Marcus knows why he stands out in the community. Even as representation of Black players has increased, the history of Black men getting opportunities to lead is limited. The past five national championship winners, including Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Ohio State, have never had a black head coach. After many years as an assistant, those who get head-coaching jobs tend to take over programs at the bottom of the Power 5 or Group of 5. Mason was the only one to last longer than three seasons. Maryland coach Mike Locksley, who launched the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches in 2020 to promote and develop more candidates, is one of the few Black coaches who received a second chance after struggling at his first job. The Group of 5 defensive coordinators at Cincinnati began generating head-coaching buzz when they interviewed for the Illinois head-coaching job. He was chosen to replace Brian Kelly in late November. He became the head coach of the most famous team at the ripe old age of 35. He is going to get a job like Notre Dame right away. He is going to be under a microscope, not that he needs to put on himself, but just that. The Black coaches have heard from him since he was promoted. You know that you're a representation for a lot of people. I want to make sure that I do this in the right way so that future generations and coaches get the chance that I was presented. Even if some candidates remain under the radar, there are still candidates out there, even if they aren't well known. I spoke with coaches, athletic directors, search firm executives and agents to come up with a list of 45 minority coaches under the age of 45 who are projected to become head coaches in the next few years. I've tried to identify those who can be realistic candidates in the next 5 to 7 years, despite the fact that many of the coaches listed could land jobs soon. A lot of 30-somethings are in the list. The list was very competitive, but to gain some variety, I divided names by both team designation and title, and included some NFL assistants with college background. Who could be next in line? Even if they aren't primary playcallers, coaches who have an offense, defense or special teams title are included here. Josh Gattis is the Miami offensiveordinator.
Age: 38POWER 5 COORDINATORS
The nation's top assistant coach helped ignite Michigan's offense in order to make the program's firstCFP appearance. He now has more freedom at Miami. If Miami's offense begins to surge, Gattis should get an opportunity soon at a Power 5 program.
A Power 5 coach said he is a big time rising star.
Illinois has a defensive assistant.
Age: 36
He has a second playcalling credit in his profile after a stint at Missouri, where he was an offensive line coach. A former safety and captain at Colorado, where his father was a quarterback, he could be in the running for head-coaching jobs in the Big 12 or Mountain West. Illinois' defense improved in his first season as DC.
Mississippi State defensive assistant/safeties coach.
Age: 35
Arnett, who is Hispanic, has made his mark in two seasons at Mississippi State after an extensive stretch under defensive guruRocky Long as both a player and coach. The San Diego State defense ranked third in points allowed. The market for head-coaching jobs is heating up.
Michigan has an offensive line coach.
Age: 36
After four years at Central Michigan, Moore was hired by the University of Michigan. Michigan won the Joe Moore Award as the nation's top O-line after he switched to offensive line. After Gattis leaves, Moore will get more say in the offense. He and Matt Weiss will work together.
The Power 5 coach loved him. He's a big man.
Levar Woods is the Iowa special teams coach.
Age: 44
Iowa has gone 35-13 since the beginning of the year and leads the nation in special teams expected points. The kicking game has been impacted by Woods. He has been a coach on both offense and defense. He has been at Iowa for his entire career.
Des Kitchings is a tight ends coach.
Age: 43
Kitchings joined Virginia after playing for the Atlanta Falcons. He was the co-coordinator at NC State earlier in his career and is now the primary co-coordinator. Kitchings has coached running backs and tight ends.
Lance Taylor is the Louisville offensiveordinator.
Age: 40
Taylor spent time at Notre Dame, Cardinal and the Carolinas. He worked with Christian McCaffery and other Notre Dame running backs during his time at the school. Scott Satterfield will call plays, but Taylor can enhance his profile.
A Power 5 coach said that he would end up on a head-coaching list this year.
Alex is the offensive line coach.
Age: 38
Mike Norvell was the first OC to give a young coach a chance. Even though Norvell's influence on the Florida State offense will remain, he should benefit from continued improvement with the unit and line. Prior to FSU, he was Charlotte's offensive coach.
Tony White is the defensive assistant to the Syracuse head coach.
Age: 43
White's overall profile makes him attractive as a potential head coach, despite the fact that Syracuse needs to improve this fall. He came up in the Rocky Long system after working on both coasts and became the Arizona State's assistant coach. A top-20 Syracuse defense was overseen by White.
Boston College has a defensive coach.
Age: 40
Lukabu has connections to Greg Schiano and Chip Kelly and is entering his third season as BC's coach. BC's defense has improved in each of the first two seasons, and another boost should make him a candidate for jobs. Most of Lukabu's college career has been on the East Coast, but he did work at Mississippi State in the past.
Chris Marve works for Virginia Tech.
Age: 33
First at his alma mater, then at Mississippi State and finally at Florida State, the former All-SEC linebacker has quickly ascended in coaching. He will learn a lot from the new Virginia Tech coach, a defensive mind. Marve has the potential to fit into many future job profiles.
Junior Adams is a wide receiver's coach.
Age: 42
One of the more connected coaches in the Northwest is Adams, who was a wide receiver at Oregon State and Montana State. He has worked at several universities in Washington, including the University of Washington and the University of Idaho. He worked at Western Kentucky as a coordinators and is now working at Oregon.
An industry source saidJunior has been on the radar. Oregon has a diverse staff.
Jay Valai is a defensive coach.
Age: 34
The ex-Wisconsin safety has been busy since he started coaching. Alabama, Texas, Rutgers and Georgia are some of the places he has worked. Valai got his first job as an OU coach. Venables and Ted Roof should help him grow as a person.
The associate head coach is Doug Belk.
Age: 34
The Group of 5 will only be for one more season as Houston joins the Big 12. He is one of the top names after Houston's breakthrough. The Third Ward defense was 19th in points allowed and 10th in yards allowed. Before becoming a DC, he was a defensive backs coach for the Alabama and West Virginia staffs.
Williams is the defensive coordinators.
Age: 39
Williams will become a member of the Power 5 in 2023. UCF's defense improved dramatically down the stretch and was ranked seventh in pass efficiency. Kevin Steele and Williams were co-defensive coordinators at the same time at the same school.
Ilaisa Tuiaki is the defensive coach of the Mormon church.
Age: 43
The Polynesian coach has a key role in the recent success of BYU under another Polynesian coach, Kalani Sitake, as well as coaching defense at Utah and offense at Utah State. He was nominated for an award as a position coach. As BYU transitions to the Big 12 in 2023, he could see his profile expand.
Utah State has a defensive assistant/safeties coach.
Age: 40
Utah State won the Mountain West title and finished in the top 25. Utah State ranked 10th in red zone defense. At Mississippi State and Miami, where he was co-defensive coordinators in the last two years, he worked for the same man as well as being Hispanic.
Ball State's defensive coordinator is Tyler Stockton.
Age: 32
Ball State won the MAC 2020 title and its first bowl win under the guidance of the former Notre Dame defensive linemen. He has been nominated for the award two years in a row. He coordinated a defense that ranked 23rd in the country.
Colorado State has a defensive coach.
Age: 33
New CSU coach Jay Norvell made a smart, under-the-radar coordinators hire in Banks, who helped Montana State to the FCS national title game last year. Banks has spent most of his career in college football's lower divisions, but he was the defensive backs coach at Nevada in 2020. Success in Fort Collins could help him rise quickly.
Brandon Jones is a running backs coach.
Age: 38
Jones is an offensive line coach at Houston. He worked as an offensive line coach at Texas Tech and as a run game coach at Cal. The Dallas native has connections to a number of Air Raid coaches. Jones could be one of the prominent Black coaches.
Fran Brown is a defensive backs coach.
Age: 40
One of the best-known assistants in the Northeast is Brown, who was runner-up for Temple's coaching position last winter. He came up under Matt Rhule at Temple and went on to become a co-defensive coordinators in 2019. After two seasons with Rutgers, Brown now has a chance to play for Georgia.
Iowa State's running backs and wide receiver coach.
Age: 31
His age and responsibility level make him fascinating as he oversees two key position groups. Before joining Campbell's ISU staff, he was a quarterback at his alma mater. Two-time All-America running back Breece Hall is one of the people he works with.
The Power 5 athletic director said that he has a high ceiling.
Alabama has an assistant head coach of offense.
Age: 42
He has established himself as one of the nation's top wide receiver coaches, mentoring some of the best players in the country. The LA native has made stops at Virginia Tech, Memphis and Tulsa. Group of 5 head-coaching interest was generated by him last year.
The offensive line coach is Brad Davis.
Age: 42
The only on-field assistant retained by Kelly was Davis, who was LSU's interim head coach. Davis has been an O-line coach for four SEC programs and a co-offensive coordinator at James Madison, as well as serving as recruiting assistant for two Group of 5 programs.
The running backs coach is Jerry Mack.
Age: 41
Mack is on the head-coaching track, according to several industry sources. He won three MEAC titles in a row at North Carolina Central. Mack has experience in coaching quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends. He has worked for college programs in six states.
A Power 5 coach said that he had been a head coach before and had some success. He has a chance in the long run.
Robinson is an assistant head coach and defensive line coach.
Age: 37
One of the nation's top defensive line coaches, Robinson could be in the running to lead his own program. He came up under Bill O'Brien and Larry Johnson at Penn State, his alma mater, and then began his coaching career with Rhule at Temple and Baylor, which just signed arguably the best-ever crop of defensive line recruits.
Lou is a running backs coach.
Age: 41
At both the college and the NFL, Ayeni has had multiple opportunities. He has remained at his alma mater but has generated head-coaching interest and could soon get more traction.
Donte Williams is the defensive backs coach.
Age: 39
After working at Oregon and now USC, the Los Angeles native has had his profile grow. He served as USC's interim head coach after Helton was fired. Lincoln Riley had only one assistant, Williams. He should get a head-coaching job if the team improves.
The quarterback coach is Bush Hamdan.
Age: 36
A quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017, Hamdan has a strong resume that includes three stops as a quarterbacks coach and one as a quarterbacks coach. After his departure, the unit's problems continued. A charisma that will help in the interview process is brought to the table by Hamdan, who has worked on both coasts.
Shephard is the Washington wide receiver coach.
Age: 39
Shephard will work with another great offensive coach in DeBoer. Rondale Moore, David Bell and other notables were coached by him. Shephard worked with Washington State's head football coach. In 2015, he was Western Kentucky's special teams coach.
Bryan McClendon is Georgia's wide receiver coach.
Age: 38
After spending his entire coaching career at Power 5 programs, McClendon is back at his alma mater, where he was interim head coach in 2015. He was the interim head coach at the University of Oregon. South Carolina's primary offensive coach was held by McClendon in the last two years.
Mike Hart is a running backs coach.
Age: 36
Michigan's all-time rushing leader carries name recognition and has made his mark in coaching. He became associate head coach at Indiana in 2020 and then returned to Michigan, where he helped lead the team to a state title. Hart is a strong personality who can lead a team.
Addae is a secondary coach.
Age: 38
Addae has a national championship with Georgia in 2021, as well as Power 5 stops at Minnesota, Arizona, and West Virginia. A native of the Florida area, the Cincinnati's running backs coach has geographic diversity in his profile. He works in power conferences and is considered an elite-level recruiter.
The assistant head coach is Kenni Burns.
Age: 38
One of P.J. Fleck's most important assistants is Burns, who has been at Western Michigan and now Minnesota. He was a coach at Wyoming and helped North Dakota State win three straight national titles. He could be a candidate for multiple jobs in the Mountain West.
A Group of 5 athletic director said that he is a "holistic person developer, a purpose-driven recruiter, a faith-based principled leader, an adaptable gameplanner and pristinely organized."
The Washington running backs coach is Lee Marks.
Age: 39
Marks became one of DeBoer's top assistants at FRESNO STATE before moving to Washington. He was the interim head coach at the time of the bowl win, and he was also the head coach at other schools. He was the special teams coach at Idaho State in 2019.
Hankton is the LSU wide receiver coach.
Age: 41
After a nine-year career in the NFL and United Football League, Hankton has quickly risen as a receiver's coach and makes his third SEC stop. At Georgia, the New Orleans native developed several strong wide outs. His head-coaching candidate profile will be shaped by his impact at LSU.
The safeties coach is Paul Gonzalez.
Age: 37
Gonzales was retained by the new coach of the Frogs despite his role in the success of the defense. He has worked with many All-America selections. He was a baseball player at UC Davis and a coach at Pacific. He could be a good fit for the west coast.
The group includes NFL assistants who may be considered for college head-coaching vacancies in the future.
Brian Johnson is a quarterbacks coach.
Age: 35
If Johnson were to return to college, he would have to decide if he wanted to become an NFL head-coaching role or not. When Kyle Whittingham retires, he will be a candidate at Utah, his alma mater. At Utah, Houston and Florida, Johnson was the associate head coach for the football team.
The assistant head coach is Thomas Brown.
Age: 36
Brown's rise in the college game has made him an attractive candidate for an NFL head-coaching job this winter. After coaching running backs at four Power 5 programs and the Rams, he's going to lead his second position group with the defending Super Bowl champion. Under Mark Richt, Brown was Miami's offensive coach.
Ra' Shaad Samples is a running backs coach.
Age: 27
Samples has accelerated his career at an amazing pace. He became an assistant head coach at SMU in 2021. Samples went to the Rams instead of joining the Frogs. His ability to recruit and coach in Texas makes him a very attractive candidate for programs in the region.
Ryan Mahaffey works for the Green Bay Packers.
Age: 34
He has been an assistant coach at Western Kentucky and an assistant coach at Northern Iowa. He worked for the Packers as a quality control assistant. Mahaffey worked with the wide receiver at Notre Dame. He could one day be a candidate in the Midwest.
Willie Simmons is a head coach.
Age: 41
Simmons almost got the job at Florida International in December, but he decided to stay at HBCU. Simmons has led the Rattlers to two top 25 finishes in the past two years. Middle Tennessee has experience with quarterbacks.
A Power 5 coach is a huge Willie Simmons fan. He has a great upside.
He could become a Group of 5 head coach as a next step.
Jackson is the head coach.
Age: 38
Jackson could be on the radar of the Group of 5 athletic directors. He was the head coach of Colorado Mesa and went 10-3. Jackson has worked in other parts of the country.
South Carolina State has a defensive coach.
Age: 33
Saxon is one of the top defensive minds in the college game. Jackson State's team was shut down by South Carolina State in the celebration bowl. He came up under Charlie Strong at Louisville and is now a play caller. Saxon is growing his network, which should help him find a job in the future.
Morgan State has an assistant head coach and safeties coach.
Age: 42
One of the more accomplished coordinators in the HBCUs is Sewell. At his alma mater, he created championship-level defenses that thrived with sacks and turnovers. He went to Alabama State before Morgan State. He is likely several years away from being on the FBS radar.
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