Top 20 CFB Coaches Under 50 Years Old - ESPN Insider

[iowajerms]

Mullen, Holgorsen among top coaches under 50 - Travis Haney Blog - ESPN

Roughly half of the 127 FBS coaches – 47.2 percent – are under the age of 50. Among the Power 5 conferences, 43.1 percent (28 of 65 coaches) are in their 30s and 40s.

So, who are the best young coaches going? Today we look at Nos. 11-20. Come back Monday to see who topped our list.

11. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State (42)

Really, you could flip Freeze and Mullen here. They’re close geographically, and their arcs are also closely linked. Freeze just moved a bit faster than Mullen, though it’s worth noting that Mullen has now taken the Bulldogs to five consecutive bowl games.

Last season was his first 10-win season as a head coach. Like Freeze, Mullen also had some perceived overtures – and he was also paid to stay put.

12. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia (43)

Holgorsen flirted with the hot seat before a bounce-back season in 2014. Make no mistake, though, coaches consider Holgorsen one of the brightest X’s and O’s minds in the game.

13. Justin Fuente, Memphis (38)

Turning around Memphis is no small feat, and Fuente made the Tigers a 10-win team by his third season. Fuente’s predecessor won three games in two seasons. Defense and discipline spurred the change and Fuente will soon get a shot on the Power 5 level.

14. James Franklin, Penn State (43)

Like Fuente, Franklin authored an improbable turnaround in the state of Tennessee. After consecutive nine-win seasons at Vandy, he’s now laboring to re-establish Penn State. Franklin, along with Butch Jones at Tennessee and Dabo Swinney at Clemson, are setting the bar in terms of selling their respective programs to fans and recruits alike.

15. Dave Doeren, NC State (43)

Doeren was 23-4 following Jerry Kill at Northern Illinois, leading the Huskies to a BCS game against a Florida State program that would go on to win a national title the following season. There was work to be done at NC State, and the Pack seemed to come together last November, winning four of their final five games -- including the bowl.

16. Bronco Mendenhall, BYU (49)

Mendenhall’s past three teams, each one 8-5, have not been quite as complete as some of his early ones, when the Cougars won 10-plus in four of his first five seasons. Still, BYU has been highly consistent under Mendenhall. The Cougars are always a tough out. Just ask Texas.

17. Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech (35)

Kingsbury needs to win soon to quiet increasing criticism and skepticism. There’s hope. Coaches in the Big 12 see a roster that’s becoming increasingly talented. Perhaps new defensive coordinator David Gibbs will bring some stability to that side of the ball, where the Raiders have had eight different DCs since 2007. Kingsbury still has a level head, a strong plan and loads of promise. Don’t write him off just yet.

18. P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan (34)

Fleck is the youngest coach on the top-20 board. The man who calls Greg Schiano and Jim Tressel mentors has preached patience upon arrival, and that was tested when WMU went 1-11 in his first season. A bounce-back, 8-5 year in 2014, including a bowl bid, restored hope in Fleck’s vision. At this point, he’s on the Power 5 career track.

19. Steve Sarkisian, USC (41)

None of these coaches is under more pressure to win, and win soon. With a breakthrough season in 2015, Sark’s name could soar into the top 10. For now, with a career record of 43-33, he simply hasn’t done enough to climb any higher. There’s promise, however, and he’s in an ideal spot to win big.

20. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy (49)

There’s something to be said for having a system that stands the test of time. Niumatalolo is in his eighth season after taking over for Paul Johnson, and seven of them have included bowl games for the program. The American should be a nice fit for the Midshipmen where disgruntled opponents will now have the discomfort of preparing for the option in a week’s time.

 

[Red_Alert]

75 has always been the top end.

There will ony be a couple of those coaches around that long.

 

[tducey]

Nice, thanks for sharing this, looking forward to seeing the top 10.

 

[The Crimson King]

So Shaw, Gundy, Dabo. Helfrich, Malzahn....who else?

 

[Red_Alert]

So Shaw, Gundy, Dabo. Helfrich, Malzahn....who else?

Riley

I understand he's as nice as someone under 50.

 

[iowajerms]

Jimbo Fisher and Gus Malzahn the top coaches under 50 - Travis Haney Blog - ESPN

Roughly half the 127 FBS coaches -- 47.2 percent -- are under the age of 50. Among the Power 5 conferences, 43.1 percent (28 of 65 coaches) are in their 30s and 40s.

Who are the best young coaches? In their final appearance in the best-under-50 list, the two coaches whose teams played for the BCS title two years ago have had the most success before their 50th birthdays.

FSU’s Jimbo Fisher and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, who will both hit 5-0 in October, lead the conversation of the top coaches under 50.

1. Jimbo Fisher, FSU (49)

Fisher has his national title. He’s the best example of a coach-in-waiting situation that worked out well -- or as well as it can. In fact, the way Fisher handled -- and worked through -- the awkwardness surrounding Bobby Bowden’s final chapter is one of the finer points on his resume, right up there with the crystal football. How many people would have been able to survive that, let alone excel in the aftermath of the turmoil? Fisher did so nimbly. His recent assistant hires have also been outstanding, and that’s the mark of a good head coach.

2. Gus Malzahn, Auburn (49)

Malzahn has a national title as a coordinator and nearly got there as a first-year head man, if not for that final drive by Jameis Winston and Fisher’s Seminoles. Coaches often note Malzahn is an incredible football mind and also that his drive -- obsessive, in some ways -- is unmatched. He just might be the current coaching record-holder in film hours logged. It feels like Malzahn is just getting started, really. Will Muschamp’s addition makes Auburn sustainably dangerous, even in the rough-and-tumble SEC West.

3. David Shaw, Stanford (42)

Shaw’s first little “hiccup” in 2014 was an 8-5 season in which the Cardinal handily won their bowl game. If that’s as bad as it gets, Stanford will be just fine. Jim Harbaugh set the standard very high, and Shaw responded with 11, 12 and 11 victories in his first three seasons. Two of those seasons earned Rose Bowl bids. For the time being, Stanford has replaced Notre Dame as the best high-end academic program. Shaw oozes calm, professional stability. It’s not a coincidence that he’s 42-12, even with the loss of some immensely talented players and assistants. The NFL's plucking him continues to be the biggest threat to Stanford’s continued success.

Marcus Mariota, however. We’ll learn in the next couple years just how good Helfrich is, just how high he can rise on this list, because there is no clear-cut QB replacement plan -- even with Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams' transferring this summer. Kelly was able to win with QBs far less talented than Mariota. The system was the star. Can Helfrich do the same?

7. Bret Bielema, Arkansas (45)

Bielema’s 3-9 first season in Fayetteville was such a struggle that it smudged his 68-24 mark at Wisconsin. Was that a fluke? Could he make it in the SEC? The questions surfaced and reverberated throughout the South. The momentum the Razorbacks accrued the past season, with the team rallying for a bowl bid and then thumping Texas, worked to affirm Bielema was indeed the correct choice. Head coaches have to learn to be head coaches; that’s what ADs and coaches say. Bielema had to learn how to be a coach in the SEC. He upgraded at DC between years one and two by smartly hiring Robb Smith. We’ll see if he’s done the same on offense, adding former Central Michigan coach Dan Enos. Bielema is doggedly stubborn in his system. He’s going to do things his way: run the ball, run the ball some more and play solid, smart defense. That Wisconsin model is beginning to take hold at Arkansas.

8. Butch Jones, Tennessee (47)

Bottom line: The next two or three years will define Jones’ time at Tennessee and where he stands among those on this list. He has hit every correct button since arriving at a proud program that was ailing and starving for something positive. The talent level has increased exponentially in the past two years. The players are either on campus or on the way. It’s time to see if Jones and his staff can follow through and again put the Volunteers back on the college football map. They’re not there yet, but they’re trending in the right direction. Jones’ relentless positivity, which has led to meaningful headway in recruiting and fundraising, is the biggest reason that’s happening.

9. Bryan Harsin, Boise State (38)

Following Chris Petersen at Boise was no easy task, yet Harsin was able to make the transition rather seamless. What he learned in his first head-coaching experience at Arkansas State surely was beneficial. He was ready. The Harsin-led 12-2 season, including a Fiesta Bowl win against Arizona, was even more remarkable because it was far from Boise’s most talented team in recent years. It was an encouraging sign for the Broncos’ post-Pete sustainability.

10. Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss (45)

Freeze made a splash with the top-five recruiting class in 2013. Those players are now veterans, and the program has grown along with that group. The Ole Miss job is far better than it was when Freeze found it, and that’s a credit to the man running it. When Ole Miss thought it might lose him to Florida, it ponied up to keep him.

 

[Olyduck]

something weird happened around 4 5 6

 

[iowajerms]

4. Dabo Swinney, Clemson (45)

Chad Morris, the new SMU coach who was Clemson’s OC, said he learned a great deal from Swinney, in terms of how to make good, smart decisions as a head coach. “He does all the little things really, really well,” Morris said. It’s all pretty incredible, considering Swinney was thrust into the role as the interim after Tommy Bowden was fired. He had never even been a coordinator to that point and was only a few years removed from a real estate gig. Swinney, though, proved to be a natural in terms of management and consistent messaging and marketing. In today’s college football, those things are as important as they’ve ever been, and they're why Swinney (61-26) has been steady.

5. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (47)

All right, let’s get it out of the way: He’s a man! He’s 47!

It’s been seven years since Gundy introduced himself to the college football-slash-YouTube world with “the rant.” After that, he continued an ascent at his alma mater culminating with the Fiesta Bowl win over Shaw and Stanford in 2012. The tension between Gundy and mega-donor T. Boone Pickens, as well as AD Mike Holder, has been well documented and even acknowledged by Gundy. He seems interested in creating more stability than there has been in recent years. After the (miraculous) Bedlam win and a bowl victory, OSU is becoming a trendy 2015 dark-horse pick in the Big 12.

6. Mark Helfrich, Oregon (41)

Helfrich answered a number of critics and moved away from Chip Kelly’s shadow by guiding the Ducks to the national title game. Winning it all would have vanquished Kelly’s ghost. Nevertheless, it was a strong statement. That was with Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, however. We’ll learn in the next couple years just how good Helfrich is, just how high he can rise on this list, because there is no clear-cut QB replacement plan -- even with Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams' transferring this summer. Kelly was able to win with QBs far less talented than Mariota. The system was the star. Can Helfrich do the same?

 

[The Derski]

Shaw should be number one considering academic standards. Jimbo can get any dummy to knock heads on his team.

 

[7Samurai13]

Kind of surprising that the top two coaches had the two most controversial QBs of the last 10 years

 

[4down20]

Shaw should be number one considering academic standards. Jimbo can get any dummy to knock heads on his team.

I will wait to see after this year to make judgement on Shaw. He was successful his 1st 3 years as he inherited a good team. But last year only 8 wins on the season, which was a little bit of a step down.

Haven't beat USC the past 2 years and that's not likely to get easier. The were close games, but should have been wins. Hopefully this year back to beating Oregon.

I think he has to win 2 out of the 3 between USC, Oregon and Notre Dame. And of course, still keep beating UCLA and the others.

If Stanford loses more than that, it's still not terrible considering. But, it will mark a good deal of distinction between his players and Harbaughs players, and should drop him down the list more.

 

[TexasExes98]

Shaw should be #1. Kings bury has no business being in the top 20. Mendenhall deserves top 10. Mullen had 1 good year so far, not sure he is top 15. Grundy is probably top 3. Not even Les Miles could win a conference title at OSU & Gundy had OSU within an asshair of playing for the NC. Also, Holgerson looks about Fiddy. No effing way that guy is in his early 40's......

 

[Archangel]

4. Dabo Swinney, Clemson (45)

Chad Morris, the new SMU coach who was Clemson’s OC, said he learned a great deal from Swinney, in terms of how to make good, smart decisions as a head coach. “He does all the little things really, really well,” Morris said. It’s all pretty incredible, considering Swinney was thrust into the role as the interim after Tommy Bowden was fired. He had never even been a coordinator to that point and was only a few years removed from a real estate gig. Swinney, though, proved to be a natural in terms of management and consistent messaging and marketing. In today’s college football, those things are as important as they’ve ever been, and they're why Swinney (61-26) has been steady.

5. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (47)

All right, let’s get it out of the way: He’s a man! He’s 47!

It’s been seven years since Gundy introduced himself to the college football-slash-YouTube world with “the rant.” After that, he continued an ascent at his alma mater culminating with the Fiesta Bowl win over Shaw and Stanford in 2012. The tension between Gundy and mega-donor T. Boone Pickens, as well as AD Mike Holder, has been well documented and even acknowledged by Gundy. He seems interested in creating more stability than there has been in recent years. After the (miraculous) Bedlam win and a bowl victory, OSU is becoming a trendy 2015 dark-horse pick in the Big 12.

6. Mark Helfrich, Oregon (41)

Helfrich answered a number of critics and moved away from Chip Kelly’s shadow by guiding the Ducks to the national title game. Winning it all would have vanquished Kelly’s ghost. Nevertheless, it was a strong statement. That was with Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, however. We’ll learn in the next couple years just how good Helfrich is, just how high he can rise on this list, because there is no clear-cut QB replacement plan -- even with Eastern Washington’s Vernon Adams' transferring this summer. Kelly was able to win with QBs far less talented than Mariota. The system was the star. Can Helfrich do the same?

Nice...

 

[iowajerms]

Here's a list of the other coaches under 50

First-time head coaches worth watching - Travis Haney Blog - ESPN

ACC

Al Golden, Miami (45); Dave Clawson, Wake Forest (47); Scott Shafer, Syracuse (48)

American

Willie Taggart, South Florida (38); Matt Rhule, Temple (40); Bob Diaco, UConn (42); Philip Montgomery, Tulsa (43)

Big 12

David Beaty, Kansas (44); Paul Rhoads, Iowa State (48)

Big Ten

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern (40); Kyle Flood, Rutgers (44); Paul Chryst, Wisconsin (49)

Conference USA

Charlie Partridge, Florida Atlantic (41); Jeff Brohm, Western Kentucky (43); Sean Kugler, UTEP (48); Todd Monken, Southern Miss (49)

MAC

Matt Campbell, Toledo (35); Rod Carey, Northern Illinois (43); Pete Lembo, Ball State (44); Paul Haynes, Kent State (45); Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan (46); Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio) (47)

Mountain West

Brian Polian, Nevada (40); Mike Bobo, Colorado State (40); Tony Sanchez, UNLV (41); Matt Wells, Utah State (41); Troy Calhoun, Air Force (48); Ron Caragher, San Jose State (48)

Pac-12

Sonny Dykes, Cal (45)

SEC

Derek Mason, Vanderbilt (44); Mark Stoops, Kentucky (47)

Sun Belt

Neal Brown, Troy (35); Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State (42); Mark Hudspeth, Louisiana-Lafayette (46); Blake Anderson, Arkansas State (46); Paul Petrino, Idaho (47)

Independents

Jeff Monken, Army (47)