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Dana Holgorsen, Mack Leftwich, and More: Top Five 2025 Offensive Coordinator Hires

Top Five Offensive Coordinator Hires led by Nebraska’s hiring of Dana Holgorsen and Texas Tech grabbing Mack Leftwich

Avatar photoMike Huesmann
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By Mike Huesmann

We have had many interesting offensive coordinators hires so far this offseason. Two of these coaches have P4 head coaching experience at multiple schools, one comes from the NFL and before that a trip to the national title, and two are wunderkinds in every sense of the word.

Dana Holgorsen

Nebraska

For all his eccentricities and nuances, Holgo knows how to coach and develop QB’s. Matt Rhule knew he needed that. Much of the near future in LIncoln depends on the maturation and success of Dylan Raiola. There are few men I would trust more in that process than Holgorsen. Late this past season he was brought in as a consultant and was summarily promoted after the season. He has a career record of 92-69 as head coach and has tutored multiple big name QB’s. This move is good for him and good for the Huskers.

Mack Leftwich

Texas Tech

Only 30, Leftwich was a UTEP QB and later assistant there. He was an assistant at Incarnate Word before GJ Kinne, was retained, then followed him to Texas State in 2023. The Bobcats were one of the most explosive offenses in the country and both ran and threw the ball effectively. When Zach Kittley left Tech to become the head coach at FAU, Joey McGuire wasted little time in hiring Leftwich. He had to otherwise someone else would have.

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Ben Arbuckle

Oklahoma

Arbuckle will now be on his third FBS OC job and he isn’t even 30. He spent multiple years at Western Kentucky as a quality control before being promoted to QB coach and OC. Arbuckle is a good coach and his tutoring of John Mateer this year has been stellar. He is young, dynamic, and offensive minded coach. We knew plenty of teams were interested in him and Venables hiring him before Dickert left, and Arbuckle being the possible HC replacement, was massive. John Mateer has since followed him to Norman.

Gus Malzahn

Florida State

No team in America was more eager to put 2024 behind them than Florida State, well maybe Oklahoma State, but that’s for another day. Mike Norvell fired a good coach in Alex Atkins and he needed to bring in a whale, which he did with Gus Malzahn. Another down year will not be tolerated for FSU. Malzahn left his job as head coach at UCF to take this job and found his future QB in the portal in Thomas Castellanos from Boston College. Gus has many accolades in his trophy case, including a national title as offensive coordinator at Auburn. He’ll have the experience and command the respect needed here.

Ryan Grubb

Alabama

Grubb had been Kalen DeBoer’s right-hand man since their days in NAIA and there’s no one he trusts more, especially after the job they did with Penix. Stops at FCS power South Dakota State, (then) NAIA power Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, and Fresno have all seen offensive increases and a dynamic output with Grubb in charge. In two years with the Huskies they were elite. 2023 saw them 14-1 and with Penix as a Heisman contender. When it didn’t work out in the NFL this became a predictable, and smart, move. Expectations will only increase for DeBoer and someone he trusts to call plays and develop a new QB, who better fits the system, was needed. 

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