1st-Year College Football Coordinators Making Biggest Impacts

While head coaching changes deservedly get the most spotlight in an offseason, moves in the assistant ranks can be just as effective for programs looking to turn things around.

Take last year's TCU team for example. The Horned Frogs were abysmal on offense in their 4-8 season in 2013, and head coach Gary Patterson turned the offense over to co-offensive coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie. The duo's fast-paced, spread-it-out attack worked to perfection as TCU challenged for a playoff spot and finished with the fifth-best average in total yards.

This season, several coordinators have already made their presence felt at their new programs. Like TCU, another Big 12 contender has found its mojo through the air once again with its new offensive leader. In several other conferences, big-name coordinators are turning things around for some of the country's most troubled defenses from a year ago.

Here are seven first-year coordinators who have already made some of the biggest positive impacts at their new schools. Each coach has a special spotlight statistic that shows just how much his unit has improved only five weeks into the season.

Which new coordinator do you think has done the best job in 2015? Do you have any other nominees for this title? Sound off in the comments below.

Colorado DC Jim Leavitt

Spotlight Stat: Interceptions (3 in 2014 to 8 in 2015)

Former USF head coach Jim Leavitt is back in the college game this season, and he's already making a tremendous mark on a Colorado defense that was one of the worst in the country in 2014.

Even after Oregon's 41-24 victory in Boulder last Saturday, Colorado has still improved its defensive averages from last season by 80.6 yards and 17.6 points per game. The Buffs even recorded a shutout victory over Nicholls State—something the program hadn't done since a 2009 win over Wyoming.

But perhaps the biggest area Colorado has improved since Leavitt arrived as defensive coordinator has been in the turnover department. Colorado's new 3-4 defense under the 58-year-old has been more aggressive this season, and that's led to eight interceptions in five games—five more than it recorded in 12 games last year.

"We have more experience on the defensive side and we have the athletes to compete with these teams in the Pac-12," senior safety Jered Bell said, per Brian Howell of BuffZone.com (via ColoradoDaily.com). "We're getting a better feel for the defense, so we can make more plays."

Colorado's defense still has a ways to go before it becomes one of the tougher ones in the Pac-12, as evidenced by the Oregon game last weekend. But the Buffs forced yet another interception in that contest, and their opportunistic ways have them off to a fantastic start by their standards in 2015.

Florida OC Doug Nussmeier

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Spotlight Stat: QB Rating (117.83 in 2014 to 156.76 in 2015)

Florida was supposed to be in rebuilding mode under first-year head coach Jim McElwain and his staff. But the Gators showed they are already contenders in the SEC on Saturday night by routing Ole Miss, which beat defending conference champion Alabama on Sept. 19.

A lot of Florida's quick turnaround has to do with the play of its offense under first-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier. Under the last coaching regime, Florida struggled mightily with its inefficient passing game, but now it is ranked 20th nationally in team QB rating through five weeks.

"Florida now has six touchdown passes of more than 30 yards this season. The Gators had five such touchdown passes all of last season," Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated wrote. "... First-year Florida coach Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier continue to prove that a well-run offense was all the Gators needed."

According to Jesse Simonton of the Miami Herald, Nussmeier "kept Ole Miss' tenacious defensive line off balance with motions, play action and a lot of easy reads for [starting quarterback Will] Grier." Grier completed 82.8 percent of his passes against the Rebels, a far cry from the 52.2 percent clip the Gators averaged in 2014.

The arrival of Nussmeier as offensive coordinator, play-caller and quarterbacks coach has breathed a brand-new life into a Florida passing game that was downright dreadful under Will Muschamp. Combine that with an excellent defense, and these Gators are way ahead of schedule.

Missouri DC Barry Odom

Spotlight Stat: Total Yards Allowed Per Game (345.9 in 2014 to 263.6 in 2015)

Missouri's defense shouldn't be as good as it is right now.

That's not to say the Tigers, who ranked 23rd nationally in total defense last year, were supposed to be bad this season. But after a coordinator change, the departure of several star players and the off-field injury to its only returning starter on the defensive line (Harold Brantley), Missouri wasn't exactly in line to improve its defensive numbers.

However, the Tigers have done just that under first-year coordinator Barry Odom, who is back at his alma mater after a successful stint at Memphis. After allowing a season-high 21 points and 369 yards in a loss to Kentucky—which were not bad numbers at all—Missouri's defense slammed the door on South Carolina thanks in part to the energy Odom brings.

"It’s really hard to understand him, because he’s so pumped up when we’re playing well," defensive end Walter Brady said, per Blake Toppmeyer of the Columbia Daily Tribune. "It’s hard to understand him, because he’s got the gum in his mouth. It’s like, 'We feel you, Coach. We feel you.'"

By preventing a big drop-off following the loss of players such as Shane Ray, Markus Golden and Braylon Webb and improving an already-stingy defense, Odom has done a remarkable job in his first season back at Missouri. 

North Carolina DC Gene Chizik

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Spotlight Stat: Total Yards Allowed Per Game (497.8 in 2014 to 357.2 in 2015)

After two years away from coaching, former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik returned to a familiar position this season—defensive coordinator—with a North Carolina program that needed help.

The Tar Heels gave up the fourth most yards of any Power Five team last season. But Chizik, who was a standout assistant at both Auburn and Texas prior to his up-and-down head coaching tenure, has brought some much-needed stability to the UNC defense in its 4-1 start to 2015. 

The Tar Heels allowed a season-high 417 yards to Georgia Tech in last weekend's comeback victory, which was the first time UNC had given up more than 400 yards in a game this season. Last year's UNC defense allowed that much yardage in 10 of its 13 games a season ago.

"Though the North Carolina defense looked shaky at the start [against Georgia Tech], the Tar Heels played lights-out in the second half, allowing just 51 yards rushing," Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com wrote. "The improvement is noticeable under defensive coordinator Gene Chizik."

With an offense that's averaging 471 yards per game this season, North Carolina now has a defense under Chizik that will allow it to compete for the ACC Coastal title. The Tar Heels have already knocked off the division's preseason favorite, and there's still plenty of room to improve as the season continues.

Notre Dame OC Mike Sanford Jr.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Spotlight Stat: Yards per Play (6.11 in 2014 to 7.36 in 2015)

Like Odom at Missouri, Mike Sanford Jr. didn't need to bring a unit out of extreme depths when he became offensive coordinator at Notre Dame this offseason.

But what's been quite impressive for Sanford is how he has taken an offense affected by serious injuries to starters—such as quarterback Malik Zaire and running back Tarean Folston—and made it even more explosive.

"Kizer was ill-prepared to become Notre Dame’s starter this season after having most of his practice reps poached by the quarterback duel between Everett Golson and Malik Zaire prior to Golson’s transfer to Florida State," Scott Janssen of UHND.com wrote. "Despite the odds, Sanford had Kizer ready to play. ... Sanford even successfully prepared true freshman quarterback Brandon Wimbush."

Between Kizer and Zaire, the Fighting Irish have improved a full yard per pass attempt from last season while only throwing three interceptions through five games. As Keith Arnold of NBC Sports noted, "limiting the interceptions while being explosive in the pass game has been critical" and will continue to be critical the rest of the way for Notre Dame.

That explosiveness has also been evident in the ground game, where receiver-turned-running back C.J. Prosise has led the way for the nation's 13th-best rushing attack. Despite a mounting injury count, Notre Dame has made tremendous strides in its big-play ability under Sanford.

Oklahoma OC Lincoln Riley

Jackson Laizure/Getty Images

Spotlight Stat: Passing Yards Per Game (203.5 in 2014 to 358.3 in 2015)

After a disappointing 8-5 campaign in 2014, Oklahoma went in a different direction on offense this offseason, hiring former East Carolina coordinator Lincoln Riley to install a new scheme in Norman.

And with new starting quarterback Baker Mayfield feeding the ball to the Sooners' talented cast of wide receivers, OU's passing attack is now No. 10 in the country after barely cracking 200 yards per game in 2014.

Riley's system is called the Air Raid, but it's not the prototypical pass-heavy system one would see at Washington State or Texas Tech. The Sooners have made their big leap in yardage during their 4-0 start while averaging just 36 pass attempts per game. 

"The days of throwing it 70 times a game are starting to phase out," Riley told Albert Chen of Sports Illustrated's Campus Rush. "Defenses have caught up, and it's hard to have a good enough offensive line to protect that much, as defensive linemen are getting more athletic and defenses go small to catch up to the speed of the game."

While Riley told reporters after OU's 44-24 win over West Virginia last weekend that the offense is still "so far away" from where he wants it to be, the quick-strike passing attack has turned the Sooners into a major contender in the Big 12. If he can bring some of that same explosiveness to what has been a quieter rushing attack, watch out.

Texas A&M DC John Chavis

Courtesy: 247Sports

Spotlight Stat: Scoring Defense vs. Power Five (36.7 in 2014 to 18.3 in 2015)

The biggest defense coordinator changes in college football this offseason came in the SEC, where former Florida head coach Will Muschamp went to Auburn and LSU assistant John Chavis bolted for Texas A&M.

While Muschamp's influence hasn't been as evident at Auburn yet this season, Chavis' definitely has in College Station. "The Chief" has been able to bring out better play from former blue-chip stars such as all-world pass-rusher Myles Garrett, and the results have been evident on the scoreboard.

"Despite giving up chunks of yards at times, Texas A&M has only allowed 17, 21, and 17 points against the three Power Five opponents they have faced this year," SB Nation's Good Bull Hunting blog noted Saturday. "That's just 18.3 points per game allowed. By comparison, in 2014, every single Power Five team A&M played scored at least 23 points, and eight of the nine scored 28 or more."

In fact, the two teams who have put up more than 21 points on the Aggies this season have both been "Group of Five" opponents—Ball State and Nevada. 

Chavis still has work to do in improving his defense against big plays, but these Aggies are fast, physical and capable of holding high-powered offenses like the ones at Arizona State and Mississippi State to just a couple of touchdowns. That's a night-and-day difference from what A&M has previously shown on defense under head coach Kevin Sumlin.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. 

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.