Familiar faces in new places: Key coaching changes to know ahead of this college football season

The 2024 college football offseason will be known for three things: the expanded College Football Playoff, the end of the Pac-12 as we knew it, and for the retirement of Nick Saban.

The six-time national championship-winning coach retired after the 2023 season and set off a coaching carousel that lasted for weeks. Here’s a recap of some of the coaches at new schools ahead of the 2024 season, including those who have new jobs because Saban became a TV analyst.

Trent Bray, Oregon State

Bray was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach after Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State. He’s tasked with leading Oregon State into the uncertain world of a two-team Pac-12 and a scheduling alliance with the Mountain West.

The dissolution of the Pac-12 and Smith’s departure also led to a lot of player departures. QB Aidan Chiles followed Smith to MSU, DJ Uiagalelei went to Florida State and RB Damien Martinez is now at Miami. The Beavers return just five starters.

Brent Brennan, Arizona

Brennan replaces Jedd Fisch at Arizona with a career record of 34-48 at San Jose State. Don’t put too much stock in that. The Spartans were 3-22 in his first two seasons and have won seven games — including a 7-1 season in 2020 — in three of the past four seasons. That’s a serious accomplishment at a program like SJSU. The school has been to just six bowl games since 1990. Three of them came during Brennan’s tenure.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

After taking Washington to the College Football Playoff last season, DeBoer is the man replacing Saban at Alabama. Saban’s retirement shocked the college football world in January and DeBoer was one of the obvious candidates to replace the most successful coach in modern college football history given his success as a head coach in college football.

DeBoer is 104-12 as a collegiate head coach. His…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-01 13:18:40

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