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Star's Trek...

The top 25 HOT coaches who will get the best job openings in the country.
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Just as James T. Kirk passed the baton to Jean-Luc Picard, Bob Stoops, Brian Billick and Chris Palmer have now ascended to the heights of the coaching world and the time has come for the next wave of "hot" superstars on the rise. The following is our look at the 25 coaches who are sure to be on the list of every athletic director or general manager looking for a savior for his or her program. These men will inspire confidence in the faithful and rally the troops because they are the next Tommy Bowden or Bill Walsh.

From college football:

Al Borges, offensive coordinator, UCLA

In 1998, no team was more explosive than the UCLA Bruins (5th in scoring with 40.5 points per game, and 15th in total offense 482.6 yards per game). In fact, were it not for a Swiss cheese defense, this team would have played Tennessee for the national title. Head coach Bob Toledo is given much of the credit for the Bruins' success, but offensive coordinator Al Borges has received his fair share of acclaim. Borges, whose background includes training with the late offensive wizard Pokey Allen at Portland State and Boise State, and one year as Mike Bellotti's coordinator at Oregon, is ready to step into a head coaching job (he was mentioned as a finalist last year for both UNLV and Oregon State). If UCLA continues to score points in the post-Cade McNown era, Borges could well be heading up his own team by this time next year.

Jeff Bower, head coach, Southern Mississippi

Working in the shadows of the dominant SEC, Bower has built a powerhouse in Hattiesburg. A consistent winner and title contender in Conference USA, Bower has led the Golden Eagles to three straight bowl games and is given credit for developing a strong program with players that are less than blue-chip recruits. Big-time schools have taken notice of his accomplishments and ADs are curious to see what he can do with the best of the best. One potential problem is the fact he is a USM grad and local legend. It will take the right job to have him leave his comfort zone.

Gary Darnell, head coach, Western Michigan

A coach with a great pedigree (Texas, Notre Dame, and Florida as a defensive coordinator, and a brief stop as a head coach at Tennessee Tech), Darnell has been very effective in his two years at Western Michigan (15-7), and in his first year he led the Broncos to a 8-3 mark from the previous year's 2-9 low point. The things that have made some of the big boys take notice are: WMU attendance has set all-time records; alumni giving has increased; the facilities are being improved; and his recruiting efforts have rivaled some Big 10 schools. These strong improvements of the overall program have made Darnell one of the coaches mentioned for rebuilding projects.

Dana Dimel, head coach, Wyoming

16 wins in two years and still not yet 37-years-old, Dana Dimel is proving Wyoming AD Lee Moon was correct for making him the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I-A at the time of his hiring. Trained by Kansas State's Bill Snyder, Dimel coached at K-State for nine years, serving as the run game coordinator and offensive coordinator during his tenure. While his reputation was built on the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys defense has been among the nation's elite since Dimel's arrival. He may be the latest in a long line of good coaches to work at Wyoming (Devaney, Dye, Akers, Erickson, and Tiller) and then move on to a bigger program. Dimel has more wins in his first two seasons than any of his renowned predecessors.

Jon Hoke, defensive coordinator, Florida

Plucked from Larry Smith's staff at Missouri, Hoke now has one of the most coveted and high profile jobs in the country as the leader of the Gator defense. Being DC at Florida has proven to be a springboard to a head coaching job as Bob Stoops (Oklahoma) and Bob Pruett (Marshall) can attest. There is every reason to believe that Steve Spurrier sees the same qualities in Hoke as his predecessors. Known as an aggressive, "get-in-your-face" coach, if he can get his troops to perform anywhere near the level they have for Stoops, Hoke's time in Gainesville will be short-lived.

Ricky Hunley, associate head coach & LB, Missouri

Ricky Hunley is at the top of virtually every list of next guys to make it, due, in large part, to his reputation as a great recruiter. As a player he was a two-time All-American LB (Arizona), seventh pick in the 1984 NFL draft, and was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame. He was one of the first coaches hired by Larry Smith at Missouri, and has proven to be a valuable asset representing his head coach and school whenever Smith is unable to fulfill these functions. Handling the coordination of the special teams and tutoring the LBs, Hunley has gained renown for his ability to relate to and get the most out of his charges. These results and his administrative background as associate head coach make him an attractive candidate, possibly Arizona's next head man after Dick Tomey steps down.

Mike Leach, offensive coordinator, Oklahoma

After serving with Hal Mumme for 11 years, the national spotlight will now be shining brightly on new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Mike Leach. No new coaching staff in the country will be under more of a microscope than the one in Norman, where six national championships raise the level of expectation for new head man Bob Stoops and his staff. But along with great risk comes great rewards. If the Sooners show offensive improvement (as they did in the spring), no coach will benefit more from the media scrutiny than Leach. Everyone knows the success Mumme and Leach had at Valdosta State and Kentucky, so now if "the system" works in Oklahoma, winning-starved ADs looking to fill erstwhile empty stadiums may come calling on Leach to be the next messiah.

Greg McMackin, defensive coordinator, Hawaii

Possibly one of the best kept secrets in all of football, Greg McMackin is simply one heck of a coach and the type of man you'd want your son to play for. McMackin has an extensive background with 23 years in the coaching ranks (stops include time as head coach at Oregon Tech; DC at Miami with Dennis Erickson, Idaho, San Jose State, Stanford USFL's Denver Gold, Utah, and Navy), and he spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. If you want to know what kind of coach he is, think about this: when Erickson and the entire Seattle staff were let go, McMackin was offered no fewer than four jobs as a coordinator for other NFL teams. Yet, he followed his heart and went back to the college game with his good friend June Jones. If the Rainbow Warriors get it going, McMackin might not enjoy too long of a stay in paradise.

Gary Pinkel, head coach, Toledo

Already the winningest active coach in MAC history at his respective school, and the all-time leader at Toledo (57 wins), Gary Pinkel's star is on the rise. Word is he was the choice to replace Jim Lambright at Washington (where Pinkel served as an assistant for 12 years) until Rick Neuheisel threw his hat in the ring. Pinkel has led the Rockets to a MAC championship (1995) and a bowl game (Las Vegas Bowl) during his eight-year tenure at the Ohio school. Toledo has shown great offensive firepower under Pinkel; not surprising considering his years at Washington when he tutored future NFL QBs Chris Chandler, Cary Conklin, Hugh Millen, Mark Brunell, and Billy Joe Hobert in the high-octane Huskie attacks of the 1980s.

Mark Richt, offensive coordinator, Florida State

With the exception of one year since 1985, Mark Richt has been involved with the offensive juggernaut at FSU (he spent 1989 as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina). He has spent five years as the offensive coordinator and 12 years as the QB coach ­ tutoring several NFL signal callers including Casey Weldon, Brad Johnson and Danny Kanell (not to mention some guy named Charlie Ward). There is no doubt that being associated with the most successful program in the nation over the last decade has made Richt's name prominent on many a short list for head coaching jobs. To date, he has declined the siren song of a rebuilding job, preferring to stay in Tallahassee to enhance his resume. Many believe he is in line to take over after Bowden resigns, and he is better off to stay put, rather than potentially decrease his stock by risking a losing record while in the midst of a reclamation project.

Rich Rodriguez, offensive coordinator, Clemson

He should not get used to life around Death Valley. Rich Rodriguez is on the way to becoming a superstar coach. While serving as Tommy Bowden's offensive coordinator at Tulane, Rodriguez was given much of the credit for the miraculous turnaround (19-4) in New Orleans. In fact, most insiders felt he would be the choice to lead the Green Wave after Bowden left for Clemson, but AD Sandy Barbour surprised virtually everyone when she hired Chris Scelfo from Georgia. But, Rodriguez acted with class and stayed on to help coach Tulane in the Liberty Bowl. One of the bright spots on his resume is that Rodriguez is not an untested coordinator; he was the head coach at Glenville (WV) State for seven years and was highly successful (winning four consecutive WVIAC championships and appearing in the NAIA playoffs, while rewriting school, conference and national offensive records).

Lyle Setencich, defensive coordinator, California

The 1998 Golden Bears were but a decent offense from being a bowl team, and much of the credit for the competitive Cal squad went to the stellar defense put in place by head coach Tom Holmoe and his trusted defensive coordinator, Lyle Setencich. Long respected as one of the better defensive minds in the college game, Setencich will be in the spotlight this year as the Cal team is expected to field one of its better teams in recent memory. If the defense continues to improve, Setencich and his background as a head coach (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Boise State) is sure to mentioned as a candidate at a school looking to build a winner. The only negatives here could be his somewhat less than stellar record as head coach (66-48-2 overall, 42-28-2 at Cal Poly, and 24-20 at Boise State) and his age. While neither are bad, ADs often want the young-gun, big-time winner to satisfy fans' appetites.

Mike Stoops, defensive coordinator, Oklahoma

The latest brother in this dynasty of coaches surely has the right last name to grab the attention of an AD in need of a "media darling" to get alumni and fans excited. In addition to his last name, Stoops has an excellent pedigree to go along with the bloodlines (All-American DB at Iowa and coaching stops at Iowa and K-State). For the last three years, he was the defensive coordinator for the Kansas State Wildcats, a team that was at or near the top of virtually every defensive statistical category. Stoops is known as an excellent recruiter, who gets along great with his players. After alma mater Iowa was spurned by older brother Bobby, it would not be a big surprise to see the Hawkeyes come calling if new coach Kirk Ferentz does not get it going quickly.

Charlie Stubbs, quarterback coach & offensive coordinator, Alabama

In 1997, the once proud Alabama tradition hit rock bottom under first-year head coach Mike DuBose. Especially troubling was the anemic offense which averaged a little better than 320 yards per game and 22 points per game (although 42 came in one game vs. Houston). DuBose decided to correct this situation and went out and found an offensive guru in Charlie Stubbs', who had served as offensive coordinator at UNLV, Oregon State, Memphis State, and UT-Martin. While at UNLV, Stubbs' offense produced prolific numbers and conference-leading passers. The Stubbs influence was felt at Bama in 1998 as freshman QB Andrew Zow made nice progress and the Tide offense averaged almost 20 yards more per game (this was despite the disastrous plan by DuBose to split play calling between Stubbs and offensive coordinator Neil Callaway). If Alabama is expected to be vastly improved in 1999, and if the offense shines, Stubbs will surely get the credit for being the major factor in the turnaround because DuBose has entrusted all of the play calling to him.

Jeff Tedford, offensive coordinator, Oregon

The question on everyone's mind last year was, "How does an unknown QB go from an also-ran to the top of the NFL draft?" The answer was Jeff Tedford. The top-flight Oregon offensive coordinator is given a great deal of much-deserved credit for taking Akili Smith (fourth pick in the 1999 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals) from the proverbial outhouse to the penthouse. Tedford worked tirelessly with his pupil and the dividends were obvious to an entire nation. You simply cannot buy this type of positive press, and nothing gets administrators and fans as excited as an offensive whiz kid. Expect Tedford to be a hot commodity because his head coach, Mike Bellotti, seems happy to stay at Oregon and program builders will look for the next best thing.

Joe Taylor, head coach, Hampton University

Winning normally brings opportunity. Hampton head coach Joe Taylor has done his share of winning since arriving at the historically Black school in Virginia (63-18-1 in eight years; 124-47-4 overall, including stops at Howard and Virginia Union) with two Black college national titles. Well-known in coaching circles after having served in the hierarchy of the AFMA (American Football Monthlyes Association) for a number of years, and a strong pedigree which includes time with Mike Shanahan at Eastern Illinois, and 16 years as a successful head coach, makes Taylor a candidate to get the attention of schools outside of the black college circuit. Normally coaches at the historically Black institutions do not move to the huge Division I-A schools, but Taylor just may get the chance.

Mark Whipple, head coach, UMass

There is one sure way to capture the imagination of the press and ADs; turn around a losing program. UMass head man Mark Whipple has done it three times (New Haven, Brown and UMass). At each stop in his career, Whipple has taken a downtrodden program and quickly reversed its fortunes, most recently, in his first year on campus leading the UMass Minutemen to a Division I-AA national championship just one year after a 2-9 disaster. Gifted with an imaginative offensive mind, this is a coach on the fastest of fast tracks to the big time. Let a program in a major conference fall on its face, and Whipple's name is sure to appear in the local sports headlines as the next successor. With this coach, it's not "if," but "when."

Others to keep an eye on in 1999:

Dino Babers, OC, Arizona; Darren Barbier, DB, Tulane; Nelson Barnes, DL, Nebraska; Keith Burns, DC, Arkansas; Mike DeBord, OC, Michigan; Darryl Dickey, HC, North Texas; Dan Dodd, OC, TCU; David Gibbs, DC, Minnesota; Turner Gill, QB, Nebraska; Joe Glenn, HC, No. Colorado; Jim Grobe, HC, Ohio U.; Mike Hankwitz, DC, Texas A&m; John Hendrick, DL, Miss. State; Skip Holtz, OC, So. Carolina; Ron Hudson, OC, Kansas State; Hue Jackson, OC, USC; Paul Johnson, HC, Ga. Southern; Kimmy Kiser, OC, NC State; Manny Matsakis, OC, Wyoming; Noel Mazzone, OC, Auburn; Guy Morris, OL, Kentucky; Kevin Ramsey, DC, Georgia; Kevin Rogers, OC, Notre Dame; Randy Sanders, OC, Tennessee; Mel Tjeerdsma, HC, NW Missouri; Chris Tormey, HC, Idaho.

From the NFL:

Gary Crowton, offensive coordinator, Chicago Bears

One of the first things new Bear head coach Dick Jauron did was to find someone to come in and fix the Bears' offense. He looked around the league and decided the man he needed was in Ruston, Louisiana. Gary Crowton left the job as head coach at Louisiana Tech to give the NFL a try. Working with limited resources at La. Tech, Crowton set the NCAA on fire with his innovative, high-octane offense (in 1998 for example, his troops passed for 590 yards vs. Nebraska, and led the nation with 432.1 passing yards per game, were second in total offense 539.9 yards per game, and fourth in scoring 41.1 points per game). After serving on the offensive staffs at Boston College and Georgia Tech, Crowton got his chance at La. Tech and made the most of it with some fair success (including an upset over Alabama in Tuscaloosa). Long rumored to be in line as the next head coach at BYU, if the Bears become a force offensively (and with Crowton's patented trickery and unusual schemes, the Bear offense will get noticed), the national spotlight that shines in Chicago will help push Crowton's stock up to the point where BYU may not be big enough for him.

John Fox defensive coordinator, New York Giants

In 1997, the Giants won the NFC East, and it was not due to the offense of head man Jim Fassel, but more a result of an excellent defense put together by coordinator John Fox. The 1997 Giants led the league in takeaways (44) and interceptions (27) and were among league leaders in sacks, points allowed and rushing yardage. For his work, Fox was named Pro Football Weekly 1997 NFL assistant coach of the year. While the Giants slipped back to the middle of the pack in 1998, due in large part to injuries (Jason Sehorn, etc.) and an awful offense that put the defense in bad situations, Fox remained a respected young coach. He has eight years at the college level (US International, Boise State, Long Beach State, Utah, Iowa State, Kansas, and Pitt), and 11 years in pro ball (USFL LA Express, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Oakland, St. Louis and New York in the NFL). He is but one really good year by the Giants from jumping to the top of wish lists of GMs. Let's face it, if you get it done in New York, your stock rises faster than in Seattle.

Gary Kubiak, offensive coordinator, Denver Broncos

If the NFL didn't have the no-tampering rule for assistants on teams still in the playoffs, Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak would more than likely already be a head coach. Talk about a blue-chip resume: nine years as a player in the NFL (John Elway's back up); first coaching job at Texas A&M (his alma mater) as RB coach (he turned down Bill Walsh's offer to go to Stanford) and he tutored Greg Hill and Leeland McElroy during a two-season 22-3 run by the Aggies; 1994 QB coach with the 49ers ­ winning the Super Bowl with Steve Young as his pupil; and four years with Mike Shanahan at Denver with two Super Bowl victories. The bottom-line with Kubiak is that there is no coach hotter than he is (in January, he actually turned down the University of Colorado job for the chance to stay in Denver and refine his skills with Mike Shanahan). Reportedly one of the highest paid assistants in the game, Kubiak can literally afford to wait for the right job.

Dave McGinnis, defensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals

The hero of assistants everywhere, Dave McGinnis told the Chicago Bears to take their job and "shove it." Then-Bears president Michael McCaskey announced McGinnis as his coach this past winter without negotiating a contract with him. McGinnis basically said, "Are these the type of people I want to work for?" And with that statement McGinnis became an instant celebrity and a force to be reckoned with around the league. He has strong credentials with 13 years in the NFL (10 with Chicago and three in Arizona) and 13 in college (TCU, Missouri, Indiana State, Kansas State), and is widely respected for his no-nonsense attitude with his players. The Cardinals are a team on the rise, and if they make the playoffs again and the defense plays well, McGinnis will get another shot to run a team next year. This time you can bet it will be done right.

Marty Mornhinweg, offensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers

The latest in the long line of stars to come from the ranks of the 49ers coaching staffs, Marty Mornhinweg was the leader of the league's top-rated offense in 1998 (425 yards per game). Certainly it is no secret that head coach Steve Marriucci is given most of the credit for implementing the 49ers offense. Yet, Mornhinweg can't help but benefit from the fact he is heavily involved in one of the most successful franchises in league history (especially now that Bill Walsh is back in charge). Combine his current experience with the fact that he worked for coaching superstar Mike Holmgren in Green Bay as the Pack's QB coach and you get a picture of why this 37-year-old will soon be in command of a franchise; nothing breeds success like success. In addition to his four years in the NFL, he has made coaching stops at the collegiate level at Montana, UTEP, Northern Arizona, Southeast Missouri, and Missouri.

Willie Shaw, defensive coordinator, Oakland Raiders

First-year head coach Jon Gruden benefited greatly from the savvy and experience of his defensive coordinator, Willie Shaw. The Raiders defense played excellent football last season and kept the team in games as the unit finished near the top of league standings (fifth overall at 284.4 yards per game and fourth in passing 179.8 yards per game). Shaw has been very productive at each stop in his NFL career with New Orleans (DBs 1997), St. Louis (DC 1995-96), San Diego (DBs 1994), Minnesota (DBs 1992-93), and Detroit DBs & LBs 1985-87). From 1989-91 he was the defensive coordinator at Stanford under Denny Green. Shaw's resume includes collegiate stops at Stanford, San Diego City College, Long Beach State, Oregon and Arizona State. He has the reputation as an excellent motivator and is much loved by players. If the Raiders get to the playoffs and the defense repeats its 1998 heroics, Shaw will finally get some interviews and, most likely, a job.

Mike Tice, OL coach, Minnesota Vikings

While the normal path to the top of the NFL coaching heap is generally to first serve as a coordinator, that trend can be broken (just ask Philadelphia's Andy Reid). If anyone can skip a rung on the career ladder, it is Minnesota OL coach extraordinary, Mike Tice, the former 15-year NFL TE and University of Maryland QB, is so well thought of in league circles that new Baltimore Raven head man Brian Billick offered Tice the offensive coordinator job within days of getting his own new title (Tice reportedly turned it down because he knew Billick would be the one calling the plays). Also, head coach Denny Green apparently thinks the world of the coach with only three years as an assistant and took Tice to league meetings and head coaching workshops this past spring. Though it appears that Tice may need a few more years as an assistant to really get his own team, he is a coach with a great future. His alma mater may come calling in a few years if the current regime does not get it going.

Marc Trestman, offensive coordinator, Arizona Cardinals

The path to the top starts with wins and ends with notoriety. Arizona offensive coordinator Marc Trestman will get the chance for both in 1999 as the Cardinals are the preseason media darlings with Jake Plummer at the controls. If the Cards win and qualify for the playoffs again this season, and if Plummer puts up big numbers, Trestman will get a great deal of the credit. Nothing gets a GM's attention faster than points and playoffs. In 1998, Arizona made the playoffs as a wild-card qualifier and finished in the top half of league offensive stats despite having a relatively unsettled line and some problems at receiver. Trestman, who served as George Siefert's OC in San Francisco 1995-96 and directed the NFL's top-rated scoring offense, has 12 years in the NFL (Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Minnesota, San Francisco, and Detroit), is young (43), articulate, and is considered a cerebral coach; a good combination for a NFL head coach.

Others to keep an eye on in 1999:

Bill Belichick, DC, New York Jets; Rich Brooks, DC, Atlanta; Dom Capers, DC, Jacksonville; Clyde Christensen, QB, Tampa Bay; Sylvester Croom, OC, Detroit; Vic Fangio, DC, Indianapolis; Foge Fazio, DC, Minnesota; Jim Haslett, DC, Pittsburgh; Marvin Lewis, DC, Baltimore; George Stewart, ST, San Francisco.






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