Vols hit big on assistant hire; more staffing news from P5 schools
With the addition of a 10th on-field assistant job at FBS schools and National Signing Day in the books, plenty of assistant coaches are still on the move.
In the latest installment of our series, we rank the best assistant coach hires at Power Five programs from the past week from a recruiting perspective and name our assistant coach hire of the week. Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell also weighs in on each of the best recent hires.
NOTE: Not all hirings have been officially announced, but have been reported by multiple outlets.
HIRE OF THE WEEK: CHRIS WEINKE, TENNESSEE (RUNNING BACKS)
The one-time head coach at football factory IMG Academy and a former Heisman Trophy winner, Weinke brings a diverse coaching background with him to Knoxville. Weinke obviously has deep ties to the state of Florida from his time as the Seminoles' quarterback and has recent NFL coaching experience as well (Rams QB coach from 2015-2016), something that should resonate with high school prospects.
Jesse Simonton, Senior Writer at VolQuest.com: "The timing of Robert Gillespie’s departure was certainly abrupt, but Jeremy Pruitt’s decision to ultimately clean house of all former Butch Jones assistants wasn’t a real surprise. Upon parting ways with Gillespie, Pruitt immediately zeroed in on Weinke, who he had worked with at Alabama during the 2017 season. In fact, the former Heisman Trophy winner was set to join Tennessee’s staff in December as part of Pruitt's initial hires, but a deal through. Two months later, Weinke is now in Knoxville.
"Weinke doesn’t have much experience as a traditional recruiter in college, but his days as IMG’s head coach (2010-2014) should prove very valuable when interacting with both prospects and parents. Weinke’s continued ties to the program should also help the Vols make some added inroads at the prestigious academy."
Farrell’s take: “A former Heisman winner, former high school coach and a great talent evaluator, Weinke will be an excellent recruiter at the college level and is considered a huge hire for Tennessee.”
BEST OF THE REST
Craig Kuligowski – Alabama (defensive line)
A veteran position coach known for developing defensive linemen at both Missouri and Miami, Kuligowski walks into an ideal situation with the Tide. He’s always been known more for an ability to take under-the-radar prospects and turn them into All-Americans and NFL draft picks, so it will be interesting to see how he recruits from a position of power at Alabama.
Farrell’s take: “With a lot of experience and an excellent reputation of producing NFL defensive linemen from his days at Missouri and Miami, he is also known as a great talent evaluator and will be a good recruiter at Alabama.”
Alex Mirabal – Oregon (offensive line)
A longtime friend of Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, Mirabal comes to Eugene after spending several seasons at Marshall. He also coached with Cristobal at FIU and spent several years as a high school coach in South Florida. He has strong ties to the state of Florida, where Oregon has always tried to make inroads in recruiting.
Farrell’s Take: “His ties to Cristobal aside, he’s a good teacher and known for finding talent in places few look.”
Cory Robinson – Rutgers (cornerbacks)
Another coach with ties to IMG Academy, Robinson comes to Rutgers after spending last season at Temple. His rise from high school assistant to Power Five on-field coach is impressive, and his prowess as a recruiter has only helped his ascent. He also has a stop at Maryland on his resume, so he should be a major asset to the Scarlet Knights' recruiting efforts in the DMV area.
Farrell’s take: “A former high school coach who has big time ties to the Maryland area, he will help Rutgers in recruiting in a big way, especially in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.”
Brian Norwood – Kansas State (defensive backs)
A veteran coach with an extensive resume, Norwood comes to Kansas State after spending the last few seasons at Tulsa. But Norwood’s nearly 30-year career in coaching includes stops at Texas Tech, Penn State and Baylor, giving him ties to several different talent-rich areas.
Farrell’s take: “Norwood has been around for a long time and I remember him the most from his days at Penn State. He can recruit at a high level and is known as a very good on-field coach.”
Derek Sage - UCLA (wide receivers)
Sage reunites with close friend Chip Kelly at UCLA after spending last season coaching at Washington State. The stop in Pullman was his first Power Five job, but Sage is no rookie to the coaching world, having spent time at Wyoming, Toledo and New Hampshire. Used to doing less with more in terms of recruitment and player development, his job with the Bruins will give Sage a chance to target some of the nation’s top wide receivers.
Farrell’s take: “Sage has early ties to Chip Kelly from his UNH days, is known as a great young football mind and is an active and aggressive recruiter who will make an impact early.”
