Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

National Blitz: Carousel Edition – CFB’s Lay of the Land Since the Music Finally Stopped

Nick Saban’s January 10 retirement set off a wild 16-day day ride on the coaching carousel that has changed the national landscape.

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Dec 31
Dec 31

By Rock Westfall 

Can Kalen DeBoer Stem the Tide of Roster Turnover? 

Alabama made a safe choice with a seemingly excellent coach to replace Nick Saban. Kalen DeBoer was hired the same week that he took his Washinton Huskies to the national championship game. Although U-Dub lost to Michigan, DeBoer won nationwide respect and was an easy selection for athletic director Greg Byrne.

But DeBoer lost over 25 players from his inherited Bama roster to the transfer portal in his first week on the job. They say that Alabama is a program that sells itself. But the massive departure of current Alabama players contradicts that theory.

DeBoer has never recruited in a cutthroat jungle like the SEC, or even coached in the southeast. Alabama should still be a good program, but its Saban-era dynasty level of production is almost certainly over.

The concern for many is that Alabama hired a fine coach who could prove to be a poor fit. 

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U-Dub Catches a Big Fisch 

With the departure of DeBoer, Washington wasted no time in finding a quality replacement. Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch quickly accepted the Washington offer and its offer of a job promotion from the Big 12 to the Big Ten.

Like DeBoer, Fisch turned around a losing and demoralized program at Arizona, going from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 in 2023 with an Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma.

Arizona is one of the more challenging jobs in the country. But Fisch is in the elite class and credentialed at luring in and developing talent. His players respond well to him, and he should be able to eventually and quickly keep Washington successful as they transition to the Big Ten this year.

Without question, Washington turned a big loss into a quality win with this hire.

Arizona Bears Down to Find Quality Replacement  

Arizona fans were disheartened to lose Fisch as a College Football Playoff spot and the Big 12 championship was seen as highly possible in 2024. But Arizona recovered from the loss of Fisch nearly as well as Washington did when it lost Kalen DeBoer. New Arizona HC Brent Brennan took one of the worst programs in the country, San Jose State, to bowl games in three of his final four seasons.

San Jose State operates its football program on a shoestring budget with limited fan support, donors, and facilities. Yet, somehow, the resourceful Brennan found a way to win. This year, Brennan shepherded the Spartans through a 1-5 start to a spot in the Hawaii Bowl. He now takes over a program with much more to work with.

It was feared that the Arizona starting lineup would follow Fisch to Washington. Instead, Brennan made impressive sales pitches that convinced key players, such as emerging superstars QB Noah Fifita and WR Teritoria McMillan to stay.

Arizona’s hire of Brennan could prove to be a Wildcat strike of genius. 

Michigan Wants Moore of Sherrone  

There was little doubt that the Michigan Wolverines would hire offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore as head coach after Jim Harbaugh departed for the NFL Los Angeles Chargers. Moore won all four of his games as replacement head coach during two Harbaugh suspensions in 2023. He has been on Harbaugh’s staff since 2018 and proved to be a superb play-caller, especially in Michigan’s CFP win over Alabama. 

Moore steps into the biggest challenge of any new HC. Michigan’s national championship roster is being gutted with NFL Draft declarations and transfers. Thus, Moore will not have anywhere close to the same team that won the natty. Moore also faces the possibility of NCAA sanctions against his program.

Moore must jumpstart Michigan’s portal and recruiting efforts that have been neglected during Harbaugh’s two-week NFL job-hunting campaign. Finally, Moore must deal with Ryan Day and hated arch-rival Ohio State, who are going gangbusters with a tremendous offseason of upgrades in coaching staff and player personnel.  Ohio State is devoting its entire 2024 offseason in preparation to take Michigan’s scalp in a triple-revenge setup next November.  

This is Moore’s first HC role. He did an excellent job keeping the Harbaugh-built Wolverines on track while Harbaugh was suspended. But Moore has never been responsible for an entire program, let alone one that is a defending national champion and one of the sport’s most storied and historic power brands. It is a daunting challenge that may prove to be more than any coach could handle.

Honorable Mentions  

Before Saban set off the 16-day national coaching earthquake that ended with Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL, some previous hires merit attention.

Mike Elko could be the perfect fit for college football’s ultimate wannabe power, Texas A&M. Previously, Elko was a standout defensive coordinator for the Aggies before taking over at Duke as head coach. Elko led the Blue Devils to two bowl seasons in his two years in Durham, a substantial accomplishment. After the failed Jimbo Fisher era, Elko represents a welcome change and a more substantive, up-to-date leader.

Manny Diaz replaced Elko as Duke’s new head coach. Diaz had a miserable time in his first HC role at Miami but quickly recovered with an impressive stint as Penn State’s defensive coordinator. However, Diaz takes over a highly challenging program at a basketball-crazed school. This one is no sure thing.

Jonathan Smith takes over Michigan State after a highly successful run at his alma mater, Oregon State. Smith is the type of coach who could win wherever he goes. He has a low-key personality and a brilliant offensive mind. 

After the Mel Tucker clown show, State gets a quality professional and proven winner from a school that is highly difficult to succeed at. Also, Smith’s timing could not be more perfect with the loathed Michigan Wolverines’ program going through a turbulent transition.

Willie Fritz is an interesting hire and probable upgrade at Houston, where he replaces Dana Holgorsen. Fritz led Tulane to its greatest era of glory and sustained success, ending his tenure with records of 12-2 in 2022 and 11-3 in 2023. In that epic 2022 season, Tulane beat USC in the Cotton Bowl in what may be the greatest win in school history. 

Fritz takes over a Houston program that, like Texas A&M, has a high opinion of itself and loaded mega-donors hungry for championships. Fritz brings a focused demeanor and impeccable track record to offer hope that better days are ahead for the Cougars.

In an interesting comeback story, Bronco Mendenhall is coming off a two-year sabbatical to take over the New Mexico Lobos. Mendenhall went 99-43 as BYU head coach from 2005-2015 and knows the lay of the land and recruiting footprint of New Mexico. After BYU, he rebuilt the moribund Virginia program. Following a 2-10 start, Mendenhall finished 36-38 at Virginia, with his final four seasons being .500 or better. 

Most impressively, in 2019, Bronco took UVA to the Orange Bowl, a profound accomplishment for a school that doesn’t prioritize the sport. Virginia has fallen back considerably since Mendenhall departed. New Mexico has not had a winning or bowl season since 2016. That is likely to change with Mendenhall in charge.

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