good to see Conklin mentioned....and fully deserved. Don't believe him and Narduzzi will be around Pitt for very long. There are some real head-scratchers on this list....
:think2:
Walt Bell
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: Maryland
The 32-year-old Bell is generating buzz in the agent community as he prepares for his first season as a Power 5 coordinator. He spent the past two years holding the same title at Arkansas State, a springboard for young coaches running up-tempo offenses. Arkansas State finished 12th nationally in scoring at 40 points per game last year after breaking five school records under Bell the year before. Bell also worked at other offense-heavy programs, including North Carolina, Southern Miss and Oklahoma State. "Comes off straightforward, no nonsense," an agent said. "He's well-respected schematically. He sounds like everything a young coach should be."
Josh Conklin
Position: Defensive coordinator
School: Pittsburgh
We always hear about top young offensive minds in college football. Conklin, 37, holds the same label on the defensive side of the ball. He has coordinated aggressive and opportunistic defenses at Florida International and Pitt, which nearly doubled its sacks total from 19 to 37 in Conklin's first year. Working for a defensive-minded head coach in Pat Narduzzi should help Conklin, who likely will gain more traction as a head-coaching candidate if Pitt contends in the ACC Coastal division.
Eli Drinkwitz
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: NC State
Drinkwitz comes from the Gus Malzahn coaching tree and has taken smart steps toward a head-coaching opportunity, serving as offensive coordinator at Arkansas State and Boise State before taking the NC State job. The 33-year-old has worked in several regions for several well-regarded offensive coaches. Head coach Dave Doeren needs a jolt in Raleigh after a disappointing 2015 season, especially with the schedule getting tougher this fall. If Drinkwitz sparks the offense and NC State makes a surprise push in a tough ACC Atlantic division, his stock should surge.
Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott
Position: Co-offensive coordinators
School: Clemson
For years, Chad Morris was the hot coordinator at Clemson. That designation soon could apply to Elliott and Scott. They're somewhat under the radar, but it wouldn't be for long if the Deshaun Watson-led Clemson offense performs to its capabilities this fall. Both are proven recruiters with engaging personalities who have tutored All-ACC performers and, in Scott's case, multiple All-Americans. "It's truly a co-coordinator situation," an agent said. "It's not where one guy is OC and one is pass-game coordinator." The collaboration could help or hurt the chances of Elliott and Scott being noticed for head-coaching positions. But if Watson wins the Heisman Trophy and Clemson makes another national title push, we should hear both names surface in December, especially for Group of 5 openings in the Southeast.
Darin Hinshaw
Position: Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
School: Kentucky
Coaching veteran Eddie Gran garnered more attention when Kentucky shook up its offensive staff over the winter, but Hinshaw might end up being the more significant addition. Hinshaw and Gran thrived together as coordinators at Cincinnati, where the offense twice shattered single-season team records for total yards. Hinshaw has previous coordinator experience at Georgia Southern and Middle Tennessee. "With a big year at Kentucky," an agent said, "he could elevate himself quickly."
Jimmy Lake
Position: Co-defensive coordinator/secondary
School: Washington
Chris Petersen has assembled a strong staff in Seattle, and if Washington backs up its preseason hype, his assistants should start gaining greater national attention. Although Pete Kwiatkowski is Washington's chief defensive coordinator, Lake might have a stronger head-coaching profile. He spent three seasons coaching for two NFL teams and excelled while coaching defensive backs at Boise State before his second stint at Washington. Lake's recruiting prowess in the Los Angeles area also makes him an attractive candidate. "He can communicate with kids in the city," an agent said. "He has pass-game responsibilities. A lot of the optics are there, if that's where people want to go."
Chip Lindsey
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: Arizona State
Who's the next former high school coach to make a big splash in the college ranks? It could be Lindsey, who built his reputation at Alabama and Georgia high schools before moving into the college ranks. The 41-year-old spent the past two years as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss, which set school records for total offense (6,758), touchdowns (67) and points (528) in 2015. If Lindsey can engineer similar results at a Power 5 school in a new region, it "could really open up some doors for him," an agent said.
Tee Martin
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: USC
He has name recognition as a player and coach. His track record both in recruiting and in developing wide receivers and quarterbacks could soon make him an appealing head-coaching candidate. Martin had to wait for a coordinator opportunity, and he landed a major one at USC. Although he'll work closely with an offensive-minded head coach in Clay Helton and Helton's brother, Tyson, who is USC's quarterbacks coach, Martin has an excellent opportunity to showcase his play-calling ability in the national spotlight, as USC plays quite possibly the nation's toughest schedule.
A.J. Milwee
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: Akron
At just 26 years old, Milwee already is generating attention as a future head-coaching candidate. After a record-setting career as a quarterback for North Alabama under Mark Hudspeth, Milwee immediately began coaching quarterbacks at his alma mater for Terry Bowden. He's now offensive coordinator for an Akron staff filled with graybeards. "He's around a lot of good, older coaches who have a lot of pull with people," an agent said. "Being around Bowden, being around Chuck Amato, that just makes you better."
Todd Orlando
Position: Defensive coordinator
Team: Houston
Orlando is widely respected as a defensive coordinator, a post he has held at four programs since 2005. He also has geographic diversity after working in Texas, Utah, Florida and Connecticut. The question is whether he can increase his appeal as a head-coaching candidate. He has an excellent opportunity this season, as Houston will be in the national spotlight from Week 1. Like a lot of excellent defensive coordinators, Orlando must show he has enough charisma to handle the many facets of a head coaches' duties. One agent described him as "gruff." He needs to change that perception.
Marcel Yates
Position: Defensive coordinator
School: Arizona
Several agents mentioned the 38-year-old Yates as a coordinator on the rise and a future head-coaching candidate. The Boise State alum thrived at his alma mater, where he spent 11 of the past 13 seasons, mentored five NFL draft picks in the secondary and coordinated a defense that last fall led the Mountain West in third-down conversion percentage. Although two years as Texas A&M's co-coordinator yielded spotty results, Yates has an excellent opportunity to prove himself at Arizona, which allowed scores on 40.2 percent of opponents' drives last season (104th nationally).
Kerry Cooks
Position: Assistant defensive coordinator/secondary
School: Oklahoma
Cooks made an immediate impact in his first season on Bob Stoops' staff. Oklahoma had unquestionably the Big 12's best defense and secondary in 2015, as the Sooners led the league in pass defense and pass efficiency defense, and finished second in interceptions. Another Big 12 defensive coordinator told Insider that Cooks' arrival was the single biggest reason for Oklahoma's dramatic defensive improvement. Cooks was elevated to assistant coordinator this offseason and should soon get attention as a head-coaching candidate. The Texas native is an excellent recruiter in the Dallas area and brings extensive experience from the Midwest after playing at Iowa and coaching at Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
:think2:
Walt Bell
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: Maryland
The 32-year-old Bell is generating buzz in the agent community as he prepares for his first season as a Power 5 coordinator. He spent the past two years holding the same title at Arkansas State, a springboard for young coaches running up-tempo offenses. Arkansas State finished 12th nationally in scoring at 40 points per game last year after breaking five school records under Bell the year before. Bell also worked at other offense-heavy programs, including North Carolina, Southern Miss and Oklahoma State. "Comes off straightforward, no nonsense," an agent said. "He's well-respected schematically. He sounds like everything a young coach should be."
Josh Conklin
Position: Defensive coordinator
School: Pittsburgh
We always hear about top young offensive minds in college football. Conklin, 37, holds the same label on the defensive side of the ball. He has coordinated aggressive and opportunistic defenses at Florida International and Pitt, which nearly doubled its sacks total from 19 to 37 in Conklin's first year. Working for a defensive-minded head coach in Pat Narduzzi should help Conklin, who likely will gain more traction as a head-coaching candidate if Pitt contends in the ACC Coastal division.
Eli Drinkwitz
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: NC State
Drinkwitz comes from the Gus Malzahn coaching tree and has taken smart steps toward a head-coaching opportunity, serving as offensive coordinator at Arkansas State and Boise State before taking the NC State job. The 33-year-old has worked in several regions for several well-regarded offensive coaches. Head coach Dave Doeren needs a jolt in Raleigh after a disappointing 2015 season, especially with the schedule getting tougher this fall. If Drinkwitz sparks the offense and NC State makes a surprise push in a tough ACC Atlantic division, his stock should surge.
Tony Elliott and Jeff Scott
Position: Co-offensive coordinators
School: Clemson
For years, Chad Morris was the hot coordinator at Clemson. That designation soon could apply to Elliott and Scott. They're somewhat under the radar, but it wouldn't be for long if the Deshaun Watson-led Clemson offense performs to its capabilities this fall. Both are proven recruiters with engaging personalities who have tutored All-ACC performers and, in Scott's case, multiple All-Americans. "It's truly a co-coordinator situation," an agent said. "It's not where one guy is OC and one is pass-game coordinator." The collaboration could help or hurt the chances of Elliott and Scott being noticed for head-coaching positions. But if Watson wins the Heisman Trophy and Clemson makes another national title push, we should hear both names surface in December, especially for Group of 5 openings in the Southeast.
Darin Hinshaw
Position: Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks
School: Kentucky
Coaching veteran Eddie Gran garnered more attention when Kentucky shook up its offensive staff over the winter, but Hinshaw might end up being the more significant addition. Hinshaw and Gran thrived together as coordinators at Cincinnati, where the offense twice shattered single-season team records for total yards. Hinshaw has previous coordinator experience at Georgia Southern and Middle Tennessee. "With a big year at Kentucky," an agent said, "he could elevate himself quickly."
Jimmy Lake
Position: Co-defensive coordinator/secondary
School: Washington
Chris Petersen has assembled a strong staff in Seattle, and if Washington backs up its preseason hype, his assistants should start gaining greater national attention. Although Pete Kwiatkowski is Washington's chief defensive coordinator, Lake might have a stronger head-coaching profile. He spent three seasons coaching for two NFL teams and excelled while coaching defensive backs at Boise State before his second stint at Washington. Lake's recruiting prowess in the Los Angeles area also makes him an attractive candidate. "He can communicate with kids in the city," an agent said. "He has pass-game responsibilities. A lot of the optics are there, if that's where people want to go."
Chip Lindsey
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: Arizona State
Who's the next former high school coach to make a big splash in the college ranks? It could be Lindsey, who built his reputation at Alabama and Georgia high schools before moving into the college ranks. The 41-year-old spent the past two years as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss, which set school records for total offense (6,758), touchdowns (67) and points (528) in 2015. If Lindsey can engineer similar results at a Power 5 school in a new region, it "could really open up some doors for him," an agent said.
Tee Martin
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: USC
He has name recognition as a player and coach. His track record both in recruiting and in developing wide receivers and quarterbacks could soon make him an appealing head-coaching candidate. Martin had to wait for a coordinator opportunity, and he landed a major one at USC. Although he'll work closely with an offensive-minded head coach in Clay Helton and Helton's brother, Tyson, who is USC's quarterbacks coach, Martin has an excellent opportunity to showcase his play-calling ability in the national spotlight, as USC plays quite possibly the nation's toughest schedule.
A.J. Milwee
Position: Offensive coordinator
School: Akron
At just 26 years old, Milwee already is generating attention as a future head-coaching candidate. After a record-setting career as a quarterback for North Alabama under Mark Hudspeth, Milwee immediately began coaching quarterbacks at his alma mater for Terry Bowden. He's now offensive coordinator for an Akron staff filled with graybeards. "He's around a lot of good, older coaches who have a lot of pull with people," an agent said. "Being around Bowden, being around Chuck Amato, that just makes you better."
Todd Orlando
Position: Defensive coordinator
Team: Houston
Orlando is widely respected as a defensive coordinator, a post he has held at four programs since 2005. He also has geographic diversity after working in Texas, Utah, Florida and Connecticut. The question is whether he can increase his appeal as a head-coaching candidate. He has an excellent opportunity this season, as Houston will be in the national spotlight from Week 1. Like a lot of excellent defensive coordinators, Orlando must show he has enough charisma to handle the many facets of a head coaches' duties. One agent described him as "gruff." He needs to change that perception.
Marcel Yates
Position: Defensive coordinator
School: Arizona
Several agents mentioned the 38-year-old Yates as a coordinator on the rise and a future head-coaching candidate. The Boise State alum thrived at his alma mater, where he spent 11 of the past 13 seasons, mentored five NFL draft picks in the secondary and coordinated a defense that last fall led the Mountain West in third-down conversion percentage. Although two years as Texas A&M's co-coordinator yielded spotty results, Yates has an excellent opportunity to prove himself at Arizona, which allowed scores on 40.2 percent of opponents' drives last season (104th nationally).
Kerry Cooks
Position: Assistant defensive coordinator/secondary
School: Oklahoma
Cooks made an immediate impact in his first season on Bob Stoops' staff. Oklahoma had unquestionably the Big 12's best defense and secondary in 2015, as the Sooners led the league in pass defense and pass efficiency defense, and finished second in interceptions. Another Big 12 defensive coordinator told Insider that Cooks' arrival was the single biggest reason for Oklahoma's dramatic defensive improvement. Cooks was elevated to assistant coordinator this offseason and should soon get attention as a head-coaching candidate. The Texas native is an excellent recruiter in the Dallas area and brings extensive experience from the Midwest after playing at Iowa and coaching at Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
