Coaching Carousel (Remember these Names)

Now that the coaching carousel has ended (unless something unexpected comes up) we can go ahead and look to the future.  Next year, like every year, we have coaches who lose their jobs and schools are looking for the next great coach.  We all know about the big names like Chad Morris (Clemson OC) and Kirby Smart (Alabama DC) but what about the guys we don't know about?  Here is a list of coaches who may not be as hot of names now, but could easily be leading their own programs within the next few years.

Doug Nussmeier (Alabama Offensiver Coordinator)
After Alabama won the National Title, Nussmeier got a lot of love.  And why not.  All Nussmeier has done is take what Jim McElwain did before him and make the offense that much better.  They are a running team, but he's developing QB AJ McCarron into an elite college QB and giving a once pedestrian offense into a valid threat.  You also can't ignore what he did at Washington with Jake Locker and Keith Price.  Add in that schools love to hire Nick Saban assistants and that makes Nussmeier all the more attractive.


Scott Frost (Oregon Offensive Coordinator)
A lot of people may not know who Scott Frost is, but he has one heck of a resume.  He played at Stanford under Bill Walsh and then transferred to Nebraska and won a National Championship as a QB under Tom Osbourne.  He played safety in the NFL and was on teams coached by Bill Parcells, Bill Billicek, and Monte Kiffin.  As a coach he's worked with Bill Synder and Chip Kelly.  Add in that he was the defensive coordinator at Northern Iowa also.  Frost is a coach in the making.  He's a good recruiter and has now been promoted to offensive coordinator under Mark Helfrich.  It's only a matter of time before he gets a head job.  He reportedly was interviewed for the Louisiana Tech job this past season.  Don't be surprised if he gets hired at a Non BCS job soon and then works his way up to a BCS level school.


Tim Beck (Nebraska Offensive Coordinator)
What Beck has done for the Nebraska offense is nothing short of spectacular.  He's built an offense that can hurt defenses in multiple ways and allows QB Taylor Martinez to flourish in spite of some deficiencies.  That is pretty good considering how bad Nebraska's offense was before he took over.  Beck also benefits from having a defensive minded head coach and has been given the free reign to run what he wants.  He only has two years as a play caller under his belt but he has improved each year.  Add in that he was a former high school coach in Texas and a good recruiter, it's now wonder why UTEP was interested in him as their next coach. 

Eddie Gran (Cincinnati Offensive Coordinator)
The former RB coach for the Florida State Seminoles was a rumored name for a couple lower tiered schools, but he ended up going to Cincinati to be Tommy Tuberville's offensive coordinator.  Gran is known for being an ace recruiter and has done so at Ole Miss and Florida State.  He's highly respected and the players love him.  It's only a matter of time before he gets a shot.  But going to Cincinnati to be a coordinator will only help his case.





Neal Brown (Kentucky Offensive Coordinator)
Brown almost wasn't included on this list because he was rumored to be on the short list with a few schools openings.  However after Tubberville left Texas Tech, Brown decided to go his alma mater Kentucky and be their new offensive coordinator.  Brown is a spread guru who learned his trade under Tony Franklin while at Troy.  At Tech he not only helped the Red Raiders keep their high flying offense, he was instrumental in the development of QB Seth Droege and leading them to a top 10 offense.  If he can jump start the Wildcat offense he would be even more enticing for schools looking for a new coach.


Jeremy Pruitt (Florida State Defensive Coordinator)
Here is a name that unless you are an Alabama or Florida State fan, you really don't know who he is.  Or maybe you recognize him from MTV's 2 a days where he was Hoover High's defensive coordinator.  But Pruitt is the new FSU DC after spending the past past two years as secondary coach for the Crimson Tide.  Pruitt is going to inherit a very talented Seminole defense and he'll have to chance to really impress a lot of people.  With some very good success, he could parlay that into a head coaching job in the future.

Bob Stitt (Colorado School of Mines Head Coach)
Unlike the previous coach listed, Stitt is actually a head coach.  But it's at the Division II level.  However it could be a matter of time before he lands in the FBS level.  Stitt is considered to be an offensive innovator and has influenced many of the top offensive minds in college football, including Dana Holgerson.  Stitt's name even got thrown about for the Colorado opening this year.  Now we may see Stitt as an offensive coordinator first, but schools are looking for the next Chip Kelly and the next great thing could go the unconventional route and hire Stitt to be their guy.