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College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Grant Olson, Conner McQueen, and More: Five FCS Assistant Coaches You Should Know About

Five FCS Assistants to know include the North Dakota State defensive coordinator Grant Olson

Avatar photoMike Huesmann
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By Mike Huesmann

In the coaching carousel, we tend to focus on the FBS. FCS guys get noticed in the playoffs but then we don’t hear much about them unless they make the jump. This shouldn’t be the case. FCS football is the best it’s ever been. It is producing elite players, has more good teams than ever, and conferences that are top-notch.

This list had to undergo a few revisions as initial inclusions Jarred Holley went from Abilene Christian to Marshall and Colin Lockett traded UC-Davis for New Mexico. The coaches on this list remain in the FCS where they are all successful coaches who you should keep an eye on.

Grant Olson

North Dakota State, Defensive Coordinator

2024 brought another national title to Fargo and Olson’s defense, and LB’s, are a big reason why. The former Bison standout started his coaching career with Craig Bohl at Wyoming but has been back home since 2019. Only two conference teams scored more than 20 points against NDSU this year and that says something competing in the gauntlet that is the Missouri Valley Conference. His future is bright and I expect him to be a future head coach, likely here if he bides his time.

Conner McQueen

Incarnate Word, Offensive Coordinator

I’ve written about Incarnate Word many times here and almost always regarding offensive coaches. G.J. Kinne, Clint Killough, and now McQueen join the list of coaches who’ve impressed me. When Kinne left for Texas State, Killough lured McQueen away from Lincoln Riley and USC to be his OC. Recently completing his second season as OC, McQueen is only 31 and has led the Southland Conference in basically every offensive category you can think of. He is a star on the rise who has the potential to reach the heights of college football.

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Matt Kubik

Campbell, Offensive Coordinator

Kubik may be a familiar name for some as he was previously OC for ULM and Southern Miss. Braxton Harris made a heck of a hire in getting him on his first staff at Campbell. Kubik’s offenses have been equally successful at both rushing and passing. He mentored QB Caleb Evans at ULM when Evans was among the national leaders in multiple categories. There’s a good chance we see Kubik back in the FBS before too long, if he decides to make the jump. He’s a tremendous teacher and man.

Johnathan Williams

South Carolina State, Offensive Coordinator

I had a first-hand look at Williams when he was coaching at D2 Benedict prior to SCSU. His teams won a conference title there and had the top-scoring offense in the nation. In his first year with head coach Chennis Berry at South Carolina State, they went 9-3 overall, including an undefeated conference record, MEAC championship, and conference offensive player of the year for Eric Phoenix. The former Grambling State QB was SWAC player of the year and a conference title winner as a player.

Ross Pennypacker

Villanova, Defensive Coordinator

Pennypacker is in year three as DC for the Wildcats and 10th season with them overall across two stints. His defense has been among the best in the nation and has led to FCS playoff berths in four of the last six seasons. His squads excelled this year in scoring and third down defense, where they were among the top 15 in the nation. The Millersville alumni had previously served as special teams coordinator under Mark Ferrante. 

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