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Insider Edge Sports takes a look into the 2003 NCAA football coaching changes
Coaching changes can have an immediate impact on teams while for others, it may take time for the new coach to make his mark. Here is our take on the new coaches for 2003 and whether or not you will see an immediate change or the same old stuff from 2002.
Alabama – Mike Shula replacing Mike Price replacing Dennis Franchione
This was by far the most talked about coaching carousel in the off-season as Franchione decided to head back to the state of Texas after just two seasons guiding the Tide. Alabama thought they had their man with Mike Price until the whole sex scandal story came out and he was immediately let go and replaced by Mike Shula. Shula is a former Alabama quarterback and seems like a good choice to lead this team but the big question is why he wasn’t a candidate until after Price was let go? He is the youngest coach ever hired at Alabama and will be the youngest coach in the SEC entering this season. His youth will allow him to be a good motivator but he has no head coaching experience and that will definitely hurt. He has plenty of NFL coaching experience as he landed his first job in 1988 and most notably spent 4 years in Tampa Bay as their offensive coordinator. The problem was that offense was atrocious so he will need to rely on Tide offensive coordinator Dave Radar to get the job done. Five years from now, this will look like a very good decision but with this team entering a second year of NCAA probation, it will be a transition year for the Tide and they will not come close to matching their 10 wins from a season ago.
Ball St. – Brady Hoke replacing Bill Lynch
This looks like a perfect fit for the Cardinals who are coming off a 6-6 season in 2002. Lynch was fired as Ball State's football coach after producing only two winning seasons in his eight years at the school. Hoke is a former All-MAC football player at Ball St. and will be coming back to his alma mater after spending the last 8 seasons at Michigan. He spent the 2002 season as the associate head coach and defensive line coach and will bring a great deal of big school experience to the Cardinals. A .500 season is something a lot of teams would kill for but it wasn’t good enough for Lynch to keep his job. Hoke will have his hands full in his first season as the Cardinals welcome rising Missouri and have three rough MAC visitors in Miami, Toledo and Bowling Green. He has to replace some good talent in key positions and while the move looks to be the right one, it might be a rough rookie season for Hoke in his return to Muncie.
Baylor – Guy Morriss replacing Kevin Steele
The coaching change for the Bears can only be a positive. Steele did a horrific job at Baylor in his 4 seasons as he compiled a 9-36 record and just one conference victory. Morriss resigned at Kentucky after six seasons, the final two as head coach. He is a native Texan and should bring excitement to this program that seemed to quit at certain times for their old coach. Morriss is very respected and should be able to help the Bears recruiting right away, bringing in future success to this perennial Big 12 basement team. The problem is that for now, he will be coaching Steele recruits and must look for ways to move this team in the right direction this season which might be easier said than done. After their spring sessions, Morriss knew what lies ahead. “It took us some time this spring just to get our kids in good enough shape so that we can start getting some work out of them. I think any time there is a transition, like a new staff, and the length that it took, some of the kids fell through the cracks. We had to get after them pretty hard this spring just to get them back on track in the weight room, conditioning and so forth, but as far as next year goes, it's going to be an interesting year. We aren't blessed with a lot of depth, our numbers are down right now, and we are a little bit out of balance, but again we knew those things coming in here. We are just going to try to be as competitive as we can be, play as hard as can for as long as we can and kind of see what happens.” Even he knows the challenge will be difficult but at least they are moving forward. 2003 doesn’t look to be good, but it can’t get much worse.
Bowling Green – Gregg Brandon replacing Urban Meyer
Brandon will have some tough shoes to fill in taking over for the very popular Meyer who left the Falcons to take the head coaching job at Utah. Meyer took over a team that had endured six straight losing seasons. In Meyer's first two seasons, the Falcons went 17-6 overall, including an 11-5 mark in the Mid-American Conference. He left the program in tremendous shape and it will be up to Brandon to keep the success going, which shouldn’t be a problem at all. Brandon has more than 22 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, including the last two years at Bowling Green where he has served as assistant head coach and directed the Falcons' record-setting offensive attack. The Falcons had trouble scoring at all before Brandon arrived, and last year they led the nation in that department for the first half of the season, with essentially the same players. The players are behind Brandon and he was hands down the players’ choice as their new coach. "We were united in our support for coach Brandon," senior quarterback Josh Harris said, "and we let everyone here know that. We felt like he had done a lot of good things with the offense, and we wanted to see that continue." This was definitely the best decision the athletic department could have made and the Falcons won’t miss a beat in 2003.
East Carolina – John Thompson replacing Steve Logan
East Carolina will have a different face on the sidelines for the first time in 11 seasons. The Pirates posted a 4-8 mark in 2002 and have won only four of their past 15 games dating back to 2001. East Carolina finished tied for fifth (4-4) in Conference USA this past season, its lowest finish in six years of competition in the league after three straight second-place showings. Logan is the all-time leader in coaching wins but the university needed to go in a different direction and get a fresh look to the program. Enter John Thompson, one of the most highly regarded defensive coaches in the country. His 21-year collegiate coaching career includes 19 seasons as a defensive coordinator with stops at four schools in the Southeastern Conference - Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU. He has guided one of the nation's top 25 defensive units in four of the past six years. But Thompson isn’t a stranger to Conference USA. He was the mastermind behind the dominant Southern Miss defense of the mid-1990s as he took over the position of defensive coordinator for the Golden Eagles in 1992, was given the additional title of assistant head coach in 1993, and remained with that program until 1998. Along the way, Southern Miss won or shared two Conference USA titles, ranked among the top 25 nationally in scoring defense twice, and made two bowl appearances. The Pirates were underachievers the last couple season under Logan and this change should bring East Carolina back into the national spotlight right away.
Houston – Art Briles replacing Dana Dimel
Dimel was a player favorite at Houston but a change had to be made since the program wasn’t improving as quickly as the university had hoped. There was no quit in the Cougars who finished last season with a convincing 27-10 win over Louisville, 6 days after Dimel was told he was fired but decided he wanted to coach his players one last time. He finished 8-26 in three years at Houston, including an 0-11 record in 2001 - the only winless campaign in the program's history. Briles becomes the first-ever former UH player to lead the Cougar football program, something that will play an important role this season in getting his players on his side. Briles spent the last three years as the running backs coach at Texas Tech and like Guy Morriss of Baylor, he is very well respected around the high school ranks and should improve their recruiting immediately. Unfortunately, Houston has had their problems in recent years and a turn around won’t happen in one season. This is a move for the future more than anything and improving on their 5 wins from a year ago might be a stretch. Developing a foundation is the first step and the university is hoping Briles can do that. But this should be a fun team to watch as Briles brings in a wide-open, air it out offensive attack, which could keep the Cougars competitive in some games if their defense can hold up.
Kentucky – Rich Brooks replacing Guy Morriss
Morriss stepped down to head back to his home state of Texas to take over the struggling Baylor program. Rich Brooks comes in with a wealth of experience but hasn’t coached in a few years since leaving the Atlanta Falcons in 2000. Brooks has 27 years of coaching experience on the collegiate level, including a groundbreaking 18-year term as head coach at Oregon, and is a 10-year NFL coaching veteran. His tenure at Oregon shows his commitment to a program, something the Wildcats are in desperate need of. Morriss was only around for 2 seasons and the program has been in the middle of NCAA infractions and probation the past few years so a veteran like Brooks could turn them around, but not overnight. His best move was the hiring of ex-Utah coach Ron McBride, who joins the staff as an assistant coach in charge of linebackers. Utah has been known for their tough defense and McBride should bring that talent to Kentucky, who will need a push right away as they return only 3 starters to their defense with all 4 linebackers being new. It might take some time for the defense to get it together but Brooks has the luxury of a solid offense that loses just 4 players including only 1 offensive lineman. It’s a whole new start for Kentucky, which can only bring good things and Brooks can definitely be the right man to turn things around.
Louisiana-Monroe – Charlie Weatherbie replacing Bobby Keasler (Mike Collins)
Keasler resigned last season and it was Mike Collins who stepped in and did a fantastic job in running the team the remainder of the season even though the wins didn’t come their way. Just keeping their heads in the game after their coach quits halfway through the season is a huge accomplishment in itself. He was given the permanent job for 2003 but unfortunately, Collins got hit with a DUI the night before the spring game and was fired. In steps Charlie Weatherbie who has had great success in turning around struggling programs (Utah St. and Navy). He is considered a players coach and is very well respected but knows that it will be an uphill battle for the Indians. He inherits a very young team but one that has a lot of talent. This team has a legitimate shot in coming years as long as they buy into the system but 2003 isn’t the year. This is a great move for the program to get a big name coach that can attract recruits and make the fans and people around the university believe. And who knows, they could surprise this season but with trips to LSU, Mississippi and Auburn, it’s not likely. Surpassing their 3 wins from last season is doable but it won’t be much more than 1 game most likely.
Louisville – Bob Petrino replacing John L. Smith
Smith will be a difficult coach to replace as he turned around a Cardinals program and pointed them in the right direction. He put together a 41-21 record, including five straight bowl appearances and back-to-back Conference USA titles in 2000-01. The five bowl trips equaled the number of postseason appearances Louisville had made prior to his arrival and the five consecutive winning seasons marked a first for the program. Petrino was part of that success as he served as the Cardinals offensive coordinator during the 1998 season when Louisville led the nation in scoring and total offense. In the 4 years since, he spent two seasons coaching the quarterbacks and another as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL followed by a one-year tenure during the 2002 season in the same capacity at Auburn. It did not take long for him to put his stamp on the Auburn offense in 2002 as the Tigers improved to #31 nationally in scoring average (31.25 ppg) and #38 nationally in scoring offense (396.67 ypg) after ranking #86 nationally in scoring offense (22.18 ppg) and #73 in total offense (358.82 ypg) in 2001. Even with a new quarterback to take the snaps, Petrino should be able to put a solid offense on the field and keep the success going that Smith built.
Michigan St. – John L. Smith replacing Bobby Williams
Smith brings his success to a program in need of a jump-start. Williams had no control over his players and it showed as Michigan St. ended 2002 with a 4-8 record and many on and off the field problems that included QB Jeff Smoker entering a substance-abuse program. Smoker is back with the team, although he might not be the starter when the season begins. Smith has had success everywhere he has coached. He led Louisville to a 41-21 record in his 5 years that included a 7-5 record in his first season in 1998, a year after the Cardinals finished 1-10. Prior to Louisville, he coached at Utah St. for 3 seasons and led them to 2 Big West championships after the Aggies had produced just 2 winning seasons in their prior 15. Before that, he coached at Idaho for 6 seasons where he became the winningest coach in school history. The Spartans haven’t had a winning season since 2001 when they went 7-5 but that could change if Smith can get this team under control. They need to get their priorities in order first and foremost and once that is accomplished, then they can look at the future. Smith has done it before and there is no reason why he can’t do it again at a higher level.
Oregon St. – Mike Riley replacing Dennis Erickson
This is another case of a coach restoring tradition and success back into a program and then heading out. However in this case, the tradition and success is something that is fairly new to the Beavers and it is up to Riley to keep it going. Erickson left Oregon St. to head back to the NFL while Riley returns to Oregon St. from the NFL after serving as the Beavers head coach during the 1997-98 seasons. He led the Beavers to a two-year mark of 8-14, and is widely considered the person who started the football renaissance at the school. He recruited 17 of the 24 starters from the 2000-2001 Fiesta Bowl. He is blessed with a young group of athletes that return 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. This team can reach double digit wins once again with their toughest tests coming in their last two games at Oregon and at USC. Riley has been here before and while the record might not have showed it, he did wonders for the program and will continue keeping the success going.
Texas A&M – Dennis Franchione replacing R.C. Slocum
Franchione returns to the state of Texas after a brief 2-year stint at Alabama. Even under the Tide probation, he put together a 2002 season far above expectations when everyone thought it would be a down year in Tuscaloosa. He now comes back to Texas, this time at A&M, a program stumbling but not down far enough where the task will be too daunting. Slocum was on the clock much of last season and losing 4 of their last 5 games finally did him in. The normally stringent defense allowed 35 ppg during that final 5-game stretch and that signaled the end for the 14-year Aggies coaching veteran. Franchione brings in a winning attitude and a winning track record. He has compiled a 155-73-2 record (.678 percent) as a head coach. He ranks as the #8 winningest active head coach in NCAA Div. IA in terms of winning percentage and his 155-career victories stand #7 among active Div. IA head coaches. Slocum gave A&M some great years but he was never able to push them over the top into the elite crowd. Can Franchione do that? The 12th man might have some say in that and it’s a definite possibility in the near future.
Tulsa – Steve Kragthorpe replacing Keith Burns
Things can only get better for the Golden Hurricane. Keith Burns compiled an overall 7-28 record in his three seasons at Tulsa but his last two teams registered an overall 2-21 record. When your coach resigns, he has not only given up on himself but also on his team and therefore a change is the best thing possible. Kragthorpe brings 13 years of coaching to the program, including 11 years on the collegiate level and two years of professional football. He was the QB coach for the Buffalo Bills the last 2 seasons and had the opportunity to coach Drew Bledsoe this past season, a definite benefit going forward. He is only 37 years old and will bring a brand new outlook to this team that has struggled for years going back to the rough times with coach Dave Radar. He came in and promised starting roles to no one thus making competition intense and bringing out the best of abilities in everyone. His mentor was LaVell Edwards and if he can even come close to that success, he will turn this place around in a hurry. Expect dramatic improvements from them this season and while a winning record is unlikely, coming close to .500 is.
UCLA - Karl Dorrell replacing Bob Toledo
Optimism is high for the Bruins as former UCLA receiver Karl Dorrell takes over for Bob Toledo as coach. Toledo was let go at the end of the regular season and didn’t coach the Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl, a game in which they won 27-13 over New Mexico under interim coach Ed Kezirian. It was felt that in order to revitalize the program and move it forward, a change of leadership was required and a fresh start necessary. Dorrell comes to UCLA from the Denver Broncos, where he was in his third year as the coach of the wide receivers and prior to his arrival in Denver, he coached 12 years on the collegiate level mostly as a receivers coach. He can definitely bring a fresh new attitude to the program and being only 39, he should be able to have his players buy into his system. Being a Bruins graduate, he knows the tradition of UCLA football and will work hard to get them back into the national spotlight after many underachieving years. Like Tulsa, a young fresh face is just what the school needs so expect Dorrell to utilize his talented team to the best of their abilities and start out in the right direction.
Utah – Urban Meyer replacing Ron McBride
A very popular coach, Ron McBride was let go after putting together a .500 conference and overall record his past 3 seasons. While those numbers aren’t that bad, it’s not what the school is striving for so a change was felt necessary. McBride will take his talents on defense to Kentucky under their new coach Rich Brooks. Meyer comes over from Bowling Green where he revitalized a struggling program and put them on the map. He compiled a 17-6 record in his two years at BGSU, including a 5-0 mark against Bowl Championship Series teams. Meyer was 8-3 in 2001 and 9-3 in 2002. Meyer will definitely open things up for the Utes, as he did at Bowling Green, and he is fortunate to have 14 starters return from last season. Many feel that McBride got the raw end of the deal and that he was fired unfairly but his replacement should bring a new spark to the offense that has struggled in past years. Surpassing last seasons 5 wins won’t be easy so there won’t be a noticeable difference right away but Meyer will have them going in the right direction in the very near future.
Washington State - Bill Doba replacing Mike Price
Mike Price left a great job at Washington St. to pursue bigger and better options and leaves Alabama without even coaching a game. Bill Doba deserves this job as he has been an assistant for the Cougars for the past 14 seasons and is the lone remaining assistant from Price's original Cougar staff named in 1989. He knows the system, he knows the players and he knows what is expected of him based on the success Price had during his time at the school. This was a no-brainer for the athletic department as the players give all they have for Doba and that is something that cannot be brought in from the outside. Coaching will not be the issue if Washington St. stumbles, it will come down to the loss of key players to graduation, since they lost 7 on the offensive side of the ball alone. They won’t match the 10 wins from a season ago, but you can bet they will be giving it all they have on every snap this season for their new coach.
Wyoming - Joe Glenn replacing Vic Koenning
The Cowboys desperately needed a change and they didn’t wait until the end of last season to make a move. Vic Koenning was let go before the teams’ 2002 season finale but he agreed to coach the last game before he left which turned out to be another loss. In his 3 years at Wyoming, he compiled a 5-29 record that included a 1-20 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Joe Glenn comes to Wyoming from the University of Montana, where he produced a tremendous record. He won three Big Sky Conference championships and guided the Grizzlies to a Division I-AA national championship in 2001. In three seasons he posted a 39-6 (.867) record. That is the best winning percentage in the history of the Big Sky, which produced such head coaches as John L. Smith, Dennis Erickson, Jim Sweeney, Sonny Lubick and Mike Price, some very good company. Glenn came to Big Sky country from Northern Colorado, where he was the most successful Division II coach in the country. He directed the Bears to 11 straight winning seasons. His record there was 98-35 (.737). The Bears earned five straight trips (seven overall) to the Division II playoffs, and won back-to-back NCAA Division II National Football Championships in 1996 and 1997. Even though he doesn’t have 1-A experience, that track record alone should bring success to a team in dire need of a positive influence. The offense brings back the majority of their starters from last season, but it’s their defense that will make or break the 2003 season.
Washington - Rick Neuheisel was let go and a replacement has yet to be named.
Coaching changes can have an immediate impact on teams while for others, it may take time for the new coach to make his mark. Here is our take on the new coaches for 2003 and whether or not you will see an immediate change or the same old stuff from 2002.
Alabama – Mike Shula replacing Mike Price replacing Dennis Franchione
This was by far the most talked about coaching carousel in the off-season as Franchione decided to head back to the state of Texas after just two seasons guiding the Tide. Alabama thought they had their man with Mike Price until the whole sex scandal story came out and he was immediately let go and replaced by Mike Shula. Shula is a former Alabama quarterback and seems like a good choice to lead this team but the big question is why he wasn’t a candidate until after Price was let go? He is the youngest coach ever hired at Alabama and will be the youngest coach in the SEC entering this season. His youth will allow him to be a good motivator but he has no head coaching experience and that will definitely hurt. He has plenty of NFL coaching experience as he landed his first job in 1988 and most notably spent 4 years in Tampa Bay as their offensive coordinator. The problem was that offense was atrocious so he will need to rely on Tide offensive coordinator Dave Radar to get the job done. Five years from now, this will look like a very good decision but with this team entering a second year of NCAA probation, it will be a transition year for the Tide and they will not come close to matching their 10 wins from a season ago.
Ball St. – Brady Hoke replacing Bill Lynch
This looks like a perfect fit for the Cardinals who are coming off a 6-6 season in 2002. Lynch was fired as Ball State's football coach after producing only two winning seasons in his eight years at the school. Hoke is a former All-MAC football player at Ball St. and will be coming back to his alma mater after spending the last 8 seasons at Michigan. He spent the 2002 season as the associate head coach and defensive line coach and will bring a great deal of big school experience to the Cardinals. A .500 season is something a lot of teams would kill for but it wasn’t good enough for Lynch to keep his job. Hoke will have his hands full in his first season as the Cardinals welcome rising Missouri and have three rough MAC visitors in Miami, Toledo and Bowling Green. He has to replace some good talent in key positions and while the move looks to be the right one, it might be a rough rookie season for Hoke in his return to Muncie.
Baylor – Guy Morriss replacing Kevin Steele
The coaching change for the Bears can only be a positive. Steele did a horrific job at Baylor in his 4 seasons as he compiled a 9-36 record and just one conference victory. Morriss resigned at Kentucky after six seasons, the final two as head coach. He is a native Texan and should bring excitement to this program that seemed to quit at certain times for their old coach. Morriss is very respected and should be able to help the Bears recruiting right away, bringing in future success to this perennial Big 12 basement team. The problem is that for now, he will be coaching Steele recruits and must look for ways to move this team in the right direction this season which might be easier said than done. After their spring sessions, Morriss knew what lies ahead. “It took us some time this spring just to get our kids in good enough shape so that we can start getting some work out of them. I think any time there is a transition, like a new staff, and the length that it took, some of the kids fell through the cracks. We had to get after them pretty hard this spring just to get them back on track in the weight room, conditioning and so forth, but as far as next year goes, it's going to be an interesting year. We aren't blessed with a lot of depth, our numbers are down right now, and we are a little bit out of balance, but again we knew those things coming in here. We are just going to try to be as competitive as we can be, play as hard as can for as long as we can and kind of see what happens.” Even he knows the challenge will be difficult but at least they are moving forward. 2003 doesn’t look to be good, but it can’t get much worse.
Bowling Green – Gregg Brandon replacing Urban Meyer
Brandon will have some tough shoes to fill in taking over for the very popular Meyer who left the Falcons to take the head coaching job at Utah. Meyer took over a team that had endured six straight losing seasons. In Meyer's first two seasons, the Falcons went 17-6 overall, including an 11-5 mark in the Mid-American Conference. He left the program in tremendous shape and it will be up to Brandon to keep the success going, which shouldn’t be a problem at all. Brandon has more than 22 years of coaching experience at the Division I level, including the last two years at Bowling Green where he has served as assistant head coach and directed the Falcons' record-setting offensive attack. The Falcons had trouble scoring at all before Brandon arrived, and last year they led the nation in that department for the first half of the season, with essentially the same players. The players are behind Brandon and he was hands down the players’ choice as their new coach. "We were united in our support for coach Brandon," senior quarterback Josh Harris said, "and we let everyone here know that. We felt like he had done a lot of good things with the offense, and we wanted to see that continue." This was definitely the best decision the athletic department could have made and the Falcons won’t miss a beat in 2003.
East Carolina – John Thompson replacing Steve Logan
East Carolina will have a different face on the sidelines for the first time in 11 seasons. The Pirates posted a 4-8 mark in 2002 and have won only four of their past 15 games dating back to 2001. East Carolina finished tied for fifth (4-4) in Conference USA this past season, its lowest finish in six years of competition in the league after three straight second-place showings. Logan is the all-time leader in coaching wins but the university needed to go in a different direction and get a fresh look to the program. Enter John Thompson, one of the most highly regarded defensive coaches in the country. His 21-year collegiate coaching career includes 19 seasons as a defensive coordinator with stops at four schools in the Southeastern Conference - Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU. He has guided one of the nation's top 25 defensive units in four of the past six years. But Thompson isn’t a stranger to Conference USA. He was the mastermind behind the dominant Southern Miss defense of the mid-1990s as he took over the position of defensive coordinator for the Golden Eagles in 1992, was given the additional title of assistant head coach in 1993, and remained with that program until 1998. Along the way, Southern Miss won or shared two Conference USA titles, ranked among the top 25 nationally in scoring defense twice, and made two bowl appearances. The Pirates were underachievers the last couple season under Logan and this change should bring East Carolina back into the national spotlight right away.
Houston – Art Briles replacing Dana Dimel
Dimel was a player favorite at Houston but a change had to be made since the program wasn’t improving as quickly as the university had hoped. There was no quit in the Cougars who finished last season with a convincing 27-10 win over Louisville, 6 days after Dimel was told he was fired but decided he wanted to coach his players one last time. He finished 8-26 in three years at Houston, including an 0-11 record in 2001 - the only winless campaign in the program's history. Briles becomes the first-ever former UH player to lead the Cougar football program, something that will play an important role this season in getting his players on his side. Briles spent the last three years as the running backs coach at Texas Tech and like Guy Morriss of Baylor, he is very well respected around the high school ranks and should improve their recruiting immediately. Unfortunately, Houston has had their problems in recent years and a turn around won’t happen in one season. This is a move for the future more than anything and improving on their 5 wins from a year ago might be a stretch. Developing a foundation is the first step and the university is hoping Briles can do that. But this should be a fun team to watch as Briles brings in a wide-open, air it out offensive attack, which could keep the Cougars competitive in some games if their defense can hold up.
Kentucky – Rich Brooks replacing Guy Morriss
Morriss stepped down to head back to his home state of Texas to take over the struggling Baylor program. Rich Brooks comes in with a wealth of experience but hasn’t coached in a few years since leaving the Atlanta Falcons in 2000. Brooks has 27 years of coaching experience on the collegiate level, including a groundbreaking 18-year term as head coach at Oregon, and is a 10-year NFL coaching veteran. His tenure at Oregon shows his commitment to a program, something the Wildcats are in desperate need of. Morriss was only around for 2 seasons and the program has been in the middle of NCAA infractions and probation the past few years so a veteran like Brooks could turn them around, but not overnight. His best move was the hiring of ex-Utah coach Ron McBride, who joins the staff as an assistant coach in charge of linebackers. Utah has been known for their tough defense and McBride should bring that talent to Kentucky, who will need a push right away as they return only 3 starters to their defense with all 4 linebackers being new. It might take some time for the defense to get it together but Brooks has the luxury of a solid offense that loses just 4 players including only 1 offensive lineman. It’s a whole new start for Kentucky, which can only bring good things and Brooks can definitely be the right man to turn things around.
Louisiana-Monroe – Charlie Weatherbie replacing Bobby Keasler (Mike Collins)
Keasler resigned last season and it was Mike Collins who stepped in and did a fantastic job in running the team the remainder of the season even though the wins didn’t come their way. Just keeping their heads in the game after their coach quits halfway through the season is a huge accomplishment in itself. He was given the permanent job for 2003 but unfortunately, Collins got hit with a DUI the night before the spring game and was fired. In steps Charlie Weatherbie who has had great success in turning around struggling programs (Utah St. and Navy). He is considered a players coach and is very well respected but knows that it will be an uphill battle for the Indians. He inherits a very young team but one that has a lot of talent. This team has a legitimate shot in coming years as long as they buy into the system but 2003 isn’t the year. This is a great move for the program to get a big name coach that can attract recruits and make the fans and people around the university believe. And who knows, they could surprise this season but with trips to LSU, Mississippi and Auburn, it’s not likely. Surpassing their 3 wins from last season is doable but it won’t be much more than 1 game most likely.
Louisville – Bob Petrino replacing John L. Smith
Smith will be a difficult coach to replace as he turned around a Cardinals program and pointed them in the right direction. He put together a 41-21 record, including five straight bowl appearances and back-to-back Conference USA titles in 2000-01. The five bowl trips equaled the number of postseason appearances Louisville had made prior to his arrival and the five consecutive winning seasons marked a first for the program. Petrino was part of that success as he served as the Cardinals offensive coordinator during the 1998 season when Louisville led the nation in scoring and total offense. In the 4 years since, he spent two seasons coaching the quarterbacks and another as the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL followed by a one-year tenure during the 2002 season in the same capacity at Auburn. It did not take long for him to put his stamp on the Auburn offense in 2002 as the Tigers improved to #31 nationally in scoring average (31.25 ppg) and #38 nationally in scoring offense (396.67 ypg) after ranking #86 nationally in scoring offense (22.18 ppg) and #73 in total offense (358.82 ypg) in 2001. Even with a new quarterback to take the snaps, Petrino should be able to put a solid offense on the field and keep the success going that Smith built.
Michigan St. – John L. Smith replacing Bobby Williams
Smith brings his success to a program in need of a jump-start. Williams had no control over his players and it showed as Michigan St. ended 2002 with a 4-8 record and many on and off the field problems that included QB Jeff Smoker entering a substance-abuse program. Smoker is back with the team, although he might not be the starter when the season begins. Smith has had success everywhere he has coached. He led Louisville to a 41-21 record in his 5 years that included a 7-5 record in his first season in 1998, a year after the Cardinals finished 1-10. Prior to Louisville, he coached at Utah St. for 3 seasons and led them to 2 Big West championships after the Aggies had produced just 2 winning seasons in their prior 15. Before that, he coached at Idaho for 6 seasons where he became the winningest coach in school history. The Spartans haven’t had a winning season since 2001 when they went 7-5 but that could change if Smith can get this team under control. They need to get their priorities in order first and foremost and once that is accomplished, then they can look at the future. Smith has done it before and there is no reason why he can’t do it again at a higher level.
Oregon St. – Mike Riley replacing Dennis Erickson
This is another case of a coach restoring tradition and success back into a program and then heading out. However in this case, the tradition and success is something that is fairly new to the Beavers and it is up to Riley to keep it going. Erickson left Oregon St. to head back to the NFL while Riley returns to Oregon St. from the NFL after serving as the Beavers head coach during the 1997-98 seasons. He led the Beavers to a two-year mark of 8-14, and is widely considered the person who started the football renaissance at the school. He recruited 17 of the 24 starters from the 2000-2001 Fiesta Bowl. He is blessed with a young group of athletes that return 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. This team can reach double digit wins once again with their toughest tests coming in their last two games at Oregon and at USC. Riley has been here before and while the record might not have showed it, he did wonders for the program and will continue keeping the success going.
Texas A&M – Dennis Franchione replacing R.C. Slocum
Franchione returns to the state of Texas after a brief 2-year stint at Alabama. Even under the Tide probation, he put together a 2002 season far above expectations when everyone thought it would be a down year in Tuscaloosa. He now comes back to Texas, this time at A&M, a program stumbling but not down far enough where the task will be too daunting. Slocum was on the clock much of last season and losing 4 of their last 5 games finally did him in. The normally stringent defense allowed 35 ppg during that final 5-game stretch and that signaled the end for the 14-year Aggies coaching veteran. Franchione brings in a winning attitude and a winning track record. He has compiled a 155-73-2 record (.678 percent) as a head coach. He ranks as the #8 winningest active head coach in NCAA Div. IA in terms of winning percentage and his 155-career victories stand #7 among active Div. IA head coaches. Slocum gave A&M some great years but he was never able to push them over the top into the elite crowd. Can Franchione do that? The 12th man might have some say in that and it’s a definite possibility in the near future.
Tulsa – Steve Kragthorpe replacing Keith Burns
Things can only get better for the Golden Hurricane. Keith Burns compiled an overall 7-28 record in his three seasons at Tulsa but his last two teams registered an overall 2-21 record. When your coach resigns, he has not only given up on himself but also on his team and therefore a change is the best thing possible. Kragthorpe brings 13 years of coaching to the program, including 11 years on the collegiate level and two years of professional football. He was the QB coach for the Buffalo Bills the last 2 seasons and had the opportunity to coach Drew Bledsoe this past season, a definite benefit going forward. He is only 37 years old and will bring a brand new outlook to this team that has struggled for years going back to the rough times with coach Dave Radar. He came in and promised starting roles to no one thus making competition intense and bringing out the best of abilities in everyone. His mentor was LaVell Edwards and if he can even come close to that success, he will turn this place around in a hurry. Expect dramatic improvements from them this season and while a winning record is unlikely, coming close to .500 is.
UCLA - Karl Dorrell replacing Bob Toledo
Optimism is high for the Bruins as former UCLA receiver Karl Dorrell takes over for Bob Toledo as coach. Toledo was let go at the end of the regular season and didn’t coach the Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl, a game in which they won 27-13 over New Mexico under interim coach Ed Kezirian. It was felt that in order to revitalize the program and move it forward, a change of leadership was required and a fresh start necessary. Dorrell comes to UCLA from the Denver Broncos, where he was in his third year as the coach of the wide receivers and prior to his arrival in Denver, he coached 12 years on the collegiate level mostly as a receivers coach. He can definitely bring a fresh new attitude to the program and being only 39, he should be able to have his players buy into his system. Being a Bruins graduate, he knows the tradition of UCLA football and will work hard to get them back into the national spotlight after many underachieving years. Like Tulsa, a young fresh face is just what the school needs so expect Dorrell to utilize his talented team to the best of their abilities and start out in the right direction.
Utah – Urban Meyer replacing Ron McBride
A very popular coach, Ron McBride was let go after putting together a .500 conference and overall record his past 3 seasons. While those numbers aren’t that bad, it’s not what the school is striving for so a change was felt necessary. McBride will take his talents on defense to Kentucky under their new coach Rich Brooks. Meyer comes over from Bowling Green where he revitalized a struggling program and put them on the map. He compiled a 17-6 record in his two years at BGSU, including a 5-0 mark against Bowl Championship Series teams. Meyer was 8-3 in 2001 and 9-3 in 2002. Meyer will definitely open things up for the Utes, as he did at Bowling Green, and he is fortunate to have 14 starters return from last season. Many feel that McBride got the raw end of the deal and that he was fired unfairly but his replacement should bring a new spark to the offense that has struggled in past years. Surpassing last seasons 5 wins won’t be easy so there won’t be a noticeable difference right away but Meyer will have them going in the right direction in the very near future.
Washington State - Bill Doba replacing Mike Price
Mike Price left a great job at Washington St. to pursue bigger and better options and leaves Alabama without even coaching a game. Bill Doba deserves this job as he has been an assistant for the Cougars for the past 14 seasons and is the lone remaining assistant from Price's original Cougar staff named in 1989. He knows the system, he knows the players and he knows what is expected of him based on the success Price had during his time at the school. This was a no-brainer for the athletic department as the players give all they have for Doba and that is something that cannot be brought in from the outside. Coaching will not be the issue if Washington St. stumbles, it will come down to the loss of key players to graduation, since they lost 7 on the offensive side of the ball alone. They won’t match the 10 wins from a season ago, but you can bet they will be giving it all they have on every snap this season for their new coach.
Wyoming - Joe Glenn replacing Vic Koenning
The Cowboys desperately needed a change and they didn’t wait until the end of last season to make a move. Vic Koenning was let go before the teams’ 2002 season finale but he agreed to coach the last game before he left which turned out to be another loss. In his 3 years at Wyoming, he compiled a 5-29 record that included a 1-20 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Joe Glenn comes to Wyoming from the University of Montana, where he produced a tremendous record. He won three Big Sky Conference championships and guided the Grizzlies to a Division I-AA national championship in 2001. In three seasons he posted a 39-6 (.867) record. That is the best winning percentage in the history of the Big Sky, which produced such head coaches as John L. Smith, Dennis Erickson, Jim Sweeney, Sonny Lubick and Mike Price, some very good company. Glenn came to Big Sky country from Northern Colorado, where he was the most successful Division II coach in the country. He directed the Bears to 11 straight winning seasons. His record there was 98-35 (.737). The Bears earned five straight trips (seven overall) to the Division II playoffs, and won back-to-back NCAA Division II National Football Championships in 1996 and 1997. Even though he doesn’t have 1-A experience, that track record alone should bring success to a team in dire need of a positive influence. The offense brings back the majority of their starters from last season, but it’s their defense that will make or break the 2003 season.
Washington - Rick Neuheisel was let go and a replacement has yet to be named.
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