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College Football Coaching Changes 2005
Date Posted: 7/6/2005

The college football coaching landscape underwent massive change since the end of the 2004 campaign, as 22 new head coaches will be manning the sidelines for their respective teams in the upcoming season. The sheer volume of jobs changing hands is unprecedented and sure to have a major impact. From the lesser known to the high profile moves, nearly every conference was affected and thus it makes it essential for the handicapper to keep up. StatFox offers several options for staying on top of all the changes, including the FoxSheets, which will be offering coaching trends in CFB and the NFL for the first time this year, and the StatFox Edge, a preseason preview publication with team writeups and analysis for every college and pro team.

In the meantime, here is a closer look at the 22 head coaching changes in college football this season, and how each team may be affected:

BYU
Bronco Mendenhall replaces Gary Crowton
Mendenhall has served two seasons as the Cougars’ defensive coordinator. He is a defensive guru by nature, taking over at a school known for its offensive prowess. On the near verge of a revival, Mendehall’s hiring could be just the spark needed for the Cougars.

East Carolina
Skip Holtz replaces John Thompson
The son of Lou Holtz was supposed to be the eventual successor at South Carolina until his offense failed to take off. He inherits a team in need of a massive rebuilding after just 7 wins in the last three years.

Florida
Urban Meyer replaces Ron Zook
The most sought-after coaching “free agent” in many years moves on to Florida after guiding his 2004 Utah team to an undefeated season. His schemes and the Gators’ talent pool could prove a dangerous combination.

Illinois
Ron Zook replaces Ron Turner
Perhaps the most necessary move, Illinois was going nowhere with Turner. He had worn out his welcome on the sidelines and in recruiting. Zook, ousted at Florida, should be an improvement, particularly in the latter area.

Indiana
Terry Hoeppner replaces Gerry DiNardo
Hoeppner, the architect behind Miami Ohio’s revival in the MAC takes over a team that never got off the ground with DiNardo. Funny thing is, Hoeppner’s Redhawks team was probably better, but the lures of the Big Ten were too much to resist.

LSU
Les Miles replaces Nick Saban
Miles, most recently the Head Coach at Oklahoma State, might have inherited the best “new” coaching job in college football. Saban has blazed a trail of on the field and recruiting success that should easily transfer.

Miami Ohio
Shane Montgomery replaces Terry Hoeppner
With the departure of the successful Hoeppner, Miami Ohio was smart to turn to Montgomery to ease the transition. As the RedHawks’ OC and quarterbacks coach since 2001, he’s had a big hand in the recent success.

Mississippi
Ed Orgeron replaces David Cutcliffe
In truth, it was probably Eli Manning’s graduation that had as much to do with a coaching change at Ole Miss than anything else. The Rebels struggled without himlast year and hope the fiery Oregeron, the d-line coach for USC in ’05, can turn it around.

New Mexico State
Hal Mumme replaces Tony Samuel
Samuel’s final team at New Mexico State actually started to turn it on at the end of the 2004 campaign, particularly offensively, so the naming of Mumme is quite curious. Mumme’s pass-happy offense should be entertaining, at the least.

Notre Dame
Charlie Weis replaces Tyrone Willingham
There was a time when a Notre Dame coaching change was college football’s biggest news. It ranks well below this season. Weis, the former offensive coordinator of the Patriots brings big game wit and importantly, three new assistants with college head coaching experience.

Ohio U
Frank Solich replaces Brian Knorr
Yes, the same Frank Solich that recently guided the Nebraska program takes over at Ohio U. He will try to restore the once potent Bobcats running attack, which has slipped in recent years in conjunction with the win total.

Oklahoma State
Mike Gundy replaces Les Miles
Gundy, just 37 years old and an Oklahoma State Cowboy through and through, takes over for the successful Miles. Gundy, OSU’s all-time leading passer and most recent offensive coordinator, apparently has visions of a Texas Tech like passing attack dancing in his head.

Pittsburgh
Dave Wannstedt replaces Walt Harris
Wannstedt gets one of the better jobs available by taking over the Big East champion Panthers from Walt Harris. Wannstedt is a graduate of Pitt and takes on his first college head coaching assignment, though his style and passion seems most suitable to this level.

San Jose State
Dick Tomey replaces Fitz Hill
After watching conference rival UTEP’s resurgence in 2004, San Jose State hopes for similar results here. The aged Tomey enters his 40th year of coaching at the college level, and faces perhaps his biggest challenge reviving this perennial WAC doormat.

South Carolina
Steve Spurrier replaces Lou Holtz
The biggest coaching news of the offseason, as one college legend replaces another in Columbia. Spurrier’s return to the college sidelines was inevitable, but most figured it to be back at Florida. He brings his Fun n’ Gun passing attack to a school whose offense has been anything but entertaining recently.

Stanford
Walt Harris replaces Buddy Teevens
Harris is a San Francisco native so his coaching at Stanford is a coming-home of sorts. This program wasted some good talent over the past few years with Teevens so Harris’ early work is all the more important. His experience and strategic mind should help turn things around quickly.

Syracuse
Greg Robinson replaces Paul Pasqualoni
How long was Pasqualoni at Syracuse? If you said forever, your thoughts echo this writers’. The Orangemen had some great years under him but it was obvious there was just something missing of late. The defensive minded Robinson has a solid foundation from which to build early success in his first head coaching gig.

UNLV
Mike Sanford replaces John Robinson
If only Mike Sanford could bring some of his Utah offensive personnel with him to Vegas. UNLV is in desperate need of a spark and could get it from Sanford, the former OC of the undefeated Utes, who brings his flashy spread scheme with him.

Utah
Kyle Whittingham replaces Urban Meyer
Unfortunately, the celebration surrounding Utah’s perfect season was short lived as the school was left in damage control mode following the departures of Head Coach Meyer and OC Sanford. Defensive Coordinator Whittingham takes over, but may have an impossible act to follow.

Utah State
Brent Guy replaces Mick Dennehy
Frankly, one of those ho-hum types of coaching moves that doesn’t figure to have a huge impact on the Utah State fortunes. Guy was most recently Arizona State’s defensive coordinator and was on the USU staff in 1993 when the school captured its only bowl game victory.

Washington
Tyrone Willingham replaces Keith Gilbertson
Let’s face it. Did Keith Gilbertson ever have a chance at Washington? With the program in shambles, the school had to make a high profile move to restore some energy. Willingham has that potential, as his motivational and recruiting prowess have already made positive waves in Seattle.

Western Michigan
Bill Cubit replaces Gary Darnell
The Western Michigan program has fallen far from grace since its success at the turn of the century, eventually hitting rock bottom in the 1-10 2004 campaign. Cubit, who as OC guided the strong Broncos offenses of the late 90’s, returns to inject some life back int e program.