The expansion of the College Football Playoff has magnified many elements in the sport, including the hiring of new coordinators.
For teams hovering on the fringes of the CFP, the right new playcaller (or two) can make the difference between moving into the field or being left out. In some cases, teams had obvious deficiencies that led to hires of new coordinators. Other times, coordinators were brought in to upgrade already solid and successful units.
Saturday's matchup between No. 4 Penn State and USC at the Los Angeles Coliseum underscores the significance of new coordinators and the scrutiny they now find themselves under.
Penn State carries the distinction of the best college football team never to have made the CFP. The Lions are 93-39 with five 10-win seasons since the playoff launched in 2014, also coach James Franklin's first season. Franklin made it clear at Big Ten media days in July that the CFP is the new standard for PSU. A huge key would be sparking an offense that last year generated only 47 plays of 20 yards or longer, which ranked 97th nationally. Franklin hired Andy Kotelnicki, whose creative scheme helped revive the Kansas program, to provide the kindling.
Lincoln Riley went from not advancing in the CFP because of his defense at Oklahoma to not even making the field of four during his first two seasons at USC, despite having Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at quarterback. While Penn State struggled to make big plays on offense, USC hemorrhaged them on defense, ranking 104th in yards per play allowed and 100th in missed tackles. Riley looked across town to UCLA for a solution, bringing in D'Anton Lynn as defensive coordinator.
Kotelnicki, Lynn and a handful of other notable first-year coordinators have had a half-season to impact and upgrade their new units. Here's a snapshot of what six new coordinators have done so far, as well as grades through the first six weeks.
Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki
Age: 44
Bio blast: OC at Kansas, Buffalo and Wisconsin-Whitewater under Lance Leipold; played center at Wisconsin-River Falls
Replaced: Mike Yurcich (fired before end of 2023 season)
First-half breakdown: Franklin hired Kotelnicki with the clear purpose of getting more from talented quarterback Drew Allar and the passing game, even without elite wide receivers. Kotelnicki's Kansas offenses tied for ninth nationally in plays of 20 yards or longer from 2022 to 2023 with 161, and ranked fifth in yards per play (7.06). Likening his scheme to a Dairy Queen Blizzard, Kotelnicki presents a lot for defenses to see before the ball is snapped but ultimately doesn't overload his quarterback and others with responsibilities. Allar, a top-50ish recruit in 2022, avoided major mistakes under Yurcich but struggled to stretch the field, especially against top competition. His only sub-90 passer ratings came in losses to Ohio State and Michigan.
Kotelnicki's impact surfaced immediately, as Allar completed passes of 55 and 50 yards and averaged 19.6 yards per completion in a decisive season-opening road win against West Virginia. Allar is averaging 15.1 yards per completion through five games, while throwing only one interception and forming strong connections with tight end Tyler Warren and others. Penn State is tied for 18th in plays of 10 yards or longer (18), up from 60th last season. The Lions broke a 98-year record for single-game total offense with 718 yards against Kent State. Although the passing offense wasn't quite as explosive in wins over Illinois and UCLA, Kotelnicki showed his versatility with emphasis on the run game, led by Kaytron Allen. Penn State ranks in the top five nationally in percentage of plays 10 yards or longer (28.1) and percentage of pass plays 15 yards or longer (29.8).
"Each week, we're getting better and more confident and more comfortable on offense," Franklin told me. "We obviously are one of the more explosive teams in the country, and that was our probably biggest issue last year. We talk about it a lot internally as a program, how there's going to be a lot of different ways you're going to have to find to win games. It's nice to see that we've done it a couple different ways already."
Grade: A-. Penn State has faced only one top-80 scoring defense in Illinois and showed some passing limitations in that game, while countering with heavy run. Kotelnicki's biggest tests are still to come, but he has delivered on the primary reason for his hiring.
USC defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn
Age: 34
Bio blast: DC at UCLA in 2023; defensive assistant with five NFL teams from 2015 to 2022; son of former NFL head coach Anthony Lynn; played cornerback at Penn State
Replaced: Alex Grinch (fired before end of 2023 season)
First-half breakdown: Lynn was hired to significantly limit the breakdowns that plagued USC under Grinch, and to complement the bursts of playmaking (takeaways, tackles for loss) that the unit displayed. He also was instrumental in the teamwide bulk-up for USC's Big Ten arrival, telling me this summer, "Going to the Big Ten will be more of what you see in the NFL. It's a more physical style of play. You get bigger personnel groups. Being able to win the line of scrimmage is going to be even more important."
Much like Kotelnicki, Lynn's influence showed immediately. USC's defense held up well in its season-opening win against LSU, allowing only 20 points and only three plays of longer than 20 yards. USC made LSU work for its points, as all four Tigers scoring drives went seven or more plays. The Trojans followed by shutting out Utah State. USC has tightened up its tackling and is tied for the seventh-fewest total missed tackles (missed tackles plus broken tackles) in the country.
"I knew they would do a good job schematically," an opposing offensive coordinator said. "The biggest thing, though, is they tackle. They tackle and their defensive line held point. That was what made them so bad last year. Schematically, they got exposed, but also just poor tackling."
USC's defense is still adjusting, though, especially to a new league in which physical run play is emphasized. The Trojans allowed 483 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on 86 carries in narrow losses to Michigan and Minnesota and couldn't stop winning drives in both games
Grade: B+. The Michigan and Minnesota performances, especially the run busts against a one-dimensional Michigan offense, curbed an effective first half from Lynn. USC's biggest problems are no longer on defense, but there's still room for more progress.
LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker
Age: 42
Bio blast: DC at Missouri in 2022 and 2023; LSU linebackers coach in 2021; Manny Diaz protégé who worked under Diaz at both Louisiana Tech and Miami and held coordinator roles at both spots; former linebacker at Tulane
Replaced: Matt House (fired after 2023 season)
First-half breakdown: Baker was the linchpin of an expensive yet necessary defensive staff overhaul for LSU, which slipped to 81st nationally in points allowed and 115th against the pass last season, allowing 142 points in its three losses (Florida State, Ole Miss and Alabama). The former LSU assistant had coordinator experience within the state at Louisiana Tech and oversaw a Missouri defense that finished in the top 20 in forced fumbles, sacks and tackles for loss. LSU tied for 103rd in takeaways last fall with just 14 but has applied more pressure this year, indicative of Baker's defenses over the years. The team also brought in notable defensive assistants Bo Davis, Corey Raymond and Kevin Peoples to work alongside Baker, who became the nation's highest-paid assistant with a $2.5 million annual salary.
They inherited a unit with some potential trouble spots, especially in the back end, a group that will look very different in the coming seasons. LSU also lost its most talented defender, Harold Perkins Jr., to an ACL injury during a Week 4 win against UCLA. The Tigers faced some early bumps, struggling against USC's passing game (378 yards allowed) in a season-opening loss and against South Carolina's run game (243 rushing yards, four touchdowns allowed) in a narrow Week 3 road win. Baker has helped engineer gains in pressure, as LSU has 13 sacks in its last three games and five or more tackles for loss in four of five contests. Bradyn Swinson and Sai'vion Jones have stepped up in Perkins' absence, combining for nine sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles.
"Certainly his personality comes out in the way he leads the defense, but with Bo Davis, Kevin Peoples, Corey Raymond, all of them have a part in this whole defensive structure," Kelly told me. "That's what makes this work very well. You have a guy that is very relatable to his players, and then you have a very experienced group that has seen a lot and has had a lot of success in the SEC. That dynamic is going to work now and it's going to work later."
Grade: B. LSU has leaned into its strength in the front seven and found its way into the offensive backfield more, which reflects Baker's pressuring scheme. The key will be back-end improvement, especially against more dynamic passing offenses, such as Ole Miss this week and Alabama on Nov. 2.
Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein
Age: 35
Bio blast: OC at Kansas State in 2022 and 2023; began coaching Kansas State quarterbacks in 2017; former Kansas State quarterback (Heisman Trophy finalist in 2012)
Replaced: Bobby Petrino (fired along with Jimbo Fisher's coaching staff after 2023 season)
First-half breakdown: Texas A&M wasn't widely viewed as a CFP contender entering the season, although new coach Mike Elko generated optimism in the coaching community after the team's underachieving play under predecessor Jimbo Fisher. Klein had emerged as a rising young coordinator after helping his alma mater to a 2022 Big 12 title and generating success with multiple quarterbacks (Will Howard, Adrian Martinez, Skylar Thompson), incorporating the QB run elements that helped him thrive as a K-State legend. He nearly left for the Notre Dame offensive coordinator role after the 2022 season but ultimately landed with the Aggies, who showed improvement in Petrino's only season as coordinator, finishing 24th in scoring, but had lost Ainias Smith, Evan Stewart and others.
Klein inherited an offense with talented quarterback Conner Weigman, a solid running back room but turnover at wide receiver and questions along the offensive line. The unit looked predictably shaky in a season-opening loss to Notre Dame, finishing with only 13 points and 246 yards. But Klein has deftly navigated the past month, even when Weigman missed time because of a shoulder injury. Redshirt freshman Marcel Reed stepped in and won three games as the Aggies' starter, including a road game at Florida where he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another. Weigman then returned last week against Missouri and completed 18 of 22 pass attempts, while Le'Veon Moss continued to surge under Klein with three touchdown runs and his third 100-yard rushing performance in three games. Texas A&M had five rushing touchdowns against an SEC opponent for the first time since 2013, and has had two games of five or more rushing touchdowns for the first time since 2019.
Grade: B+. Klein has really settled in well since a difficult opener, managing two quarterbacks and forging an impressive run-based identity with Moss, Amari Daniels and others. The Aggies made a solid Missouri defense look bad and won't face an elite defense until the regular-season finale against Texas.
Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock
Age: 60
Bio blast: OC at LSU in 2022 and 2023; OC at Cincinnati from 2017 to 2021; third stint as Notre Dame assistant and second as offensive coordinator 2014; worked extensively under former Notre Dame coaches Brian Kelly and Tyrone Willingham; former Grand Valley State tight end
Replaced: Gerad Parker (left to become Troy's head coach)
First-half breakdown: Notre Dame twice made the four-team playoff and reached the BCS national title game after the 2012 season, but its deficiencies at quarterback and with the overall pass game were exposed each time. After a 2023 season in which Notre Dame's offense piled up stats against weaker opponents but struggled against its strongest opponents, coach Marcus Freeman wisely hired Denbrock, a two-time Fighting Irish assistant who oversaw the nation's top offense at LSU, quarterbacked by Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. The goal was for Denbrock to get more out of quarterback transfer Riley Leonard than Parker ultimately did in 2023 with Sam Hartman, at least in the biggest games. Denbrock also hoped to spark a middling receiving corps, while leaning on a talented group of running backs and an offensive line that had a bit more youth than normal.
The first half has been choppy for Notre Dame, which ranks 19th nationally in rushing and tied for 12th in rushing touchdowns per game but hasn't consistently generated progress in its passing game. The Irish rank 115th in passing yards per game and 118th in yards per attempt. Leonard hasn't eclipsed 163 passing yards and didn't throw a touchdown pass until his fourth game. Even after a strong start against Louisville in a Sept. 28 win, Notre Dame endured a 28-minute scoring drought that had Freeman telling Denbrock, "What we're doing right now is not working. Let's try something else." Notre Dame has faced several solid defenses, and the run game is both explosive and diverse, despite several key offensive line injuries. But there's genuine urgency to truly spark Leonard and the passing game during the second half.
"It falls on everybody," Denbrock told me. "Some of it is protection, some of it is depth of routes and discipline and what you're doing with your route running. Some of it is throws, just the mechanics of keeping your feet in good position and letting the ball go when you're supposed to, and reads and wrong routes. We've all kind of taken turns. But I think we're getting closer. They see what it can be."
Grade: C-. Leonard was billed as an upgrade from Hartman, and while he has hurt defenses with his feet, the passing prowess hasn't come consistently. Denbrock ultimately will be judged on whether he can get more from Leonard and the wideouts in the second half, as Notre Dame's CFP hopes remain alive.
Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston
Age: 38
Bio blast: Defensive backs coach for Cincinnati Bengals from 2016 to 2023; Bengals scout from 2012 to 2014; former safety at William & Mary
Replaced: Charles Kelly (left to become co-defensive coordinator at Auburn)
First-half breakdown: The constant focus on Colorado's roster changes under coach Deion Sanders have overshadowed some key moves on the staff. Former NFL head coach Pat Shurmur took over as the team's offensive playcaller before the end of the 2023 season, but Livingston arrived as a relative unknown, after 12 years in various roles with the Bengals organization. Sanders said glowing recommendations from former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and others prompted him to hire Livingston, who had never held an on-field role in the FBS. Livingston took over a Colorado defense that ranked 121st in points allowed last season and 114th in yards per play allowed. The Buffs returned cornerback Travis Hunter and others, and added several key transfers up front and in the secondary.
Colorado has shown clear improvement under Livingston, generating pressure and making key plays, despite lacking overall dominance. The Buffs held a UCF offense averaging 375.7 rushing yards per game to just 177 in a decisive win, while recording five sacks (from four different players), 13 tackles for loss and a 95-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Colorado has eight players with multiple tackles for loss. The unit has been prone to shaky stretches and still ranks 70th in yards per play allowed, but Colorado is solid on third down, allowing less than 34% conversions in three of its past four games. The Buffs also get better as games go along, allowing only 26 total points in the second half or overtime.
"They're better on defense," an opposing coach said. "They're interesting. Defensively, this D-coordinator, if he keeps it simple, these guys will have a chance to play fast and play free up front, and that makes them a lot tougher and more physical. Those new edge guys are much better than what they've had."
Grade: B. Colorado isn't close to being a dominant defense, but it is a much more respectable one, especially after the UCF win. Livingston has made good in-game adjustments and leaned into the strengths of an ever-changing personnel group. Key tests are on the horizon, beginning this week with No. 18 Kansas State visiting Boulder.