College football first-year coach grades: Florida's Dan Mullen gets an 'A,' UCLA's Chip Kelly does not
How did the FBS college football coaches that took new jobs perform in 2018?
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3 min read
The 2018 regular season is in the books, and several first-year coaches made their first impressions on the college football world. From Chip Kelly at UCLA to Scott Frost at Nebraska and everywhere in between, coaches laid the groundwork for the future of their respective programs throughout the fall.
Some were successful, and others were not. Some led their teams to bowl games, and others fell just short. But the process is still ongoing, potentially with better days on the horizon for some. Others could be a flash in the pan at their programs with the bottom set to fall out by the time Year 2 rolls around next summer.
Let's grade the first-year coaches from 2018 based solely on their performance this season.
Power Five
| Team | Coach | Record | Analysis | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Sumlin | 5-7 | Sumlin came in with a superstar in quarterback Khalil Tate, laid several eggs early, blew a rivalry game to Arizona State and missed a bowl. | D | |
| Herm Edwards | 7-5 | The experiment paid off better than expected, including wins over Michigan State and Utah, and it ended with a bowl berth. | B+ | |
| Chad Morris | 2-10 | A winless conference record, blowout home loss to North Texas and no hope for the future doesn't sit well with Hog fans. | D- | |
| Dan Mullen | 9-3 | The Gators spent the majority of the season in the top 20, topped LSU in a rivalry game and will likely finish in the top 10 with a New Year's Six bowl bid. Not bad, Mr. Mullen. | A | |
| Willie Taggart | 5-7 | The 36-year bowl streak ended, the Seminoles led the nation in penalties, and they were disjointed from the jump. | F | |
| Joe Moorhead | 8-4 | A veteran team with a top-tier defense and dynamic quarterback had great moments, despite not contending for the SEC West | B+ | |
| Scott Frost | 4-8 | Six straight losses to open the season didn't exactly sit well, but the Cornhuskers came on strong late to finish 4-2 and give fans hope. | B | |
| Mario Cristobal | 8-4 | The Ducks had the talent to contend for the Pac-12 North, but bad losses to Stanford and Arizona were head-scratchers. | B- | |
| Jonathan Smith | 2-10 | Only one of the Beavers' wins was over an FBS program, but it was a 28-point comeback | D- | |
| Jeremy Pruitt | 5-7 | There were bright moments, like the win at Auburn, and awful ones like losing to Missouri and Vanderbilt to close out the season. Baby steps and patience, Vols fans | C+ | |
| Jimbo Fisher | 8-4 | The record isn't much different than Kevin Sumlin's at A&M, but topping LSU (in seven overtimes), playing Clemson close and finishing strong is a good start | A- | |
| Chip Kelly | 3-9 | Closing strong with a win over rival USC was great, but that record in the Pac-12 South is unacceptable | C |
Group of Five
Group of Five
| Team | Coach | Record | Analysis | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Lunsford | 9-3 | A nine-win season in his first full year after the Tyson Summers debacle is a sign that the glory days of Georgia Southern football could be back | A- | |
| Sean Lewis | 2-10 | Kent State fired Paul Haynes and Lewis produced the same record. That has to change. | D | |
| Billy Napier | 7-5 | Napier started 1-3 but found his way to the Sun Belt Championship Game this weekend. Not a bad start. | B | |
| Mike Bloomgren | 2-11 | The Owls didn't notch an FBS win until the final weekend over Old Dominion , 27-13. But what a win it was for Rice . | D+ | |
| Sonny Dykes | 5-7 | The Mustangs had legitimate AAC West title hopes into late November ... and then missed a bowl. What a wild ride for Dykes. | B- | |
| Steve Campbell | 3-9 | The Jags gave up 38 or more points eight times in 2018. With the recruiting base, that needs to change ASAP. | D+ | |
| Josh Heupel | 11-0 | Heupel picked up right where Scott Frost left off; he has the Knights in the CFP and New Year's Six hunt and kept the program as the most prominent Group of Five team in the country. | A+ | |
| Dana Dimel | 1-11 | The Miners spent the majority of the year at or near the bottom of the CBS Sports 129 ... but did find a way to beat Rice. | D- |
Ole Miss coach Matt Luke was not included since he coached a full season in 2017 as the interim coach of the Rebels.
