An opportunity of a lifetime may be on the verge of happening for these star coordinators. While there are other coordinators across college football who have been head coaches before, I am really only concerned about these so-called new kids on the block. College football may love a retread, but nobody does it quite like the NBA. In the college game, it is all about finding those who relate to kids.
Fate would have it, this is one of my favorite discussion points heading into the season, beyond what teams are going to be good, bad or downright ugly, as well as who makes the College Football Playoff. The last two coaches to lead my alma mater of Georgia were former rockstar coordinators. Kirby Smart was Nick Saban's greatest protege at Alabama. Mark Richt was Bobby Bowden's guy at FSU.
So what I am going to do today is outline five up-and-coming head-coaching candidates I think could get their first shot at it next fall. Yes, there are other great coordinators out there who have led teams before. Rather than expound any energy on guys like Tom Allen at Clemson, Marcus Arroyo at Arizona State and Gus Malzahn at Florida State, I want some new blood, dammit. These are my favorite guys.
Let's start with a defensive coordinator who could be the missing piece for this playoff contender.
5. Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman
I may be arriving early to the party, but I see a bright coaching future ahead of Corey Hetherman. This may be his first year as the Miami Hurricanes defensive coordinator, but he has served in this role at places like Minnesota, James Madison, Maine and Pace before. The former Division III quarterback out of Fitchburg State has been in the coaching profession for two decades now, slowing climbing up.
While much will be made about Shannon Dawson's offense, the only way the Hurricanes win the ACC, or make the College Football Playoff as an at-large team, is if Hetherman's defense shows up to play. He may have only worked under P.J. Fleck for a year in Minneapolis, but Hetherman also stems from the Greg Schiano and Curt Cignetti coaching trees. All three will vouch for him on his quest to be one.
Hetherman is the only defensive coordinator I have on here, strictly because of his Miami opportunity.
4. Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle
Ben Arbuckle is not yet 30, but he is about to be! The new offensive coordinator of the Oklahoma Sooners finds himself in a similar situation as what Corey Hetherman may be experiencing at Miami. What if he is, in fact, the difference-maker? Oklahoma is led by defensive-minded head coach Brent Venables. While he faces far more pressure than Mario Cristobal at Miami, Arbuckle is a saving grace.
Should the former Washington State and Western Kentucky co-offensive coordinator be the missing piece for the Sooners, big opportunities could be had for him. The big difference between Miami and Oklahoma is expectations. Miami is seen as a top-four team in the ACC, while Oklahoma may only be top-eight in the SEC. Regardless, if OU wins nine games with their brutal schedule, he might get his.
Arbuckle will not be the first Oklahoma coordinator to become a head coach, nor will he be the last.
3. Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki
For as much as I think head-coaching opportunities await Ben Arbuckle and Corey Hetherman down the line, we have arrived at our first coordinator who needs to go out and get his, and then some... That would be second-year Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. He had an up-and-down first year in State College, but largely shined after moving on from Lance Leipold.
Kotelnicki had previously been Leipold's offensive coordinator at three stops prior to coming to Penn State. He achieved tremendous success working under his mentor at Kansas, Buffalo and Wisconsin-Whitewater. With Penn State gunning for a national championship, Kotelnicki will have more eyes on him than ever. James Franklin faces far more pressure, but at least they can lean on Jim Knowles now.
If Penn State comfortably makes the playoff again, I could see Kotelnicki taking over a Power Four job.
2. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner
The one that got away... Then again, maybe Kirby Smart knew bigger things were coming for Buster Faulkner when he turned heel in Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate to work for Brent Key's Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets? For as much praise as Key has gotten for taking over his alma mater for the utter buffoonery that was the Geoff Collins era in Atlanta, Faulkner deserves as much credit for this rise.
Firmly in his 40s, Faulkner is ready to lead his own team. He has been an offensive coordinator on five occassions, in addition to his three-year run at Georgia as a quarterbacks coach. Helping the Yellow Jackets find themselves offensively in the extended wake of Paul Johnson's triple option offense is nothing to sneeze at. If Georgia Tech can win around eight or nine games, Faulkner will be getting his.
He is more suited for the Group of Five to start, but he might be a better coach than Andy Kotelnicki.
1. Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein
This is Will Stein's time to shine. 2025 will be his third season as the offensive coordinator at Oregon. He has helped Bo Nix be a first-round pick and the Ducks to make the College Football Playoff with Dillon Gabriel as their one-year starter. Can he do the same with Dante Moore this fall? Dan Lanning needs to get his defense right, but Stein could be as promising as Kenny Dillingham was coming out.
That is incredibly high praise for another one of my mid-30 peers. However, I would only leave a great thing in Eugene if the right Power Four job opened up. Stein's alma mater of Louisville is not coming open anytime soon because fellow Cardinals quarterback Jeff Brohm is calling the shots there. The other only Power Four tie he has is with Texas. How does he feel about leading Maryland or Virginia?
Again, the right job has to open up for Stein, but I would be stunned if he is back at Oregon in 2026.