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Ben Arbuckle, Tony White, and More: Top 5 Favorite Coordinator Hires

Top coordinator hires, including Ben Arbuckle, Tony White, and others

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By: Mike Huesmann

We have had multiple coaching moves so far and the carousel is not finished by any means, but here is a list of coordinator hires so far that have sparked my interest. This list will get an update once the dust settles but these guys are top-notch hires to look out for.

Ben Arbuckle

Offensive Coordinator

Washington State —> Oklahoma

Arbuckle will be on his third FBS OC job and he isn’t even 30. He spent multiple years at Western Kentucky as a quality control coach before being promoted to QB coach and OC. Arbuckle is a good coach and his tutoring of John Mateer at Washington State this year was stellar. He is a 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.

Tony White

Defensive Coordinator

Nebraska —> Florida State

After stints at San Diego State and Arizona State, White led one of the best defensive backfields in the country in 2022 for Syracuse before bolting for Lincoln with Matt Rhule. Matt Rhule made a great hire to get the UCLA alum on his staff at Nebraska for two seasons. White has a history in many parts of the country, is energetic, and has everything recruits want to see. White did a heck of a job as DC at Syracuse and Nebraska. Mike Norvell won’t have much leeway after the disaster of 2024. White and Malzahn were huge hires for the Seminoles, this one just pips the other for me.

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Rod Smith

Offensive Coordinator

Jacksonville State —> Marshall

In the G5, sometimes having a niche and being really good by being different is a recipe for success. No one has embodied that more than Smith, and his longtime boss Rich Rodriguez. Running the ball with multiple guys and snapping the ball at breakneck speed has brought success and wins for Smith at South Florida, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, Virginia, and Jacksonville State. That is an impressive résumé for any coach. Tony Gibson was smart to bring the West Virginia native back home.

Rob Ezell

Offensive Coordinator

South Alabama —> Wake Forest

A former Nick Saban player, Ezell got his coaching start with the Tide. He spent nine seasons under Saban in a variety of roles before going to South Alabama under Kane Wommack and being retained by Major Applewhite. Like the previously mentioned Smith, Ezell runs the ball effectively and uses the QB to do that, as well. Gio Lopez thrived under Ezell, and I expect Dickert and Ezell to utilize the transfer portal to get a QB with the skill set they desire.

Mike Scherer

Defensive Coordinator

UNLV —> Purdue

Scherer played under Barry Odom, got his start coaching under him at Missouri, followed him to Arkansas and UNLV as a coach and is now making the stop with him at Purdue to lead the defense. Only 31 years old, Scherer coached the LBs at Arkansas before being appointed DC at UNLV. His defense this season was fourth in the nation in scoring, allowing 13 points per game, and 22nd in total defense allowing 348 total yards per game. Shoring up the defense and limiting points will be step one for Scherer and Odom with the Boilermakers. 

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