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Clawson, Banks, and More: Five Head Coach Candidates for Bowling Green
© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Clawson, Banks, and More: Five Head Coach Candidates for Bowling Green

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mike Huesmann  |  Last updated Mar 3, 2025 1:57 PM ET

By: Mike Huesmann

With the news that Scot Loeffler is moving to the Philadelphia Eagles to coach QBs, we have an unexpected FBS head coach opening. Bowling Green was 7-6 last year, while going 6-2 in MAC play. They notably had Harold Fannin at TE, who broke all kinds of records. The next head coach will not be so lucky, as Fannin is off to the NFL. Here are five head coach options for BGSU.

Dave Clawson

Former Bowling Green and Wake Forest Head Coach

Clawson took over at Wake in 2014 and went 3-9 his first two seasons. He then made seven bowl games in a row. The turnaround he and his staff did at what was one of the worst P5 programs has been remarkable. The slow mesh, or Clawfense, is a difficult offense to game plan for and makes up for the talent discrepancy. His time with Bowling Green before that was remarkable. He won 18 games in his last two seasons, which is outstanding considering the non-conference schedule. BGSU could take a page from West Virginia and UCF and run it back with a former successful head coach.

Tim Banks

Tennessee, Defensive Coordinator

Another former BGSU assistant coach, Banks was in charge of arguably the best run defense in the nation last year. Prior to Tennessee, he had stops at Penn State, Illinois, Cincinnati, Maryland, Memphis, and his alma mater Central Michigan. He knows that part of the country and the MAC extremely well. He’d also be able to utilize the portal and his connections to beef up the roster. If he has interest in the job, Bowling Green would be foolish not to at least consider him and reach out.

Brian Ward

Arizona State, Defensive Coordinator

Ward has been a DC at a lot of schools, and I mean that as a compliment. Drake, Western Illinois, Bowling Green, Syracuse, Nevada, Washington St., and now Arizona St. After being with Jay Norvell at Nevada, he went to become Jake Dickert’s first DC on the Palouse before going to Tempe with Kenny Dillingham in 2023. His defenses were sneakily good in the Pac 12, where you had so much variance in offenses and preparation can be difficult. Ward and the Sun Devils won the Big XII in their maiden season.

Steve Morrison

Bowling Green, Defensive Coordinator

A Falcon assistant since 2019 and DC the past two seasons, Morrison is there and he’s available. This time of year, that continuity can be vital. The former Michigan player and assistant coach also has stops at Western Michigan, Eastern, Michigan, and Syracuse. Familiarity with the conference is important. He might not be the first choice, but he’s worked his way up the ladder, coached good defenses, and might be in the right place at the right time.

Mike Jacobs

Mercer, Head Coach

Jacobs has been ultra successful at lower-level teams, and ones where he didn’t inherit a winner. He made Division II stops at Notre Dame (OH) and Lenoir-Rhyne where, in eight seasons, he never lost more than three games. 2024 was his first season at Mercer where his team went 11-3 before losing in the quarterfinal to eventual national champion NDSU. He is on the fast track and winning games, if the Falcons don’t hire him now they’ll never have the chance. 

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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