Rice has hired Davidson head coach Scott Abell as its new head coach, the school announced Tuesday.
Abell went 47-28 in seven seasons at the Football Championship Subdivision school. He inherited a Davidson program in 2018 that hadn’t won more than two games in a season since 2011 and has posted seven winning seasons in seven years. That included two Pioneer Football League championships in spring 2021 and fall 2021 and three FCS playoff appearances.
“After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear that we had found the right leader for our program,” athletic director Tommy McClelland said in a statement. “He has had an immediate impact on every program he has coached and is passionate about developing winners on and off the field. He is the right person to lead Rice football into a new era of success. I am thrilled to welcome Scott and his family to Rice.”
Abell’s teams were led by an explosive shotgun triple option offense that led the FCS in scoring and rushing in 2023. The Wildcats led the FCS in rushing for four consecutive seasons from spring 2021 to 2023. This fall’s Davidson team went 6-5 and finished 13th in FCS in scoring. In 2018, Davidson broke the Division I record with 789 rushing yards in a single game against San Diego (a game it lost 56-52).
From 1970-2017 (54 year), @DavidsonFB won 6+ games nine times. @Scott_AbellFB won 6+ games every full season he was the head coach at Davidson. The job he did there was one of the best in college football history. @RiceFootball is in very good hands.
— SportSource Analytics (@SportSourceA) November 26, 2024
This year’s Rice team ranks 115th in the FBS in scoring offense and 116th in rushing yards per game. While the Owls reached bowl games in 2022 and 2023, the program has not had a winning season since 2014.
“I cannot imagine a more ideal time or fit for myself, my family, and the future of Rice Football,” Abell said in a statement. “Today begins the journey, as we pursue championships.”
Abell was previously the head coach at Washington & Lee with a 39-24 record from 2012 to ’17, and will bring experience from a coaching career based almost entirely in Virginia and North Carolina to Houston to coach the Owls.
(Photo: David Butler II / Imagn Images)
