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5 college football coaching carousel winners

By Nathaniel Reeves

Oct 22, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Tom Herman during warm ups prior to a game against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Tom Herman during warm ups prior to a game against the SMU Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 2, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Western Michigan Broncos head coach P. J. Fleck holds up the championship trophy after defeating the Ohio Bobcats for the Mac Championship 29-23 at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Western Michigan Broncos head coach P. J. Fleck holds up the championship trophy after defeating the Ohio Bobcats for the Mac Championship 29-23 at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Western Michigan Broncos

While other programs are happy about hiring new head coaches, the Broncos are thrilled for surprisingly being able to keep theirs.

Fleck has engineered an incredible turnaround at Western Michigan since taking over in 2013. The Broncos went 1-11 in Fleck’s first season before improving to 8-5 in each of the next two seasons.

With a team full of his own recruits, Fleck put together a perfect 13-0 regular season in 2016, earning Western Michigan the Group of Five’s berth in the Cotton Bowl against Wisconsin. Some have poked fun at Fleck’s manic demeanor on the sideline and liberal use of the new “row the boat” tradition, but he’s brought a ton of energy to the Western Michigan program while really connecting with his players.

At 36 years old, Fleck would be an attractive long-term option for just about any program. Still, the Broncos were able to hold off a number of suitors to retain Fleck for at least the 2017 season.

Fleck is widely regarded as perhaps the best recruiter in the nation, so the Broncos shouldn’t fall off too much next season despite having a roster loaded with seniors. Upsetting Wisconsin would be a program-changing moment, no matter how long Fleck stays.

The Broncos play USC and Michigan State next season, so Fleck will have every opportunity to earn another berth in the New Year’s Six. While Fleck is almost certain to leave at some point soon, Western Michigan is a clear winner for keeping him for at least another season.

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