New College Football Head Coach Expectations For 2023: Dilfer, Dillingham, Fickell, Freeze, Golesh, Herman
Meet The First Year Head Coaches: Dilfer, Dillingham, Fickell, Freeze, Golesh, Herman
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What are the expectations for the new guys? Where were they before getting their gigs? Where should the bar be set for this season, and what's expected out of them over the next five years - if they're still around?
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Trent Dilfer, UAB
Before This: Head coach at Lipscomb Academy after working as a talking head-on ESPN and the NFL Network.14-year NFL career.
Top Line of the Resumé: Super Bowl winning quarterback with Baltimore in 2000.
Realistic Expectations In Year One: Winning season, bowl game, set expectations for possible American Athletic Conference championships in the near future.
Realistic Expectations Over Next Five Years: At least two AAC championships, win like Bill Clark did.
UAB Preview | Schedule, Predictions
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Before This: Very young - 33 going into the season - offensive coordinator with four stops (Memphis, Auburn, Florida State, Oregon) in the last five seasons.
Top Line of the Resumé: Dominant attacks at Memphis under head coach Mike Norvell, No. 6 offense in the nation last year at Oregon.
Realistic Expectations In Year One: A massive offensive improvement, a push to at least get close to six wins, fire up the base for life in the Big 12.
Realistic Expectations Over Next Five Years: Annual bowl appearances after using this season to get up to speed. A top three conference offense - or close to it - every year.
ASU Preview | Schedule, Predictions
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Before This: Head coach at the University of Cincinnati who went 53-10 over the last two seasons with two American Athletic Conference Championships.
Top Line of the Resumé: Numerous Coach of the Year honors after taking Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff - and breaking through the CFP ceiling for Group of Five programs - in 2021.
Realistic Expectations In Year One: Take Wisconsin to the Big Ten Championship. Be in the game in the fourth quarter against the Michigan/Ohio State winner.
Realistic Expectations Over Next Five Years: At least one Big Ten championship, at least three College Football Playoff appearances in the expanded format.
Wisconsin Preview | Schedule, Predictions
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Before This: The former head coach at Ole Miss cranked it up at Liberty over the last four seasons with 34 wins and four bowl appearances.
Top Line of the Resumé: Outside of a 2016 season that went off the rails at Ole Miss - and a 7-6 first season after taking over the program - Freeze has won eight games or more in ten of his 12 seasons highlighted by a Sun Belt title run in 2011.
Realistic Expectations In Year One: Get the program back on track with a winning season and bowl game. Beat Bama.
Realistic Expectations Over Next Five Years: Bowl appearance this season, two appearances in the expanded College Football Playoff in the next four.
Auburn Preview | Schedule, Predictions
Alex Golesh, USF
Before This: Offensive coordinator under Josh Heupel at UCF and then for the last two seasons at Tennessee.
Top Line of the Resumé: In his three seasons as an offensive coordinator Golesh's attacks all finished eighth or better nationally in total offense. Tennessee finished No. 1 last year.
Realistic Expectations In Year One: Get to four wins - a big step forward after the last few years - and show off the potential for a high-octane attack.
Realistic Expectations Over Next Five Years: Become a player in the American Athletic Conference title chase within three seasons.
USF Preview | Schedule, Predictions
Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic
Before This: Assistant with the Chicago Bears after spending four years as the head coach at the University of Texas.
Top Line of the Resumé: Offensive coordinator of the 2014 Ohio State team that won the national title. Went 22-4 at Houston with a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win in a 13-1 2015 season. 5-0 in bowl games.
Realistic Expectations In Year One: It's a nasty schedule, but get to six wins and a bowl game.
Realistic Expectations Over Next Five Years: Five bowl appearances and be in at least one American Athletic Conference championship game. Win it.
FAU Preview | Schedule, Predictions
New Head Coach Expectations
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