Inside hirings sometimes work in college football, sometimes not

TCU's Gary Patterson and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy are two coaches that have been successful after ascending from being assistant coaches on staff.

Nov. 30, 2015 8:07 PM PT

Clay Helton’s appointment as USC’s football coach bucked conventional college football wisdom in two ways:

In four seasons before this one, none of the 16 major-college teams who had used interim coaches hired them for the permanent position, according to research by collegefootballpoll.com.
From 2007 to 2014, only 14% of the head coaches hired at the college game’s top level were promoted from within, according to a study by Fox Sports.

Helton is the third interim coach promoted already this season — Tracy Claeys at Minnesota and Bill Cubit at Illinois are the others — but although an assistant rising directly to the director’s chair does happen, it is rare at a blueblood program such as USC’s. The biggest programs seem to prefer proven, marquee performers who can ignite their alumni.

Still, there are plenty of powerful programs who have promoted from within in recent years.

Here’s a look at some of those moves — several that worked and others that did not.

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Worked

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Replaced: Tommy Bowden.

Previous post/interim: Assistant head coach and wide receivers coach/Yes.

Record: 73-26.

Update: Has guided the Tigers to undefeated season and nation’s No. 1 ranking.

David Shaw, Stanford

Replaced: Jim Harbaugh.

Previous post/interim: Offensive coordinator and running backs coach/No.

Record: 52-14.

Update: Has guided the Cardinal to the Pac-12 Conference title game Saturday against USC.

Mark Helfrich, Oregon

Replaced: Chip Kelly.

Previous post/interim: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach/No.

Record: 33-7.

Update: Piloted Oregon to the national championship game last season.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern

Replaced: Randy Walker.

Previous post/interim: Linebackers coach/No.

Record: 70-55.

Update: Has won more games than any other Northwestern football coach.

Gary Patterson, Texas Christian

Replaced: Dennis Franchione.

Previous post/interim: Defensive coordinator and safeties coach/No.

Record: 142-47.

Update: School’s winningest football coach had team that finished 12-0 in 2009.

Chris Petersen, Boise State

Replaced: Dan Hawkins.

Previous post/interim: Offensive coordinator/No.

Record: 92-12.

Update: Current Washington coach won two Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards as college football’s coach of the year while at Boise State, where he guided the Broncos to two undefeated seasons and won two Bowl Championship Series bowls.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Replaced: Les Miles.

Previous post/interim: Associate head coach and offensive coordinator/No.

Record: 94-46.

Update: Has averaged more than nine victories per season over the last eight seasons at Oklahoma State, the most successful stretch in school history.

Kyle Whittingham, Utah

Replaced: Urban Meyer.

Previous post/interim: Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach/No.

Record: 94-46.

Update: Chose Utah job over an offer from his alma mater, Brigham Young. Guided Utah in its transition into the Pac-12 and won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award in 2008.

Bronco Mendenhall, Brigham Young

Replaced: Gary Crowton.

Previous post/interim: Defensive coordinator/No.

Record: 99-42.

Update: Has been to 10 bowl games in 10 years as Brigham Young’s coach, with No. 11 ahead this season.

Ken Niumatalolo, Navy

Replaced: Paul Johnson.

Previous post/interim: Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator/No.

Record: 66-37.

Update: Is undefeated against Army and has upset Notre Dame twice.

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Failed

Mike DuBose, Alabama

Replaced: Gene Stallings.

Previous post/interim: Defensive line coach/No.

Record: 24-23.

Update: Fired after the 2000 season after going 3-8.

Bill Stewart, West Virginia

Replaced: Rich Rodriguez.

Previous post/interim: Associate head coach and tight ends coach/Yes.

Record: 28-12.

Update: Resigned in 2011 after 9-4 records in each of his three full seasons.

Luke Fickell, Ohio State

Replaced: Jim Tressel.

Record: 6-7.

Previous post/interim: Co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach/Yes.

Update: After working as the interim coach for a full season, was returned to his former post as co-defensive coordinator when the school hired Meyer.

Scott Shafer, Syracuse

Replaced: Doug Marrone.

Previous post/interim: Defensive coordinator/No.

Record: 14-23.

Update: Fired last month after two seasons with four victories or less.

Kyle Flood, Rutgers

Replaced: Greg Schiano.

Previous post/interim: Assistant head coach and offensive line coach/Yes.

Record: 27-24.

Update: Recently fired after a 4-8 season filled with off-the-field controversy.

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