B/R CFB Community: Which 1st-Year Head Coach Will Have the Best 2022?
At least for the time being, the college football head coaching carousel has stopped spinning.
Auburn fans, we haven't forgotten about you. To be continued.
For the most part, however, the chaos has subsided. Coaches are at their new schools. Recruiting is in full swing now that their first class, albeit in an abbreviated cycle, has been finalized.
With spring football around the corner for many, one question seems to linger.
Which new head coach will have the most success in 2022?
We asked Bleacher Report readers this very question, and the answers were plentiful. With so much offseason movement, there was no shortage of options.
Here are some of those answers, with commentary attached.
The SoCal Arrival
User: @New_Mgr
Suggestion: Lincoln Riley
The answer is short and sweet. Lincoln Riley's shift from Oklahoma to USC is one of the more shocking coaching moves in recent memory.
And it will work. I wrote about this shortly after the hire became official, and I still feel that way. That was before Caleb Williams committed to USC on Feb. 1. Also, the Trojans added plenty of other fascinating pieces around him—including a handful of former Sooners.
The offense will be light-years better. The football will be much more exciting. The team's overall trajectory will head in the right direction, and it might do so quickly.
But it will also take time.
USC had the nation's No. 103 scoring defense last season, and that won't be repaired overnight. While playing in the Pac-12 should certainly help, it's not unreasonable to think that USC will fall short of the unbelievable hype that will surround it.
Well, at least next year.
Still, enough pieces are in place that this could come together in a hurry. Williams, of course, might develop even more tools this offseason. And the offense could develop quickly enough to win the Trojans the type of games they lost over the past decade.
The schedule is conducive to winning a lot. Matchups at Utah and against Notre Dame stand out as tough, although the rest feel plenty winnable.
Long term, this is the team to buy. But patience might be needed, at least for a bit.
The Latest Cajun
User: @bryanpowell
Suggestion: Kelly at LSU quietly put together a really good signing class and is building momentum. I think he'll surprise everyone in the upcoming season.
Very little about Brian Kelly's tenure has been quiet. He developed a Louisiana accent overnight, which he debuted at a basketball game. He's danced with recruits—showing off moves most dads would be envious of. He's been, well, busy.
But he can coach; make no mistake about that. Kelly was superb over his last four years at Notre Dame, leading the Irish to a 44-6 record. While he is polarizing for many, he knows how to win.
As with Riley at USC, this hire should be successful long term. The issue, of course, is that "successful" means many things at LSU. Considering the last three coaches won national titles, anything less will likely disappoint.
A title almost certainly won't happen in 2022, and no reasonable human would expect it to. LSU has lost significant talent to the draft and the transfer portal. It will take time for the pipeline to produce results again, and the schedule won't help.
The Tigers open with Florida State, which is plenty winnable. Although they still play at Auburn, at Florida, at Arkansas, at Texas A&M and at home against Tennessee, Ole Miss and Alabama.
Oof. Maybe Kelly will surprise early on, although 2022 might not be as kind as some assume it will be.
The U Is (Seriously Maybe) Back
User: @matty_maher
Suggestion: Cristobal. If (yes, a big "if") they steal a win in College Station in Week 3, we'll hear murmurs that "the U is back." I think they'd be right. 10-2. Coastal champs. TVD is a Heisman hopeful.
I can't do it. I simply cannot declare a team or program "back." Not Texas, not Miami, not anyone. We've done this too long, and it hasn't worked out.
With that said, this has been a tremendous offseason for Miami. The addition of Mario Cristobal, while uneasy to complete, was superb. And the additions of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and offensive coordinator Josh Gattis were both excellent hires.
Gattis, in particular, feels hugely important. The former Michigan coordinator will inherit one of the best young quarterbacks in the country. Tyler Van Dyke, as this commenter points out, should warrant real Heisman Trophy buzz. He was superb as a freshman last season, throwing for at least 300 yards in his final six games.
Like Riley's and Kelly's, the Miami roster will need an infusion of talent over time. The hope is that Cristobal's Florida roots will help facilitate that.
But with a quarterback in place and a schedule primed for success, Miami is a fascinating team in 2022.
The Hurricanes play at Texas A&M and Clemson, which will not be easy. The remaining games, however, all feel extremely winnable.
I'm very much buying this one—maybe even too much. Cristobal's Miami reunion could be a smashing success early on.
Quack, Quack
User: @achwillits
Suggestion: Dan Lanning will rule the west
While many of the hires mentioned already were greeted with an emphatic parade, Dan Lanning's Oregon arrival was not.
Now, this is not meant as disrespect. (I actually like the hire.) Lanning simply does not carry the same profile, which is largely why his decision to leave Georgia for the Ducks was met with polite applause.
That being said, there's a lot to like. As defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs last season, Lanning helped power the most dominant unit in football. He's been an excellent recruiter, which has shown up already. He's also just 35 years old.
Oregon will say farewell to plenty of guys who played meaningful snaps, although this should be one of the more experienced teams in the conference. Throw in the arrival of QB Bo Nix, who transferred from Auburn at the conclusion of last year, and the Ducks are a team to watch as we navigate the offseason months.
The schedule, meanwhile, is fascinating. Oregon opens against Georgia. Playing Lanning's former team, even with an exodus of Bulldogs talent, will likely not be easy. The Ducks also play BYU a few weeks later, which is not the friendliest start to the year.
Outside that, however, there are a lot of winnable games. Oregon is in position for another strong year. The same, however, can be said about a handful of Pac-12 teams.
A lot of the 2022 success will likely hinge on Nix. Oregon fans, get ready for the adventure.
Notre Dame's Familiar New Voice
User: @smbcta
Suggestion: Marcus Freeman
Amid the madness of Kelly's South Bend departure, Notre Dame did the right thing. It hired from within.
Marcus Freeman's rapid rise has hit prime time. And the new head coach of Notre Dame will have the unenviable task of following a wildly successful coach.
As we saw against Oklahoma State in the team's bowl game, however, things happen fast. Notre Dame, after leading the Fiesta Bowl 28-7, lost. And thus, Freeman is 0-1 heading into the offseason.
The good news?
A lot of quality pieces are in place. Despite losing safety Kyle Hamilton and quarterback Jack Coan, the offense and defense should be experienced. And the offensive line, one of the staples of the program's recent success, could emerge as one of the best in the nation.
The bad news? The schedule isn't exactly kind. Notre Dame starts the year at Ohio State, which is a brutal place to kick off a season. The Irish also play away from home against BYU, at USC, at North Carolina and against Clemson.
Plenty of winnable games exist, although it seems like Freeman's debut voyage will not come without a few rough patches.
Plus, the bar has already been set so high.
