Why Are Top Assistant Coaches Not Being Mentioned at Penn State and Florida?

Every day another rumor arises as to who Penn State and Florida are targeting as their next head coach. And it is basically a popularity contest with known names like Lane Kiffin, Marcus Freeman, Matt Rhule and Mike Elko. But if recent history means anything, there are more reasonable options who are being ignored.

It is also reasonable that an athletic director at a huge program like Penn State and Florida wants to make a huge splash with his next hire. This next hire may very well determine the status of his own job in the coming years. A big-name hire achieves the initial buzz from the press and fanbase that makes everyone happy. At least for a bit.  But it doesn’t mean that it is the correct choice.

Even a partial list of the current head coaches who made the successful transition from being an assistant is long and impressive:

• Kirby Smart – Georgia (Defensive Coordinator at Alabama)
• Steve Sarkisian – Texas (Offensive Coordinator at Alabama)
• Dan Lanning – Oregon (Defensive Coordinator at Georgia)
• Ryan Day – Ohio State (Offensive Coordinator at Ohio State)
• Dabo Swinney – Clemson (Wide Receivers Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Clemson)

These schools felt comfortable in giving the responsibility of managing their elite program to a first-time head coach. And it was the right move. So, why hasn’t there been any buzz about a current assistant coach making the jump? Are there no qualified options? That is not the case, as there are several assistants who should be given a long, hard look by every FBS program that is currently looking for their next head coach.

• Ryan Grubb – Alabama (Offensive Coordinator)
• Brian Hartline – Ohio State (Offensive Coordinator)
• Chris Hampton – Oregon (Defensive Coordinator)
• Will Stein – Oregon (Offensive Coordinator)
• Glenn Schumann – Georgia (Defensive Coordinator)

One hurdle is that each of these assistants are in the midst of important seasons. But the same can be said for any head coach. The bigger issue is cosmetic. The Florida fanbase gets excited about a name like Lane Kiffin, but that wouldn’t be the case if Will Stein suddenly becomes the hot topic.

However, this the benefit that schools like Florida and Penn State currently have. There is no rush to make a decision so they can do their due diligence over the next month. But that due diligence needs to include names like Stein, Hartline and Grubb or their athletic directors are letting cosmetics cloud their judgement.