They often turn into the fall guys when things go wrong. However, like new athletic facilities and fresh gear, assistant coaches long ago became coveted weapons in the college football arms race.
As the coaching carousel spins in December and January, fans have come to track the movements of assistants and coordinators as closely as head coaches and top-flight recruits. The past few weeks have been no different. Between new coaches such as Urban Meyer angling to fill out their staffs and jobs coming open, a number of assistants have shuffled around the country.
Here’s a rundown of some of the key assistant hires that have been made, as well as a few high-profile gigs that remain open.
New Hires
Brian VanGorder, Defensive Coordinator, Auburn
VanGorder remains a folk hero in Athens for the work he did as Georgia’s defensive coordinator not that long ago. He’s returning to the SEC after an up-and-down stint in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons. “BVG” should benefit from the blessing of following Ted Roof down on the Plains, as it’s hard to imagine the Tigers’ defense getting much worse.
Brent Pease, Offensive Coordinator, Florida
Will Muschamp took a page out of ex-boss Mack Brown’s playbook in hiring away Pease from Boise State in the wake of Charlie Weis’ departure. Coach Boom has to be hoping Pease will have the same success installing a power running game at Florida that Bryan Harsin had at Texas.
Mike Stoops, Defensive Coordinator, Oklahoma
To borrow from Jon Bon Jovi during his ill-fated country pop turn, who says you can’t go home again? Almost as soon as the ax fell on Stoops at Arizona, speculation heated up that he would rejoin his brother Bob on the sidelines at OU. Some of the Big 12’s prolific offenses torched the Sooners this year, leaving fans hoping the Stoops brothers can re-create their old magic.
Mike Locksley, Offensive Coordinator, Maryland
Randy Edsall fell flat on his face in his first year at Maryland, leading to speculation he could get the bum’s rush at the end of 2012. Enter Locksley, whose disastrous reign at New Mexico came to an abrupt end at mid-season. Edsall likely tapped Locksley as much for his vaunted recruiting ability as his offensive acumen. Locksley even has incentive clauses in his contract related to the Terrapins’ recruiting rankings.
Vic Koenning, Defensive Coordinator, North Carolina
If you’ve watched Southern Mississippi the last few years, you know that new UNC head coach Larry Fedora has the offense covered. The veteran Koenning should be able to take the defense and run with it. While he doesn’t have a reputation as a schematic wizard, Koenning is known as a solid teacher. He has bounced around enough in his career, too, to know how to make an impact in a short period of time.
Jeff Casteel, Defensive Coordinator, Arizona
Casteel is one of the most underrated defensive coordinators in the game today. You could argue that Rich Rodriguez would probably still have a job at Michigan had he been able to bring Casteel with him to Ann Arbor, so it’s no surprise that RichRod made getting him a priority at Arizona.
Everrett Withers, Defensive Coordinator, Ohio State
Offense is Urban Meyer’s thing. Looks like the D will be left up to the men who once were interim head coaches, Luke Fickell and Withers. Withers helped Butch Davis build some strong defenses at North Carolina and should turn out to be a welcome addition to Meyer’s first staff in Columbus.
Paul Haynes, Defensive Coordinator, Arkansas
Robert Petrino seems to have a way of plowing through assistant coaches, so it was no shock that he and defensive coordinator Willy Robinson parted ways at the end of the 2011 regular season. Haynes, who previously served as Ohio State’s co-defensive coordinator, had a promising debut in the Cotton Bowl game on Jan. 6, shutting down Kansas State. For the Razorbacks to have a legit shot at the national championship, Haynes will need to keep the D on that upward trajectory.
Justin Wilcox, Defensive Coordinator, Washington
Like seemingly every other assistant on Derek Dooley’s staff at Tennessee, Wilcox has abandoned ship. Now, he is tasked with solidifying the putrid Huskies D coming off an embarrassing performance versus Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Consider the move a coup for Steve Sarkisian, as Wilcox has been a hot name in coaching circles for the last few years.
Mike Breske, Defensive Coordinator, Washington State
Who? You know – Mike Breske. Formerly of… Montana? He now gets the pleasure of riding along on Mike Leach’s pirate ship and coordinating a defense to complement Wazzu’s new air show.
Openings
Alabama Offensive Coordinator
Jim McElwain left Alabama for Colorado State on a high note, executing a brilliant game plan in the national championship game against LSU. Don’t underestimate how big of a loss this will be for Nick Saban.
Wisconsin Offensive Coordinator
Pittsburgh stole away Paul Chryst and offensive line coach Bob Bostad from the Badgers. Whoever comes in will have to figure out how to replicate the physical brand of offensive football Wisconsin played under Chryst.
West Virginia Defensive Coordinator
Dana Holgorsen has made an offer to Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, who’s facing what some consider a demotion with Mike Stoops coming back to Norman. WVU is, probably, making the transition to the Big 12 this year, so hiring a coordinator who can stop the spread seems like a good idea.
Clemson Defensive Coorindator
The Tigers’ recent Orange Bowl implosion probably led to Kevin Steele’s ouster Thursday. Supposedly Clemson is interested in Venables as well. Dabo Swinney’s fancy new offensive coordinator, Chad Morris, got a major pay raise in December, so there’s no doubt the Tigers are willing to pay.
Tennessee Defensive Coordinator
Given how things are trending for Derek Dooley, candidates to coordinate his D have to be thinking long and hard about joining his staff. Names being bandied about include Venables, Buddy Green of Navy and the now-unemployed Steele.
