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When Boston College named Jeff Hafley head coach last week after less than a year as Ohio State defensive cordinator, it stylized the natural progression from coordinator to head coach even in a short timespan. Hafley maximized his time in Columbus. Correction: maximizing the experience is taking over as head coach of Ohio State with Justin Fields at quarterback. Hafley did pretty well even if he doesn’t have a five-star quarterback running his offense.
Hafley’s ascension up the coaching ranks or ladder, depending on your preference for home improvement or military verbiage, set about whispers in the B1G land. What assistant seems primed to take a job next? Who, in the midst of either a good stretch or based on exposure, is next in line for a head coaching job after Hafley and outgoing Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer went to Fresno State?
Now, because lists are arbitrary and bent towards the author’s whims, a few caveats:
We’re speaking only of Division I jobs. Respect to anyone who wants to be the guy in I-AA or Division II, but we want to focus on Division I gigs and individuals destined for Fansville in 15 years.
No retreads. The title served Bill Belichick and Nick Saban well, but let’s bypass the likes of Kevin Wilson for the sake of guys who haven’t been in the big chair yet.
Position coaches welcome. Sam Pittman’s unintentional Matt Foley impersonation sparked legions of fans, even if it hasn’t meant loads of recruits for the Razorbacks yet.
Names are alphabetical, not in order of most to least likely.
Brian Brohm, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Purdue: Brohm’s resume ranks as one of the most impressive after time in the NFL as a quarterback and a second round draft pick. Athletic directors like playing experience and Brohm played in the CFL up until 2015. His four years as a co-offensive coordinator in college, the first at Western Kentucky and last three at Purdue, yielded high scoring averages and in regards to the 2019 season, an ability to coach around injuries to put up formidable points. I believe his experience as both a quarterback in college and professionally should generate interest from programs in need of schematic advantages to outscore teams when Skull Sessions and M Clubs are out of reach.
Jim Leonhard, defensive coordinator, Wisconsin: Leonhard has the try-hard pedigree sought after by schools that like a dose of sap with their morning coffee. That’s not to discredit what Leonhard did as a player, going from walk-on to starting NFL safety, nor does Leonhard seem like the type to celebrate his own life story in the process of its unfolding.
Wisconsin’s defense showed stretches of dominance this season and even stifled Ohio State for an entire half in the Big Ten Championship game. The feat seems paltry unless you spent time watching the Buckeyes ring up yards and points in historical numbers. The pairing of Leonhard’s NFL resume and the success in a short amount of time in Madison should give him a pick of Power Five jobs in a few years.
Josh Gattis, Sandford Robertson Offensive Coordinator, Michigan: Michigan made strides from the start of the season as an offensive unit, finding an identity as the season progressed and leaned on the excellence at the wide receiver position while grinding out between-the-tackles runs for a well-balanced offense.
Gattis has the position and the accompanying notoriety to make real inroads into becoming a head coach if he can string together some big points totals against dominant defenses in the conference. Experience under Nick Saban also does wonders for anyone’s resume.
Al Washington, linebackers coach, Ohio State: This is a bet on reputation and current job. Washington was a candidate at his alma mater Boston College in the gig that went to Hafley. Washington and Hafley, along with the rest of the Ohio State defensive coaching staff, are credited for simplifying the defense to let the players make plays as opposed to a year ago when things were muddled from a strategy standpoint. Washington’s enthusiasm and spark as it relates to communicating with players comes up frequently and that’s not to discredit his ability to strategize, but he seems to be making a name for himself in the P.J. Fleck mold of energy and spirit over trench talk.
Brent Pry, defensive coordinator, Penn State: Pry has overseen some of the best units in conference since he took over in Happy Valley in 2018 as sole defensive coordinator. All reports indicate he’s thrilled to be coaching at Penn State under James Franklin, but he’s succeeded at previous stops and played an instrumental part in stabilizing a Penn State program left in a better spot by Bill O’Brien but far from the perennial power it is now.
Nick is a writer for saturdaytradition.com. Your overuse of GIFs forced him away from Twitter. He removed himself from consideration in the Vanderbilt heading coaching search.