Guys on the rise: Assistants who could be head coaches soon

0

Sixteen assistant coaches in 2015 will be starting their first full seasons as FBS head coaches, with seven of them landing jobs in Power Five conferences.

The highest-profile moves had former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart going to Georgia, former Michigan DC D.J. Durkin taking over at Maryland and former Ohio State DC Chris Ash getting hired at Rutgers.

Who’ll become head coaches after this season?

Here’s a look, in alphabetical order, at some assistants who appear to have what it takes to run their own programs:

___

Dave Aranda, defensive coordinator, LSU

Les Miles hired Aranda away from Wisconsin, where the 39-year-old oversaw a Badgers defense that ranked among the top five nationally in four major categories over the last three years. Before moving to Wisconsin, he coordinated one of the country’s top defenses at Utah State.

Aranda’s greatest strength is his ability to relate to his players. He has a knack for making hard-to-digest concepts easy to understand, and then he turns his charges loose to make plays.

___

Geoff Collins, defensive coordinator, Florida

His name was connected to the UCF opening, and he’ll be in the mix other places if the Gators’ defense is as good as it was last year.

Florida was so impressed with Collins in his first year under Jim McElwain that he received a $300,000 raise, to more than $1 million. He’ll get a $150K retention bonus if he’s still in Gainesville come February.

Collins is a top-notch recruiter, and he has had an impressive career track that has taken him to Georgia Tech, Alabama, UCF, Florida International and Mississippi State.

___

Tee Martin, offensive coordinator, Southern California

The 38-year-old Martin is a phenomenal recruiter whose career has been on a steady ascent. He joined the Trojans’ staff in 2012 as receivers coach, became pass game coordinator in 2014 and was named offensive coordinator at the end of last season.

As receivers coach, a position he still holds, Martin has tutored Biletnikoff Award winner Marqise Lee, Robert Woods, Nelson Agholor and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Martin knows how to win, too. He was Peyton Manning’s backup for two years at Tennessee and led the Volunteers to a 13-0 record and national championship as a junior in 1998.

___

Lincoln Riley, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma

Riley is as accomplished as any 32-year-old could hope to be in this profession. He won the 2015 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, and his Baker Mayfield-led Air Raid offense was nearly unstoppable as the Sooners made the College Football Playoff.

Riley was linked to head coaching jobs, including South Carolina, and OU extended his contract through 2018 and gave him a raise from $500,000 to $900,000 a year. No matter. It won’t be long before the native of Muleshoe, Texas, moves on and up.

___

Mike Sanford, offensive coordinator, Notre Dame

Sanford was linked to the Syracuse opening last November, and Irish coach Brian Kelly knows his 33-year-old offensive coordinator will be lured away sooner than later.

Sanford proved his mettle after he lost RB Tarean Folston and QB Malik Zaire to injuries early last season. Sanford molded DeShone Kizer into an effective replacement for Zaire.

Sanford’s star began rising during two stints at Stanford, under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, and he’s got good blood lines. His father, Mike Sr., is a longtime assistant and head coach in the college ranks.

___

Brent Venables, defensive coordinator, Clemson

The 45-year-old Venables’ name has been floated for openings over the years, and it’s a surprise he’s still waiting for his opportunity. He may or may not be the guy Kansas State turns to when his mentor, Bill Snyder, decides to retire for good.

Venables turns out some of the nation’s best defenses year-in and year-out, and he’s an excellent recruiter. In his 20 years as a full-time assistant, his teams have gone to 20 bowl games and have won 10 or more games in 15 seasons. He’s got a good thing going at Clemson, and with a $1.4 million salary, he can afford to be choosy.

___

Six other assistants to keep an eye on: Josh Conklin, defensive coordinator, Pittsburgh; Jimmy Lake, co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, Washington; Danny Langsdorf, offensive coordinator, Nebraska; Todd Orlando, defensive coordinator, Houston; Jeremy Pruitt, defensive coordinator, Alabama; Marcel Yates, defensive coordinator, Arizona.

___

Online: AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org

FILE – In this April 15, 2013, photo, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda watches an NCAA college football practice practice in Madison, Wis. LSU’s Les Miles hired Aranda away from Wisconsin, where the 39-year-old oversaw a defense that ranked among the top five nationally in four major categories over the last three years. Aranda’s biggest selling point is his ability to relate to his players. He has a knack for making hard-to-digest concepts easy to understand, and then he turns his charges loose to make plays. (M.P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/08/web1_111949867-c41278ee56564be093b31016c8b41b18.jpgFILE – In this April 15, 2013, photo, Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda watches an NCAA college football practice practice in Madison, Wis. LSU’s Les Miles hired Aranda away from Wisconsin, where the 39-year-old oversaw a defense that ranked among the top five nationally in four major categories over the last three years. Aranda’s biggest selling point is his ability to relate to his players. He has a knack for making hard-to-digest concepts easy to understand, and then he turns his charges loose to make plays. (M.P. King/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File)

FILE- In this April 16, 2016, file photo, Georgia coach Kirby Smart talks to players during the first half of a spring intrasquad NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga. Sixteen assistant coaches in 2015 will be starting their first full seasons as FBS head coaches in 2016, with seven of them landing jobs in Power Five conferences. The highest-profile moves had former Alabama defensive coordinator Smart going to Georgia, former Michigan DC D.J. Durkin going to Maryland and former Ohio State DC Chris Ash going to Rutgers. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/08/web1_111949867-e5d2285658fb4a88b2e256665f040e14.jpgFILE- In this April 16, 2016, file photo, Georgia coach Kirby Smart talks to players during the first half of a spring intrasquad NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga. Sixteen assistant coaches in 2015 will be starting their first full seasons as FBS head coaches in 2016, with seven of them landing jobs in Power Five conferences. The highest-profile moves had former Alabama defensive coordinator Smart going to Georgia, former Michigan DC D.J. Durkin going to Maryland and former Ohio State DC Chris Ash going to Rutgers. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

FILE – In this Sept. 19, 2015, file photo, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley talks to players before an NCAA college football game against Tulsa in Norman, Okla. Riley is as accomplished as any 32-year-old could hope to be in this profession. He won the 2015 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, and his Baker Mayfield-led Air Raid offense was nearly unstoppable as the Sooners made the College Football Playoff. OU extended his contract through 2018 and gave him a raise from $500,000 to $900,000 a year. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File)
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2016/08/web1_111949867-8656f6463d8c49719b60e2fbbf54c615.jpgFILE – In this Sept. 19, 2015, file photo, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley talks to players before an NCAA college football game against Tulsa in Norman, Okla. Riley is as accomplished as any 32-year-old could hope to be in this profession. He won the 2015 Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, and his Baker Mayfield-led Air Raid offense was nearly unstoppable as the Sooners made the College Football Playoff. OU extended his contract through 2018 and gave him a raise from $500,000 to $900,000 a year. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams, File)

By Eric Olson

AP College Football Writer

No posts to display