best wr coaches in college football
The Joker Phillips era might as well not have happened. As a new season approaches, let's take a moment to compare Saban's accomplishments -- and those of other active coaches -- to the best of college football's modern times. Contributed to Southern Utah winning the Big Sky championship in 2017 with a defense that forced 29 turnovers and ranked third in the conference in scoring defense. Mullen had them up to 29th in Year 1 and 30th in Year 2, and then they exploded with an 11th-place finish in 2020. Woodson, an ex-Ole Miss defensive back, also has the defensive pass game coordinator title at Florida State. Has coached multiple all-conference and future NFL running backs, including Miles Sanders at Penn State and Charles Sims and Wendell Smallwood at West Virginia. Has been working up at the college level since 2015 after two jobs as a high school coach. Arrived at Army as a quality control coach, then was promoted last year to tight ends coach. Other college position coaches who received mention: Josh Aldridge, Liberty defensive line coach; Matt Barnes, Ohio State secondary coach; Kelvin Bell, Iowa defensive line coach; Brian Braswell, Maryland offensive line coach; Elijah Brooks, Maryland running backs coach; Tashard Choice, Georgia Tech running backs coach; Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana co-OC/tight ends coach; Joe Graves, Georgia Southern tight ends coach/special teams coordinator; Tyler Grisham, Clemson wide receivers coach; Jim Harding, Utah offensive line coach; Jeremy Hawkins, Eastern Kentucky defensive line coach; Mark Hogan, Davidson safeties coach; Scott Huff, Washington offensive line coach; Chris Marve, Florida State linebackers coach; Gary McGraw, Sam Houston State cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator; Slade Nagle, Tulane tight ends coach; Rod Ojong, Buffalo safeties coach; Clay Patterson, Minnesota tight ends coach; Lee Rousell, Nicholls offensive line coach; Eric Sanders, Stanford inside linebackers coach; DeRail Sims, Louisville running backs coach; Clint Sintim, Virginia defensive line coach; Omarr Smith, Morgan State secondary coach; Jeremy Springer, Marshall special teams coordinator; Cole Weeks, Troy running backs coach; Ron Whitcomb, Buffalo tight ends coach; Jeremiah Wilson, Akron secondary coach; Levar Woods, Iowa special teams coordinator. Continues to be regarded as one of the nations top recruiters. After the championship-winning year of 2013, the FSU offenses that ranked 38th nationwide in EPA per play under his watch dropped down to 107th in the three years since he left. "In life I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted," he sent in a text to his players on his way to Coral Gables. Here's what coaches look for in a great wideout. 7 in 2020 and No. Syndication Montgomery. Regarded as one of the best kickoff-return and special teams coaches in the country. Matt Simon, Minnesota -- $395,00023. The Guy Morriss era was short and painful. Limited Ads. The group also includes talented young players such as sophomore Jermaine Burton and promising freshman Adonai Mitchell, whom Hankton landed after he was initially committed to Ole Miss. Brian Hartline, Ohio State -- $600,000+7. Was a four-year starter at safety for Texas (2008-11) and a two-time captain. Viewed as a rising star inside the Ohio State building and outside of it as well. UAB has finished in the top-10 nationally in total defense in each of Simpsons two seasons as cornerbacks coach. Dameyune Craig, Texas A&M -- $675,0005. George Pickens, who suffered a torn ACL during the spring, is viewed in the NFL scouting world as a potential Day 2 pick. Under Woodson at Auburn, Noah Igbinoghene developed into a first-round pick at cornerback after. Boston College is expected to hire former Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads, sources told FootballScoop on Friday. Staggs had been set to join the Western Kentucky staff as an assistant coach. Hankton netted a $300,000 raise to become the highest-paid wide receivers coach in the industry. Lonnie Galloway, North Carolina -- $440,000+19. While Williams salary numbers arent public, a source told On3 that Williams is the highest-paid non-coordinator in the nation. We just rank coaches from 1-65 using any criteria we choose to follow, and then we see the results. The belief with some in the coaching world is that Samples could be this years Randall Joyner. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Was under consideration for the Marshall coaching job before the hire of Charles Huff. Under Harris, FIU running back DVonte Price developed into one of the nations most productive running backs last season (116.2 yards per game) and a potential early-round 2022 NFL Draft pick. Has been the primary recruiter on five Virginia Tech 2022 commits, including four-star running back Ramon Brown and four-star cornerback Cam Johnson. New hire replaces Marc Vottler following Vottler's hiring at Ohio State. Cortez Hankton, LSU -- $850,000+ 2. In addition to his work with the Colts and St. Thomas High, he has been a Nike Elite 11 quarterbacks coach. Coastal Carolina has only graced the FBS for four years, but it has improved every season, culminating in a ludicrous 11-1 record last fall thanks to a full-scale offensive transformation. Posted 130 catches in six NFL seasons, including 47 catches for 754 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. We might forget that Urban Meyer served as Utah's head coach for only two seasons, and while he may have started the Utes down this track, Whittingham has sustained a level of success the school has never even come close to enjoying before. David Johnson, Tennessee -- $505,000 4. Is a former Sooners player (2000-01) and the younger brother of Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom. Brantley came to play for the Hurricanes after being a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports out of Miami (Fla.) Northwestern. Has worked with coaches such as Syracuse coach Dino Babers, Orange offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert and Kent State coach Sean Lewis. 16). However, he fell to a combined 15-22 over his last three seasons, more in line with what Louisiana is as a program they had two seasons in their history above the 9-4 mark before Napier took the program in 2018. Samples, a former Oklahoma State and Houston wide receiver, currently is ranked among the top-15 recruiters in the country for the 2022 class. Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel. Thats not good enough at Notre Dame. 1. Hes helped an offense that ranked 108th in the FBS in EPA per play over the last two Fedora years to a ninth-place finish over the past two seasons. Kelly, who is widely known as one of the top innovators in the rise of the spread offense in college football, helped the Bruins rack up 503.6 yards per game and 7.01 yards per play, both of which . That . Interviewed for the job as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach before the Eagles hired Florida offensive coordinator Brian Johnson. Yes, Alabama claimed 12 championships before Saban's arrival, but it was a program going through turmoil and probation before he took the reins. 2. Every starter returns from last seasons secondary. Wright, who was promoted to co-coordinator this offseason, previously led the way as the Roadrunners broke multiple school records during his first season at UTSA in 2019. 1. 25. 1 in the Big 12 in opponents completion percentage each of the past four seasons. Syndication Montgomery By Seth Galina Jul 7, 2021 section: | slug: ranking-the-top-25-power-five-college-football-coaches-entering-the-2022-season | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | Being groomed by new Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, whose UCF offenses ranked No. Also is a respected special teams coordinator. Not a single Indiana coach won more than 50% of his games since Bo McMillins run between 1934 and 1947. Is a former Ohio State grad assistant (2013-15) who assisted with players such as current Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott. At North Carolina Central, Mack posted a 31-15 record and was a finalist for the 2016 Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year award. From 1892 to 2006, the team played in six bowl games. Ryan Day has since named him the Buckeyes' full-time wideouts coach, but his salary is not yet public. In the past two years, Colbert has produced four all-conference wide receivers, a Biletnikoff Award finalist (Michael Pittman in 2019) and two top-four-round draft picks (2021 fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown and Pittman, a 2020 second-round selection). Was a fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins in the 2009 NFL Draft and played seven seasons in the NFL. Already has worked in a few Power 5 conferences and has coordinator experience at the FCS level (Southern Utah). Was a four-year starter at safety for Auburn and a captain on the Tigers 2010 national championship team. He won six national championships. This upcoming weekend Alabama football is set to host multiple top recruits in the 2024 class on campus as head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide gear up for another calendar year of. Before Monken took over in 2014, the team had put forward just one seven-win season since 2000. Darrin Chiaverini, Colorado -- $550,000* 6. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Holmon Wiggins, Alabama -- $575,000+11. Has had six of his defensive backs selected during the past three NFL drafts, including Asante Samuel in the second round of the 2021 draft. Was contacted about an FBS special teams coordinator job this past cycle but opted to stay at James Madison. Taylor, who was promoted to run game coordinator for Notre Dame last year, was looked at during the South Alabama and Buffalo coaching searches. George McDonald, Illinois -- $550,000+11. Indianapolis is making MAJOR moves, set to hire FootballScoop's reigning top special teams coordinator. In 2019, Bowman helped Austin Peay win its first Ohio Valley Conference title since 1977. In fact, it is a historically bad football program. Before Oregon, Chance was part of Minnesota improving from No. 1 in Conference USA in sacks and tackles for loss last season. Helped Houston go from No. Ole Miss, LSU and SMU competed for his services after the season before he ultimately decided to join Lane Kiffins staff at Ole Miss. Marion is an expert in the "Go-Go . Dabo has lifted whatever Clemsoning curse was put on the Tigers and has won 81% of his games so far. As coordinator at Division II Albany (Ga.) State in 2017, his unit held opponents to an average of 287 yards per game. Cale Gundy, Oklahoma -- $535,000 3. Top 10 returning wide receivers in college football for the 2022 season. Joker Phillips, NC State -- $415,000+21. The Rockets lurched back to 5-5-1 the year after under Gary Pinkel. Was an FCS All-American linebacker at Stony Brook as a player (2006-10) and was named to the Big South Conference All-Decade Team. But instead of kicking him to the curb, the program stayed with him and has gone 23-14 in the last three years, the team's best three-year stint since the mid-1970s. Has had members of his Florida linebacker room taken in two of the past three NFL drafts 2020 third-round pick Jon Greenard and 2019 fifth-round selection Vosean Joseph. Oklahoma ranked 36th in the nation in EPA per play in 2014 while a team of pirates from East Carolina, led by none other than Lincoln Riley, finished 21st. Holtz won 76% of his games in South Bend. 1. Mario Williams Where he plays: USC 2021 stats: 35 rec, 380 yards, 4 TD Williams was a reliable fixture for Oklahoma a year. One is five-star cornerback Travis Hunter, rated as the nations No. They have played in 10 under Fitzgerald. From Yale's Walter Camp to Alabama's Nick Saban, here are eight whose innovations or achievements have significantly impacted the sport over the past 15 decades. His team constantly made it to the Top 5 rankings for record-breaking 14 seasons! Has been the lead recruiter on six on the 18 players that FSU has committed in its 2022 recruiting class, including four four-star recruits. Over the last two campaigns, Buffalo ranked fifth in EPA per rush in the FBS. Has been one of the lead recruiters on 10 four-star players that the Gators have landed the past three years. The Blazers also have been in the top 10 nationally in pass defense each of the past two seasons No. Kasey Dunn, Oklahoma State -- $800,000* 3. Founded in 2009 by Dustin Smith and Ty Detmer. Also was Indianas associate head coach last year. There isnt a lot more to say about these two. The Best Athletes Of All Time. He landed one of the. Breaking news. 3 nationally in rush defense. Ranked as the sixth-best recruiter in the Pac-12 for the 2021 recruiting cycle. Of course, he was wildly successful in the years before his Buffalo tenure. In fact, McMillan and Allen are the only two coaches in the program's history who can boast such win totals. 12), pass efficiency defense (No. Abdul-Rahim was contacted about a Power 5 defensive coordinator job and at least one SEC secondary coach opening this past cycle. Napier has even bettered Hudspeths mark. Also has been contacted in recent years about NFL and SEC offensive line jobs. Chadwell arrived at Coastal Carolina from Charleston Southern, where he won two of the school's three conference championships and clinched the program's only two playoff berths. Well, volatility will always play a role in the process because our group of voters, consisting of writers from both CBS Sports and 247Sports, aren't given a set of guidelines to follow. Since 2006, theyve had five. Addison is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the top wide receiver in the country. -- Coordinators (or co-coordinators) not included in this list (because they're coordinators or co-coordinators): Clemson's Jeff Scott ($1 million), Michigan's Josh Gattis ($900,000), Nebraska's Troy Walters ($700,000), South Carolina's Bryan McClendon ($675,000), Mississippi State's Luke Getsy ($600,000), Florida's Billy Gonzales ($577,000) and NC State's George McDonald ($368,000). The program had won at least nine games in seven of eight seasons from 2007 to 2014 but had fallen by the end of the Tuberville years. If the QBs they coach perform at an elite level, though, all three will be on the fast track to coordinator gigs and rocket up future editions of this list. Kodi Burns, Auburn -- $350,000 10. Promoted to defensive pass game coordinator earlier this year. Is seen in the coaching world as someone who will be a coordinator in the near future. Was also on the radar as a possibility for multiple other teams with secondary coach openings, including LSU as the Tigers explored potentially hiring a safeties coach. Thomas Cahill enjoyed mild success in the mid-1960s, going 23-7. Has been contacted about at least a couple of coordinator opportunities the past few years. To replace Hankton, Georgia recalled Bryan McClendon, a former Bulldog wide receiver and a former Bulldog running backs coach, to coach his old position at his alma mater. Volatility is a hazard of the coaching business. 2 ranking nationally from USA Today and was a finalist for U.S. Army All-American National Coach of the Year. A former NFL receiver who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-06. Toledo had gone 6-5 in 1989 before Saban took over for one year and led them to 9-2. Under Powledge, Baylor tied for first nationally last season with five kick returns of at least 40 yards. That includes 2020 Jim Thorpe Award winner Trevon Moehrig, who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of this years NFL draft. That 2019 Austin Peay defense ranked in the top 16 of the FCS in total defense (No. Healy has said before of West: I dont think theres a better defensive line coach in the country. Flying above or below program expectations was the most important point when putting this list together. Williams coached Chris Steele to second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2020. Cortez Hankton, LSU -- $850,000+2. David Johnson, Tennessee -- $505,000 4. Kasey Dunn, Oklahoma State -- $410,000 7. Again, there was a win decrease in his first season, as the Gophers went from nine wins to five in 2017, but a two-game improvement in 2018 foreshadowed an 11-2 season in 2019. In-depth analysis. Was promoted to associate head coach after last season. A Texas graduate, he is married with three children and lives outside Fort Worth, Texas. 8 in 2019. 1 or No. And thats what Clemson was: a good program left stranded in the shadow of some of their conference mates, far away from ever being a national power. Kelly has led the Bruins to 17 total wins over the past two seasons. Helped BCs defense improve by an average of 71 yards per game against conference opponents in 2020 (from 494 yards per game under the previous staff in 2019 to 422.8 yards per game last season). 12) and punt-return defense (No. Washington, who has known Ohio State coach Ryan Day since they were together at Boston College in 2003 and 04, joined the Buckeyes staff after Day became coach. There were also multiple Power Five programs (one in the Big 12 and one in the Pac-12) that inquired with Johnson about quarterbacks coach jobs this past cycle. Under Cains watch, Oklahoma outside linebacker Nik Bonitto broke out as a second-team All-American in 2020 and enters this season as one of the nations top defensive players. Tettleton, a former record-setting quarterback at Ohio (2009-13) and the son of former major league catcher Mickey Tettleton, was hired as the Bobcats running backs coach in late July. From 1953 (when they joined the Big Ten) to 2006, they had two finishes in the AP Top 25. Josh Gattis, Michigan -- $900,000* 2. Bryan McClendon, Georgia -- $700,000+4. 2 nationally in total offense each of the past two seasons. Bill Clark, UAB He's amid one of the most underrated coaching jobs in this generation of college football, leading UAB back from the brink of extinction. Has worked or played under several other prominent coaches, including Ohio State coach Ryan Day, ex-Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and UCLA coach Chip Kelly. 13 nationally and No. 22. Hicks, who committed to the Buckeyes in May. JaMarcus Shepard, Washington -- $650,000+ 6. 9), punt-return average (No. Had two All-Conference USA honorable mention selections in his first season at Louisiana Tech (Smoke Harris and Cee Jay Powell). Another Trojans cornerback, Olaijah Griffin, finished with the third-highest Pro Football Focus grade for 2020 among Pac-12 corners. Turned down NFL job opportunities this past coaching cycle. Aided by Merritt, James Madison ranked sixth in the FCS in rushing offense last season (232.6 yards per game) and 10th in 2019 (242.9 yards per game). At Oregon in 2018, Williams cornerbacks group contributed to the Ducks posting 20 interceptions, which ranked second nationally. Will be coaching star QB Dillon Gabriel, who has thrown for 7,223 yards and 61 touchdowns in his first two seasons with the Knights. That netted him a $185,000 raise from what he earned at Oregon. He went on to be selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mario Cristobal continues to replenish the Hurricanes' staff. The Cyclones' last four defenses rank eighth, 11th, 14th and 17th in EPA allowed per play among the 40 team seasons in the Big 12 since 2017. When Buffalo came back to Division I-A football in 1999, they embarked on a journey of countless losses. The Stoops era of Kentucky football is a case study in not giving up too soon on a coach when you are not a national power. A protege of Texas A&M coordinator Mike Elko, Santucci was a grad assistant at Wake Forest under Elko (2014-15), an analyst under Elko at Notre Dame (2017) and Texas A&M (2018) and now is in his second season back with Elko as the Aggies linebackers coach. Its a future that Dawg fans can only dream of because Smart is still only a one-time SEC champion and zero-time national champion. Returned to coaching in 2019 after two years working in the private sector. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. He then led Waynesboro Area (Pa.) to a share of the league title a year after finishing 0-10. Jay Johnson, Michigan State -- $1.35 million 2. 1 in the Pac-12 last season (184.9 yards per game). When Ed Orgeron was fired and the staff was changed over, LSU paid a premium to pluck Cortez Hankton, still buzzed from the championship champagne, away from Georgia.
