Ever since Nick Saban shockingly decided to retire a week after the College Football Playoff, a domino effect has been happening in the coaching world.
To replace Saban, Alabama moved quickly to get his replacement Kalen DeBoer from Washington. That was just the beginning of several moves that ended up with a former head coach who ran an outdated offense being hired to a job where he is planning to run a wide-open offense.
Let’s see how things have shaken up.
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There will certainly be a lot of new in college football next season. With Nick Saban gone, does Alabama become just another SEC team or will it stay at the top of the heap?
DeBoer has been a successful coach everywhere he has been, but he will get his first taste of recruiting in the cut-throat Southeastern Conference. How he holds up there will tell the tale.
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Jedd Fisch did lead Arizona to its best record in years and had a positive outlook going forward. Still, there are some question marks. A few of his decisions were questioned, and he didn’t play quarterback Noah Fifita until his starter was injured and Fifita threw for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns in nine games. Washington had established itself as a major power, so this was a big hire.
Brent Brennan almost got the Arizona job before Fisch, so it seemed like a logical choice to give him a shot. Still, something about the decision or Fisch’s decision to leave apparently was questionable, and athletics director Dave Heeke lost his job right after the hire.
Ken Niumatalolo is a name that is familiar. He was at Navy for 16 years, running the triple-option and compiling a record of 109-83. At San Jose State, Niumatalolo has said he plans to hire young assistants who want to run a wide-open style of football. The goal will be to keep some California players at home.
Pete Lembo was the special teams coach at South Carolina, but he has been a head coach before at Lehigh, Elon, and Ball State. His record is 112–65. He has signed a five-year contract at Buffalo, a sign that he has the time to rebuild the program.