Coaching Changes

A ton of coaching upheaval is nearing an end and I would have to say that a majority of schools got it right in terms of finding the right man for their program.  Yeah I know that only time will tell but we can give some early analysis now and then crow about the ones we get right (while doing what the big name analysts do in ignoring the misses).
The most recent hire was that of Gary Andersen by Wisconsin.  Fortunately for Andersen the Badgers job opened late enough for him to coach Utah State to a win over Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, capping an excellent 11-2 season.  He can now focus his efforts on saving the current Wisconsin recruiting class and hiring a top-notch Big Ten coaching staff.  The no-nonsense, defensive first Andersen fits the mold of a Big Ten coach and should maintain the level of excellence expected in Madison for the past 20 years.  I would grade this hire an "A", especially in light of how late in the game the opening occurred.  I am also looking forward to see Hall of Fame coach Barry Alvarez coach the Badgers for the upcoming Rose Bowl.
I happened to see Alvarez on the day that his former coach Brett Bielema bolted for Arkansas but that was before the announcement.  As for Bielema I feel that he will do fine at Arkansas but he will have to work hard to change the culture there.  While he is smart enough to not blow up the roster in year one he will need to adapt to present talent and instill confidence in a shaken group of players.   I never felt that Bielema was an outstanding coach, despite his impressive record, and that he will miss the abundance of big offensive linemen that they grow up in Wisconsin.  I give this hire a "B" for Brett Bielema.
As surprising as Bielema's jump to Arkansas was the move from Texas Tech to Cincinnati by Tommy Tuberville was even more stunning.  After the fact the move made a little more sense in that his former AD at Auburn, Whit Babcock, has the same role with the Bearcats.  We also know that Tuberville and the Red Raiders were not a perfect marriage.  Now let's see where the Bearcats end up if the Big East continues to disintegrate.  I give this hire only a "B" but not because I have any doubt that Tuberville can continue Cincinnati's recent level of success.  I am worried that the Babcock-Tuberville combination will approach the NCAA rulebook with SEC eyes.
Former Cincinnati coach Butch Jones is now at Tennessee where the fans are longing for a return to the top 25.  Although patience is required with any new hire I am unsure how much Vols fans have after many years of mediocrity.  Tennessee is a tough job for one main reason.  While the expectations are tremendously high, the state does not have enough in-house talent to use as a base for the building of a championship squad.  Forget the SEC West, the powers that be in the East, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida, all have a lot more local talent than Tennessee.  So Tennessee has to recruit well and it is hard to grade Jones on that (although it will be crucial that he still mines his Ohio contacts).  Right now it is a "C+" but only because I cannot image Tennessee beating conference powers with Jones at the helm.  But he is the best hire for the job because it is not as good a job as people think.
The SEC had even more jobs open up this year and Kentucky earned a "B+" for its hire of Mark Stoops, who will have a core of young talent to work with and a lot less pressure than Jones.  Better than most Stoops understands expectations and the importance of relying on people you respect and trust.  Kentucky football will never supersede the basketball program but Stoops should make it relevant again.
I am less excited about Auburn's hiring of Gus Malzahn as its head coach although the Tigers were hampered by the huge amount of money paid to the previous staff as they walked out the door, the expected sanctions coming soon from the NCAA and a fan base that refuses to take second fiddle to Alabama.  Sure the offense will fling the ball all over the place--and I love the hiring of Ellis Johnson as DC--but this Tigers situation will be unable to overcomes those hurdles and expectations.  This one is a "B-" as they really could have done a lot worse.
A hire I really like is that of Mike MacIntyre by Colorado.  Yes MacIntyre only had one good year at San Jose but considering he inherited a 2-10 squad and the program was thought of as lost, he did an outstanding job of building.  He will have to do the same in Boulder.  He gets a "B+".
So too Willie Taggert by USF.  Taggert will mine his Florida backyard and make the Bulls a tough team to beat no matter where they end up.
Two coaching hires that I will grade a "B" and will be looking at closely are Kliff Kingsbury at his alma mater Texas Tech and Dave Doeren at NC State.  Both are young guys who are taking over solid programs that were run by veterans.  They will need to win early to prove that they were worthy of the shot.