College Football 2011: Grading the Coaches for Every Top 50 Team
Now that we have reached the summer, coaches know that the 2011 season is right around the corner. Summer practices will begin soon and before you know it, we will be kicking off the season shortly.
Over the summer, coaches will be monitoring their program, evaluating their depth chart and studying hours and hours of film on future opponents.
Here is a grade for each head coach at the helm of a top 50 team entering the 2011 season.
Auburn: Gene Chizik
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Many Auburn fans were skeptical of hiring a guy that went 5-19 in two years at Iowa State, but the hiring of Gene Chizik has already paid off.
In his first year as coach, Chizik was 8-5 and helped the Tigers win their bowl game. Last year was a career year as he led Auburn to a 14-0 record and national championship.
Grade: A
Nevada: Chris Ault
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Chris Ault has done as well as you could hope for at Nevada. Coming into 2011, Ault is coming off a great year as the Wolfpack went 13-1.
What made 2010 even better for the program was a win over an undefeated Boise State.
If Ault is able to build on this success, Nevada could be a program that begins to rise up the ranks.
Grade: B+
Texas Tech: Tommy Tuberville
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Tommy Tuberville took over at Texas Tech last year and some success but also some failures. Despite putting together an eight-win season, Tuberville had losses to Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
In year two, Tuberville will look to build on the 2010 season, but needs to win some of the bigger game the Red Raiders are involved in.
Grade: B-
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Cal: Jeff Tedford
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After taking over in 2002, Jeff Tedford has had a solid career as the head coach of Cal. Coming into the 2010 season, Tedford had never had a losing season, but last year ended with a disappointing 5-7 record.
Despite last year's record, Tedford is good on the recruiting trail and a 72-42 record is not something to shy away from.
Grade: B
Arizona: Mike Stoops
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One of the most entertaining coaches to watch on the sideline is Mike Stoops. Stoops has been at Arizona since 2004, but seems to have hit a wall in terms of success.
Since 2008, the Wildcats' best mark has been 8-5, despite having solid talent on both sides of the ball. After a 7-6 season in 2010, the pressure will be on for Stoops to get things turning around.
Grade: C+
UCLA: Rick Neuheisel
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Rick Neuheisel came to UCLA with plans of restoring the Bruins to the top of the rankings. The reality is that in three years, the best season Neuheisel has had is 7-6.
Coming into 2011, Neuheisel is going to be on the hot seat, and if UCLA is unable to get back into a bowl game, he could be looking for a new job.
Grade: D
SMU: June Jones
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While on the surface a 16-23 record is not something to be happy about, but for June Jones and SMU, this could be a turning point for the program.
In 2008, SMU went 1-11. The next two season, Jones and SMU became bowl eligible and had a combined record of 15-12.
Grade: B+
San Diego State: Rocky Long
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Rocky Long is taking over for Brady Hoke in 2011. In 2010, San Diego State went 9-4 and won their bowl game.
Long inherits a team that has some solid returning talent, but filling Hoke's shoes could prove to be difficult.
Grade: Incomplete
Cincinnati: Butch Jones
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After three seasons with Central Michigan, Butch Jones left and took over at Cincinnati. Things did not go as well as fans had hoped, as Jones went 4-8 in 2010.
After a decent recruiting class, this is the year that Jones needs to show that the program is moving in the right direction.
Grade: C-
Iowa: Kirk Ferentz
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Kirk Ferentz took over at Iowa in 1999. Since that season, Ferentz has gone 89-60 with the Hawkeyes and has won six bowl games, including three straight.
In 2011, Ferentz will be breaking in a new quarterback, but hopes to have the defensive talent to carry the team through the Big 10 schedule.
Grade: B+
Michigan: Brady Hoke
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Brady Hoke has been the head coach at Ball State and San Diego State and found a way to turn both programs around.
Michigan fans are now hoping that with Hoke at the helm he can undo what Rich Rodriguez did.
Grade: Incomplete
NC State: Tom O'Brien
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After three straight sub-par seasons, Tom O'Brien and NC State had a breakthrough season in 2010, going 9-4 and winning their bowl game.
The bad news for O'Brien is it appears he is going to lose quarterback Russell Wilson, which would be a big blow to the offense.
Grade: B-
Illinois: Ron Zook
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Ron Zook's time at Illinois may be coming to an end. Zook has been the head coach since 2005 and Illinois has only had two winning seasons.
After a 7-6 season in 2010, Zook must show that this program is moving forward rather than taking one step forward and then two steps backwards.
Grade: C-
Missouri: Gary Pinkel
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Since 2001, Gary Pinkel has been the head coach of Missouri and has elevated the program over the past four years. From 2007, Pinkel has coached the Tigers to three 10-win seasons and has won their division title in those three years.
Grade: B+
Clemson: Dabo Swinney
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In 2008, Dabo Swinney took over midway through the season for Clemson. He had a great season in 2009, going 9-5, but last year saw him take a step back with a 6-7 record.
Swinney has a 19-15 record as the head man and has guided Clemson to three straight bowl games.
Grade: B-
Mississippi State: Dan Mullen
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With two years under his belt at Mississippi State, Dan Mullen showed instant improvement. In 2009, Mullen went 5-7, but followed that up with a 9-4 record in 2010, including a bowl victory.
Not only has Mullen turned things around on the field, he has also helped the Bulldogs turn things around on the recruiting trail.
Grade: B+
Ohio: Frank Solich
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Down in Ohio, Frank Solich has been the head coach since 2005. During his tenure as head coach, he has gone 40-36 and has led the Bobcats to three bowl games.
In the past two seasons, Ohio has won 17 total games and has helped them compete for division titles the past two years.
Grade: B-
West Virginia: Dana Holgorsen
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Dana Holgorsen is now taking over at West Virginia for the 2011 season. After being hired to take over the offense, he was unable to see eye to eye with then head coach Bill Stewart.
While the original plan was for Holgorsen to take over in 2012, the time is now and fans will be looking for him to make an immediate impact.
Grade: Incomplete
Southern Miss: Larry Fedora
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Three years with Southern Miss has seen steady success for Larry Fedora. During his time there, Fedora has gone 7-6, 7-6 and 8-5 and has gone to three straight bowl games.
In 2011, Fedora looks to make the next step and get the program to a 10-win season.
Grade: B
Ohio State: Luke Fickell
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In 2011, the spotlight will be on the Ohio State football program and their head man Luke Fickell. Fickell will be in his first year as head coach for the Buckeyes and is going to have to follow the success that Jim Tressel had.
While Fickell may have a rough 2011, he must show that he can handle the pressure and spotlight to gain the trust of Ohio State fans.
Grade: Incomplete
LSU: Les Miles
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Les Miles is such a hard coach to put your finger on. The question with him is does LSU win despite of him or because of him.
During his time with LSU, Miles has made some questionable calls that have had Tiger fans pulling their hair only to see it work out.
A 62-17 record is great in the SEC and Miles has been able to add a national title as well. Is he crazy? Yea, crazy good.
Grade: A
Florida: WIll Muschamp
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When the Florida Gators hit the field in 2011, they will be led by Will Muschamp. Muschamp will be taking over for beloved coach Urban Meyer, who is now spending time with ESPN.
The main focus for Muschamp has to be developing the quarterback position which took a step back from when Tim Tebow left in 2009.
Grade: Incomplete
Miami: Al Golden
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Another coach new to the start of Florida is Al Golden. Like Muschamp at Florida, Golden also has some work to do at the quarterback position.
Before coming to Miami, Golden was the head coach at Temple and over four seasons he put together a 27-34 record and led them to one bowl game.
Grade: Incomplete
Oregon State: Mike Riley
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As the head coach of Oregon State, Mike Riley must deal with the in-state competition with Oregon. Riley has been the head coach of the Beavers for 10 seasons and has made his mark with not shying away from any team.
While Riley has been aggressive with his scheduling, it has routinely backfired on him and prevented the Beavers from getting off to good starts.
Grade: B
Air Force: Troy Calhoun
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During his four years with Air Force Troy Calhoun has given the program stability and victories. Calhoun is 34-18 at Air Force and has led them to four straight bowl games.
While he has had steady success with the Falcons, the only criticism could be that he has remained stagnant at the eight- and nine-win level.
Grade: B+
BYU: Bronco Mendenhall
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Bronco Mendenhall has been a good hire for BYU since coming in as head coach in 2005. In his six seasons as coach, Mendenhall has led the Cougars to four 10-win seasons and has gotten them into a bowl game every year.
After posting an 11-2 record in 2009, BYU dipped in 2010 to 7-6. Both Mendenhall and the Cougars hope to rebound in 2011.
Grade: B+
Boise State: Chris Petersen
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Without Chris Petersen, Boise State would likely not be the program it is today. Petersen has not only done a great job recruiting for the school but has also translated that into on-the-field wins.
Despite playing weaker schedule, Petersen has won two BCS bowl games and has had his program knocking on the door to get into the national championship.
Grade: A-
Michigan State: Mark Dantonio
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When Michigan State fans judge their coaches, they look at one game, their annual game against Michigan. Mark Dantonio took over in 2007 and since then has gone 3-1 against the Wolverines and is helping the Spartans win back the state of Michigan.
Grade: B+
North Carolina: Butch Davis
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For North Carolina and Butch Davis it is time to either make a step forward or go in a different direction. Davis has been at North Carolina since 2007 and over the past three years has had his teams go 8-5 each year.
Davis is doing a good job on the recruiting trail and appears to have the program moving in the right direction but it is time for his off-the-field victories to start turning into on-the-field victories.
Grade: B
South Florida: Skip Holtz
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In his first year as head coach with South Florida, Skip Holtz went 8-5 and ended the year with a bowl victory.
Holtz has a good opportunity with this program after coaching for East Carolina and Connecticut. With a program as young as this, if Holtz can help elevate them into a consistent conference contender, he will earn himself job security for years.
Grade: B-
Penn State: Joe Paterno
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Despite last year's lackluster performance, Joe Paterno has not only had an amazing career, but has led Penn State to impressive performances from the 2005 season and on.
Over the past six years, Paterno has coached Penn State to six bowl games and gotten over the 10-win mark three times.
Grade: A
Arizona State: Dennis Erickson
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The heat is on Dennis Erickson down at Arizona State and for good reason. Despite having good talent in his program, Erickson is 15-21 over the past three years.
In 2011, Arizona State is being viewed as a serious competitor for the Pac-12 South division and if Erickson is unable to get this team back in the hunt, he will be out as head coach.
Grade: C-
Wisconsin: Bret Bielema
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In 2006, Bret Bielema took over as head coach for Wisconsin and has done a great job since day one. In his five years, Bielema has gone 49-16 and won two bowl games.
While 2010 was a great year that saw them go 11-1 during the regular season, the season ended on a bad note when they lost to TCU in the Rose Bowl.
Grade: B+
Houston: Kevin Sumlin
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Three-year head coach Kevin Sumlin started things off great at Houston but after losing Case Keenum early in 2010, the Cougars had a down year and finished at 5-7.
With Keenum back, Sumlin will have no excuses to not get Houston back to a bowl game at the very least.
Grade: B
Oregon: Chip Kelly
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Chip Kelly has done a great job since taking over at Oregon. In two seasons, Kelly is 22-2 during the regular season, but unfortunately he is 0-2 in bowl games.
Kelly has brought an innovative offense, has increased Oregon's exposure and has taken the program to a new level. If he can start to win the big games, the sky is the limit.
Grade: A-
Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy
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Since joining the Cowboys in 2005, Mike Gundy is more known for what he has done off the field than on it. Gundy is known for his attack on the media in 2007, which led to his infamous saying of, "I'm a man, I'm 40."
Despite this off-the-field incident, Gundy has improved the Oklahoma State program and led them to an 11-2 record in 2010.
Grade: B+
Texas: Mack Brown
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Despite having his worst year as head coach of the Texas Longhorns, Mack Brown is still one of the best coaches and recruiters in the nation. Before last year, Brown's worst season as Texas head coach was 9-5.
After 2010 ended with a 5-7 record, Brown and Texas will look to rebound in 2011.
Grade: A
Stanford: David Shaw
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David Shaw has some huge shoes to fill in 2011. Last year, Jim Harbaugh led Stanford to a one-loss season and an Orange Bowl victory.
With Harbaugh moving on to the NFL, Shaw is stepping in to take over and has the luxury of Andrew Luck at quarterback to help ease the transition.
Grade: Incomplete
USC: Lane Kiffin
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Despite taking over at USC and having to deal with program sanctions, the one thing that Lane Kiffin has done extremely well is take the focus off of the problems and on to himself.
In year one, Kiffin went 8-5 and looks to start building USC back up to being the class of the Pac-12.
Grade: B
TCU: Gary Patterson
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Gary Patterson has done an incredible job with a small program. Last year, Patterson led the Horned Frogs to the Rose Bowl and beat Wisconsin. He also helped them end the year with their highest ranking in school history of No. 2.
In 2011, TCU fans will get a feeling for how well Patterson has done off the field as they enter the season without quarterback Andy Dalton.
Grade: A-
Notre Dame: Brian Kelly
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Much like Michigan, Notre Dame has a head coach with a track record of turning around programs and their hope is that Brian Kelly can do the same for theirs.
In 2010, Notre Dame went 8-5, but Kelly did help them snap their losing streak to USC.
Grade: B+
Florida State: Jimbo Fisher
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Jimbo Fisher became the Florida State head coach last year and finished with a 10-4 record in 2010. The record earned him a division title and sets himself up with high expectations for 2011.
Coaching in a hotbed for recruiting will have its pros and cons. While the talent coming in to Florida State is high, so are the expectations.
Grade: B+
South Carolina: Steve Spurrier
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Steve Spurrier has now been at South Carolina since 2005, but has failed to take the program to the next level. During his time his record has ranged from 6-6 to 9-5.
This past season, Spurrier helped them reach the SEC championship but was turned away by eventual champion Auburn.
Grade: B
Arkansas: Bobby Petrino
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Three years at Arkansas has shown steady improvement for the program while under Bobby Petrino. In his first season as head coach, Patrino went 5-7 but turned things around over the past two years.
In 2010, he went 10-3 and got Arkansas into a BCS Bowl.
With the loss of Ryan Mallett, it will be interesting to see how the Razorbacks do in 2011.
Grade: B
Nebraska: Bo Pelini
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Bo Pelini and the Nebraska Cornhuskers are on the move and heading to the Big 10. After three seasons with Nebraska, Pelini is 30-12 as head coach.
Pelini will want to get back on the field as soon as possible to try and get the bad taste out of his mouth from their Holiday Bowl loss to Washington.
Grade: B+
Georgia: Mark Richt
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During the early part of his career at Georgia, Mark Richt had three straight bowl victories and had the Georgia program moving along without a problem.
Over the past two season, Richt has hits some bumps on the road and has fallen out of favor with Bulldog fans. By many people's estimation, if Richt is unable to get Georgia back to the 10-win level this season, he could be out as coach.
Grade: C+
Texas A&M: Mike Sherman
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After spending time in the NFL, Mike Sherman took over at Texas A&M in 2008. He has taken the program from a 4-8 record in his first year, to a 9-4 record in 2010.
The turn around in record is showing that the new style of offense that Sherman has brought with him is making a positive impact on the program.
Grade: B
Virginia Tech: Frank Beamer
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Frank Beamer has been the head coach at Virginia Tech since 1987. Beamer has been one of the most successful coaches of his time and has accumulated 198 victories with the Hokies.
In the past four years, Beamer has led Virginia Tech to three BCS games but has only won one. Most impressive is the fact that he currently has seven straight seasons with 10 wins or more.
Grade: A
Oklahoma: Bob Stoops
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After winning a national championship early in his career with Oklahoma, Bob Stoops has had a hard time locking down big bowl victories.
As a coach and recruiter, Stoops has done a great job as head coach of Oklahoma, and with another outstanding team heading into 2011, Stoops appears to be geared up for another title run.
Grade: A
Alabama: Nick Saban
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After four years at Alabama, Saban has won a national championship, an SEC title and two divisional titles. Saban is a tireless recruiter who continually brings in more and more talent to Alabama.
Over his four years, Saban has put together a 43-11 record and has one of the top five teams coming into 2011.
Grade: A
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
