Best College Football Coaching Staffs Heading into 2016 Season
Having a great head coach is one thing, but he alone doesn't make for a great team in college football. It takes an entire staff of coordinators and assistants to operate effectively in today's game.
All of those like-dressed people on the sidelines wearing headsets, holding play sheets and flashing signals onto the field are tasked with working together to teach, guide and motivate dozens of 18- to 22-year-old players. It's not easy, and it's why many assistants—and not just head coaches—are starting to get paid large sums of money each season.
Assembling a great staff is almost as important as recruiting the best possible players. This is the logic that first-year Maryland coach D.J. Durkin used in hiring three assistants—Pete Lembo, Mike London and Scott Shafer—who were all FBS head coaches in 2015.
There are plenty of great coaching staffs in college football, but some stand out from the crowd. We've picked the six best groups based on their overall history together and their individual accolades.
Alabama
1 of 6
Head Coach
Saban just won his fifth national title and fourth with Alabama since 2010, reaffirming his spot atop the college coaching ranks. He was watching film on the trip home from the national championship game, as he was in no mood to take a break as he sets out to try to tie Alabama Crimson Tide legend Bear Bryant's record of six titles.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin
- QB coach Lane Kiffin
- RB coach Burton Burns
- WR coach Billy Napier
- TE coach Bobby Williams
- OL coach Mario Cristobal
Kiffin came to Alabama hoping to resurrect his career after his unceremonious midseason firing from the USC Trojans in 2012, but he did more than just that. He turned himself into arguably the greatest quarterback guru in college with the work he did to turn Blake Sims and Jake Coker into stars. Burton and Williams have been mainstays with the Crimson Tide, while Cristobal is a master recruiter.
Defensive Staff
- Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt
- DL coach Bo Davis
- ILB coach Jeremy Pruitt
- OLB coach Tosh Lupoi
- DB coach TBD
The Tide had some significant turnover on the defensive staff, and they still have a spot to fill with defensive backs coach Mel Tucker joining Kirby Smart with the Georgia Bulldogs. Smart had been Saban's defensive coordinator since 2008 and routinely had 'Bama ranked at or near the top in most statistical categories, but Pruitt's track record of success is quite strong as well. He won a national title with the Florida State Seminoles in 2013 and massively improved Georgia's defense the last two seasons, now returning to the school where he spent six seasons under Saban from 2007-12.
Pruitt coached Alabama's DBs from 2010-12 and could end up adding that to his defensive coordinator duties, according to John Talty of AL.com.
Clemson
2 of 6
Head Coach
- Dabo Swinney
Swinney has made a swift and steady rise up the coaching ranks, from his role as the Clemson Tigers' recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2003 to leading the Tigers to the national title game. He's won 10 or more games in five straight seasons, nearly becoming the first coach in FBS history to go 15-0.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott
- Offensive coordinator Jeff Scott
- QB coach Brandon Streeter
- RB coach Tony Elliott
- WR coach Jeff Scott
- TE coach Danny Pearman
- OL coach Robbie Caldwell
The loss of offensive coordinator Chad Morris to SMU after the 2014 season didn't hurt as much as thought, as Elliott and Scott each added that title to their existing duties. Both are former Clemson players who have been on staff for a while, as have Caldwell and Pearman.
The addition of Streeter for this past season went a long way toward turning quarterback Deshaun Watson into a Heisman finalist and the first player in FBS history with 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season.
Defensive Staff
- Defensive coordinator Brent Venables
- DT coach Dan Brooks
- DE coach Marion Hobby
- LB coach Brent Venables
- DB coach Mike Reed
Unless someone opts to leave in the near future, Clemson's defensive staff will be the same for the fourth straight season in 2016. That kind of stability is why the Tigers ranked in the top 10 in total defense in each of the past two years despite considerable player turnover.
Venables earns every bit of the $1.4 million he was paid in 2015, per USA Today's coaching salary database, and his assistants are also well-compensated.
Michigan
3 of 6
Head Coach
- Jim Harbaugh
What was mostly hope and hype at this point last year quickly turned into results during Harbaugh's first season back in college. He far exceeded any realistic expectations, getting the Michigan Wolverines to 10 wins and returning them to national relevance. This is the third program—college and professional—he's turned around, cementing his legacy.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive coordinator Tim Drevno
- QB coach Jedd Fisch
- RB coach Tyrone Wheatley
- WR coach Jedd Fisch
- TE coach Jay Harbaugh
- OL coach Tim Drevno
The offensive coaches Harbaugh brought with him to Ann Arbor in 2015 are all still around, and their first year together went well. The Wolverines' undermanned unit improved as the season went along, with Fisch's work to get the most out of graduate transfer quarterback Jake Rudock being the most promising development. Can he do the same with Houston transfer John O'Korn or one of the passers the Wolverines have recruited from high school?
Defensive Staff
- Defensive coordinator Don Brown
- DL coach Greg Mattison
- LB coach Chris Partridge
- DB coach Greg Jackson
- DB coach Mike Zordich
Michigan had two big holes to fill on defense after coordinator/linebackers coach D.J. Durkin left to take over the Maryland program. Under Durkin's guidance, the Wolverines posted three straight shutouts and ranked fourth nationally in yards allowed. To replace Durkin, Harbaugh went out and got Brown from the Boston College Eagles, who had the top-ranked defense in FBS.
Partridge, who was Michigan's director of player personnel last season, gets a game-day promotion but will continue to be heavily involved in recruiting. His ties to New Jersey—he was safety Jabrill Peppers' high school coach—have enabled the Wolverines to land several top prospects from that state.
Notre Dame
4 of 6
Head Coach
Kelly's name is regularly mentioned for NFL head-coaching openings, but he appears to be in no hurry to leave South Bend despite being somewhat of a job-hopper before coming to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Earlier this month he told ESPN, “I think college football is right for me” (h/t Chase Goodbread of NFL.com).
Unlike his recent predecessors at Notre Dame, Kelly's early success hasn't proven to be fleeting. He's won at least eight games in all six seasons, staying in contention for the playoffs throughout most of last season.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr.
- QB coach Mike Sanford Jr.
- RB coach Autry Denson
- WR coach Mike Denbrock
- TE coach Scott Booker
- OL coach Harry Hiestand
Sanford excelled in his first season with Notre Dame, coming from the Boise State Broncos and guiding redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer from third string to a starting spot in short time. How he and Kelly handle the competition between Kizer and Malik Zaire this spring will determine how the Fighting Irish handle the loss of six starters.
Defensive Staff
- Defensive coordinator Brian Vangorder
- DL coach Keith Gilmore
- LB coach Mike Elston
- DB coach Todd Lyght
Vangorder's defense managed to show some year-to-year improvement despite numerous injuries throughout the season, but it was not enough to be satisfied. Having the staff remain intact for 2016 should make for better consistency, though there's also the task of replacing playmakers such as tackle Sheldon Day, linebacker Jaylon Smith and defensive back KeiVarae Russell.
Oklahoma
5 of 6
Head Coach
Stoops is tied with Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz as the longest-tenured FBS coach—both have been in their current roles since 1999—and his willingness to shake up his staff after the 2014 season created a major program resurgence. Oklahoma's run to the playoffs showed he still has the desire to be one of the best, and that semifinal loss should serve as added motivation for 2016 and beyond.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley
- QB coach Lincoln Riley
- RB coach Jay Boulware
- WR coach Cale Gundy
- WR coach Dennis Simmons
- OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh
Riley's arrival from the East Carolina Pirates completely transformed the Sooners, who went from a power-running team that couldn't throw effectively to boasting one of the top passing attacks in FBS. That earned Riley the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant coach.
That wasn't the only change, though, as Boulware moved from coaching tight ends to running backs while Gundy shifted to receivers after working with the Sooners run game for 16 seasons. Simmons came from the Washington State Cougars, where he was schooled on the Air Raid offense by head coach Mike Leach—who also coached Riley in college.
Defensive Staff
- Defensive coordinator Mike Stoops
- DL coach Diron Reynolds
- ILB coach Tim Kish
- OLB coach Mike Stoops
- DB coach Kerry Cooks
Cooks and Reynolds were new to Oklahoma in 2015 and they made an instant impact, combining with veteran assistants Kish and Mike Stoops—Bob's younger brother—to pilot the best defense in the Big 12. In a conference where more than half the teams averaged 30-plus points per game, Oklahoma held its league opponents to 20.4 points and 347.2 yards per contest.
Tennessee
6 of 6
Head Coach
- Butch Jones
Jones has improved his team's win total from the prior year in each season since coming to the Tennessee Volunteers in 2013, with the team's 9-4 record this past year marking the program's best since 2007. The last two seasons have seen the Volunteers finish among the hottest teams in the country down the stretch, and all that seems to be missing in Knoxville is a way to perform at that level all season long.
Offensive Staff
- Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord
- QB coach Mike DeBord
- RB coach Robert Gillespie
- WR coach Zach Azzanni
- TE coach Larry Scott
- OL coach Don Mahoney
Tennessee went from 93rd in total offense in 2014 to 52nd in DeBord's first season, with the run game showing the most improvement. Gillespie's work forming a strong backfield tandem and Mahoney's ability to develop a solid offensive line were integral to the Volunteers' success in 2015.
Scott joins the staff after three seasons with the Miami Hurricanes, where he served as interim coach for the second half of 2015 after Al Golden was fired.
Defensive Staff
- Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop
- DL coach Steve Stripling
- LB coach Tommy Thigpen
- DB coach Willie Martinez
The Vols had a top-40 defense last year, but that wasn't good enough for Jones. He parted ways with defensive coordinator John Jancek, who had been with Jones since his stint with the Cincinnati Bearcats, and replaced him with the Penn State Nittany Lions' Shoop. With the Nittany Lions, Shoop oversaw the nation's 14th-ranked defense, which recorded 46 sacks and 106 tackles for loss.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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