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Grading every college football coaching hire in 2021 carousel: Texas, Tennessee get high marks

By Cody Williams

Josh Heupel, Tennessee Volunteers. (Caitie McLekin/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, Pool)
Josh Heupel, Tennessee Volunteers. (Caitie McLekin/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP, Pool) /
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College football coaching hire grades
Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Will Hall

At first glance, it might seem a bit odd for Southern Miss to be hiring Tulane’s offensive coordinator, a 40-year-old in Will Hall, to be their next head coach. And it should be said that he may not have been on the radar of many people. However, the Golden Eagles are giving Hall a shot that he might actually be equipped to handle.

With roots in the spread offense and with a sneaky good recruiting foothold in the surrounding areas at Southern Miss, Hall should be able to generate some buzz relatively quickly. Moreover, he has Division II head coaching experience in which he was extremely successful, which also bodes well for what’s coming down the line. – Grade: B+

Tennessee Volunteers: Josh Heupel

Oftentimes, when you hear the word overcorrection, you think about it in a negative context. In the case of Josh Heupel taking over for Jeremy Pruitt at Tennessee, that’s not the case. Pruitt came in trying to bring a 2003-era SEC mentality to the Vols and he had little success in doing so, hence his departure.

Heupel now enters the fold with experience at a program where he was tasked with mining talent and developing players while also possessing a potent offensive mind. That should spark a necessary change in Knoxville that should result in long-term success. Of course, it may take a bit for that to catch on given potential NCAA penalties looming for the Vols. – Grade: A

Texas Longhorns: Steve Sarkisian

Given the immense pressure that comes from the moment a head coach is handed the keys to the program in Austin, it’s always hairy trying to evaluate a new hire. Remember, there was tremendous support for Tom Herman when he joined the Longhorns and that obviously didn’t work out as planned. Steve Sarkisian, however, still inspires optimism.

Amid personal struggles, Sarkisian’s previous head-coaching stints ended a bit unceremoniously but his offensive mind is unquestionable, especially after what he did at Alabama over the past two years. Paired with his ability to recruit and Texas has a legitimate chance to be “back” with a new man in charge. – Grade: A

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