We are entering that time of year when the coaching carousel starts rotating faster. Coaches will get fired and this inevitably brings about a torrent of rumors, chatter, and discussions about who will be the next man to lead these programs. For those G5 coaches, this means a P5 job, for those in the FCS it means a FBS gig.
Below is a list of 10 G5 and FCS head coaches who might be on the radar of bigger schools and get that move up this off-season. We have already seen some movement and guys taking other jobs, but moving forward these are coaches to look at. I also deliberately picked five G5 and five FCS coaches for simplicity.
Group of Five
Jeff Traylor, UTSA
If you want a coach with roots and connections in the Lone Star state then look no further than Traylor. He had tremendous success as a high school coach in TX before jumping to SMU and later Arkansas as a Chad Morris lieutenant. At UTSA he has proven adept in all areas of running a program. 27-9 over three years and a bowl game every year speak for itself. The P5 will come calling soon for Jeff Traylor.
Jason Candle, Toledo
Like Calhoun, Candle is a guy who’s been at his job for a while. Currently in year eight in Toledo, he has an impressive 52-31 record and will play in bowl game #6 this year. He has kept things running nicely since taking over for Matt Campbell. Candle’s consistency, high floor, and ability to get to the postseason could be his ticket to a P5 job.
Charles Huff, Marshall
Huff is a man who was in the mix for Duke and has Marshall playing a tough brand of football and grinding out yards on the ground with ease. The former Nick Saban assistant just finished his 2nd regular season with the Herd and earned a trip to the Myrtle Beach Bowl. His time will undoubtedly come soon in the P5.
Sean Lewis, Kent State
The Flashes were below average this year but Lewis remains a guy who gets mentioned in these conversations. His experience in the MAC, as well as Syracuse, combined with the offensive outbursts his team has shown makes him a guy who could be on the radar for a P5 program that needs a new boss.
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Troy Calhoun, Air Force
The former NFL assistant Calhoun is in year 16 at his alma mater. The dedication of the service academies to option football may turn off some, but Calhoun’s success and 12 bowl appearances will be appealing to just as many. Could in-state Colorado making a hire hurt his chances?
FCS
Matt Entz, North Dakota State
Speaking of NDSU, aren’t we obliged to put their coach on this list as long as they keep producing NFL talent and national titles? The Bison have not skipped a beat under Entz, who had been Chris Klieman’s defensive coordinator before he bolted for K-State. Entz is in year four and in his first and third year he won a title.
This year the Bison are the #3 seed for the playoffs and will firmly be in the hunt for national title #10 in 13 years of FCS football. We have no indication if Entz wants to leave Fargo for a FBS job, should he choose to the opportunity will be there.
Brent Vigen, Montana State
In his first year with Montana State, Vigen took them to the FCS national title where they fell to NDSU, Vigen’s alma mater. Longtime Craig Bohl assistant at both NDSU and Wyoming, Vigen appears to be a prime candidate for a Mountain West or MAC job should one come up. 22-4 in his second season, and the #4 seed overall in this year’s FCS playoffs. Vigen probably doesn’t get to year four in Bozeman before moving up to the FBS.
Willie Simmons, Florida A&M
Simmons is probably the most under-the-radar coach on this list, but he shouldn’t be. Simmons has led the Rattlers, and Prairie View A&M before that, for a combined 7 seasons and a 51-23 overall record. That record at those schools, with those resources, is seriously impressive. His offensive nous and production will attract attention at the FBS level soon enough and Willie is one of the risers in the game whose star hasn’t reached its brightest yet.
Jay Hill, Weber State
Longtime Utah assistant coach and former player, Hill has done a solid job for the WIldcats. Now in his 9th season and after taking over a terrible team, he has led Weber State to six playoff appearances, including a semifinal berth in 2019. They were recently knocked out of the FCS playoffs this year by the previously mentioned Montana State.
Troy Taylor, Sacramento State
Former Utah and Cal assistant Taylor has Sac State 11-0 and the #2 seed in the FCS playoffs in only his 3rd full season there. A 29-7 record and 3 Big Sky championships will be extremely impressive to athletic directors out West, and possibly even further away. A long run in the FCS playoffs, something that hasn’t happened yet for Taylor, could expedite that move upwards to a FBS job.
