National Columnist Mike Farrell is here with the 3-Point Stance looking at some things Deion Sanders has to overcome at Colorado, five coaches the NFL will covet this season or next, and five more coaches who better get their act together quickly.
Deion Sanders’ Biggest Challenges in Boulder
— Coach Prime will get it done in Colorado right? There are some major challenges outside of recruiting he will need to handle.
- First, the NIL situation there is minimal at best and will need to be revamped entirely. It’s crucial in this day and age and something he will need to convince boosters to buy into.
- Secondly, there are academic restrictions at Colorado few are aware of. They aren’t to the level of Stanford or anything, but Deion will have to battle admissions for some players especially as his recruiting reach is so vast.
- Third we have a roster that stinks. 1-11 doesn’t happen without a reason and he has to revamp this roster in a massive way. With a large class of 20 or so recruits verbally committed and 85 scholarships he will need to be precise in running off players from this class and the roster to make room for a ton of new talent.
- And finally, he will have to endure the comedown after the initial wave of excitement. What do I mean about that? Deion will have the best off season of any coach in history as he’s 0-0 and all the elite recruits and transfer will have people excited. But what happens if the team is sitting at 2-4 midseason? Or what is they have a hot start and then get drubbed by USC, Oregon, UCLA and Utah at the end of the season. I mean we don’t expect it to be all wins and amazing recruiting and a massive trajectory upwards do we? How Deion handles the losing will be key.
Next College Coaches to Jump to the NFL
— Think the coaching drama is over? You never know do you? Imagine is the NFL came calling for this guys this season or even after next season.
Lincoln Riley, USC
The obvious first comparison is going to be Kliff Kingsbury, but Riley is on a completely different level than the current Cardinals coach. He’s proven his offense can work with anyone, producing results with five different quarterbacks over the last six seasons. The league loves young offensive minds, and he fits the mold to a tee. He’s been mentioned for the Dallas Cowboys for years but a great offensive mind will get looks from anyone.
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Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Who doesn’t love a good comeback story? Harbaugh had the 49ers on the precipice of winning the Super Bowl before losing to his brother’s Ravens team and eventually wearing out his welcome in San Francisco. After back-to-back Big Ten titles, he’s proven once again that he can build a winning culture where he goes. If he’s itching to go back to the pros, there will be plenty of teams interested in him and the Indianapolis Colts rumors are already started.
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Another offensive-minded head coach, the former Oklahoma quarterback has turned around a moribund Tennessee team through his use of an up-tempo offense that utilizes every inch of the field. He’s done a great job of maximizing the talent he has on the roster, and could do special things for a team who needs a jumpstart on offense.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
The legendary coach has been pretty open about his distaste for the current environment of college football and the influence of the portal and NIL. He flirted with the Panthers job a few years ago before it went to Matt Rhule, and his agent will always get feelers.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
It may have gotten off to a rocky start, but Freeman got Notre Dame up and running well this season. He’s got the demeanor and mentality that reminds me a ton of Sean McDermott who has built a juggernaut in Buffalo.
Coaches who Need Big Turnarounds in 2023
— And finally, the above coaches are coveted and these guys better fix their programs in a hurry or else.
1. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
A&M fans have loudly shared their displeasure with the well-compensated Fisher this year. While they finished with an impressive win over LSU in the finale, they won the same amount of conference games as Vanderbilt this year, and are losing players to the portal left and right.
2. Mel Tucker, Michigan State
$95 million buys you a lot of expectations, and the Spartans coach did not live up to them this year. And while he’s going to go for more quick fixes in the portal, that’s proven to be a true gamble.
3. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Yes, he’s got the Arch Manning trump card, but it’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t be on the hot seat if he doesn’t, at minimum, make the Big 12 title game in 2023. The offense was there somewhat this year when Quinn Ewers was healthy, but it was erratic and he has to find some semblance of a defense if he’s going to get the Longhorns to the playoff which is the goal.
4. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Already? Yes. Venables’ first year in Norman was an unmitigated disaster. He seemed in way over his head in his first year as a head coach, and there is zero chance that the boosters and Sooner faithful will accept a .500 season again.
5. Justin Wilcox, Cal
Wilcox has flown under the radar in the past two years, but the Cal program seems to have completely stagnated. I’ve touted his defensive prowess before, but their units have gotten progressively worse in the past three years. Without a huge turnaround, I can see the administration going in a different direction.
