Category: College Football

USATSI

Bowling Green has hired Tennessee State coach Eddie George to fill its head coaching vacancy, the university announced Sunday. This will be George’s first coaching opportunity at the FBS level after four years leading Tennessee State.

“I am truly excited to be the head coach at Bowling Green State University,” George said in a statement. “Bowling Green is a wonderful community that has embraced the school and the athletics department. We are eager to immerse ourselves in the community and help build this program to the greatness it deserves. I am overwhelmed with excitement and joy for the possibilities this opportunity holds. I’m also thrilled to be back in the great state of Ohio, where I played my college football. I look forward to meeting the team, the coaches, everyone in the athletics department and everyone in the BGSU and Bowling Green community.” 

George is set to replace former Bowling Green coach Scot Loeffler, who recently left to become the quarterbacks coach with the Philadelphia Eagles. Loeffler posted a 27-41 overall record in six seasons at Bowling Green and led the program to three straight bowl appearances from 2022-24. 

George just finished his fourth season at Tennessee State, leading the Tigers to a career-best 9-4 record capped by a Big South-Ohio Valley Conference co-championship and an appearance in the FCS playoffs. Tennessee State has upped its win total each year since 2022 under George. 

George had a losing record in his first two years with the program, but Tennessee State improved to 6-5 in 2023. Fifteen of George’s 24 career wins as a…

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STILLWATER — With the start of spring practice over two weeks away, the peak of intrigue around Oklahoma State football remains on all that is new.

More than 30 new players on the roster for spring, with almost as many set to arrive in June.

New coordinators and assistants on both sides of the ball after head coach Mike Gundy rebuilt his entire staff of offensive and defensive coaches.

After a 3-9 season, the worst in Gundy’s 20-year tenure, the vibes that come from what is new provide a sense of distance from the disappointment of last fall.

But this edition of the Cowboys won’t survive on new players alone.

Many returning faces will be counted on in major roles, so let’s take a look at a few of them who have a lot on the line in spring.

Here are five returning OSU players with the most to gain during spring practice:

NFL combine results: How Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State football draft prospects fared

Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores (6) warms up before a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.

Out of the four quarterbacks on the roster, Flores is the only one who hasn’t played in a college game. Yet his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame and strong right arm still provide loads of excitement.

He’s generated plenty of buzz from his performances in practice over his two seasons at OSU and the next two months provide the first real opportunity to elevate himself into competition for the starting job.

Redshirt junior Garret Rangel has the experience edge and TCU transfer Hauss Hejny has the familiarity with new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham. But neither of those closes the door on Flores’ potential.

Though Hejny is known for his quickness as a runner, Flores has proven his speed…

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For all the incessant complaints associated with NIL, the transfer portal and college football’s recruiting calendar, one thing’s for certain — coaching at a Power Four university has its financial advantages. With increased revenue distribution comes enhanced resources, and it’s never been more costly for those funding coaching contracts.

Texas A&M’s gross miscalculation with Jimbo Fisher cost the Aggies a record-setting $76 million in buyout money, a figure many FBS schools would never be able to absorb. We’re now seeing new hires on shorter leashes as a result, and for the already proven winners, handsome increases to keep them in tow.

College football’s coaching contract financials ahead of the 2025 season vary greatly, but there are 10 deals that fall under our “best” and “worst” categories. Essentially, $10 million annually is the new benchmark for the top 5% of the sport with eight coaches set to exceed that number this fall.

Let’s start with a few of college football’s best contracts before diving into the ugly ones. These are all calculated agreements that include recent bumps during successful tenures for respective coaches. Most include not-so-insane buyouts just in case things go south in a hurry.

Kiffin has signed a contract extension with a pay increase twice since 2022, a smart move from the Rebels considering his rapid ascension and reinvigorated career of sorts coming after his coaching rehabilitation stint at FAU. Kiffin has hit 10 or more wins three times in five years, this coming after the…

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Texas A&M’s 2026 recruiting class entered the week with nine commitments in the cycle, led by four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory, who looks like a future superstar. However, this is also the time when decommitments take shape for players who are looking to open up their recruitment, mainly due to increased interest from another program or simply a change of mind.

On Friday, one of Texas A&M’s first 2026 commits, three-star safety and Mequitte (TX) native Markel Ford, backed off his Aggie pledge, joining four-star tight end Xavier Tiller and three-star cornerback Ryan Gilbert, who decommitted last month. Ford released a statement on social media (X) after announcing his decision:

“First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to God for blessing me with the talent and opportunities I’ve had, both on and off the field. I also want to thank my mom and family for the unwavering support and for always being there for me, no matter what,” Ford wrote on social media.

“A special thank you goes to Coach Elko, Coach Bateman, Coach Ish and the entire A&M coaching staff for welcoming me into the Aggie family and giving me the opportunity to be a part of something special.

After much thought, prayer and reflection, I have decided to decommit form Texas A&M University. I believe it is in the best interest of my future to open up my recruitment once again.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me during this journey. I am excited for what the future holds”

From a recruiting standpoint, both Ford and Gilbert have received substantial interest from Oklahoma. According to 247Sports’ Andrew Hattersley, Oregon is also in play for Ford, who would likely be ranked higher if it weren’t for several nagging injury issues during his 2024 junior season.

During his junior campaign, Ford recorded 45 tackles, one tackle for a loss,…

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Dan Lanning became the latest head coach to join the $10 million or greater annual salary club when Oregon gave him a huge raise Thursday. Lanning was the 14th highest-paid coach last season but now jumps into the top 10 following a highly successful 2024 season that included a perfect regular season record and Big Ten championship. 

Where does Lanning now rank amongst college football’s highest-paid coaches? Here are the top 10 based on a mix of reports, publicly available contracts and USA Today’s very helpful coaching salary database. 

T-10) $9 million club

There are multiple coaches who make right at the $9 million annual number, including Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and the most recent member, Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, fresh off a national championship runner-up season. 

9) Brian Kelly, LSU — $9.9 million

LSU AD Scott Woodward wanted a big fish to replace Ed Orgeron and spent big to hire Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly. Entering a critical Year 4, Kelly has a 29-11 record and a SEC West divisional title in three seasons in Baton Rouge. 

8) Bill Belichick, North Carolina — $10 million 

North Carolina pulled off a stunner when it hired legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick to come to the college ranks. Belichick, who has never coached college…

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WEST LAFAYETTE − Considered one of college football’s top special teams coordinators, James Shibest will try to inject his wisdom with Purdue football.

In 25 years coaching special teams, Shibest twice has been recognized as Special Teams Coordinator of the Year, including at his most recent stop with UNLV.

Shibest spent two years at UNLV coaching with Barry Odom, then followed him to Boilermaker country when Purdue hired Odom as head coach.

Opportunities lacked for Purdue’s kicking and return units last year.

Keelan Crimmins, who transferred to Illinois after the season, did lead the Big Ten in total punt yardage, which is more indicative of how bad the offense was. Purdue ranked sixth in punting average and net yardage.

More: How did former Purdue football players perform for NFL scouts on pro day?

3 questions with Purdue football special teams coordinator

Q: You’ve only worked for three head coaches (Houston Nutt, Justin Fuente and Barry Odom). How much trust does there have to be with the head coach when you want to do trick plays like a fake punt or field goal? There’s got to be some freedom to trust the special teams coordinator, right?

A: First of all, you’ve got to have time to work on them things. You usually start with a base three to four fakes and whatever you install in fall camp. We kind of choose from the looks we’re getting for the week. Coach Odom is a gambler, which is awesome. A lot of these guys just want to get the ball out of there and not take any risk.

Dec 26, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; UNLV Rebels special teams coordinator James Shibest against the Kansas Jayhawks in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Q: What philosophy will you and Barry Odom have as to which athletes are on special teams?

A: It all comes down to personnel. Regardless if it’s…

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Spring practice is beginning to get underway across the country, which means it’s the first opportunity for coaches to see their new transfer additions on the field. For some programs that’s a high-priced quarterback, while for others, it’s a new addition who will help rework the offensive line or the secondary.

As spring practice gets going in earnest, these are 15 transfers from across the country we’re excited to see step on the field and why they’re so important to their new teams.

Previous school: Oklahoma

Arguably the most talented field-stretching X receiver this portal cycle, Anderson is one of the rarest possible commodities in the portal. At 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, Anderson can go up and win 50-50 balls with his frame but excels thanks to long speed that allows him to blow by cornerbacks, a skillset he showed in 2023 while averaging 21 yards per catch for Oklahoma. The big question with Anderson is health. He missed basically the entire 2024 season with an upper quad injury, which included re-injuring it in just a few snaps after a brief return against Tennessee. 

A healthy Anderson is a dangerous vertical threat for Nussmeier in a way the Tigers really haven’t had since the 2023 campaign. But is he fully recovered? We’ll find out a lot more this spring.

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