East Carolina’s Mike Houston on Sunday became the first FBS head coach to get fired this season. Houston had won big at James Madison, going 37-6 overall with a national title at the FCS level. He led the Pirates to two bowl games in his first four seasons, but they went 2-10 last year. Things took a bad turn this season after ECU got crushed by 31 at the hands of in-state rival Charlotte. ECU’s 45-28 loss to Army last weekend made it four losses out of the last five games, and that was it for Houston.
This vacancy will be pretty attractive, according to industry sources. Houston was making $2.3 million, which is a big number for a non-Power 4 head coaching job. There are some good potential options here for the Pirates.
Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton, a former Tennessee offensive coordinator, has done an outstanding job, going 45-28 and is 31-11 in six seasons in Conference USA play. The Hilltoppers are 5-2 this year with their lone losses coming at Alabama and by one point at Boston College. They also have a nice win over Toledo. The 47-year-old got strong consideration for the Purdue head coaching job a few years ago and is expected to be a strong candidate for the Pirates.
Louisiana-Monroe head coach Bryant Vincent is making a strong case for national coach of the year in his debut season. He did excellent work at UAB as an offensive coordinator, then jumped in as interim head coach when Bill Clark retired for health reasons. Last year as New Mexico’s OC, Vincent took over what was the worst offense in the FBS and boosted it to 35th in yards per play. The Lobos improved from No. 108 in red zone efficiency to No. 14. Vincent has made an even bigger impact in Monroe. The Warhawks, who haven’t had a winning season since 2012, are 5-1 and undefeated in Sun Belt play, their best start in almost 40 years. Their only loss is at Texas.
Former UAB coach Bill Clark, Vincent’s old boss, is said to be in great shape and great spirits and looking to coach again. Clark, 56, won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award in 2018 after leading the Blazers to an 11-3 record, thriving at a place that faced challenges like no other FBS program. In six seasons there, Clark went 32-12 in Conference USA play and was 49-26. He just knows how to win and run a program in spite of hurdles and headaches.
Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Jerry Mack is another former college head coach who might be in play. Mack, 43, spent the previous three seasons at Tennessee, where he helped Josh Heupel lead that a program out of a messy stretch. Before that, Mack went 31-15 at FCS program North Carolina Central, including a 26-6 run in MEAC play.
The coordinator pool also is intriguing. Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson is emerging as a top candidate for the Broyles Award, honoring the nation’s top assistant coach. The 47-year old Dawson, who began his coaching career in the state of North Carolina at Division II Wingate University, has played a pivotal role in the Hurricanes’ rise from underachieving ACC also-ran to legit CFP contender. Miami leads the nation in plays of 20-plus yards (61), ten more than the next most explosive team. The year before Dawson arrived, Miami only had 42 such plays over a 12-game season, ranking No. 114 in the FBS. Dawson’s offense leads the nation in yards per play at 8.05, Miami ranked No. 89 the year before hiring him. The Canes also lead the country in third down offense by a wide margin, converting at a 60.2 percent clip. Dawson has a connection to ECU athletic director Jon Gilbert from their time together at Southern Miss. Dawson might be of interest for some potentially bigger openings this winter, but for a program with a middling offense, he will be very attractive.
LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan is another hot name with strong ties at ECU, as a former Pirates quarterback. Sloan spent almost a decade under Skip Holtz at Louisiana Tech before getting hired to coach quarterbacks at LSU, where he helped Heisman winner Jayden Daniels blossom into a superstar. Sloan took over the offense after Mike Denbrock went back to Notre Dame, and the Tigers have remained potent despite having to replace Daniels and two first-round wideouts. They rank 11th in third down offense and 28th in yards per play, and they lead the SEC in points per game (33.0) in conference play. The 37-year-old should be in play for this job at his alma mater.
Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, 35, is a hot name again. The younger brother of USC coach Lincoln Riley and the offensive spark behind TCU’s rise to the national title game two years ago, Riley is having a terrific second season for Clemson. He knows ECU well, having spent three seasons as an assistant there, and he spent another year in-state at Appalachian State, where he picked up some wrinkles for his run game. He also figures to get a long look.
Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore has played a big part in the Tigers’ rise in the SEC. He’s also expected to be a strong candidate for the Fresno State head coaching vacancy.
Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner figures to get a look after helping turn Tech from the ACC’s No. 11 offense to No. 3 last year. He is also considered a strong option for the Southern Miss vacancy.
Kirby Smart has really leaned on Georgia assistant head coach Todd Hartley, 39, to elevate the program since his arrival on staff in 2019. Hartley is another guy on a lot of athletic directors’ radar.
Texas A&M defensive coordinator Jay Bateman, a Virginia native, has coached in-state as defensive coordinator at Elon and UNC. The 51-year-old is a really sharp defensive mind who has played a key role in the Aggies’ rise under first-year head coach Mike Elko. If ECU wants to lean into defense, Bateman should draw some interest.
Another defensive guy to keep an eye on is Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, a Broyles Award semifinalist for his work at JMU last year. Haines spent two years in North Carolina at Elon and has continued to work his way up since, following Curt Cignetti to Indiana, where the Hoosiers have the college football world buzzing. The former Ball State linebacker is directing the nation’s No. 5 defense in yards per play, after Indiana finished No. 87 in that category last year. This guy is going to be in demand this winter.
Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, 50, also may get a look for this job. A Penn State product who spent almost two decades coaching in the NFL, including three years with the Carolina Panthers, Nixon has done a really nice job in his debut season with the Orange. They rank No. 2 in the country in third down offense, up from No. 63 last year.
Missouri defensive tackles coach David Blackwell, a former ECU offensive lineman who got his start in coaching with the Pirates and later was DC at this alma mater and then interim head coach in 2018. He also might be on the interview list, given the success the Tigers have had of late.
(Photo of Tyson Helton: Eric Canha / Imagn Images)
