Updated Stock Watch on 2022 Year 1 College Football Coaches
Following the 2021 season, a generous number of programs made a head coaching change.
There's been a tremendous amount of success from a handful of first-year coaches, but others have suffered bumps.
This serves as an updated stock watch for first-year head coaches as we head toward the final stretch of the season.
Pac-12, SEC
1 of 5
Pac-12
Kalen DeBoer, Washington
The Huskies (8-2) have been rolling pretty much the entire season. They started 2022 with four straight wins, taking down No. 11 Michigan State in September. DeBoer took over a decent roster, helping him get early wins in his tenure. After a two-game losing streak, the Huskies have hit their stride. They beat No. 6 Oregon on Saturday to extend their winning streak to four. If DeBoer is able to recruit in line with other coaches in the Pac-12, Washington may compete for conference championships annually.
Stock: Up
Jake Dickert, Washington State
Dickert secured the Washington State head coaching job after Nick Rolovich was relieved of his duties for refusing to comply with a mandate for state employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Dickert has led the Cougars to a 6-4 record in his first full season. The positive takeaway is they have lost to the teams they were predicted to lose against, and they've beaten the teams they were favored against. It's going to take time to grow a program like Washington State, but Dickert seems to be headed in the right direction.
Stock: Up
Dan Lanning, Oregon
The Ducks have had just two losing records in the 21st century. They're known as one of the biggest threats to the national title in the west. Oregon is currently second in the Pac-12 with a 6-1 conference record (8-2 overall). The season started off rocky when Lanning had to face the defending champions and his old team in the opener. Following the loss to Georgia in Week 1, the Ducks hadn't lost a game until last weekend against the Huskies. Despite those two losses, Lanning and his coaching staff are definitely on an upward trend with the program.
Stock: Up
Lincoln Riley, USC
The revival of USC is upon us. Riley headed to Southern California with arguably the best transfer class in college football history. The Trojans are first in the Pac-12 with a 7-1 conference record (9-1 overall). Their only loss came to Utah on the road, by one point. They're still a young team that's learning how to play with the expectations on them, but Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams have created something special in Los Angeles. They're going to continue to recruit at a high level, and with Riley's playbook USC can be competing for a national title very soon.
Stock: Up
SEC
Brian Kelly, LSU
After the 2019 national championship, a roller coaster of different coaches and new schemes ensued in Baton Rouge. The Tigers went 5-5 in 2020 and 6-7 last season. It looked like LSU was reaching the bottom of the SEC West, but it was still a coveted gig because of its history of great recruiting and homegrown talent. The 2022 season started with a loss to Florida State, resulting in overreactions from fans and the media. Kelly followed that loss winning eight of the next nine games, including triumphs against No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 6 Alabama. He's grown LSU into an explosive masterpiece on both sides of the ball.
Stock: Up
Billy Napier, Florida
The Florida Gators have been a very tough team to predict. UF is 6-4 on the season, which is a record most teams would be happy with, but the hype behind quarterback Anthony Richardson has made this season disappointing. Napier hasn't been able to consistently produce, but his saving grade comes from recent recruiting success. The Gators had a talented 2023 recruiting class, but they've been able to snag recruits from in-state rivals, which is a difficult task in a coach's first season. Napier flipped 4-star offensive lineman Roderick Kearney from FSU and 4-star quarterback Jaden Rashada from Miami. It looks like the puzzle pieces are connecting, but the results haven't been good enough for a "stock up" grade.
Stock: Steady
ACC, Big 12
2 of 5
ACC
Mario Cristobal, Miami
Cristobal returned home to coach the Miami Hurricanes after a short stop in Oregon. There were high expectations for the first-year Miami coach, creating a positive buzz around the city. Much of that buzz had to do with quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who many thought was one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. They were projected to go to the ACC title game with a preseason rank of No. 16 in the country, but Miami started to trickle down the rankings early in the season. The Hurricanes are 5-5 with losses to Middle Tennessee and Duke. Cristobal can keep playing the recruiting card, but it's time to show what type of team you can put on the field.
Stock: Slightly Down
Mike Elko, Duke
This is a massive year for the Duke football program. A 7-3 record should make any Blue Devils fan happy. Duke is on a three-game winning streak, defeating Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech. Quarterback Riley Leonard has been successful in the air and on the ground, leading the team in rushing yards. Duke is usually blown over by other ACC programs, but there's been some warranted spotlights on the Blue Devils this season. Elko is building a competitive program in Durham.
Stock: Up
Tony Elliott, Virginia
Virginia has been extremely underwhelming this season. It was known that the Cavaliers weren't going to be ACC title contenders, but a 3-7 record is going backward as a program. Quarterback Brennan Armstrong was thought to be more prepared to lift the Cavaliers in the Coastal, but a 7-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio won't get you anywhere. It's been a pretty awful year for Elliott and the Cavs. Virginia has lost six of seven.
Stock: Down
Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
The Hokies are plummeting at 2-8, with their only wins coming against Boston College and Wofford. Pry has Virginia Tech at the bottom of the ACC, and it looks like it'll stay that way. VT hasn't been a terrible program, but recent memory shows that a climb back to bowl contention will take time. As of now Pry is not the answer, but it's too early to tell if he'll have a short-term stay.
Stock: Down
Big 12
Sonny Dykes, TCU
The Horned Frogs are legit. They're the No. 1 team in the Big 12, beating five ranked opponents in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. TCU is flirting with a College Football Playoff appearance. Dykes has had the most successful year one in college football. He seems like a phenomenal fit for Texas Christian, and if he's able to recruit players that continue to match his offensive scheme, TCU will be a long-term Big 12 title threat.
Stock: Up
Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
The Red Raiders haven't done much since the Mike Leach era, having six head coaches since his departure. After a 3-1 start with two ranked wins against Houston and Texas, Texas Tech has lost four of the last six. The Red Raiders hold a 3-4 conference record, which isn't bad for McGuire's first season. One more conference win would be the most for Tech since 2015.
Stock: Steady
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
There were high hopes for the Oklahoma Sooners when quarterback Dillon Gabriel reunited with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. Venables was a difficult coach to pry out of his recent job as defensive coordinator for the Clemson Tigers. He must've seen something in Norman, finally leaving Clemson after a flurry of coaching offers. Oklahoma has been abysmal on the defensive end, allowing 29.1 points per game. The Sooners have a 5-5 record, going 2-5 in the Big 12. This isn't the first year that was expected from Venables, but they should be back when Venables brings in his own recruits.
Stock: Down
Independents
3 of 5
Don Brown, UMass
The Minutemen may be a lost cause. They haven't had more than one win since 2018. UMass is 1-9 this year, with its only victory coming against Stoney Brook. This is a difficult task for any head coach, and it'll be the same for Don Brown. There shouldn't be any help for the coaching staff or roster for several more years, since not many individuals will want to stay in Amherst. UMass has been in the fight for just a handful of games, and Brown likely won't turn that around.
Stock: Down
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Notre Dame is in the rebuilding process after the departure of longtime head coach Brian Kelly. The swap of schemes takes time to implement. Freeman took over as the head coach after serving as the defensive coordinator for the Irish for one year. Some of his recent stops include Cincinnati and Purdue. The Fighting Irish have a 7-3 record, bouncing back from their first 0-2 start since 2011. They were particularly impressive in a 35-14 win over then-undefeated Clemson on Nov. 5. Freeman has this team headed in the right direction, as he continues to develop the roster in South Bend.
Stock: Up
Jerry Kill, New Mexico State
The Aggies started the season losing five of their first six games. Since then, New Mexico State has gone on a three-game winning streak, finally finding some offensive rhythm. This is another program that's going to be very hard to prop up, but it seems like Kill is headed in the right direction. They hadn't won four or more games since 2017, so the Aggies should be pleased with Kill.
Stock: Up
Jim Mora, UConn
UConn is considered a basketball school for an obvious reason. The Huskies have only won three bowl games in program history, appearing in only six. Their last winning record was in 2010 under longtime head coach Randy Edsall. UConn is riding a three-game winning streak, defeating Liberty, Boston College and UMass. The Huskies (6-5) have won five of the last six games, which is a great sign that Mora is bringing them back to respectability.
Stock: Up
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AAC, Conference USA and MAC
4 of 5
AAC
Stan Drayton, Temple
The Owls (3-7) are ninth in the American Athletic Conference, sitting very close to the bottom of the standings. Temple had a great four-year run with Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins from 2015 to 2018. Drayton took the keys to the Owls from Rod Carey, who went 4-15 in the last two seasons. It looks like Drayton will lead the Owls to three or four wins with Cincinnati and East Carolina left on the schedule.
Stock: Slightly Down
Rhett Lashlee, SMU
Prior to the season the Mustangs spent time in the Top 20 in three straight years. It looks like they're building toward the same success with a 6-4 record this season. They've beaten the teams they're supposed to in order to build their record, but they've also lost each time they've been the underdog. Beating ranked opponents or anyone with stable production can take time. Lashlee has the Mustangs on the right trail.
Stock: Up
C-USA
Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech may be regretting firing Skip Holtz. The Bulldogs are 3-7 and seventh in the Conference USA standings. Letting go of Holtz may have been a decision based on frustration. He went just 8-14 in his final two season with the program. Cumbie came from Texas Tech, working as the offensive coordinator for the Red Raiders. He has experience recruiting in the region he's in. He'll have to excel there to get the Bulldogs going in the right direction.
Stock: Down
Mike MacIntyre, Florida International
FIU has fielded a poor team for most of its program history. They've only had four winning season, putting their first FBS team on the field in 2004. Butch Davis had some success in his five-year tenure. That was during Davis' first two seasons, though, only getting a combined one win in 2020 and 2021. MacIntyre has been able to secure four wins this season, so the Panthers have improved and will continue to do so in a substandard conference.
Stock: Up
MAC
Joe Moorhead, Akron
The Zips have the benefit of playing in the Mid-American Conference, which is one of the worst in the FBS. Yet Akron is 1-9 with its only win coming on September 1. Akron hasn't been able to stop any offense, which has been a major blow to a team averaging less than 20 points per game. Moorhead has the Zips exactly where they were in previous seasons, and it doesn't seem like he can take them over the edge.
Stock: Down
Sun Belt and Mountain West
5 of 5
Sun Belt
Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana
The Rajin' Cajuns were left searching for a head coach after Billy Napier took the Florida Gators opening. This was a huge loss for Louisiana after Napier led the team to three straight seasons with 10 or more wins. One of the biggest hits to the team was Napier taking most of its top-tier talent to Gainesville. Louisiana is 5-5 and fifth in the Sun Belt Conference. Desormeaux is going to have to produce soon, since expectations are still high, but it's going to take him years to get double-digit wins.
Stock: Slightly Down
Clay Helton, Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern gets some slack in any conversation about college football programs, since its first FBS season was 2014. In such a short term, the Eagles have had five different head coaches, so they are still looking for a coach they can rely on and off the field. Former head coach Chad Lunsford was relieved of his duties after starting the 2021 year with a 1-3 record. They've been competitive in nearly every game this season en route to a 5-5 record, making Helton a coach that's trending upward.
Stock: Up
Jon Sumrall, Troy
If there's still Troy stock available, buy it right now. The Trojans are first in the Sun Belt with an 8-2 record. Troy has won seven straight games after losing two of its first three. Sumrall is doing special things at Troy, bringing the Trojans back to the winning days of Neal Brown. There's been issues on the offensive end, but when Surmall figures out his scheme the Trojans will be very good.
Stock: Up
Mountain West
Timmy Chang, Hawai‘i
It's been more than a decade since Hawai'i was a consistent winner, and it doesn't look like Timmy Chang will turn the tide. The Rainbow Warriors have won just two games and have some grueling losses, including a 63-10 home opener defeat to Vanderbilt.
Stock: Down
Jay Norvell, Colorado State
The Rams were back in the coaching search after they fired two-year head coach Steve Addazio. Turning Colorado State into a winning program is a difficult task for anyone. The Rams haven't had success since 2017 under Mike Bobo. It looks like it'll stay that way, with CSU having a 2-8 record. Colorado State needs to focus on bringing in help from the transfer portal, and its pitch should be immediate playing time.
Stock: Down
Jeff Tedford, Fresno State
Former head coach Kalen DeBoer took the Washington football vacancy, and he's done a great job in his stop. And Tedford has done well with Fresno State. As of now, the Bulldogs are on fire, winning five straight games. When they were on a four-game losing streak, there was no quit in the team, and the Bulldogs hit the gas pedal afterward, meaning they have trust in Tedford. This could be a coach that stays with Fresno State for years to come.
Stock: Up
Ken Wilson, Nevada
The Wolf Pack can't seem to find the answer, as they hold a 2-8 record. They are back to square one after the departure of Jay Norvell. They made a bowl game in the previous four seasons, and Wilson couldn't keep that streak going. Nevada is on an eight-game losing streak.
Stock: Down
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