1. 2012 NCAA Division I FBS Football
Coaching Changes Review
by Daniel Westra

2. Georgia State Panthers
Retired: Replacement:
Bill Curry (Aug 15, 2012) Trent Miles (Nov 30, 2012)

3. Review:
Georgia State is transitioning from the FCS to the FBS,
and is joining the Sun Belt Conference next season.
Their longtime coach Bill Curry retired, and they
needed to find a replacement. Trent Miles is a
successful FCS coach, but is not FBS material just yet.
It was risky hiring a FCS coach to lead a transition,
and I would have hired an FBS coach to lead the
transition. However, Miles is a good coach and
recruiter, and should see some relative success while
at Georgia State. GRADE: B

4. Idaho Vandals
Fired: Hired:
Robb Akey (Oct 21, 2012) Paul Petrino (Dec 2, 2012)

5. Review:
It was a good decision for the Vandals to fire Robb Akey, who in
four of six seasons led the team to two wins or less. Although Akey
did lead the team to a win in the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, the
Vandals were so terrible this year that a new start was necessary.
However, I don’t believe that Paul Petrino was a smart hire. The
longtime assistant under his brother Bobby has shown time and
time again that he is susceptible to failure, specifically pointing to
how terrible his Razorback offense was this past year. He had NFL
talent in Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis, and his offense was still a
total disaster. My projection was Chris Tormey, the defensive
coordinator of the Wyoming Cowboys, who would’ve been a much
wiser, less scandalous hire. GRADE: C+

6. Kentucky Wildcats
Fired: Hired:
Joker Phillips (Nov 4, 2012) Mark Stoops (Nov 27, 2012)

7. Review:
It was the right decision for the Wildcats to fire Joker Phillips. In the
past three years when he was head coach, he led a fairly good team (6-
7) to a bowl game in his first year, then fell off slope, leading his team
to a record of 5-7 in 2011 and 2-10 in 2012. This team needs a fresh
start. I am very supportive of Kentucky hiring Mark Stoops as their
head coach. Mark Stoops, a member of the ever-famous Stoops family,
has been a successful defensive coordinator for Houston, Arizona
State, and Florida State. He was able to successfully recruit prospects
in all three states, an area that Joker Phillips has struggled in. Stoops
has helped Dameyune Craig and Florida State raid the talent-rich
Florida, and he will need to do that as head coach. He deserves at least
two years to develop the poor talent that Kentucky already has.
GRADE: A-

8. Western Michigan Broncos
Fired: Hired:
Bill Cubit (Nov 17, 2012) P.J. Fleck (Dec 17, 2012)

9. Review:
It was smart of Western Michigan to fire Bill Cubit, the long-
lasting unsuccessful head coach of their football program. I also
find it smart to hire P.J. Fleck, the wide receivers coach under
Greg Schiano of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The longtime
Rutgers coach followed Schiano to the NFL, and has succeeded
at both levels of the game. Fleck knows how to recruit, and I
think when we look back at history 25 years from now, we will
realize that Schiano is great at making good head coaches. I see
Ron Turner (Tampa’s QB Coach) also getting a head coaching job
in the near future. Schiano has also tutored Kyle Flood, a good
head coach. I really like this hire, and I expect Fleck to succeed
although he has low familiarity with the area. GRADE: A-

10. Tennessee Volunteers
Fired: Hired:
Derek Dooley (Nov 18, 2012) Butch Jones (Dec 7, 2012

11. Review:
Tennessee made the right decision to fire Derek Dooley; for
he was unable to lead his incredibly talented team to the
postseason in 2 of his 3 seasons. They also made the right
hire in Butch Jones, the former head coach of the Cincinnati
Bearcats. Jones, in six seasons of head coaching, has led his
team to the bowl game in five of those seasons. Jones has a
track record of success. Another benefactor of hiring Jones
is that he is a top-tier recruiter, for he led a 4-8 Cincinnati
team to a 10-3 Cincinnati team, for he rearranged recruiting
tactics to make his team better. Overall, a great change in
Dooley to Jones. GRADE: A

12. UTEP Miners
Retired: Replacement:
Mike Price (Nov 19, 2012) Sean Kugler (Dec 8, 2012)

13. Review:
After a poor 3-9 season, Mike Price decided to retire from
coaching. It was a good decision for both parties, because Price
was not doing well as of late. After a long, exhaustive search that
lasted nearly a month, the Miners hired Sean Kugler, the
offensive line coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers who formerly
played at UTEP. Kugler is a weak hire, for he has no collegiate
coaching experience. UTEP, a Texas school, has the means to get
talent if they had good recruiters, but they don’t. UTEP should
have gone for a coach with more recruiting experience in the
state of Texas. Kugler, a good coach, may fare well. However, he
will need to surround himself with a good coaching staff and
recruiters in order to succeed as head coach. GRADE: B

14. California Golden Bears
Fired: Hired:
Jeff Tedford (Nov 20, 2012) Sonny Dykes (Dec 6, 2012)

15. Review:
Although I personally thought Jeff Tedford was a good head
coach, I agree that it was time to let him go. California was a
truly terrible team this season, having dropped from a 7-5 record
to a 3-9 record. California needs a reshuffle of management.
They made a very poor hire in Sonny Dykes. Now, this doesn’t
criticize Dykes in the slightest, for he is a good head coach with a
track record of success at Louisiana Tech. When I look for a head
coach, I factor in his ability to recruit in the west coast. Dykes will
simply struggle with this, having come from the south. Dykes will
have a hard time recruiting California kids to play in-state and
that is why I don’t expect him to have much success coaching at
California. GRADE: B-

16. Arkansas Razorbacks
Fired: Hired:
John L. Smith (Nov 24, 2012) Bret Bielema (Dec 4, 2012)

17. Review:
After the Bobby Petrino scandal, the Arkansas Razorbacks were left
scattered. They lost their leader, and they were scattered. So, they
temporarily hired John L. Smith as head coach. Smith led the team to a
4-8 record, which was a letdown to all Razorback fans. So
unsurprisingly, they let him go. In the search, they wanted a new coach
with head coaching experience. After rounds of interviews, they
landed Bret Bielema, the head coach of the University of Wisconsin. It
is a shocker to all that Bielema, a true Midwesterner, left Madison for
Fayetteville. The hire is a very dumb decision on Arkansas’ part. A
problem with the Razorbacks is that they have lacked a successful
recruiter, and hiring a coach with no recruiting experience in the SEC is
a major problem. They would’ve been better off hiring a coach with
more experience coaching the SEC, such as Dan Mullen or James
Franklin. GRADE: B-

18. Auburn Tigers
Fired: Hired:
Gene Chizik (Nov 25, 2012) Gus Malzahn (Dec 4, 2012)

19. Review:
It was a very dumb decision for Auburn to fire Gene Chizik
in the first place. You don’t bail on a coach that led you to a
National Championship win two years before. Chizik won
the BCS Championship game in 2010, and was fired in 2012.
Chizik should have had at least two more years to prove
himself and his team. Well, if you fire him, you don’t hire
another coach who is practically the same person. Malzahn
is familiar with the Auburn community and knows how to
recruit. However, why fire Chizik and replace him with
somebody very similar? We will never know the answer.
GRADE: C

20. Boston College Eagles
Fired: Hired:
Frank Spaziani (Nov 25, 2012) Steve Addazio (Dec 4, 2012)

21. Review:
Frank Spaziani was a bad head coach, and Boston College fans
must be excited that he is gone. Boston College may have
made the best hire of the offseason in hiring Steve Addazio.
Addazio, an Urban Meyer product out of Florida, had two
fairly good seasons at Temple, having made a bowl game in
one of those seasons. Addazio is ready for the prime-time,
and Boston College found a leader with the ability to recruit in
the northeast, for he has coached at Syracuse, Notre Dame,
Indiana, and Temple. Addazio will change the pace of Boston
College, and I expect him to be successful in his future
endeavors at Boston College. GRADE: A+

22. Colorado Buffaloes
Fired: Hired:
Jon Embree (Nov 25, 2012) Mike MacIntyre (Dec 10, 2012)

23. Review:
It was a surprise to many when we saw Colorado fire Jon Embree,
their head coach of two years. However, I think this was a good
move by athletic director Mike Bohn to fire him. First off, he is not
NCAA-material. He was a longtime coach for the Redskins before
hired by the Buffaloes. In his two years, he showed no ability to
recruit or develop talent, and change was needed. Mike MacIntyre
was a great hire. First off, he lead a time that was 1-10 in 2010 to a
10-2 record in 2012 and a first time bowl since 2006 and the second
bowl appearance since 1990. MacIntyre showed ability to recruit
west coach talent, an ability much needed for the Buffaloes job.
This is a clear upgrade, and kudos to Mike Bohn for making the
right choice in what appeared to be an exhaustive coaching search.
GRADE: A

24. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Fired: Hired:
Tom O’Brien (Nov 25, 2012) Dave Doeren (Dec 1, 2012)

25. Review:
I didn’t see it necessary to fire Tom O’Brien, who has led
N.C. State to a bowl game in the past three seasons.
However, I think Dave Doeren is a good hire. Doeren had
great success at Northern Illinois, where he trained two
great quarterbacks in Chandler Harnish and Jordan Lynch.
I think Doeren won’t struggle much with recruiting, and
he may even be able to bring an edge and be able to
recruit Midwest recruits for N.C. State. Overall, I don’t
think that firing O’Brien was necessary, but Doeren is a
good hire and can somewhat redeem firing O’Brien.
GRADE: B

26. Purdue Boilermakers
Fired: Hired:
Danny Hope (Nov 25, 2012) Darrell Hazell (Dec 4, 2012)

27. Review:
It was necessary to fire Danny Hope. Having led Purdue to
a bowl game in only one of his four seasons, they needed
a change. They made a very smart hire in Darrell Hazell,
the former head coach of Kent State. Hazell, a former
Ohio State coach, led Kent State to its first bowl game in
40 years. At Kent State, Hazell also showed an
extraordinary talent to recruit Midwest recruits, which
will be necessary at Purdue, a Midwest school. Overall,
the change from Danny Hope to Darrell Hazell is an
upgrade in which both Hazell and Purdue benefit from.
GRADE: A

28. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Fired: Hired:
Ellis Johnson (Nov 27, 2012) Todd Monken (Dec 10, 2012)

29. Review:
It was a tough and disappointing year for Ellis Johnson and
Southern Miss fans. Johnson failed to win one game, and was
deservedly let go after one season. Dave Bartoo, the owner and
founder of College Football Martrix, a website that analyzes
football statics, said that Johnson had done “probably the worst
coaching job I’ve seen in the matrix this century in (FBS) football”. I
agree, for it is very hard to bring a 12-0 team to 0-12 the next
season. So, they need a fresh start. Hiring Todd Monken was a step
in the right direction. In two seasons, Monken helped transform
Oklahoma State, and assuredly made Justin Blackmon and Brandon
Weeden NFL-caliber players. Monken is qualified to be a head
coach, and I expect many turnarounds for Florida State this season.
Good hire on athletic director Jeff Hammond’s part. GRADE: A

30. Northern Illinois Huskies
Hired by N.C. State: Replacement:
Dave Doeren (Dec 1, 2012) Rod Carey (Dec 2, 2012)

31. Review:
It’s tough losing a head coach with the talents of Dave
Doeren. Doeren, a successful head coach, was hired
away by N.C. State, a bigger school with more
funding. Carey was promoted to offensive
coordinator this offseason, and flourished. Northern
Illinois is in the Orange Bowl this season, and that will
be a big test to see what Carey’s head coaching ability
is. Since this was the same athletic director that hired
Doeren, I have to trust that Carey will be somewhat
competent as head coach. GRADE: B+

32. South Florida Bulls
Fired: Hired:
Skip Holtz (Dec 2, 2012) Willie Taggart (Dec 7, 2012)

33. Review:
I was surprised when I heard that South Florida fired Holtz, a
relatively young coach with some success and some failure.
There were some consequences of firing Holtz, for they lost their
top recruit in Asiantii Woulard, a quarterback who appeared to
be the future of South Florida football. However, they did make a
good hire in Willie Taggart, the former head coach of Western
Kentucky, who had two winning seasons at Western Kentucky in
his three years there. Having been raised in Florida, he has the
ability to recruit talent there, and showed recruiting ability as
head coach at Western Kentucky. I think this is a good hire, but it
is still a shocker to me that they fired Skip Holtz. GRADE: B+

34. Wisconsin Badgers
Hired by Arkansas: Replacement:
Bret Bielema (Dec 4, 2012) Gary Andersen (Dec 18, 2012)

35. Review:
Bret Bielema surprisingly took the offer to leave Wisconsin for
Fayetteville, AK and took most of the staff with him, which left
Barry Alvarez and the Badgers in an awkward position. Gary
Andersen is a solid hire, for he will be able to bring a fair share
of his staff with him to Madison. Andersen is a good head
coach who led Utah State to their first bowl win in 19 years.
However, Andersen is very unfamiliar with the Wisconsin area,
and will struggle with recruiting. However, Wisconsin is such a
big program that recruits won’t worry about committing to
Andersen and his program over in Madison. I trust that the
athletic director and longtime head coach Barry Alvarez made
the right decision. GRADE: A

36. Arkansas State Red Wolves
Hired by Auburn: Replacement:
Gus Malzahn (Dec 4, 2012) Bryan Harsin (Dec 12, 2012)

37. Review:
It is tough to lose Gus Malzahn; no question there.
Malzahn ran an up-tempo offense that immediately
changed course of the Red Wolves, having a 10-2 record
this season. However, Bryan Harsin was a great hire to
replace Malzahn. Harsin, the former Texas Longhorns’
offensive coordinator, is a good play-caller who should
step in immediately taking Malzahn’s place. Harsin
deserves to build a program of his own, and I predict that
he will be successful at Arkansas State. It’s tough to lose
Malzahn, but Harsin is a great hire. GRADE: A-

38. Temple Owls
Hired by Boston College: Replacement:
Steve Addazio (Dec 4, 2012) Matt Rhule (Dec 16, 2012)

39. Review:
It was tough for the Owls to see Steve Addazio go to
Boston College. Although he had a losing record this
season, he was a good coach. They made a great hire in
Matt Rhule. The former Owls offensive coordinator
coached the Giants offensive line this years. The players
missed him so much that they begged the athletic
director to hire him, and he did. The players will play
hard for Rhule, and that is all that matters in the end of
the day. Although he has little experience in recruiting,
I expect Rhule to succeed. GRADE: A-

40. Kent State Golden Flashes
Hired by Purdue: Replacement:
Darrell Hazell (Dec 4, 2012) Paul Haynes (Dec 18, 2012)

41. Review:
Hazell was a good coach who led an unlucky program
to considerable success. He was hired by Purdue, a
bigger program with more funding that would pay
him a higher salary. So, they had to find a successor.
Paul Haynes, a very good defensive coordinator, is the
perfect man for Kent State. The alum embodies Kent
State’s values, and knows how to recruit in Ohio and
Arkansas. Very good hire by Kent State. Kent State
needed to find a good coach to keep their program
valid, and they succeeded by hiring Paul Haynes.
GRADE: A+

42. Florida International Golden Panthers
Fired: Hired:
Mario Cristobal (Dec 5, 2012) Butch Davis (Dec 24, 2012)

43. Review:
Very poor decision by Florida International. They fire Mario
Cristobal, a relatively successful coach who led their
program from 1-1 to 7-6 in four seasons. Although he had a
poor season this year, he deserved another 2-3 years at
least. If they fire Cristobal, they should still hire a good
replacement. They landed on Butch Davis, the former Head
Coach of UNC who resigned last year because of ‘academic
misconduct’. Davis is a coach who accepts players with low
morale, and doesn’t seem to care much about the academic
development of his student-athletes. Florida International
definitely deserves the worst grade of this offseason.
GRADE: F

44. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Hired by California: Replacement:
Sonny Dykes (Dec 5, 2012) Skip Holtz (Dec 13, 2012)

45. Review:
It was sad for Bulldog fans to see Dykes leave the
organization for California. Dykes was a successful head
coach, and it’ll be tough finding a replacement.
However, they score a perfect grade in hiring Skip Holtz.
Holtz, a pass-heavy coach, will not change much from
the Dykes era. Skip Holtz could also bring aboard
Asiantii Woulard who was committed to USF when he
was fired a few weeks ago. Holtz will maintain the up-
tempo, air raid offense that Louisiana Tech succeeded
with, and I predict a lot of success in the future.
GRADE: A+

46. Cincinnati Bearcats
Hired by Tennessee: Replacement:
Butch Jones (Dec 7, 2012) Tommy Tuberville (Dec 8, 2012)

47. Review:
It’s tough losing another head coach to a bigger school. In past
years, Cincinnati has become a “feeder school”, having seen
Mark Dantonio leave for Michigan State, Brian Kelly leave for
Notre Dame, and now see Butch Jones leave for Tennessee. Their
search was quick, having lasted one day. They landed on Tommy
Tuberville, the head coach of Texas Tech with close ties to
athletic director Whit Babcock from their days together at
Auburn. Tuberville is a top-tier program manager who should
restore Cincinnati’s credibility as a football program. It doesn’t
hurt that Tuberville has experience recruiting in all areas of
America. It sucks to lose Butch Jones, but Tommy Tuberville is a
fine replacement. GRADE: A-

48. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Hired by South Florida: Replacement:
Willie Taggart (Dec 7, 2012) Bobby Petrino (Dec 10, 2012)

49. Review:
This was a confusing hire. First off, it must suck to lose
head coach Willie Taggart to USF. However, you need to
find a replacement with moral hazards. Multiple time in
his career, Petrino screwed a football team over for
money or inappropriate actions. Petrino knows how to
win, but how can he go into a locker room and educate
student-athletes on moral hazard? Although his hire
puts an emphasis on winning, this was a very confusing
hire for a team that values education along with
athletic development. Poor hire! GRADE: D

50. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Hired by Cincinnati: Replacement:
Tommy Tuberville (Dec 8, 2012) Kliff Kingsbury (Dec 12, 2012)

51. Review:
Tommy Tuberville abruptly left for Cincinnati, which was a
shock to Red Raider nation. So, they went on a new coaching
search, searching to replace Tuberville, their former savvy
program manager. They landed on Kliff Kingsbury, their former
quarterback who most recently served as offensive
coordinator/quarterbacks coach of Texas A&M. Kingsbury
notably tutored Johnny Manziel, their starting quarterback,
into a Heisman winner this season. Kingsbury is a smart hire,
for he runs the Air Raid Offense, the same offense that
successful former head coach Mike Leach ran. Kingsbury is a
smart hire, and I expect that he will have immediate success.
GRADE: A

52. San Jose State Spartans
Hired by Colorado: Replacement:
Mike MacIntyre (Dec 10, 2012) Ron Caragher (Dec 17, 2012)

53. Review:
Mike McIntyre was a great coach, and I predict he will have success
at Colorado. San Jose State needed to find an adequate
replacement, and Ron Caragher is not it. Caragher has had little
success at the FCS level, and I don’t expect that will fly at FBS level.
San Jose State is now relevant, and I don’t think Caragher will
maintain that legacy. Caragher does know how to recruit, but is
that all you look for. San Jose State should have approached a head
coach with a better track record, and Caragher is not it. If I ran the
search, I would have approached candidates like former Cal coach
Jeff Tedford, Stanford Defensive Coordinator Derek Mason and I
would have considered promoting successful defensive coordinator
Kent Baer to head coach. Poor job, especially when it is vital to
keep this program relevant GRADE: D

54. Utah State Aggies
Hired by Wisconsin: Replacement:
Gary Andersen (Dec 18, 2012) Matt Wells (Dec 20, 2012)

55. Review:
Gary Andersen was a talented, defensive-minded coach
who and left a small program for a program with more
money and a larger fan-base. Matt Wells was a logical
hire, for he is known by the program and knows their
offense well. Wells can remain intact with their recruits,
and will stabilize the team. Matt Wells was a great play-
caller, and helped lead the team to a win in the Famous
Idaho Potato Bowl this past season. Although they
could’ve gotten a bigger name, a good play-caller like
Wells can succeed. I predict success in the future. GRADE:
A-