20 Head College Football Coaches About to Become Household Names in 2012

The 2012 college football is still 32 weeks away, but it is never too early to talk about which coaches will become the most popular.

Now, some of the coaches who will be listed may not necessarily be unknowns, but the 2012 season will likely put them on a pedestal. The majority of new coaches have not exactly brought their attention to the landscape of college football because they have not had the opportunity to yet.

However, when they lead their programs to surprising and impressive seasons, it will only be a matter of time before they become a national household name.

Note: Your opinion of following coaches as household may be completely different than mine since there aren’t many coaches to begin with who aren’t talked about.

Charlie Strong, Louisville

Depending on what happens to West Virginia, the Cardinals will have a great opportunity to get back to national relevancy in college football, and what better way than reaching the BCS?

Charlie Strong will lean on his star quarterback, Teddy Bridgewater, but it will be the defense that the Cardinals coach has been known for. Strong's name will draw a big buzz for possible elite jobs, but he is building something special at Louisville.

Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss

The Rebels have had a ton of issues the past few seasons, so Houston Nutt was let go in Oxford.

Hugh Freeze now takes over and will have the ability to turn around a once-prominent SEC program. Returning several starters, Freeze should be able to at least make the Rebels respectable and possibly bowl-worthy. 

Paul Chryst, Pittsburgh

Todd Graham is gone, which is becoming a habit for the Panthers football program. They need a coach who wants to stay and build a successful program before they lose all credibility.

Ray Graham returns as arguably the best running back in the entire Big East, and the hope is that Chryst will finally develop Tino Sunseri. If he can get more production in that passion game, then the Panthers will quickly become factors once again.

Jim Mora Jr., UCLA

Some were not fans of Mora Jr. when he was in the NFL, but the Bruins have a decent chance at getting back to the postseason (and never putting up an an eight-loss season).

The defense will be returning nearly of its starters back, and the main pieces to the offense will return as well.

Bill O’Brien, Penn State

The former Georgia Tech, Maryland, Duke and New England Patriots assistant coach will head over to Happy Valley in an attempt to give the Nittany Lions faithful something to cheer about.

The season obviously ended abruptly, but the bowl loss to Houston was grueling to watch. The offense lacked explosiveness and was out of place, on top of failing to execute with any consistency.

O'Brien, you could argue, is playing with house money and could finish second in the Leaders Division by default, but don’t be shocked if he gets PSU playing up to par with the Badgers.

Tim Beckman, Illinois

The Illini are without the Zooker—finally—and the first goal will be avoiding anything close to a six-game losing streak.

Beckman used two quarterbacks at Toledo, and he may do the same next season with Nathan Scheelhaase and Riley O'Toole.

This program should be headed in the right direction with a coach who Toledo to two consecutive bowls. The Illini may not be playing in a New Year's Day Bowl in the immediate future, but don't be shocked if they put together a winning season at the very worst.

Dave Doeren, Northern Illinois

Dave Doeren could be the next MAC coach to get a big job offer, though he will be in just his second season. Winning a conference title in your first season is remarkable, and Doeren will be back for more in the coming years.

Plus, winning the MAC Championship and a bowl game to end this past season makes the Huskies the team to beat, even without their star quarterback, Chandler Harnish.

Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State

DeRuyter cannot look at taking over for Pat Hill, but more so improving a program that is heading in the right direction at the moment. Luckily, he returns Derek Carr at quarterback, alongside star wide receiver Jalen Saunders.

DeRuyter is not walking into an empty pool of talent, so there is no need to expect anything but a winning season.

Mike Leach, Washington State

Mike Leach was popular when he was at Texas Tech, but he has a chance to make a real name for himself during his stay at Washington State.

The Cougars have not gone to a bowl game since 2003, and Leach's offense will likely give Wazzu a possibility to achieve such right away.

Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

Jimbo Fisher became a household name as soon as he took over for Bobby Bowden, but he is not nearly recognized as one of the elite coaches in the game.

Fisher appeared in the ACC Championship during his first season and fell just short in his second. He has been given high expectations since his Noles were a preseason Top Five team last August, and some expect them to be somewhere close to that next August.

If Fisher can put together a near-undefeated season, he will rank right up there with the elite, and he will rank among the most recognizable coaches in all of collegiate sports.

Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia

Hanging 70 points on Clemson in the Orange Bowl was impressive, and now many are just waiting on where the Mountaineers will end up next season.

They would likely be heavy favorites in the Big East and possibly slight favorites in the Big 12, though Oklahoma and Texas are still the big bullies on the block.

However, Dana Holgorsen is arguably the best offensive mind in the game, and posting another double-digit-win season when people expect him to will raise his currently ascending stock.

Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M

Taking over as the Aggies coach would bring in some popularity, but coaching in the SEC will raise the stakes even more in 2012.

Sumlin accomplished a ton with Houston last season, and there is a great chance that A&M gets to the postseason and perhaps surprises a few right off the bat.

Pete Lembo, Ball State

Pete Lembo took a beatdown from Oklahoma earlier in the season (62-6), but he went 6-6 and exceeded the expectations.

One season of exceeding the expectations, and other BCS schools will be looking for the coach from Muncie to put them back on track.

However, Lembo is also another MAC coach who just finished his first season, so it may be some time before he is on the move—despite early success.

James Franklin, Vanderbilt

James Franklin became fairly popular this past season, but his team ended up with a losing season after losing their bowl game (6-7).

Most will not be counting on the Commodores to go back to the postseason, but a ton of talent returns on offense, and the defense is stingy enough to squeak out a few SEC victories to get Vanderbilt back at or above .500.

Matt Campbell, Toledo

Matt Campbell will enter the 2012 season as the youngest coach in America (31), but he has a ton of talent coming back, despite the loss of Eric Page.

Look for the Rockets to challenge for another MAC title and Campbell’s career begin to literally skyrocket.

Bill Blankenship, Tulsa

Tulsa will enter 2012 as one of the favorites to win Conference USA because the Hurricane will have two game-changing backs in Trey Watts and Jer'Terian Douglas.

Blankenship had a solid season since taking over Todd Graham, but the popularity will grow when he continues reaching the postseason with more than likely a double-digit-win season in the near future.

Rich Ellerson, Army

Army has gone to just two bowls since 1989, and Rich Ellerson has a team coming back that should do big things in 2012.

Trent Steelman returns at quarterback, and the schedule is extremely favorable. Ellerson has gone just 15-21 through three seasons, but an improvement is imminent. 

Norm Chow, Hawaii

Norm Chow has been a popular coordinator for several decades, but he finally has his shot at being a head football coach.

Being born in Hawaii certainly made the place appealing and worked out perfect for a guy who has coached the likes of Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Philip Rivers, Ty Detmer and Steve Young during his 38 years of coaching.

The Warriors have been struggling for the past few seasons, and Chow is the one who will likely put them back into bowl contention sooner than later.

June Jones, SMU

June Jones may be a household name for his NFL coaching career as well as bringing Hawaii to a BCS bowl, but he has not yet caught America's attention.

The Mustangs have now gone to three straight bowl games, but they have failed to challenge for a Conference USA title or threaten college football as one of the BCS busters.

With several defensive and offensive starters returning, 2012 should be the season we all witness a dominating and sensational season from SMU.

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Shocked?

Maybe this Broncos head coach is one of the more popular coaches in college football, but the guy still does not get enough respect.

Nick Saban and Les Miles are looked upon as the best coaches in America because they have both won BCS titles, but Chris Petersen cannot be far behind.

The guy has a knack for developing players better than anybody on the planet, and he has been the winningest coach (73-6, 44-3 in conference with one loss at home) in college football since taking over at Boise State.

Nobody will be picking the Broncos to even reach a BCS bowl without Kellen Moore or the majority of their defense returning, but Petersen will find a way to win in double-digits and perhaps crack the Top 10 once again (BCS is also a solid possibility).

If Petersen can put up another big season in 2012, he will go from a fairly popular coach to arguably one of the most popular and elite.