Ranking the best recent assistant coaching hires

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 two weeks 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 hires recently.

NOTE: Not all hirings have been officially announced, but have been reported by multiple outlets.

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An Ohio native, Johnson returns to Ohio State after stints at Arkansas, Purdue and Temple. Johnson worked for the Buckeyes from 2007 to 2011 and helped recruit and develop five NFL players, including Malcolm Jenkins, who went from a three-star recruit to the No. 14 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Johnson’s ties to the state run deep, as he’s also coached at Miami of Ohio and in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.

Local Take: “Johnson's familiarity with the Ohio State program from his previous stint should allow him to hit the ground running. He knows the ins and outs of what it means to be a coach at Ohio State and how to sell the program to recruits. He should also help fill the void in recruiting the Cincinnati area. Ohio State historically bats a very high average in Cleveland and Columbus, but Cincinnati is one part of the state that isn't quite as easy to recruit as others. Kerry Coombs did a great job there during his time at Ohio State, and Johnson brings experience recruiting that area, which can't be understated given how much talent that part of Ohio produces.” – Marc Givler, BuckeyeGrove.com

Farrell’s Take: “Johnson is known as a very good defensive coach with a ton of on-field experience and has recruited at a high level. His previous experience at Ohio State will certainly help, and he’s a great fit for the defense.”

Dave Borbely, Pitt (offensive line)

A veteran coach with an impressive resume, Borbely comes to the Panthers after a two-year stint at Maryland. But the move to Pitt is far from his first stint in the ACC, as Borbely has previously worked at Virginia, where he helped develop 2009 first-round NFL Draft pick Eugene Monroe. Borbely has also worked at Notre Dame, Louisville, Stanford and Colorado, among other stops.

Farrell’s Take: “Borbely is well-known as an offensive line coach who has been around for more than three decades and has developed linemen at numerous programs. He’s known as a great teacher, a good talent evaluator and a no-nonsense recruiter.”

Scott Fountain, Georgia (special teams)

Fountain actually spent last season at Georgia as an analyst and was hired by Mississippi State earlier this offseason. But his time in Starkville was short-lived and he jumped at the chance to join the staff at Georgia as an on-field coach. Fountain is best known for his time at Auburn (2009-16), where he worked as the player personnel director and helped build the 2013 national championship roster before moving on-field for his final four seasons with the Tigers.

Farrell’s take: “Fountain has been coaching for a while and he's a well-respected special teams coach. He’s recruited at a high level, has a familiarity with Georgia recruiting, having been there last year, and can coach many other positions, including tight ends and offensive linemen.”

Nunzio Campanile, Rutgers (running backs)

This hire is a little more unique than those who usually make the list, especially considering that Campanile doesn’t have any history as a college coach. A New Jersey native, Campanile comes to the Scarlet Knights after spending the last eight seasons as the head coach at New Jersey high school power Bergen Catholic, where he won the state championship in 2017.

Farrell’s Take: “Campanile is a high school head coach who has experience at two of the biggest programs in New Jersey – Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic – and he will be a key recruiting addition. He’s well-liked and has numerous relationships in the state. He is considered a very good hire for Rutgers for in-state efforts.”

Grady Brown, Louisville (defensive assistant)

Brown comes to the Cardinals from Alabama State, where he worked with the defensive backs after spending a year as a defensive coordinator at Birmingham Southern. But Brown has a lot of experience at the FBS level, with stops at South Carolina, Southern Miss and LSU on his resume. Recruiting the Southeast is vital to the Cardinals and Brown will be very important in the school’s efforts.

Farrell’s Take: “Brown doesn’t have recent FBS experience, but his work at South Carolina as a recruiter was impressive and he’s very active and organized in that role. The fact that he’s the recruiting coordinator speaks to his ability to recruit and deal with complex recruiting rules and strategies.”

Jim McElwain, Michigan (wide receivers)

The former Florida head coach returns to the coaching ranks in an assistant role, a move that might surprise some. But prior to his time at Florida and Colorado State, McElwain was lauded for his recruiting efforts while at Alabama. He’s also not new to the state of Michigan, having served as the Michigan State wide receivers coach from 2003 to 2005.

Farrell’s Take: “McElwain is a very good offensive coach who was a solid recruiter at Alabama and put together some nice classes as the head coach at Florida. Known more for his on-field coaching ability than his recruiting ability, his experience in both will be key.”