SCOTT FROST UCF Nebraska
The Nebraska alumnus is the perfect fit at the right time for the
Cornhuskers who are trying to catch the likes of Penn State,
Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Michigan. Prior
to his stint at UCF capped off by a 13-0 season, Frost was the
offensive coordinator at Oregon where he ran a prolific offense—
like one often unseen in the Big Ten which plays in slow motion
compared to some other more offensively-inclined conferences.
That offensive style gives Oregon the chance to be unique and
thus harder for opponents to prepare to play.
JIMBO FISHER Florida State Texas A&M
Jimbo is one of the top coaches in the game, proving that he can
recruit and develop top talent year after year. His last several
seasons with the Noles were overshadowed only by Dabo
Swinney and Clemson. Fisher will make 7.5 million dollars each
year at A&M, a program which has had only pedestrian success
in the SEC. The Aggies have fallen behind a program like TCU
in terms of perpetual competitiveness. That does not sit well
with prideful Aggie fans. Fisher developed three first round
quarterbacks at Florida State which quarterbacks rapidly
transferred from A&M. That is sure to change.
College football’s coaching carousel season brought
twenty-one changes after the 2017 season that
featured big names, big schools, and a
coaching search unlike any ever seen
before at the University of Tennessee.
Eventually, the Vols found their man
along with twenty other schools.
By Alex Apple
By Alex Apple
DAN MULLEN Mississippi State Florida
Mullen made Mississippi State competitive without the pedigree
and history of the Florida program. Mullen was 69-46 in
Starkville, made eight straight bowls, and never complained
about what is certainly the toughest job in the SEC West. Mullen
will thrive in his return to Gainesville thanks to better resources
and more fertile recruiting ground. He’s a steady hand for a
program that has had too much turnover in recent years.
JEREMY PRUITT Defensive Coordinator at Alabama Tennessee
Pruitt is the first name on this list without head coaching experience.
The Tennessee coaching search saw fans rebel against a hire like
former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano who is not the right fit or
personality for Knoxville. Vols fans’ efforts ultimately proved
successful in getting a better fit and football mind in Pruitt. His
style is not flashy or all about ball, but that is what Tennessee
needed after Butch Jones’ built Tennessee with paper instead of
the solid bricks he professed. Pruitt was at Florida State before
Alabama. In his only season as defensive coordinator there, the
Noles defense allowed just 12.1 points per game en route to a
national championship.
38 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TODAY