Grading Every New Power 5 Conference Coach's First Recruiting Class
It's never convenient, but the coaching carousel clashes with a crucial stretch of the recruiting cycle on an annual basis. Head coaches are always on the move—willingly or not—throughout December, just in time for the final stretch toward national signing day.
New hires are charged with the task of assembling a staff, maintaining prospect commitments already in place and searching for talent elsewhere.
There were seven instances of these changes at Power Five conference programs in 2014, and we dished out grades for each coach based on what he accomplished in the recruiting spectrum with the time he was allotted.
Florida: Jim McElwain
1 of 7
Former Job: Head Coach, Colorado State
Date Hired: Dec. 4, 2014
What He Inherited
Jim McElwain encountered a pretty bare cupboard when he arrived in Gainesville. The last season of Will Muschamp's tenure was tumultuous, and top recruits largely avoided the program in anticipation of his eventual dismissal.
The class also suffered several decommitments by the time McElwain accepted the position and featured just nine pledges in early December. At the time, it rated 61st nationally in 247Sports' composite rankings, looking up at Louisiana Tech and San Jose State.
"We'll see what he's bringing to the table," 5-star defensive end CeCe Jefferson told me shortly after his hiring.
Who He Brought In
McElwain led Florida to a rally during late stages of the cycle, punctuated by four commitments on national signing day. He secured signatures from Jefferson and fellow 5-star Martez Ivey, the nation's top-rated offensive tackle.
The haul ultimately rated 21st nationally, a finish that's best on this list. It included commitment flips 4-star running backs Jordan Scarlett (Miami) and D'Anfernee McGriff (Auburn).
Grade: A-
Florida failed to land a quarterback after losing eventual Tennessee signee Sheriron Jones days after McElwain came to town. The team hosted Louisville pledge Lamar Jackson and Florida State commit Deondre Francois but failed to seal the deal.
Despite missing on a top passer, McElwain helped the Gators avoid a nightmare signing-day scenario. Ivey and Jefferson serve as catalysts for a class that will be counted on to contribute immediately to a rebound effort at Florida.
Kansas: David Beaty
2 of 7
Former Job: Wide Receivers Coach, Texas A&M
Date Hired: Dec. 5, 2014
What He Inherited
Kansas struggled mightily under Turner Gill and Charlie Weiss during the past five seasons, managing just three conference victories between 2010 and 2014. Naturally, recruiting suffered as a result.
David Beaty took over a class that needed serious work and ultimately signed just six holdover pledges from the past coaching regime.
Who He Brought In
Beaty leaned heavily on his established ties in the Lone Star State, signing 17 Texas prospects. They make up more than 70 percent of a class that finished outside the top 50 in recruiting rankings for a second straight year.
He ultimately landed 18 new commitments during his first two months in Lawrence, securing the highest percentage of fresh players (72 percent) on this list. The group is headlined by late junior college running back addition Ke'aun Kinner and former Houston wide receiver pledge Chase Harrell.
Grade: B-
This is a difficult situation to evaluate because Beaty has the least amount of name recognition of any head coach on this list, and he stepped into a messy situation at Kansas. This Jayhawks class doesn't include a single 4-star prospect and finished 74th overall, but his effectiveness in Texas provides possibilities for the future.
Michigan: Jim Harbaugh
3 of 7
Former Job: Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers
Date Hired: Dec. 29, 2014
What He Inherited
Michigan boasted a top-tier recruiting class during early stages of the 2015 recruiting cycle but suffered major blows throughout the final year of Brady Hoke's reign. Key decommitments included 5-star wide receiver George Campbell (Florida State), 5-star running back Damien Harris (Alabama), 4-star defensive end Darian Roseboro (NC State) and 4-star cornerback Shaun Crawford (Notre Dame).
Chris Clark, the nation's No. 2 tight end prospect, backed off his verbal pledge shortly after Hoke was fired. Jim Harbaugh was handed a class that featured just six committed players, though four are considered 4-star prospects (quarterback Alex Malzone, offensive tackle Grant Newsome, safety Tyree Kinnel and athlete Brian Cole).
Who He Brought In
Harbaugh created plenty of buzz in the football world with his return to college football, and several recruits wanted to be a part of it. He led the 49ers to three conference championships and a Super Bowl during their high school careers, so the excitement was certainly validated.
He flipped a trio of offensive playmakers from previous commitments in quarterback Zach Gentry (former Texas pledge), wide receiver Grant Perry (Northwestern) and running back Karan Higdon (Iowa). Harbaugh also added a key legacy signee with tight end Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and landed a pair of 3-star Florida pass-rushers (Reuben Jones and Shelton Johnson).
His efforts ultimately resulted in eight new commitments for a class that finished 38th overall.
Grade: C+
Harbaugh, hired later than anyone on this list, certainly faced a time crunch. He also dealt with the disadvantage of coming from the NFL, where he was more concerned with steering San Francisco back to the postseason than scouting high school seniors.
The Gentry pickup was huge and gives him at least one quarterback on the roster he hand-picked. However, a lot was left on the table late.
A lackluster signing day featured high-profile recruiting losses to UCLA (Clark and, likely, unsigned 4-star linebacker Roquan Smith), Ole Miss (4-star wide receiver Van Jefferson), USC (5-star cornerback Iman Marshall) and, most stinging, Ohio State (4-star running back Mike Weber).
Harbaugh predominately gets a pass for this class given time constraints, but elevated expectations are in place leading up to next signing day.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Nebraska: Mike Riley
4 of 7
Former Job: Head Coach, Oregon State
Date Hired: Dec. 4, 2014
What He Inherited
Nebraska was in solid shape when Mike Riley arrived, highlighted by commitments from 4-star defensive backs Avery Anderson and Eric Lee. A trio of defensive linemen (bothers Khalil and Carlos Davis, along with massive end Daishon Neal) also awaited him.
Riley managed to keep each of them on board and ultimately signed nine players who pledged to the previous coaching staff.
Who He Brought In
Riley showed range in securing 11 new commitments from states that include California, Georgia, Texas and Florida. West Coast tight end Matt Snyder signed with the Cornhuskers over Big 10 foe Michigan, while Lone Star State running back Devine Ozigbo immediately supplies power to the Nebraska backfield.
His biggest recruiting victory occurred in Oklahoma, as Riley reeled in a mid-January commitment from 4-star offensive guard Jalin Barnett.
Grade: A
It didn't require many splashy moves, but Nebraska made it to signing day in good shape despite a somewhat controversial coaching change. The Cornhuskers kept several core members of this class in place under Riley's watch and finished with a class rated 31st overall.
His ability to bring in Barnett is big for the team's trenches, while California wide receiver Lavan Alston required late strides after a December offer. It was an all-around effort that should provide Riley and his staff with pride, along with the starting point for a new era at Nebraska.
Oregon State: Gary Andersen
5 of 7
Former Job: Head Coach, Wisconsin
Date Hired: Dec. 10, 2014
What He Inherited
Gary Andersen stunned many when he bailed on the Badgers and headed west, replacing new Nebraska coach Mike Riley. He also put himself in a difficult recruiting situation by shifting regions.
"When you're late in the process, it goes right down to the wire," Andersen told Portland's NBC affiliate.
He kept grips on six commits who preceded his arrival, highlighted by Texas defensive back Omar Hicks-Onu.
Who He Brought In
Wide receivers coach Brent Brennan was retained from Riley's staff and helped flip multi-dimensional back Paul Lucas from Arizona State late. He joins fellow last-minute addition Deltron Sands, a Florida running back, and former San Jose State quarterback commit Seth Collins in the Beavers attack.
Linebacker Christian Folau chose Oregon State over in-state Utah after a late visit to Corvallis. Andersen cashed in on his roots as a former Utah State head coach, also adding running back Zachary Lopini Katoa.
Grade: B
Andersen worked his Utah connections to strengthen this class down the stretch. Lucas and Sands are potential instant-impact contributors on offense.
The class has its shortcomings but was salvaged by last-second additions.
Pittsburgh: Pat Narduzzi
6 of 7
Former Job: Defensive Coordinator, Michigan State
Date Hired: Dec. 23, 2014
What He Inherited
Pat Narduzzi is the latest face of a program that has featured three head coaches since Dave Wannstedt's departure. Despite the revolving door at Pittsburgh, a solid set of commitments was already in place when he arrived.
Running back Darrin Hall, a 4-star prospect, pledged to Pitt last summer. In-state cornerback Jordan Whitehead, considered a top-15 player at the position, was also on board.
Narduzzi netted eight signatures from prospects who didn't pledge to his staff, including early enrollee Malik Henderson (Florida defensive back).
Who He Brought In
After spending several years in Big Ten territory, it was no surprise to see Narduzzi focus efforts in that direction. He landed Ohio defender Anthony McKee over his old pals in East Lansing and went into Rutgers' backyard for New Jersey linebacker Saleem Brightwell, whom he had previously targeted at Michigan State.
Narduzzi managed to identify an in-state replacement at quarterback in Ben DiNucci after Alex Hornibrook flipped to Wisconsin.
Grade: C
This grade would be bumped up if Narduzzi hadn't suffered a few late casualties. He lost in-state pledges Kevin Givens (defensive end) and Nick Bowers (tight end) to Penn State during the final stretch of the cycle.
Defensive end Shawn Curtis, a Miami recruit who committed to the Panthers in January, flipped to Ole Miss on signing day. Pitt ultimately settled for a class rated 62nd nationally and 13th in the ACC.
Only Harbaugh had less time to focus on his class than Narduzzi, who must find a way to win more head-to-head battles with Penn State moving forward.
Wisconsin: Paul Chryst
7 of 7
Former Job: Head Coach, Pittsburgh
Date Hired: Dec. 17, 2014
What He Inherited
Paul Chryst kept the highest percentage of established commitments (15 out of his 20 signees) among members of this list. In fact, only Narduzzi (43 percent) ended up with fewer hand-picked pledges than Chryst (25 percent).
Top inherited talent includes 4-star prospects Jordan Stevenson (Texas running back) and Kevin Estes (California offensive tackle). Underrated Utah quarterback Austin Kafentzis also stuck with Chryst, along with fellow early enrollees Jon Dietzen (offensive tackle) and Kyle Penniston (tight end).
Who He Brought In
Defensive tackle Kraig Howe and quarterback Alex Hornibrook, a pair previously committed to Pitt, followed him to Madison. Hornibrook gives him a passer he's comfortable with to compete with Kafentzis, a Gary Andersen holdover, down the line.
He went beyond Big Ten borders for key commitments late in the process. Chryst landed powerful Alabama running back Bradrick Shaw in January and 4-star Georgia safety Arrington Farrar, a former Stanford commit, on signing day.
Grade: A
Chryst kept things together after Andersen's abrupt departure, which made things a lot easier on him than most new coaches. With a solid foundation in place, he merely needed to complement the group that was already established.
He capitalized on high-value targets in the Southeast and pried away a pair of his favorites from Pitt. Chryst helped Wisconsin finish fifth among Big Ten recruiting classes and should build off that performance during the next cycle.
Recruit ratings and class rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
