at Indiana I don’t want to be ageist. Keeler is flat-out just an awesome coach, 88-21-1 in Division III a very long time ago at Rowan with a brutal/amazing five national runner-up finishes and two other semifinals, 86-52 at Delaware with an FCS (then I-AA) national championship and two more runner-up finishes, 97-39 at Sam Houston with another FCS national championship and five other top six teams as well as shepherding their move up to FBS where he had them with 9 wins and a bowl appearance last year, and now at Temple has them Sagarin top 120 after inheriting a five year median of #155. Just a really good coach with a focus on toughness, accountability, and establishing the run game that fits with Luck’s vision. Sometimes we overthink things. Getting somebody who hasn’t established more at competitive levels of major college football would make me nervous though, and with the age/profile this is probably only a candidate in my mind. Other older guys I’m affectionate about include Jerry Kill and Willie Fritz.
36) GJ Kinne (Texas State): I’ve had my eye on him as the potential next big thing but don’t think it’s a sure thing and I don’t see a Stanford fit. Third in FCS in his sole year at Incarnate Word and now at Texas State has done well but is having a trajectory problem this year. He could be the offensive innovator many always pine for. That Texas State does it with good offensive line play avoids my post-Taylor concern about a lower-level coach with innovative offense despite of rather than because of play up front. But ultimately I don’t see a Stanford fit and don’t think Kinne is so great to shoot up higher on my list despite the lack of fit.
37) Will Stein (Oregon OC): A hotshot supernova assistant who has learned from very good coaches (Lanning and Traylor), and fans love offense so there’s a special appeal to being the hottest coordinator in the sport the last few years. It would be bold and somewhat desperate to go for somebody with so little seasoning.
28) Charles Huff (Southern Miss): Energetic, motivational culture builder with bona fides from two FBS head coach jobs plus a great network of mentors. First year at Southern Miss has been spectacular so far, an insane 109 spots better than he inherited and 64 spots better than the five year median, which follows 32-20 at Marshall including two 9+ win seasons including ten wins his last year. Love that he’s worked for Nick Saban, James Franklin, PJ Fleck, and Ralph Friedgen. I am somewhat chastened by somebody I trust throwing some cold water on my enthusiasm about the fit and how impressed I am, rightly pointing out that these G5 schools have been able to succeed in the past and are not the hardest jobs.
29) Mike Norvell (Florida State): Another program’s trash could be our treasure. I loved what he had going on at Florida State until the undefeated team got spurned and it messed with the vibes and they never recovered. That the program lacked resilience under his watch is not good. But even this year he’s got a fringe top 30 team and somebody who has consistently been at that level at both Memphis and Florida State has some chops. Scares me that he’s been in such a different environment relying on such a different model than what he’d need to do at Stanford.
30) Brent Brennan (Arizona): I’m not as big a fan as I once was as he’s proven more methodical than supernova at both San Jose State and Arizona, but he’s managed very positive trajectories at both. Bona fide Bay Area native coaching prospects don’t grow on trees. Having Arizona as respectable as he has them this year has my attention.
31) Jake Dickert (Wake Forest): The former Washington State coach already having the Demon Deacons with more wins this year than either of the last two has my attention. Three year inherited median of #87 and now in the first year is #66. Not world-beating, but I don’t think Wazzu or Wake in recent years are the easiest places and he’s managed a winning record.
32) Sean Lewis (San Diego State): This is my pick for the geographically obvious, likely gettable, underrated option so much better than his record suggests. I would dig it more than you’d think for a 34-41 Group of Five coach. It’s hard to call him a diamond in the rough since San Diego State is one of the better Group of Five jobs, but I feel like he’s really going under the radar. At 39 he’s still young and hungry and I think the two jobs that didn’t work out were more feathers in the cap than black marks – as head coach at Kent State he had two of their five 7+ win seasons in 50 years and as an assistant at Colorado it seemed like Prime scapegoated him but even getting picked for that all-star staff was a nice nod. Now at San Diego State he’s got them one of the top ten non-Power Four programs in the country. He’s probably not elite though and this is more a backup plan than something to be excited about.
33) Eric Morris (North Texas): I am not inclined to think either deep Texas ties guys or Washington State spread offense guys are a fit for us and I’m not really here either, but I’d be remiss not to mention a guy with at least some multi-school success (a ranked Incarnate Word team) and an impressive steadily-improving trajectory in his current G5 role. Having North Texas on the cusp of top 50 this year is spectacular. An upward trajectory like that is something I feel like I can’t ignore as it was a lower level coaching hallmark for Jeff Brohm, PJ Fleck, Dave Clawson, and Jim Harbaugh. A really good sign. I feel pretty confident Morris, like Golesh above, will be a good coach for somebody with this hallmark.
34) Jason Eck (New Mexico): So far so good at New Mexico (17 spots better than what he inherited and 45 spots higher than the five year median) and if that continues it couples with his progressively improving FCS playoff seasons at Idaho to paint a picture of one of the West’s more competent coaches. He’s a culture and offensive line specialist, two of the more attractive profiles for us, but compared to some others who have established themselves more in FBS I think it’s risky to give him too much credit in those dimensions before proving himself more. Generally speaking, if we were to hire a Group of Five coach I’d want somebody who’d coached a few top 60 teams, not merely someone doing well relative to their school’s historical norm.
35) KC Keeler (Temple): People will think I’m crazy including somebody who will be 67 before next season and only has a few years of FBS experience but this guy is an awesome coach (winningest coach in football now that Brian Kelly isn't active) and I think would be a good fit. After seeing Cignetti’s success at Indiana I don’t want to be ageist. Keeler is flat-out just an awesome coach, 88-21-1 in Division III a very long time ago at Rowan with a brutal/amazing five national runner-up finishes and two other semifinals, 86-52 at Delaware with an FCS (then I-AA) national championship and two more runner-up finishes, 97-39 at Sam Houston with another FCS national championship and five other top six teams as well as shepherding their move up to FBS where he had them with 9 wins and a bowl appearance last year, and now at Temple has them Sagarin top 120 after inheriting a five year median of #155. Just a really good coach with a focus on toughness, accountability, and establishing the run game that fits with Luck’s vision. Sometimes we overthink things. Getting somebody who hasn’t established more at competitive levels of major college football would make me nervous though, and with the age/profile this is probably only a candidate in my mind. Other older guys I’m affectionate about include Jerry Kill and Willie Fritz.
36) GJ Kinne (Texas State): I’ve had my eye on him as the potential next big thing but don’t think it’s a sure thing and I don’t see a Stanford fit. Third in FCS in his sole year at Incarnate Word and now at Texas State has done well but is having a trajectory problem this year. He could be the offensive innovator many always pine for. That Texas State does it with good offensive line play avoids my post-Taylor concern about a lower-level coach with innovative offense despite of rather than because of play up front. But ultimately I don’t see a Stanford fit and don’t think Kinne is so great to shoot up higher on my list despite the lack of fit.
37) Will Stein (Oregon OC): A hotshot supernova assistant who has learned from very good coaches (Lanning and Traylor), and fans love offense so there’s a special appeal to being the hottest coordinator in the sport the last few years. It would be bold and somewhat desperate to go for somebody with so little seasoning.