First Word You Think of for Every College Football Coach

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Since the 2011 college football season has ended, many moves have been made around the national landscape; coaches have been moved to new spots while some have remained at their old stomping grounds.

With 120 coaches in division one football, many different things come to mind when you look at the various head men that lead their programs into the fall.

Here is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about every college football coach.

Troy Calhoun: Ready

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images

Troy Calhoun has been at Air Force for the past five seasons and has taken the Air Force to five straight bowl games. With the success he has had there, he is ready to move to a bigger program. 

Terry Bowden: Back

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

After spending the last three years at Northern Alabama, Terry Bowden is back and at Akron now. It will be interesting to see what he can do with a small program, unlike the experience he had at Auburn. 

Nick Saban: Flawless

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

After winning his third BCS championship, Nick Saban has done an incredible job, no matter where he has gone. From recruiting, to player development to game day, Saban is an incredible and flawless coach. 

Rich Rodriguez: Improvement

Rick Dole/Getty Images

After spending a year outside of college football, Rich Rodriguez is back in, and is taking his offensive game plan to Arizona. After Mike Stoops led the Wildcats to an awful start last year, Rodriguez will be a step in the right direction. 

Todd Graham: Ruthless

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

After taking the job at Pittsburgh last year, Todd Graham said all the right things, but when ASU's position opened, he bolted and proved how ruthless college football can be. 

Bobby Petrino: Elevating

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Since coming to Arkansas, Bobby Petrino has done a great job of elevating the program back to an elite SEC team. In four years, he has elevated their level of play each year and this coming year could be the best. 

Gus Malzahn: Risky

After spending a few years at Auburn as an assistant coach, Gus Malzahn is taking a risky chance and taking the head coaching spot at Arkansas State. It will be interesting to see how he is able to handle this small program. 

Rich Ellerson: Struggling

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

One of the issues with being a coach at a service academy is not being able to go after some of your more typical football recruits. In three years, Rich Ellerson has struggled to find consistency and has only led them to one bowl game. 

Gene Chizik: Beneficiary

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

In three seasons, Gene Chizik has won a national title but has also had two 8-5 seasons on each side of the title. While Cam Newton was his quarterback, Gene Chizik was the beneficiary of a once-in-a-generation player. 

Pete Lembo: Impressive

Brett Deering/Getty Images

In his first season as a head coach in division one, Pete Lembo went 6-6 with Ball State and had an impressive debut. It will be interesting to see how he can help this program develop. 

Art Briles: Uh-Oh

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

When the announcement was made that Robert Baylor III would head to the NFL, the words going through Art Briles' head had to be uh-oh. Without a playmaker like Griffin, Baylor will go back towards the bottom of the Big 12. 

Chris Petersen: Worthy

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Year after year, people continue to wait for Chris Petersen and Boise State to fail but they continue to try and crash the BCS party. Now, without Kellen Moore, people will continue to see that he is worthy of the praise he is receiving. 

Frank Spaziani: Decline

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Three seasons ago, Frank Spaziani took over a competitive program in the ACC, but since taking over, Boston College has seen their record decline for three straight years and it may continue. 

Dave Clawson: Teetering

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Dave Clawson is teetering at Bowling Green as he has gone up and down but did a nice job of recovering last season from an awful job in 2010. 2012 will be an important season for Clawson, as it will be his fourth. 

Jeff Quinn: Irrelevant

When you are the head coach at Buffalo, there is not much you can do to turn this program around into a winner. Entering his third year, Jeff Quinn has proved to be pretty much irrelevant when it comes to results. 

Bronco Mendenhall: Slipping

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

After four straight years of leading BYU to 10- or 11-win seasons, Bronco Mendenhall saw his production slip in 2010 as BYU finished the year at 7-6. However, he bounced back with a 10-3 record in 2011.

Jeff Tedford: Underachieving

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Since coming to Cal, Jeff Tedford has been underachieving and for the talent that is coming to Cal, his players are doing the same. Living in a recruiting hotbed should lead to big-time wins, but Cal has only reached 10 wins twice under Tedford. 

Dan Enos: Consistent

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

When looking at what Dan Enos has done at Central Michigan, you see consistency but that is not a good thing. In two years, Enos has gone 3-9 in back to back seasons, and has yet to show he can bring Central Michigan back. 

Butch Jones: Leap

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

In just two years, Butch Jones has helped Cincinnati take a huge leap. In his first year as coach, Jones went 4-8, but then helped them jump to 10-3 this past season. 

Dabo Swinney: Meltdown

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Last year, Clemson and Dabo Swinney got off to a great start to the year, but had things fall apart at the end of the year. In 2012, Swinney and the Tigers are going to have to find a way to avoid another meltdown. 

Jon Embree: Rough

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

In his first year at Colorado, Jon Embree had a rough introduction to the Pac-12 conference, and things are not looking any better for the 2012 season. 

Jim McElwain: Solid

Getty Images/Getty Images

Jim McElwain is another assistant that is branching off and take a shot as a head coach. McElwain is taking over at Colorado State, and is a solid choice for the Rams.

Paul Pasqualoni: Oops

Elsa/Getty Images

Paul Pasqualoni has come back to the college game after spending time with both Miami and Dallas. After one year at Connecticut, Pasqualoni may have made a bad choice returning. 

David Cutcliffe: Patient

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Being the head coach at Duke for four years requires patience, and that is what David Cutcliffe has been. Despite only reaching a five-win season, Cutcliffe has done a nice job for Duke. 

Ruffin McNeill: Assistant

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Ruffin McNeill has been a good assistant coach, and after two years of being a head coach at East Carolina, it is starting to become clear that McNeill may have been better at being an assistant. 

Ron English: Astonishing

Leon Halip/Getty Images

It has been astonishing to see what Ron English has done at Eastern Michigan. In three years, English has gone from 0-12, to 2-10 to 6-6 at a school that has been historically unsuccessful. 

Carl Pelini: Bottom

Eric Francis/Getty Images

Carl Pelini has taken over at Florida Atlantic and is now the head coach at one of the bottom programs in the nation, which will be a culture shock coming from Nebraska. 

Will Muschamp: Rocky

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Year one under Will Muschamp was a bit rocky for the Florida Gators, as they finished 7-6 overall. With the amount of talent in Florida, fans will be expecting much more in year two. 

Jimbo Fisher: Overhyped

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

The past two years, Florida State has come into the season with a lot of hype around the program. While 10-4 and 9-4 are not bad seasons, they are certainly not up to the level expected by Seminole fans. 

Mario Cristobal: Rising

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

Mario Cristobal's stock is rising and he is finding great success at Florida International. In his five seasons with the school, he has taken them from a one-win program to an eight-win program that is extremely competitive. 

Tim DeRuyter: Questions

Bob Levey/Getty Images

This past season, Texas A&M watched some huge second half leads evaporate, and still defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter has been given a shot at Fresno State. There are some questions that surround him, and it will be interesting to see how he answers them on the field. 

Mark Richt: Fighter

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Coming into last season, Mark Richt was under fire with the Georgia fans. People were calling for his head and it only got worse after an 0-2 start. Richt and his team fought back and won 10 straight games, and showed that he won't go out without a fight.

Paul Johnson: Winless

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

While Paul Johnson has done a lot while at Georgia Tech, one thing that is still missing is a bowl win for the Yellow Jackets. After four years, Johnson has yet to pull a win out and time is ticking. 

Norm Chow: Validate

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Norm Chow has been a great assistant over his career, but is taking a step into the head coaching role at Hawaii. With the reigns to the program, Chow will be looking to validate that he can handle the change. 

Robb Akey: Uncomfortable

Kevin Terrell/Getty Images

Robb Akey has done a good job for Idaho, but things are starting to be uncomfortable for him. After getting them to peak at eight wins, things have regressed the past two years and have put him in the hot seat. 

Tony Levine: Empty

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Tony Levine is getting his shot at head coach of Houston, but is having the quarterback spot left empty as Case Keenum has graduated. It will be interesting to see how he handles the transition. 

Tim Beckman: Leap

Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

After spending time at Toledo, Tim Beckman is making the move to Illinois. Illinois saw their season fall apart last year after a 6-0 start, but could dip even more in Beckman's first season. 

Kevin Wilson: Rock-Bottom

Mark A. Cunningham/Getty Images

Last season's 1-11 record pushed Kevin Wilson to rock bottom. Not only did the season end with one win, but Wilson and Indiana were unable to win a game in conference. The only good news is it would be hard for things to get worse. 

Kirk Ferentz: Institution

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Since 1999, Kirk Ferentz has been part of the Iowa institution and is a constant in the football program. Ferentz does a great job recruiting and coaching up his talent, but has only one 10-win season in the past seven years. 

Paul Rhoads: Okay

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

During his first three years as a head coach, Paul Rhoads has done an okay job at Iowa State. During those three years, he is 18-20 and has won a couple of big games, but has yet to move the program forward.

Charlie Weis: Overlooked

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Charlie Weis is the new head man at Kansas, and it may be one of the more overlooked hiring choices of the year. Weis is going into a bad spot and will likely struggle to gain much traction in the Big 12. 

Bill Snyder: Timeless

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

In a sport with a bunch of young, new faces, Bill Snyder is timeless and is proving that he can return to Kansas State and lead the program to success. 

Darrell Hazell: Surprising

Greg McWilliams/Getty Images

After spending almost 25 years as an coordinator, Darrell Hazell made the move to Kent State and had a surprising season despite a lack of talent on the roster. It will be interesting to see what he is able to do for the program. 

Joker Phillips: Regressing

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Joke Phillips has spent two years as Kentucky's head coach, and saw his team regress last year as they went from 6-7 to 5-7. If that trend continues in 2012, it may be the beginning of the end for Phillips. 

Sonny Dykes: Smart

Sonny Dykes being hired at Louisiana Tech is proving to be a smart move for the program. He helped the school go from 5-7 in 2010 to 8-5 last year. In 2012, the school will see what he can do in year three. 

Mark Hudspeth: Unknown

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Mark Hudspeth has come out of nowhere to be the head man at UL Lafayette, and led them to a 9-4 season and a bowl victory. It appears the program is in great hands with Hudspeth as their head man. 

Todd Berry: Mediocre

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

During the majority of Todd Berry's coaching career, his results have been rather mediocre and have not seemed to get much better. With the job being done by Mark Hudspeth at UL Monroe, the heat might get turned up on Berry at UL Monroe.  

Charlie Strong: Weird

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

It was weird last year how Louisville went 7-5 and yet was still able to earn a part of the Big East conference title. One thing that Strong certainly understands is it is a feat that will likely not repeat itself. 

Les Miles: Unconventional

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

One thing about Les Miles is he always seems to do some unconventional things that will raise some eyebrows around the nation. Despite his style, he has been successful as LSU's head man and is looking at a promising 2012. 

Doc Holliday: Improving

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

For two years now, Doc Holliday has been the head coach at Marshall and seems to be improving. After 2010, the Thundering Herd finished at 5-7, this past year they finished at 7-6 and ended the year on a high note by winning their bowl game. 

Randy Edsall: Unexpected

Rob Carr/Getty Images

When Randy Edsall was hired by Maryland, the program felt they were going to go to the next level after the success he had with Connecticut, but last year's 2-10 season was unexpected and something that they must improve on. 

Justin Fuente: New

After spending some time as an offensive coordinator at TCU, Justin Fuente is making the move to head coach and will be beginning his career at Memphis. This will be a new experience for Fuente, as he tries to build up a small program.

Al Golden: Timing

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

While it appears that Al Golden has the ability to be a good head coach in college football, the timing may not be great for him at Miami. If he can continue to keep his team focused, he may move on sooner than later.

Don Treadwell: Experienced

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Don Treadwell has spent over 25 years in college football as an offensive coordinator and assistant, and is experienced enough to deserve his spot at Miami of Ohio. While 2011 may have not gone all that great, he is a solid coach to grow around. 

Mark Dantonio: Timing

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

The timing of bringing Mark Dantonio on board could not have been better for Michigan State. Since joining the program, Dantonio has helped turn things around and shift the balance of power in the state of Michigan. 

Brady Hoke: Compass

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

After time under Rich Rodriguez took Michigan in the wrong direction, Michigan fans are happy to call Brady Hoke their coach. Hoke has acted as the program's compass to help them get back on the right track, and is only one year into his tenure. 

Rick Stockstill: Roller Coaster

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Rick Stockstill's time at Middle Tennessee has been a roller coaster for the fans and players of the program. After four years, Stockstill led the program to a 10-3 record but since then, their record has declined and his job security could come under fire.

Jerry Kill: Fortunate

Leon Halip/Getty Images

After suffering a stroke on the sidelines last year, coach Jerry Kill has to just feel fortunate these days. In a time in which winning is so important, something like this can bring perspective. 

Dan Mullen: Rivalry

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

After arriving at Mississippi State in 2009, Dan Mullen has done a good job overall, but has done a great job of locking down the rivalry with Ole Miss. He is undefeated in the Egg Bowl, and has promised to never lose this game. 

Gary Pinkel: Steady

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Since 1991, Gary Pinkel has been a head coach and has been at Missouri since 2001. He is a steady influence on this program, and will be important as they transition to the SEC. 

Ken Niumatalolo: Admiration

Rob Carr/Getty Images

At the Naval Academy, Ken Niumatalolo has been the head coach for the past five years, and you have to have a level of admiration for the job he has done. With his option style of offense, the Midshipmen continue to be competitive. 

Tom O'Brien: East Coast

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Besides for his time at Navy when his coaching career began as an offensive line coach, Tom O'Brien has spent his time on the east coast and is familiar with how to win in both the Big East and ACC.

After losing Russell Wilson in the offseason, O'Brien proved how good of a coach he truly is with ability to retool a team. 

Bo Pelini: Necessary

Eric Francis/Getty Images

After moving to the Big 10, Nebraska had some pains but with Bo Pelini as their head coach, he is a necessary part of this program as they look to take control of their new conference. 

Chris Ault: Lifetime

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images

What is rare about Chris Ault is the fact that not only did he play at Nevada, but also spent his entire coaching career with the Wolf Pack. Not many people can claim to have done the same with the level of success he has had. 

Bob Davie: Upgrade

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

While New Mexico is not known as being a college football power, the program still has some pride and former coach Mike Locksley broke this program down. Now with Davie as the head coach, this is a clear upgrade for the school. 

DeWayne Walker: Unfamiliar

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For DeWayne Walker, the feeling of being at New Mexico State and not playing in some sort of spotlight has to be an unfamiliar feeling. With experience in the pros and at UCLA, this is much different and even after three years, he may still have not gotten comfortable. 

Larry Fedora: Next

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Larry Fedora did a great job at Southern Miss and was also able to help them upset Houston in the Conference USA title game. Now at North Carolina, Fedora is next in line in terms of good young coaches. 

Dan McCarney: Second Wind

Butch Dill/Getty Images

Dan McCarney is back in a head coaching position and had a decent 2011 season. After leaving Iowa State, McCarney spent time as a defensive coach but is now catching his second wind as head coach with North Texas. 

Dave Doeren: Inheritance

Mark A. Cunningham/Getty Images

Dave Doeren took over at Northern Illinois last year and inherited a strong team in the MAC. Doeren took advantage of this and helped lead the Huskies to a MAC title, and appears to be set up for a second in 2012. 

Pat Fitzgerald: Loyal

Eric Francis/Getty Images

Pat Fitzgerald has shown that he is loyal to Northwestern and their football program. After playing there and spending time as an assistant, Fitzgerald finally took over in 2006 but has yet to earn the Wildcats an elusive bowl win. 

Brian Kelly: Nuts

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The downside for Brian Kelly is that more people know about his sideline antics than they do his coaching abilities. Kelly has exploded multiple times and can sometimes come across as being out of control. 

Frank Solich: Short

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

This isn't a comment on Frank Solich's stature but rather the fact that he has helped Ohio win their division, but has continued to come up short on helping them secure a MAC title. 

Urban Meyer: Formality

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

When Jim Tressel was fired from Ohio State, it almost appeared that the hiring of Urban Meyer was a formality. Now that he has landed in Columbus a year later, Buckeye fans are confident he will restore the program's swagger. 

Hugh Freeze: Reach

After spending one year at Arkansas State as their head coach, Hugh Freeze was hired by Ole Miss to take over for Houston Nutt. While Freeze is a decent coach, this is a reach for a SEC school that needs to revive their program. 

Bob Stoops: Waiting

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Since early in his career at Oklahoma, Sooner fans continue to wait for Bob Stoops to take them to the top again. With the talent that continues to flock to Norman, Stoops has to get this team back to the college mountain top. 

Mike Gundy: A Man

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Yeah, I know, this is technically two words but any time you think of Mike Gundy, most people go back to his post game outburst in which Gundy proclaimed that he is a man and is indeed 40. 

Chip Kelly: Rare

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

Finding Chip Kelly has been the best thing to happen to the Oregon football program. Kelly has led the Ducks to three straight BCS games and is a coach that has taken the program to new heights. 

Mike Riley: Development

Steve Dykes/Getty Images

With the exception of the last two seasons, Oregon State's Mike Riley has done a great job of getting the best out of his players. With the limited talent that comes and plays for the Beavers, he does a great job of player development. 

Bill O'Brien: Shadow

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Bill O'Brien has decided to take the Penn State position, and it has to be one of the toughest spots to come in to. O'Brien will spend the majority of his time living in Joe Paterno's shadow and will find out this job is harder than it appeared. 

Paul Chryst: Inevitable

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

With the success that Wisconsin and Paul Chryst were having, it was inevitable that he would end up being presented with an opportunity he could not turn down. Despite appearing to be ready, it is surprising he would make his first move to Pitt. 

Danny Hope: Hope

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

This past season, Danny Hope helped Purdue bounce back and have their best season in his tenure and that has given the program some hope that better things are yet to come. 

David Bailiff: Stagnant

Bob Levey/Getty Images

David Bailiff has had some success at Rice, but after two straight seasons of going 4-8, things have appeared to get stagnant. If things don't turn around in 2012, Bailiff could be on the hot seat. 

Greg Schiano: Belief

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

Greg Schiano has a strong belief that what he is doing at Rutgers will work, and he wants to see it through. After a successful couple of season, Schiano could have gone to a bigger school but has remained loyal to the Scarlet Knights. 

Rocky Long: Replacement

Leon Halip/Getty Images

After Brady Hoke bolted town for Michigan, Rocky Long was next in line to step up as San Diego State's new head coach. While he did go 8-5 last year, Long is viewed as a replacement rather than someone who can elevate the program. 

Mike MacIntyre: Surprising

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

When Mike MacIntyre took over at San Jose State, the Spartans went 1-12 in his first year. Last year, MacIntyre led the Spartans to a 5-7 record and is surprising many around the program.  

June Jones: Revival

After starting out at SMU 1-11, June Jones has gotten things turned around for the program and SMU is getting back on the map. Over the past three seasons, Jones has led SMU to three straight bowl games and is doing a fantastic job. 

Steve Spurrier: Overrated

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

During Steve Spurrier's time at South Carolina, he seems to be living on reputation rather then results. He has only led the Gamecocks to one 10-win season, and has yet to help them win a SEC title. 

Skip Holtz: Questionable

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Skip Holtz has spent two years at South Florida and saw their record slip from 8-5 to 5-7. In year three of his tenure at South Florida, Holtz will need to get the Bulls back in a bowl game. 

Ellis Johnson: Strike-out

Ellis Johnson is getting his third shot at being the head man in college football, and it may be his last if he cannot find success. If Johnson comes up empty at Southern Miss, he will have struck out as a head coach. 

David Shaw: Luck-Less

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

When you take over as the head coach of Stanford and Andrew Luck is your quarterback, things can transition fairly easy. This year will be the season in which David Shaw can prove what he will be like as a head coach. 

Doug Marrone: Average

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Even in the Big East, Syracuse and Doug Marrone are not a huge competitor and have been rather average over the past three years—unless things change, Marrone could be out. 

Gary Patterson: Needed

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Gary Patterson has done a fantastic job while at TCU, and has helped the program rise to levels they have not seen before. Based on the school and the program, Patterson is exactly what the Horned Frogs need to remain successful.

Steve Addazio: Impact

Rob Carr/Getty Images

While Steve Addazio did make the move from coordinator at Florida to first time head coach at Temple, he appears to be the right man for the job. In his first season as head coach, Addazio helped make an impact and it should be interesting to see what he can do once he gets his recruits into his system. 

Derek Dooley: Clock

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

After two very mediocre seasons at Tennessee, the clock is ticking for Derek Dooley, as the Vols have plenty of talent but are not seeing the results. If Dooley has a similar season in 2012, he could be looking for a new job. 

Kevin Sumlin: Keenum

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

After a great season with Houston, coach Kevin Sumlin made the move to Texas A&M and became their head man. The interesting part about Sumlin is in his four years as head coach, his two best seasons were with Case Keenum as an upperclassman. 

Mack Brown: Impressive

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Until 2010, Mack Brown had not had a losing season at Texas and that is something that is extremely impressive, considering Brown has been with the program since 1998. Now that he has the Longhorns back on the right track, it will be interesting to see if Texas can regain control of the Big 12.

Tommy Tuberville: Waiting

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Last year saw the high of beating Oklahoma on the road but then the low of falling apart after that. After being hired two seasons ago, the jury is still out on Tuberville, and the wait to see what he can do for the program continues. 

Matt Campbell: Fresh

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Matt Campbell's coaching career is young and new still and he is already being handed the keys to the Toledo football program. It will be interesting to see how he handles his new position for the first time. 

Larry Blakeney: Familiar

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Since 1991, Larry Blakeney has called Troy home and the program has reciprocated the familiar and comfortable feeling. While his run of conference titles came to an end this year, Blakeney should have the Trojans back on track in no time. 

Curtis Johnson: Timing

Curtis Johnson spent his career thus far as a career assistant, but has decided to make the move to Tulane and take their opening at head coach. While a move was in the future for Johnson, the timing may have been a bit off. 

Bill Blankenship: Earned

Otto Kitsinger III/Getty Images

After spending over 20 years coaching at the high school level and spending time as an assistant in college, Bill Blankenship has earned his chance and helped Tulsa to a 8-5 record in his first season as head coach. 

Garrick McGee: UAB

Garrick McGee is transitioning from SEC football and the Arkansas Razorbacks to the UAB Blazers. This will be quite different for the coach, as the level of play and talent will be a clear step back.

George O'Leary: Improving

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

When George O'Leary arrived in 2004, UCF was unable to win a single game. Since that season, their worst output has been a four-win season, and O'Leary is doing a good job improving this program so that it doesn't return to the depth it was at.

Jim Mora: Talk

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Seems like the last couple of coaches that UCLA has gone out and got have no issues stepping in front of the microphone and giving people an ear full. Along with his ability to talk, Jim Mora has plenty of NFL experience and we will see how it translates to college football. 

Bobby Hauck: Drowning

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Bobby Hauck had great success at Montana but in the past two years, he made the move to UNLV, where he is drowning. Montana was a solid program at a lower level, but now Hauck finds himself at UNLV and getting beat up at every turn. 

Lane Kiffin: Smug

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Since his time at Tennessee and now at USC, Lane Kiffin has always appeared to be smug, but while this may be a great way to turn off fans and media, it appears to bring his teams together as he has USC back in form. 

Gary Andersen: Promise

After two straight 4-8 seasons at Utah State, Gary Andersen appeared to be hitting a wall. In 2011, Anderson got things moving in the right direction as he led the Aggies to a 7-6 record and a bowl appearance. The turn around has showed promise, and so does Utah State's future. 

Kyle Whittingham: Strong

Harry How/Getty Images

Kyle Whittingham has done an amazing job at Utah, and now that Utah has a season under their belt in the Pac-12 conference, Whittingham has helped them make a strong transition and will keep them competitive in conference. 

Mike Price: Sequel

Quite often, people find out that the sequel is never as good as the original, and that is what Mike Price is finding out as well. After a successful run with Washington State, Price ended up at UTEP and after arriving in 2004, he has only had one season above .500.

James Franklin: Hope

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

For a program that usually does not experience much success, James Franklin has given the fan base a ray of hope and has them believing they can get things turned around. 

Mike London: Head-Turner

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Last year, Mike London did a great job at Virginia and was turning some heads throughout the season. With one game left, the Cavaliers had a shot at going to the ACC title game and should be a force again. 

Frank Beamer: Special

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Frank Beamer continues to field incredibly competitive teams year in and year out, and is not going anywhere. As long as Beamer is the head man, Virginia Tech is in good hands. 

Jim Grobe: Limited

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

While Jim Grobe has had some success at Wake Forest, it has been limited to this point. Since 2001, Grobe has led the Demon Deacons to one conference title and has never really threatened to add to that number.  

Steve Sarkisian: Hourglass

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

Steve Sarkisian was brought to Washington to help bring them back to the success the program had come to expect. Since arriving in the Northwest, Sarkisian has failed to bring them back to form and time may be running out. 

Mike Leach: Pirate

Mike Leach could be an awesome hire for Washington State. Leach is known as a pirate, and brings an unorthodox style of coaching that could help the Cougars get out of the Pac-12 basement. 

Dana Holgorsen: Delivered

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

After issues with Bill Stewart led to Dana Holgorsen being named head coach, a lot of pressure was placed on the coach to come through, and come through now. Holgorsen delivered by helping the Mountaineers win a conference title and their BCS matchup against Clemson. 

Willie Taggart: Worthy

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

After helping Jim Harbaugh rebuild things at Stanford, Willie Taggart has moved on to Western Kentucky. Since taking over at Western Kentucky, Taggart has begun to get things turned around and helped them improve from a 2-10 record to a 7-5 record this past season.

Bill Cubit: Disciplined

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

When you are the head coach at a small school like Western Michigan, you have to preach hard work and discipline in order to be successful with the talent you bring in. Bill Cubit has done a nice job and has kept the Broncos consistently competitive for the past few seasons.

Bret Bielema: Roseless

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

For the past two years, Bret Bielema has helped lead Wisconsin to a Big Ten title, and twice the Badgers have ended up in the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately, Bielema has ended the year with an empty feeling and without a Rose Bowl win. 

Dave Christensen: Waiting

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

After seeing his record go up and down and up again, the people at Wyoming are still waiting to see what things will be like when they level out. Christensen had a good 2011, but time will show if he can put together back to back good seasons.