The season only ended 8 days ago, and there have already been a plethora of coaching changes across the college football landscape, specifically in the SEC.
The coaching move that headlined the SEC as well as the Big Ten is Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin leaving Nashville to take the same position at Penn State University. Franklin leaves Vanderbilt after a three year tenure in which he became the school’s all-time leader in wins in terms of percentage, and doubled the program’s bowl game victories.
Vanderbilt Athletic Director David Williams is reportedly targeting Stanford Defensive Coordinator Derek Mason. Others coaches that are being targeted include Clemson Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris, Duke Head Coach David Cutcliffe, Vanderbilt Offensive Line Coach Herb Hand, Colorado Head Coach Mike MacIntyre, Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi, and the most interesting of the bunch former Texas Head Coach Mack Brown.
This year’s SEC coaching carousel though has been dominated by the coming and going of offensive and defensive coordinators. As well as some other notable assistants.
Below is a list of coaches leaving their current schools:
Doug Nussmeier
Previous Job: Alabama Offensive Coordinator
New Job: Michigan Offensive Coordinator
Nussmeier leaves the Crimson Tide after a two year stint as Offensive Coordinator. Some saw this as a surprising move, but according to USA Today Nussmeier’s salary will jump from $680,000 annually to more than $840,000 annually. Nussmeier leaves after winning a national championship in 2012, and guiding Alabama’s first 3,000 yard passer A.J. McCarron.
Brent Pease
Previous Job: Florida Offensive Coordinator
New Job: Washington Wide Receivers Coach
Pease was fired by Will Muschamp following the Gators dismal season. Under Pease’s leadership Florida was ranked 115th nationally in total offense and 113th nationally in scoring offense. On December 17, 2013 it was announced the Pease would join Chris Peterson’s staff as Wide Receivers Coach at the University of Washington.
Todd Grantham
Previous Job: Georgia Defensive Coordinator
New Job: Louisville Defensive Coordinator
Grantham leaves UGA to lead a Louisville defense that ranked 2nd nationally in scoring defense. (Photo Credit/ESPN.com)
In a coaching carousel that has been filled with unanticipated moves, Grantham leaves Georgia for a $150,000 a year pay raise as his salary bumps from $850,000 to $1,000,000 annually. Grantham becomes one of the highest paid defensive coordinators in the country, even following a year where his UGA defense ranked 81st in scoring defense.
Marcel Yates
Previous Job: Texas A&M Co-Defensive Coordinator
New Job: Boise State Defensive Coordinator
Yates returns to Boise State as Defensive Coordinator following a two year stint as Co-Defensive Coordinator at Texas A&M. Yates joins new head coach Bryan Harsin at Boise State. Yates was on the Broncos staff as a defensive assistant from 2003-2011.
Below is a list of coaches joining new schools:
Lane Kiffin
Previous Job: Southern Cal Head Coach
New Job: Alabama Offensive Coordinator
Alabama fans have mixed emotions about the hiring of Lane Kiffin. (Photo Credit/USCTrojans.com)
Minutes after the announcement that Doug Nussmeier was leaving to take the offensive coordinator job at Michigan rumors started swirling that Lane Kiffin would be Alabama’s new offensive coordinator. Within 48 hours Alabama coach Nick Saban announced that Lane Kiffin would in fact be the offensive coordinator. Kiffin comes from Southern Cal where he was fired mid-season in 2013. Kiffin was 28-15 in his tenure as head coach. He has also served as the head coach at the University of Tennessee.
Kurt Roper
Previous Job: Duke Offensive Coordinator
New Job: Florida Offensive Coordinator
Roper is one of the more promising hires of the off-season. He joins the Florida staff as offensive coordinator after serving the Duke Blue Devils in the same capacity since 2008. Prior to joining the Duke coaching staff Roper had been an assistant in the SEC his entire career. Duke’s offense averaged 32.8 points per game and 426.1 yards per game in 2013 under his leadership.
Jeremy Pruitt
Previous Job: Florida State Defensive Coordinator
New Job: Georgia Defensive Coordinator
Statistically comparing Todd Grantham’s defense and Jeremy Pruitt’s defense from the 2013 season, Pruitt is one of the biggest coaching upgrades in college football. As mentioned earlier Georgia’s defense ranked 81st in scoring defense, whereas Florida State ranked 1st. The move from Florida State to Georgia comes as quite a shocker following Florida State’s run to a national championship. Pruitt formerly served as a defensive assistant at Alabama and Alabama high school powerhouse Hoover High School.
Other SEC Assistants on the move:
Alabama
Chris Rumph
Previous Job: Alabama Defensive Line Coach
New Job: Texas Defensive Line Coach
Bo Davis
Previous Job: Southern Cal Defensive Line Coach
New Job: Alabama Defensive Line Coach
Arkansas
Charlie Partridge
Previous Job: Arkansas Defensive Line Coach
New Job: Florida Atlantic Head Coach
Rory Segrest
Previous Job: Samford Defensive Line Coach
New Job: Arkansas Defensive Line Coach
Florida
Tim Davis
Previous Job: Florida Offensive Line Coach (Fired)
New Job: None
Mike Summers
Previous Job: Southern Cal Offensive Line Coach
New Job: Florida Offensive Line Coach
Georgia
Scott Lakatos
Previous Job: Georgia Defensive Back Coach (Left for personal reasons)
New Job: None
LSU
Greg Studrawa
Previous Job: LSU Offensive Line Coach (Fired)
New Job: None
Texas A&M
Terry Joseph
Previous Job: Nebraska Defensive Back Coach
New Job: Texas A&M Defensive Back Coach
All information compiled courtesy of:
SaturdayDownSouth.com
CFBStats.com
USAToday.com
ESPN.com
