2022 NonConference Coaches
Michigan was already slated to take on one new coach with UConn and Jim Mora. Colorado State opened last week and filled their job today, hiring UNR head coach Jay Norvell (for a potential preview of what that offense might look like, check out the Quick Lane Bowl).
Hawaii is currently slated to be the one team with a head coach returning, though I’m not sure what kind of team Todd Graham will be bringing, as they currently have nine players in the portal and only four commits. And now we know why: https://t.co/Ovsnqost2r
Unfortunately for his players, Hawaii appears to likely be unable to get rid of Graham if they even wanted to, since they probably can’t afford the buyout. But it appears the M.O.B. Had him pegged more than a decade ago.
https://www.sundaymorningqb.com/platform/amp/2007/11/27/174948/40
December 6th, 2021 at 5:56 PM ^
Any Mountain West experts out there? If so, I wonder what would prompt Norvell to leave Nevada for Colorado State. It seems like a Big Ten coach leaving Minnesota for Purdue (or maybe vice versa).
December 6th, 2021 at 6:30 PM ^
Reports I’ve seen indicate there’s some doubts as to the commitment of the administration/boosters at UNR to be a top level G5 team. CSU has very high level facilities for a G5 and had aspirations of getting a Big XII invite in the future. They screwed up the Addazio hire big time, but that didn’t change their ambitions.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:47 PM ^
Strange to think about now, but when I first started watching college football, both Colorado and Colorado State were really good. Moeller's last game was a win over a Top 10 CSU team.
But they've been mostly adrift since late in the Lubick era, outside one really good year with McElwain.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:20 PM ^
From an alumni perspective and as someone who has strangely been able to pick up a lot of late night MW games here in Grand Rapids, this is a very underwhelming hire. Nothing against Norvell and he has a decent resume with stops at some big name programs (UCLA, OU, UT) but CSU really needed to inject some life into a program that is prone to laying eggs against other mediocre MW teams and can't get out of it's own way. Their search process lasted less than a week after Addazio was fired during a time when the national coaching carousel is hot. I would've like to see OSU RB coach and CSU alum Tony Alford considered or a rising OC or DC from a P5 program. The athletic facilities, sponsorship and untapped Denver TV market make it an attractive program but you can't sell the prospect of badly-coached football to recruits in Colorado, much less TX and CA which is where a lot of their recruiting class comes from.
If Norvell can get them back to fundamentals (so many stupid penalties and missed assignments this year) and teach how to compete for four quarters, than I'll be happy I guess. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Go Rammies!
December 6th, 2021 at 10:19 PM ^
I think it’s actually a pretty solid hire for CSU. That program has historically just been a stepping stone for coaches to hopefully get a better gig someday. Norvell has done a very good job at CSU and if he can get them winning 8 games a year he will be considered very successful. I think he has the ability to get that done
December 7th, 2021 at 8:21 AM ^
Isn't 'stepping stone' an aspiration for most G5 programs - because that would mean they've had some good seasons.
December 6th, 2021 at 6:32 PM ^
As far as prestige goes, more or less a lateral move in my book, but per a USA today story - link -
Why leave one Mountain West school for another? Resources.
CSU led the conference in football total operating expenses for 2019-20 (the last year data is publicly available), while Nevada was 10th in the league.
CSU was paying Addazio over double what Norvell was making at Nevada, so I assume he'll be getting a substantial raise here.
Also, Fort Collins is a pretty awesome place to live! :)
December 6th, 2021 at 6:54 PM ^
"One player recalled an instance in practice when an assistant coach apologized to his position group for not wanting to ask Graham a clarifying question, saying something to the effect of, “Sorry, I’m just trying not to get yelled at.”
It's bad enough that the players are more or less in open revolt, but when assistants are refusing to do their jobs for fear of getting yelled at, that's serious organizational dysfunction.
But surely Graham's coaching personality was well known already—why hire him in the first place?
December 6th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
It’s an exceptionally difficult job, one of the most difficult in the sport really, due to lack of resources. He’s a veteran coach who presumably was willing to take a little less money, maybe due to his ASU buyout. But I don’t know why he’d be hired.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:10 PM ^
Not that I'd like to see it happen because I always root for EMU, but Chris Creighton would be the perfect kind of guy for Hawaii to go after.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:49 PM ^
No idea why I don't really hear Creighton mentioned for better jobs. Maybe it's the beard -- he's only 52 but looks 78 with that big white beard
December 6th, 2021 at 7:03 PM ^
How does that guy keep getting jobs?
December 6th, 2021 at 7:13 PM ^
I can only imagine he’s a heck of an interview, because up til now he’s only ever moved up.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:32 PM ^
Kiss up; kick down kinda guy.
December 6th, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
Bummed about the OOC sched next couple yrs.
M joins Maryland & Indiana to be the only B1G teams to not play a P5 team OOC next year (although Indy plays Cinci).
December 6th, 2021 at 7:30 PM ^
Too bad Addazio got fired, I was looking forward to the circa-2011 timewarp of Addazio/Graham/Mora