The ACC Football Coaching Carousel

As the bowl season has begun for many programs within the ACC and beyond, many programs are evaluating how to make their team’s better. Inevitably, coaches are hired, fired, promoted, and everywhere in between. Without further ado, here’s a breakdown of each team in the ACC as well as their current coaching situations.

NC State

The Wolfpack are coming off of a 7-5 campaign under 2nd year Head Coach Dave Doeren. NC State will be playing in their first bowl game under Doeren in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl on December 27th against Central Florida.

Doeren is in the midst of completing his second recruiting class this Spring, and here are his results thus far:

2014:

Rank: 30th Ranked Class

5 Stars: 0

4 Stars: 3

3 Stars: 21

2015 (Incomplete):

Rank: Incomplete, but currently 40th

5 Stars: 0

4 Stars: 4

3 Stars: 8

With the Wolfpack under new leadership and improving, don’t expect any changes on the staff anytime soon. There would have to be an assistant leaving for a new coaching job for any movement to occur on this staff at this particular time.

North Carolina:

Larry Fedora is completing his third season as Head Coach of the Tar Heels, and by some stroke of luck, he has still managed to keep his job. Despite a positive outlook prior to the 2014 season, the Tar Heels were viewed by many as a disappointment, finishing the regular season bowl eligible but only compiling a 6-6 record. The defense was largely to blame, surrendering nearly 39 points per game under defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, who has since been fired. UNC will be playing in the Quick Lane Bowl against Rutgers on December 26th and will hope to improve on one of the nation’s worst scoring defenses with interim defensive coordinator Dan Disch.

On the recruiting side of things, the Tar Heels are looking to improve on their 23rd ranked class from a year ago. So far this recruiting season, the Tar Heels are projected to have another Top 25 class, although the final results will not be made known until National Signing Day in February.

Miami (FL):

The Hurricanes are standing pat on the coaching front, for now. Miami went 6-6 this season under Al Golden and will be participating in the Duck Commander Bowl on December 27th against the South Carolina Gamecocks. There is reason to believe that improvements will be made next year for Miami, as Freshman QB Brad Kaaya will look to gain upon his 2014 campaign where he has thrown for 3000 yards and 25 touchdowns before the bowl game.

Boston College:

Head Coach Steve Addazio is in his second season at the helm in Chesnut Hill, and his Eagles will be making a second straight bowl appearance as they take on Penn State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on December 27th. While Addazio’s 14-11 record in his two seasons has brought the Eagles back from the dead, he may potentially have been “Plan B” at Michigan if Jim Harbaugh can’t be lured to come back to his alma mater as head coach. This surfacing rumor may have helped him land a contract extension through the 2020 season, as he will be at Boston College for the forseeable future.

Clemson:

After another successful season offensively at Clemson, offensive coordinator Chad Morris left for the Head Coaching position at SMU. To replace Morris, head coach Dabo Swinney decided to tap wide receivers coach Jeff Scott, and running backs coach Tony Elliott as co-offensive coordinators. Elliott will try his hand at play calling for the bowl game, but time will tell whether or not this will effectively replace their former guru in Morris. Additionally, the Tigers brought in former Clemson QB Brandon Streeter to coach the quarterbacks and coordinate recruiting efforts.

Georgia Tech:

ACC Coach of the Year Paul Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to the Orange Bowl to improve his overall record to 58-34 since taking over in Atlanta. His success landed himself a contract extension in the process, after some pundits linked him to the Nebraska coaching vacancy about a month ago.

Duke:

Coach David Cutcliffe has continued the winning culture at Duke, as the Blue Devils finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and a berth in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. Cutcliffe has been rumored as a candidate for the head coaching job at Michigan, and as a result, landed a contract extension and the possibility of improved athletic facilities during the years of his new inked deal.

Florida State:

Jimbo Fisher isn’t going anywhere Seminoles fans. Jimbo just signed a contract extension through the 2020 season.

Pittsburgh:

With head coach Paul Chryst leaving Pitt last week to take the same position at his alma mater, Wisconsin, all indications are that the Panthers have found their new coach. Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi has been tapped as the new head coach, and will be introduced after the Christmas holiday.

 

 

Louisville:

Coach Bobby Petrino compiled a 41-9 record in his first stint at Louisville between the 2003 and 2006 seasons. After an unsuccessful stint in the NFL, and an inharmonious end to a short tenure at Arkansas, Petrino found his way back to Louisville, where the Cardinals began his second stint with a 9-3 campaign and a trip to the Belk Bowl against Georgia on December 30th.

Notre Dame:

While they are still independent in football, the Irish play an ACC-heavy slate, so we’ll include them in our ACC coaching round-up. Since the 2012 National Championship appearance, Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly has done little to prove that he has staying power in South Bend. While he was given a pass last year due to the loss of several starters, including QB Everett Golson to academic dishonesty, his 7-5 campaign this year has left doubt about whether or not he will be in the plans beyond next year if another 7-5 season were to occur. All five of Kelly’s recruiting classes have been in the nation’s Top 20, and this coming class should not be any different. If the Irish don’t improve next year, changes may be made, but until then Notre Dame will stand pat.

Virginia:

As surprising as it may seem, UVA has decided to retain Mike London on a two-year contract extension through the 2016 season despite missing out on a bowl game for the third straight year. The positive recruiting traction for the Cavaliers is perhaps the only reason for an extension that in my opinion, he does not deserve. Change is inevitably coming to Charlottesville, and it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.

Virginia Tech:

When is Frank Beamer’s time up in Blacksburg? The Hokies will make their 22nd straight bowl appearance when they take on Cincinnati in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 27th, extending the second longest such streak in the country. However, on the offensive side of the football, Tech has seemingly regressed for the second straight season under coordinator Scot Loeffler. An offensive coordinator change may be in the cards in the offseason, but with Frank Beamer signing a contract extension through the 2019 season prior to this campaign, it’s difficult to see Athletic Director Whit Babcock buying out all five seasons remaining on Beamer’s contract. We know for a fact though, that defensive guru Bud Foster will not be going anywhere, as he has signed a new five-year extension, taking him through the likely end of Frank Beamer’s tenure with Virginia Tech.

Syracuse:

After taking the Orange to a bowl game in his first season on the job, Syracuse regressed this year under Head Coach Scott Shafer, finishing with a 3-9 record.
Back in October, offensive coordinator/associate head coach George McDonald was demoted to wide receivers coach and stripped of his play calling duties. Quarterbacks coach Tim Lester was promoted to OC and given play calling responsibilities. It would be unfair to judge Shafer as a coach until some of his new recruits get a chance to take the field and help potentially turn the program around in the next couple of seasons. Don’t expect further changes to this staff anytime soon.

Wake Forest:

In his first season at Wake Forest, Head Coach Dave Clawson was unable to gain much traction with the Demon Deacons, finishing the season with a 3-9 record. Wake Forest has been notoriously bad in football for a while now, and it will take time and patience on the half of the Demon Deacons fans to see if Clawson is the right man to get the program turned around. Wake is tied with NC State for the third-youngest roster in nation this season (70.5% freshman or sophomores). Until that talent matures a bit, the coaching staff should remain the same.

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