Grading New College Football Assistant Hires on Offense

The college football coaching carousel has slowed down quite a bit with the annual coaches convention wrapped up and national signing day quickly approaching.

With most schools' coaching staffs set for the most part, it’s time to head through each conference and see who graded out well and who may have taken a bit of a chance on a replacement. 

This is by no means a complete list, but it hits on most major offensive coordinator changes and a few other key moves for each staff. There likely will be another round of moves among assistant coaches once signing day has wrapped up and the NFL season is in the books, but, for now, here's a good snapshot as to which school nailed its hires this offseason and who left us scratching our heads.

ACC

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Boston College
Who moved: Scot Loeffler (from Virginia Tech)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: F
The skinny: The Eagles had one of the worst offenses in all of FBS and brought in…Loeffler to fix it? He’s only had one team finish in the top 50 of offensive S&P+ and was a key assistant that has been a part of the offensive decline or flat ending of the coaching tenures of Lloyd Carr, Frank Beamer, Urban Meyer (at Florida), Gene Chizik and Rod Marinelli. Yikes.

Duke
Who moved: Zac Roper (promotion)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: B+
The skinny: David Cutcliffe is an offensive savant, so it’s notable that he stayed in-house to replace Scottie Montgomery as the Blue Devils OC. Roper, the younger brother of South Carolina OC Kurt Roper, figures to bring a few new ideas to the mix with the already successful system in Durham.

Miami
Who moved: Thomas Brown (Georgia), Ron Dugans (USF), Stacy Searels (Virginia Tech)
New positions: Brown is the offensive coordinator, Dugans handles receivers, and Searles will coach the offensive line.
Grade: A
The skinny: Mark Richt has put together a quality staff during his return to his alma mater. He figures to take a hands-on approach to the offense at this point, so Brown’s title may not be truly reflective of just how much the offense flows through the former Georgia assistant. Make no mistake though, Brown is a veteran who earned this opportunity and should juice the Hurricanes’ ground game early after tutoring Sony Michel, Nick Chubb, Melvin Gordon and others. Dugans should help tremendously on the recruiting front as well, and Richt was smart to reunite with Searels.

N.C. State
Who moved: Eliah Drinkwitz (Boise State)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: B+
The skinny: The track record of former Broncos assistants who take major gigs elsewhere has been somewhat mixed, but Dave Doeren may have gotten a young up-and-comer in Drinkwitz. He’ll certainly incorporate a strong running game and do plenty to bring more of a downfield element to the passing game.

Pitt
Who moved: Matt Canada (N.C. State)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: B
The skinny: Pat Narduzzi is as good as they get when it comes to preparing a defense, so him entrusting the offense to a young coach is a move that he has to nail in order to make a big jump with the Panthers. Canada was a rising star in the coaching profession but seemed to get derailed toward the end of his tenure in Raleigh. A change of scenery and working for Narduzzi could be a great move.

Syracuse
Who moved: Sean Lewis, Mike Lynch (Bowling Green)
New positions: Co-offensive coordinators
Grade: B
The skinny: Dino Babers is firmly in charge of the offense, but it's no surprise that he brought his co-coordinators with him to his new home at Syracuse. Being on the same page with his staff while trying to implement the Art Briles spread at the Carrier Dome is a smart move in a new Power Five job.

Virginia
Who moved: Robert Anae (BYU)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: B
The skinny: It was a bit surprising to hear Anae was quickly following Bronco Mendenhall east in lieu of remaining in Provo or even putting on a full-court press for the BYU job itself. As an OC, he did become predictable at times, but he still managed to field top-25 passing offenses the past two seasons and has proven adept at not only getting the starting quarterback ready to play but the backups as well.

Virginia Tech
Who moved: Brad Cornelsen (Memphis)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: B+
The skinny: It was no surprise to see Cornelsen follow Justin Fuente to Blacksburg after being a big part of the Memphis offense the past few years and helping develop Paxton Lynch into a potential first-rounder.

Big 12

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Iowa State
Who moved: Jim Hofher (from Nevada), Tom Manning/Bryan Gasser (Toledo), Alex Golesh (Illinois)
New positions: Hofher will serve as passing game coordinator, Manning earns the offensive coordinator label, Gasser will handle receivers, and Golesh moves over to coach tight ends.
Grade: B
The skinny: No surprise that Matt Campbell brought two assistants from Toledo with him and another old Rockets coach in Golesh. Having a veteran like Hofher on staff is a smart move given that he will be a nice sounding board as a former head coach.

Texas
Who moved: Sterlin Gilbert, Matt Mattox (Tulsa)
New position: Gilbert will be offensive coordinator, and Mattox will handle the offensive line.
Grade: A-
The skinny: Charlie Strong is embracing the spread offense, and while he didn’t grab a huge name to be his new OC, he may have more importantly found the right one. The hire of Gilbert and Mattox should pay dividends quickly, but it remains to be seen how much time they’ll have to turn things around in Austin.

West Virginia
Who moved: Joe Wickline (Texas)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: A
The skinny: Dana Holgorsen reuniting with Wickline could be a move that will pay off big time given that the latter is one of the most respected offensive line coaches in the country. It’s still going to be Holgorsen’s version of the Air Raid offense in Morgantown, but Wickline should help in developing the Mountaineers’ pass-protection schemes.

Big Ten

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Maryland
Who moved: Walt Bell (from Arkansas State), Pete Lembo (Ball State)
New positions: Offensive coordinator and assistant head coach/special teams coordinator
Grade: A-
The skinny: D.J. Durkin may be a first-time head coach, but he did a terrific job in hiring his staff in College Park. By plucking Bell to be the OC, the Terps will get an up-and-coming offensive mind who can bring both pace and creativity to the team’s attack. Lembo will be a nice veteran presence on staff who can provide input all over the field as a former head coach.

Minnesota
Who moved: Jay Johnson (UL-Lafayette), Bart Miller (FAU)
New positions: Johnson takes over as offensive coordinator, while Miller will handle the line.
Grade: B+
The skinny: Johnson will no doubt help the Gophers flush out more of a passing game to go with their typical ground-and-pound approach. Miller knows how to operate in the Big Ten after a very successful stop at Wisconsin and could be a good choice for head coach Tracy Claeys given how strong the team already is in the trenches.

Ohio State
Who moved: Greg Studrawa (Maryland)
New position: Offensive line coach
Grade: A
The skinny: Urban Meyer turned to a familiar face when shuffling his staff in Studrawa, who had previously worked with the Buckeyes head coach at Bowling Green. “Stud,” as he is known to most, is a top-notch line coach who has been an offensive coordinator in the past. He’ll recruit plenty hard, develop some talented players into stars and be a nice complement on the sidelines to current OC Ed Warinner.

Penn State
Who moved: Joe Moorhead (Fordham), Matt Limegrover (Minnesota)
New positions: Moorhead will be offensive coordinator, and Limegrover will handle the line.
Grade: B-
The skinny: James Franklin went way off the radar in plucking Moorhead to run the Nittany Lions offense considering he was the very successful head coach at Fordham. He’ll bring an offense that is plenty different from the past few years in State College, and Limegrover, a former OC himself, should be able to contribute some to that as well. It’s a chance but one worth taking for Franklin after the past few seasons.

Purdue
Who moved: Terry Malone (promotion)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: C
The skinny: It was an interesting decision, given that head coach Darrell Hazell will likely enter 2016 on the hot seat, to go in-house to solve the Boilermakers offensive problems after John Shoop was fired. Malone has plenty of experience as a coordinator, leading some of Lloyd Carr’s offenses at Michigan back in the day, but might not be the best choice to jazz up the Purdue offense to a level that’s competitive in the Big Ten.

Rutgers
Who moved: Drew Mehringer (Houston)
New position: Offensive coordinator/QBs coach
Grade: B
The skinny: Mehringer has been mentored by Houston’s Tom Herman, so he comes with all the right credentials and should bring both power and spread elements to the Rutgers offense. Still, with his limited coordinator experience, this is a lot of trust that defensive-minded head coach Chris Ash is placing in the 28-year-old.

Pac-12

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Arizona State
Who moved: Chip Lindsey (from Southern Miss)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: A
The skinny: Lindsey has big shoes to fill after the departure of Mike Norvell but heads to Tempe with the reputation of a spread-offense guru who can immediately pay dividends. He helped turn around Southern Miss and could get the Sun Devils back on the right track in 2016 as well. It also doesn’t hurt to come highly recommended by Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn either.

Colorado
Who moved: Darrin Chiaverini (Texas Tech)
New position: Co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach
Grade: B
The skinny: The former Buffs standout returns home to help the offense get back on track and provide a bit of momentum when it comes to recruiting. Brian Lindgren still appears to have the reigns on the offense, but the addition of Chiaverini should help CU return to the productive level it was at two seasons ago while also adding a staffer who is capable of filling the shoes of Troy Walters in developing the receivers.

Oregon
Who moved: Matt Lubick (promotion), Dave Yost (Washington State)
New positions: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Grade: A
The skinny: Lubick is an extremely sharp young coach who has a chance to become a head coach down the road, so it will be interesting to see him grow as a play-caller. In addition to head coach Mark Helfrich helping run the offense, the move to bring in Yost could be a big one as quarterback development has been lacking somewhat in Eugene after Marcus Mariota left. Yost has been a coordinator in the past, so he can assist Lubick capably while also having the chops to turn under-the-radar prospects into stars under center.

UCLA
Who moved: Kennedy Polamalu (promotion), Marques Tuiasosopo (USC)
New position: Offensive coordinator and QB coach
Grade: B-
The skinny: Jim Mora didn’t have to look far to replace Noel Mazzone. Polamalu is an old hand around Los Angeles and knows how to coordinate an offense. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the table and should help the Bruins expand beyond the short-range passing game. Tuiasosopo returns to Westwood after coaching across town (where Polamalu once did as well) and is being given the keys to a Ferrari with rising sophomore Josh Rosen firmly entrenched as the starter. Both are terrific recruiters too.

USC
Who moved: Tyson Helton/Neil Callaway (Western Kentucky), Tommie Robinson (Texas), Tee Martin (promotion)
New positions: Helton will handle quarterbacks, Callaway the offensive line, Robinson the running backs, and Martin will serve as the offensive coordinator and coach wideouts.
Grade: B
The skinny: Clay Helton’s first staff has plenty of prior connections considering he hired his brother Tyson (a big up-and-comer) and a former Trojans assistant in Robinson. Promoting Martin to OC was a given considering how valuable the former Tennessee quarterback is as a recruiter.

Washington State
Who moved: Dave Nichol (East Carolina), JaMarcus Shepard (Western Kentucky)
New positions: Nichol will be in charge of the outside receivers, and Shepard will handle the inside receivers.
Grade: B-
The skinny: Mike Leach is plenty familiar with Nichol considering he graduated from Texas Tech and was on one of Leach’s early staffs in Lubbock. He’s a quality recruiter, too, who should also help continue to churn out quality receivers on the Palouse. Shepard’s coaching resume is fairly short, but he did a great job this past season at WKU.

SEC

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Auburn
Who moved: Herb Hand (Penn State)
New positions: Offensive line coach
Grade: B+
The skinny: Hand is one of the more liable assistants in the country, and his return to the South should provide a nice boost for the Tigers on the recruiting trail. If there’s anything holding this hire back, it’s that the Nittany Lions offensive line was extremely porous during Hand’s tenure. While a lot of that is due to the lack of talent in State College, the buck does have to stop at the position coach too.

Georgia
Who moved: Sam Pittman (Arkansas), Jim Chaney (Pitt), James Coley (Miami), Shane Beamer (Virginia Tech), Dell McGee (Georgia Southern)
New positions: Chaney is in charge of the offense and quarterbacks, while Pittman handles the line, Coley the receivers, McGee the running backs and Beamer the tight ends.
Grade: A+
The skinny: As a defensive-minded head coach, Kirby Smart had to nail down his first offensive staff, and it appears he has done so in a big way. Chaney is an SEC veteran who should work well with Pittman and McGee in establishing a strong ground game. Coley is a former coordinator, too, and Beamer is equal parts good coach and great recruiter. Strong group.

Kentucky
Who moved: Eddie Gran, Darin Hinshaw (Cincinnati)
New positions: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Grade: A
The skinny: Gran is reunited with Mark Stoops (they coached together at Florida State), and it shouldn’t take long for the veteran coach to not only add some consistency to the Wildcats offense but some added creativity too. He did a great job at Cincinnati and knows the landscape of the SEC well enough to adapt his approach. Adding Hinshaw is big, too, given how well he develops the entire quarterback room.

Missouri
Who moved: Josh Heupel (Utah State)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: B
The skinny: Heupel has his work cut out for him given just how bad the Tigers were on offense last season. He did plenty of good things during his time at Oklahoma as a player and a coach and likely learned a lot working for Matt Wells this past year. It might not be a hire that gets the fanbase jumping for joy, but Heupel will be able to hold his own leading Mizzou’s offense.

South Carolina
Who moved: Bryan McClendon (Georgia), Kurt Roper (Cleveland Browns)
New positions: Co-offensive coordinators
Grade: B+
The skinny: While some may doubt how well Will Muschamp is going to work out at South Carolina, there’s little doubt that he’s making the right moves on offense to start his tenure—a sharp contrast to what he did at Florida. Roper is a respected offensive mind who is much better than his resume suggests after the past two seasons, while McClendon will also contribute quite a bit as a recruiter who knows that part of the country well.

Texas A&M
Who moved: Noel Mazzone (UCLA)
New position: Offensive coordinator
Grade: C+
The skinny: Kevin Sumlin needed to do something about an offense that had slowly regressed since the departure of Kliff Kingsbury, and he wound up turning to an OC who has called plays just about everywhere and found success. While Mazzone may be a relatively big name, it seems like a stretch to think he can magically vault the Aggies to the top of the SEC West.

Best of the Rest

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• Ty Detmer (High school to BYU)
• Eric Kiesau (Alabama staffer to Fresno State)
• Troy Walters (Colorado to UCF)
• Zac Taylor (Miami Dolphins) and J.B. Grimes (Auburn) to Cincinnati
• Travis Trickett (Samford to FAU)
• Zak Hill (Eastern Washington to Hawaii)
• Darrell Wyatt (Oklahoma State staffer to Houston)
• Graham Harrell (Washington State to North Texas)