The 2016 college football season is still months away but with the schedule set but one of the main storylines is the new wave of college football coaches. Spring sessions are just underway and it isn’t too early to look ahead with projections. There will be plenty of new faces in new places when the season kicks off and we have taken the time to break down the numbers in order to predict which of them are most likely to thrive in their first year. Here is a look at the four new college football coaches that will succeed in 2016.
Kirby Smart
Georgia Bulldogs
Smart couldn’t be better set up to succeed in his first season as the head coach at Georgia and there is no doubt that helped him in his decision to make the move this past offseason. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent on both sides of the football, including star running back Nick Chubb leading the offense and a deep cast of talented playmakers on the defensive side of the football. Perhaps most importantly, Georgia’s schedule is one of the easiest among projected SEC contenders as they get the Tennessee Volunteers, Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers at home and don’t have to play the Alabama Crimson Tide or LSU Tigers this season. The biggest challenge for the Bulldogs is to break in a new quarterback, although they have some good options like top recruit Jacob Eason. It shouldn’t be so hard given that there’s a strong running game and defense to rely upon early on, and the schedule won’t stress the new signal caller too much in the early going.
It is very reasonable to think the Bulldogs can get to 10 wins and challenge for an SEC East crown in Smart’s first season. He should be one of the college football coaches that succeeds early on.
Clay Helton
USC Trojans
Helton was an interim coach at USC on two occasions but he takes over as their full-time head coach for the first time this season and all of the pieces are in place for him to succeed. The Trojans’ offense is absolutely loaded and it’s perhaps the biggest reason why this team is likely to open the year among the preseason favorites to contend for a national championship. Helton will have to find a competent passer but the former quarterbacks coach understands what he has at his disposal better than anybody else and USC is absolutely loaded at the skill positions. The Trojans will have to overcome one of the more difficult schedules among the projected contenders but the level of talent that Helton has available to him suggests that USC will contend for a Pac-12 title in his first full season as head coach. He should be one of the college football coaches that does well.
Mark Richt
Miami Hurricanes
Richt’s move to Miami was one of the biggest stories of the offseason as the former Georgia head coach opted to return to his alma mater will he will try to turn the program around. The Hurricanes have some substantial talent on both sides of the ball including in particularly on offense where they will feature star quarterback Brad Kaaya as well as running backs Joseph Yearby and Mark Walton. The schedule also sets up well with home games against both Florida State and North Carolina so it won’t be a surprise if Richt leads Miami to the ACC Championship game in his first season as head coach.
Justin Fuente
Virginia Tech Hokies
Fuente was one of the hottest coaches on the market before he signed with Virginia and the expectation is that he will quickly turn things around following a 4-8 season. The Cavaliers aren’t the most talented ACC team but they have enough pieces in place to think that they can be competitive in the Coastal. Virginia has some tough games at Oregon as well as at home against North Carolina, Louisville and Miami but after working wonders at Memphis, we are willing to give Fuente the benefit of the doubt and wager that he will be one of the college football coaches to succeed in his first year as the Hokies’ head coach.
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