The Best New Assistant Coaches in College Football

Charlie Weis, Offensive Coordinator, Florida - New head coach Will Muschamp wants to run a pro-style attack at Florida, so he went out and hired a man who has been the offensive coordinator for three Super Bowl champs.

Phil Bennett, Defensive Coordinator, Baylor - Bennett’s stint as a head coach did not go well (18–52 in six seasons at SMU), but he is a highly respected defensive coordinator who is fresh off a successful three-year run at Pittsburgh.

Don Brown, Defensive Coordinator, UConn - A highly successful head coach in two stops at the FCS level (Northeastern and UMass), Brown did a solid job in his two seasons as the defensive coordinator at Maryland.

Manny Diaz, Defensive Coordinator, Texas - Replacing Will Muschamp will not be easy, but Diaz is a rising star in coaching who did an outstanding job in his only season at Mississippi State.

Bryan Harsin, Co-Offensive Coordinator, Texas - Harsin comes to Texas after five seasons as the offensive coordinator at Boise State. He will inject some much-needed youthful energy into the Longhorns' attack.

Steve Kragthorpe, Offensive Coordinator, LSU - LSU is a competent offense away from being a strong national title contender. Kragthorpe bombed as the head coach at Louisville, but he turned Tulsa into a winner and has two years of experience as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL.  

David Lee, Offensive Coordinator, Ole Miss - Lee is credited with introducing the Wildcat offense while the offensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2007. His most recent stop was in Miami, where he was the quarterbacks coach for the Dolphins from 2008-10.

Greg Mattison, Defensive Coordinator, Michigan - Mattison returns to the collegiate ranks after three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens (one as linebackers coach, two as the defensive coordinator). He was the D.C. at Michigan from 1995-96 and also had stops as a coordinator at Florida and Notre Dame.

Chad Morris, Offensive Coordinator, Clemson - Morris is only two years removed from coaching in high school football, but his offense at Tulsa in 2010 averaged over 500 yards and 40 points per game.