Ranking Which 1st-Year College Football Head Coaches Will Succeed Most in 2015
There's already been a slew of coaching changes around the college football ranks as we now gear up for the second season of the new College Football Playoff—who else can't wait?
From Jim Harbaugh at Michigan to Mike Riley at Nebraska, there are seven new coaching regimes being implemented at Power Five schools and a total of 15 new head coaches already signed up across the FBS.
But which new head coaches will have the most success in 2015? Let's find out.
David Beaty, Kansas Jayhawks
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For too long—at least for the Kansas athletic department—the Jayhawks have been the lowest of the low in the Big 12. Since 2010, the Jayhawks have managed just two wins in Big 12 play—a far cry from the days of winning the Orange Bowl over Virginia Tech in the 2007-08 season.
The Jayhawks are now on their third head coach since the controversial exit of Mark Mangino, with Turner Gill and Charlie Weis both not meeting even the most modest of expectations.
So with all the turmoil and overall state of putridness in Lawrence, why is Beaty on this list? Why, at a school compared to what in-state rival Kansas State was back in the pre-Bill Snyder era, will he find success?
Well for starters, success is relative. It won't mean competing for a Big 12 title in 2015.
However, under interim head coach Clint Bowen, whom Beaty retained as a member of his staff, the Jayhawks looked rejuvenated and played much more competitive ball—culminating with a win over Iowa State and a near-upset of CFP snub TCU.
Beaty also, according to Rustin Dodd of The Kansas City Star, has deep roots in the state of Texas—the heart of Big 12 recruiting country. He recently poached Kenny Perry from the TCU staff to be his co-defensive coordinator with Bowen.
Kansas is far from a program on the rise. But with Iowa State now donning the title as "Worst in the Big 12" and a coach committed to injecting the program with Texas-based recruits, the Jayhawks could very well surpass their four-year conference win total in Beaty's first year at the helm.
Mike Riley, Nebraska Cornhuskers
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With the clouds of the Bo Pelini storm of controversy finally seeming to pass over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the focus is now fully on new head coach Mike Riley, who comes from Oregon State.
The hire raised some eyebrows in Lincoln since Oregon State wasn't exactly a Pac-12 powerhouse, and Nebraska wants to compete for Big Ten titles.
But much of the Pelini controversy stems from the fact that the Cornhuskers weren't exactly floundering—he won at least nine games in all seven of his full seasons as head coach.
So all Riley has to do is tie up some loose ends, and Nebraska could become a dark-horse contender for the CFP.
Riley's already hit the recruiting trail hard, stealing 4-star recruit Jalin Barnett, a 300-pound offensive lineman, per Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star.
The biggest challenge for Riley will be replacing running back Ameer Abdullah. But with Riley's air raid-based offense, that obstacle could become obsolete.
If Nebraska can learn to air it out over the summer, it could become a legitimate threat in the Big Ten.
Mike Bobo, Colorado State Rams
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Colorado State was one of the best Group of Five schools this past year, winning 10 games in the second year of Jim McElwain's tutelage.
But as is the nature of schools like Colorado State—if your head coach does well, he'll find his way to greener pastures in the Power Five sooner rather than later. That was on full display when Florida snapped up McElwain to replace Will Muschamp.
The Rams took McElwain, a former offensive coordinator at Alabama, away from the SEC to inject some life.
As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's the motto the Rams followed, this time hiring Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
Bobo played a significant role in developing both Aaron Murray and Matthew Stafford at Georgia, and they were two of the finest college quarterbacks in the last decade.
With the Rams losing 4,000-yard passer Garrett Grayson, Bobo's ability to develop rising sophomore Nick Stevens will play a critical role in how well the Rams replicate their 2014 success.
But with Bobo's track record at Georgia, it's hard to argue that he won't fine-tune Stevens into one of the country's best—albeit with the low profile that accompanies most Group of Five stars—gunslingers.
Every team needs good quarterback play, and Bobo not only inherits a team that won double-digit games, but he also gets to fine-tune his craft on Stevens and should create a very successful program.
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Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines
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There's no denying it.
The last two years with Brady Hoke at Michigan were a mess.
That's why he was fired, though, and the Wolverines quickly pounced on the chance to hire Harbaugh, who left the San Francisco 49ers with a Super Bowl appearance but also with a sour taste.
Once the proudest program in the Big Ten is now in need of a major rebuild—and Harbaugh is the perfect man for the job.
In 2010—his last year at Stanford—Harbaugh went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl with a team that, in his first year in 2007, won just four games.
He also took the 49ers, who won just six games in 2010, and won 13 with them the very next season.
There's no denying that Harbaugh has a penchant for rebuilding teams quickly and effectively. And with all the tools at his disposal at a program like Michigan—particularly money and tradition—he should be able to revitalize the Wolverines.
The biggest hurdle for Harbaugh will be finding success in the Big Ten, the hottest conference in the nation after a successful bowl season that saw its champion, Ohio State, win the inaugural College Football Playoff.
Other programs like Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska are all tough tasks at the moment.
But make no mistake—Harbaugh is already one of the best football coaches in America, and he has the potential to become one of the best in Michigan history.
Paul Chryst, Wisconsin Badgers
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Who would've thought Gary Andersen would've bolted Wisconsin to take the Oregon State helm?
Well, he did, and Barry Alvarez was forced to undergo an unexpected coaching search. His answer, Pittsburgh's Paul Chryst, is a native of Madison who has both played and coached there before.
Chryst bleeds for the Wisconsin Badgers, which makes him the perfect fit for a program that's fresh off a Big Ten title appearance.
Chryst won 18 games at Pitt in three seasons and established himself as one of the country's best coaches.
The best part for Chryst? He just has to keep things going—he's not rebuilding anything.
Wisconsin was one of the Big Ten's scariest teams in 2014, winning 11 games, including the Outback Bowl over Auburn.
Chryst's biggest test will be replacing running back Melvin Gordon, but he already has an inherited answer to that question in rising junior Corey Clement, Gordon's understudy this past year who racked up nine touchdowns and 949 yards while averaging 6.5 yards per carry.
Chryst is a natural for this job, and Wisconsin is a program perhaps just a few steps away from the CFP. Chryst may very well be the guy to take those steps.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
