CFN Ranking the First Year Coaches

Interesting stuff!


Ranking the first year coaches[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]
[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=+1]How did the new guys do in 2005?[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]
By Richard Cirminiello
- Ranking the first year coaches in 2004
[/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif]One full season into his tenure, and most LSU fans still aren’t quite sure how they feel about Les Miles. They loathed their new head coach after the early-season meltdown against Tennessee, lightened up during the nine-game winning streak, questioned him following the SEC title game and kept an open mind after the Tigers housed Miami 40-3 in the Peach Bowl. It was that flawless victory with a backup quarterback under center that nudged Miles ahead of Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis for the 2005 First-Year Coach of the Year.

Yes, Miles inherited a loaded roster, but that can be a blessing and a curse for a rookie coach, particularly one that’s never had such weighty expectations heaped upon him. Even with all that talent, this was a very tough gig. All Miles had to do was replace Nick Saban, who’d brought a national championship to the Bayou, and coach in a post-Katrina world. There was no blueprint for the latter, yet Miles displayed uncommon leadership, even as his kids and their families were living through a daily nightmare that would forever change their lives. Through it all, the coach was resilient and the players followed his lead. LSU, part football team and part antidote for a weary state of Louisiana, went on to win 11 games for just the third time in school history and finish No.5 in the final Coaches Poll. Oh, and that Peach Bowl caning of Miami should wind up being a pretty sweet launching pad for the 2006 campaign.

For Tiger fans, the book is still out on Les Miles. “Win with your own players,” they’ll undoubtedly whisper until he wins his first SEC Championship. Maybe so, but at least the first chapter with Miles at LSU must be deemed a success in a season of daunting challenges.

2. Charlie Weis, Notre Dame (9-3) – A little more than a year ago, Weis wasn’t AD Kevin White’s top choice to replace Tyrone Willingham. He would be today. Weis took over a rapidly fading program and almost instantly returned it to relevance, no small undertaking considering how mediocre the Irish had become of late. His first team was well-prepared each Saturday and competitive every game largely because of Weis’ game-planning and in-game adjustments. The nine wins, Fiesta Bowl invitation, development of Brady Quinn into one of the nation’s premier passers and packed house for the USC pep rally can all be traced directly to the new coach’s presence. It took Weis just seven games to earn a contract extension that made him the highest paid coach in college football. White knows he made the right choice, even it wasn’t his first choice.

3. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina (7-5) – Those expecting Florida Gators: The Sequel were both disappointed and delusional. Those who followed South Carolina the past three seasons recognized that Spurrier did one of his best coaching jobs in years. Lou Holtz had taken the program about as far as it could go, but, after a slow start, Spurrier got an average Gamecock team to overachieve and earn an unexpected bowl bid with breakthrough wins over Tennessee and Florida. The Independence Bowl loss to Missouri was a low point, however, the 2005 season was evidence that Spurrier’s still got it—it being the passion and ability to coach at this level. AP voters, who named him SEC Coach of the Year for the sixth time, made it clear they agreed.
4. Bill Cubit, Western Michigan (7-4) – One look at the powerbrokers surrounding Cubit explains why he received almost no attention outside the MAC. Too bad because the coach performed a minor miracle last fall, producing seven wins from a team that began 2005 on a 10-game losing streak. Cubit deftly mixed in a handful of newcomers and first-timers and halfway through the season handed the controls of his offense to young Tim Hiller after Ryan Cubit broke his leg. The freshman quarterback responded by tossing 18 touchdown passes in a five-game stretch and going 5-2 as the starter. Cubit’s reward for commandeering the biggest single-season turnaround in conference history was a much-needed 18% spike in home attendance and recognition as the 2005 MAC Coach of the Year.

5. Urban Meyer, Florida (9-3) – Meyer’s much ballyhooed debut in Gainesville was a mixed bag of inconsistency and flashes of brilliance. The college football nation watched his every move, monitored the Gators’ progress like an ER doctor and snickered aloud when his offense proved not quite ready for the speed of the SEC. Florida appeared to be collapsing under the weight of expectations in a one-sided, October loss to Alabama and that 30-22 defeat at the hands of South Carolina stung on many levels, but Meyer kept the Gators believing and finished with impressive wins over Florida State and Iowa. Will the spread-option flourish like it did at Utah and Bowling Green? Time will tell. What’s indisputable is that this was the best coached, most disciplined and best prepared Florida team since Steve Spurrier parted ways with the University. The kids have adopted Meyer’s teachings, the offense should have fewer kinks in 2006 and the latest recruiting class is lights out. The past year was a stepping stone, but better days lie ahead.

6. Kyle Whittingham, Utah (7-5) – Faced with filling Urban Meyer’s enormous shoes and inheriting a team that went 12-0 a year ago, Whittingham did a pretty darn good job of keeping the Utes from suffering a season-long hangover. Even after a mid-season slump and the loss of starting quarterback Brian Johnson to a torn ACL, the first-year head coach led his kids to season-defining wins over rival BYU in Provo and No. 24 Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl. If not for last year’s Fiesta Bowl win, the 38-10 dismantling of the Yellow Jackets in San Francisco would have been the most impressive bowl victory in school history. Whittingham did a magnificent job developing young quarterbacks in the aftermath of Alex Smith’s early departure to the NFL. Johnson was developing into a star before the injury, and his replacement, Brett Ratliff, accounted for nine touchdowns and just one pick in the Utes’ two biggest games of the year.

7. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU (6-6) – Depending on who you speak to in Provo, the Y. glass was either half empty or half full in 2005. The Cougars earned a bowl berth for the first time since 2001, yet still haven’t won a post-season game in almost a decade. The offense was old-school BYU for much of the year, but the defense, Mendenhall’s forte, ranked among the worst in the country. And although the Cougars finished a surprising second place in the Mountain West, they also suffered an extremely bitter fourth straight loss to a Utah team that was debuting a rookie quarterback. Through all of the ups and downs, Mendenhall instilled a sound work ethic in his troops and brought an infectious energy to the program. A decent foundation has been laid, and for the first time in a few years, BYU can say it’s inching a little closer to the glory days of the 1970s and 1980s.

8. Skip Holtz, East Carolina (5-6) – Success is relative. In Greenville, five wins from a team that won twice in 2004 and entered this season with an offense in chaos is a successful year. Under Holtz’s guidance, the offense developed nicely as the season progressed, and the Pirates closed with wins over Marshall and UAB to get to 4-4 in league play, while carrying an air of confidence into the off-season. East Carolina played tougher and smarter than they had the past few years, a reflection of the new staff, and were out of just two games all year. It’s going to be a while before Holtz conjures up memories of Steve Logan, but based on the early returns, someone finally has this program taking steps in the right direction.

9. Shane Montgomery, Miami (OH) (7-4) – Montgomery inherited an experienced and very talented RedHawk team, and steered it to a four-loss season and a bowl-less December for the first time in three years. The results don’t thwart the momentum Terry Hoeppner built in Oxford, but they also didn’t exactly qualify as refrigerator material. Games against Central Michigan and Bowling Green are two in particular Miami wished it could get back. They were stunned by the Chippewas and quarterback Kent Smith in week two and failed to even make an appearance against the Falcons in November with the MAC East at stake. Montgomery’s offense didn’t skip a beat in 2005, averaging almost 34 points and 425 yards a game.

10. Walt Harris, Stanford (5-6) – Talk about a strange year on the Farm. The same Cardinal team that finished in the top-half of the Pac-10 and nearly knocked Notre Dame out of the Fiesta Bowl also gagged at home to I-AA UC-Davis. It was a costly misstep for a program that wound up one win shy of the post-season. In total, Harris coached up Stanford last fall, and it was evident after just one year that the program is in much better hands today than it ever was when Buddy Teevens was on the West Coast. It was no coincidence that Harris’ first season was also quarterback Trent Edwards’ best season of his college career. Harris has long been a respected tutor of quarterbacks, and with 10 starters returning and wide receiver Evan Moore healthy, the coach’s offense should purr in 2006.

11. Frank Solich, Ohio (4-7) – On the field, Solich lit a fire under the Bobcats, capturing a signature win over Pittsburgh, enjoying visions of bowl eligibility in early November and boasting studs on both sides of the in running back Kalvin McRae and cornerback Dion Byrum. Ohio was more of a landmine than expected in 2005, and Solich was a part of that gradual transformation. Off the field, however, the coach has fences to mend and egg on his face after he was convicted of drunk driving stemming from an embarrassing incident last November. He’s done his mea culpas, but public inebriation doesn’t exactly scream leadership or send a good message to the student body. More than half of the Bobcats’ 2005 games could be seen nationally, which never would have happened before Solich was hired.

12. Dave Wannstedt, Pittsburgh (5-6) – Plain and simple, Wannstedt’s team underachieved in 2005. And the entire coaching staff shares the responsibility with the players. Talk of eight wins and a Top 25 finish was quickly erased by a listless 0-3 start that included a loss to Ohio in front of a national television audience. To Wannstedt’s credit, the Panthers didn’t tank the season, finishing 5-3, and nearly qualifying for the school’s sixth consecutive bowl game. The former Panther player certainly has equity in Pittsburgh, but not so much that he can afford a replay of last season again in 2006. First and foremost, Wannstedt needs to bolster both lines through recruiting and locate speed to keep pace with superior Big East foes, such as West Virginia and Louisville.

13. Terry Hoeppner, Indiana (4-7) – In his return back to the Hoosier State, Hoeppner got off to a super start, and even generated whispers about bowl eligibility, before reality emerged in the form of a rugged second-half schedule. IU was whipped in six straight Big Ten games, suffering from the same lack of size, speed and overall talent that plagued Gerry Dinardo during his stint in Bloomington. Hoeppner did, however, instill more confidence in his kids and further his reputation as a developer of quarterbacks with the emergence of Blake Powers. The sophomore needs to improve his decision-making, but did throw for more than 2,300 yards and 22 touchdowns, and figures to be the centerpiece of the offense for the next two seasons.

14. Mark Snyder, Marshall (4-7) – If anyone on this list deserves a pass, it’s Snyder, who didn’t get hired until mid-April and had to replace Bob Pruett, a legendary coach in these parts. Throw in Marshall’s least scary roster in more than a decade and a move to the tougher C-USA, and the results were pretty predictable. The Herd struggled in some close games and the kicking game, and after three years, still hasn’t found the next great quarterback to replace Byron Leftwich. The offense needs more threats in the passing, but expect the young Marshall team to begin turning the corner in 2006. If nothing else, it’s going to help immensely that Snyder will have a full year in the bank and an opportunity to recruit some of his own targets to Huntington.

15. Dick Tomey, San Jose State (3-8) – Rather than celebrating a national championship season with Texas, Tomey was in Northern California trying to kick start a San Jose State program that’s had one winning season in 13 years. The Spartans stumbled throughout the year, but won their last two to avoid the WAC’s bottom rung while taking a head of steam into the off-season. Tomey remains infectiously confident that titles can be won in the Bay Area and has created some much-needed positive buzz and an atmosphere of hope since arriving from Austin. Witness the 93% surge in ticket sales versus 2004, a measurement of success that’s particularly poignant to a cash-strapped university that’s always struggled to move turnstiles.

16. Brent Guy, Utah State (3-8) – The Aggies won three games for the third straight year, but when a program hasn’t finished over .500 in almost a decade, success gets measured with a slightly more liberal ruler. In its first season in the WAC, Utah State avoided the cellar and was more competitive than they were a year earlier in the Sun Belt. The team improved its run defense, rushing attack and turnover margin, three of Guy’s pre-season objectives, and blended playmakers Tony Pennyman and Kevin Robinson with 20 freshmen, who got their feet wet last fall. Attendance dropped in 2005, however, a big concern for the new head coach and a program that’s about to renovate Romney Stadium.

17. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (4-7) – Oklahoma State’s worst season in four years rates as a disappointment and, uh, miles from what the locals had grown accustomed to during the last regime. A new staff and a young roster ensured growing pains, but this team still had enough returning talent to play in a December bowl game. Instead, save for an upset of Texas Tech and a strong first half versus Texas, the Cowboys were routinely paddled once Big 12 play began, and finished alone in the league basement. Outside of Stillwater, they were particularly impotent. Now that he’s cleaned house and instilled more discipline, Gundy’s top priorities are to develop his quarterback of the future and attract the right talent to run Larry Fedora’s spread, no-huddle offense. Plenty of starters return in 2006, which means those postseason expectations will be back as well.

18. Tyrone Willingham, Washington (2-9) – Willingham arrived in Seattle making predictions for a rapid return to the postseason, but realistically, no one expected the Huskies to play beyond the Apple Cup in 2005. The talent and depth just aren’t there yet to compete for bowl openings, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. While Washington won just one more game than it did in 2004, Willingham is gradually bringing a climate shift and executive continuity to a program that won the Rose Bowl five years ago, but has been in a freefall and awash in turmoil ever since. Patience needs to be exercised with this rebuilding project, however, with three-quarters of his two-deep returning next year, it won’t be long before Willingham is expected to produce the type of progress that can be measured by box scores and Pac-10 standings.

19. Ed Orgeron, Ole Miss (3-8) – Orgeron’s first season as a head coach was a turbulent one, to put it mildly. Assistants came and went, the program suffered through its worst season in 18 years and allegations of player tampering were launched by Tulane head coach Chris Scelfo. In the end, the play of the Rebs, particularly the sorry offense, did nothing to divert attention away from the problems. Ole Miss’ woes hit a crescendo in a 34-17 Egg Bowl defeat, the school’s first loss to rival Mississippi State in four years. The defense, however, did adopt Orgeron’s fiery personality, which was one of the few bright spots from 2005. The coach has already retooled his staff, adding Miami cast-offs Dan Werner and Art Kehoe, and is hoping for an immediate return from a strong group of junior college transfers.

20. Ron Zook, Illinois (2-9) – Zook figures to get a much longer honeymoon period in Champaign than he did in Gainesville. And based on the first year’s results, he’s going to need it. After whetting appetites with a 2-0 start, the Illini dropped its last nine, often getting mauled by Big Ten offenses. As it stands today, the program lacks the talent most everywhere to compete for bowl berths, making Zook’s recruiting skills even more integral to the school’s long-term plans. This year’s group liked his enthusiasm, passion for the game and hands-on approach, which should continue to sell well to high school seniors. The cupboard was almost empty when Ron Turner was fired, so patience is the order of the day until Zook gets a chance to fully implement his recruits into the system.
21. Mike Sanford, UNLV (2-9) – After last season, Sanford sure hopes that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. The way his team played in 2005, limited exposure would be a good thing. Sanford arrived from Utah spouting off about a Mountain West crown and Top 25 ranking in year one, but, instead, wound up plummeting to the league basement. Injuries played a factor, but that excuse falls on deaf ears, when a program finishes dead last in the conference in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The reality was that Sanford overestimated his talent and underestimated how much work needs to be done with the Rebels. That hasn’t, however, tempered his enthusiasm for a program the coach still labels a goldmine. Others, such as former USC QB Rocky Hinds and CB Eric Wright, who have both transferred to UNLV, apparently agree.

22. Hal Mumme, New Mexico State (0-12) – Talk about a letdown. The wins could wait if Mumme brought some fireworks to Las Cruces, but that just never happened in 2005. The transition from Tony Samuel’s option attack to Mumme’s Air Raid was anything but smooth, and the Aggies finished 108th nationally in scoring offense. New Mexico State’s play ranged from inconsistent to insufferable, and the program was in just two games all year. Adding insult to a nightmare season, attendance lagged all year and a religious discrimination complaint was filed against Mumme by the ACLU, conjuring up some of the off-field baggage that accompanied his up-and-down, four-year tenure at Kentucky.

23. Greg Robinson, Syracuse (1-10) – Dreadful. Hideous. Inept. After a while, even the most verbose onlookers ran out of derogatory adjectives to describe the 2005 Syracuse football squad. They were historically bad, rarely exhibiting much fight and losing 10 games for the first time in program history. That a veteran team with some quality defenders delivered such futility is a further indictment of the new coaching staff. Robinson needs to show some progress immediately to an Upstate New York community that collectively scratched its head upon his hire. Considering how thin the Orange are at the skill positions and in the secondary, that will not be a small chore in 2006. [/FONT]

 

The bit on Miles & LSU's season is pretty good, but what I find more insightful is the bit on his replacement at Oklahoma St.

And yet many here weren't impressed with the job Miles did in Oklahoma St...

 

Yet Gundy placed ahead of Orgeron!

 

This one caught my eye:

10. Walt Harris, Stanford (5-6) – Talk about a strange year on the Farm. The same Cardinal team that finished in the top-half of the Pac-10 and nearly knocked Notre Dame out of the Fiesta Bowl also gagged at home to I-AA UC-Davis.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: How ya like dem apples Keith Jackson!!:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: