First-time Power 5 coaches1. Ryan Day, Ohio State
Urban Meyer's retirement was followed by a quick announcement that Day, who finished 3-0 as acting coach this season, would take over in Columbus. Day is a brilliant offensive game-planner and one of the reasons why Dwayne Haskins was a Heisman Trophy finalist, but he also is a first-time coach in charge of a program that expects Big Ten championships every year . It's a big step. 2. Neal Brown, West Virginia
The track record at Troy speaks for itself. He had a 35-16 record at Troy, but that included 31 victories and three bowl wins the last three seasons. Brown's genuine approach will be a hit in Morgantown, and the wins will follow.
3. Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
Fit is everything in college football, and Collins, 47, is a Georgia native who served as a GA with the Yellow Jackets from 1999 to 2001. He understands the expectations and will smooth over the transformation from an option offense. Collins had a 15-10 record at Temple the past two seasons.
4. Scott Satterfield, Louisville
Satterfield enjoyed high-level success in compiling a 51-24 record at Appalachian State, his alma mater, and that made him one of the most coveted candidates in this cycle. Louisville needs a rebuild, and Satterfield can take the lessons he learned in converting the Mountaineers to the FBS. It might take more time, but Satterfield will be worth it.
5. Chris Klieman, Kansas State
Some K-State fans nit-picked this hire, but Klieman's record at North Dakota State speaks for itself. He has the Bison in position to win a fourth national championship in the FCS. The Wildcats are finally ready to move on from legendary coach Bill Snyder. Klieman can make that transition. Let him do it.
6. Manny Diaz, Miami
Diaz took the Temple job briefly before returning to Miami in the aftermath of Mark Richt's retirement. Diaz brings a high energy that the defensive players rallied around, but he'll have to bring the same aggressive mentality to the offensive side of the ball.
7. Mel Tucker, Colorado
Tucker, 46, was an interim coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011. He's spent the past four seasons as a defensive coordinator under Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, and there is an opportunity to bring those lessons to a Pac-12 South program that can compete.
8. Matt Wells, Texas Tech
Wells, 45, put together a run at Utah State that included a 44-34 record and five bowl appearances. How will he shift the culture at Lubbock? We know Wells can coach offense. Will there be improvement on defense?
Back in the Power 5
1. Mack Brown, North Carolina
Brown, 67, wouldn't have come back if he didn't have something to prove, and the hire of Mississippi offensive coordinator Phil Longo is the first aggressive move. The Tar Heels can make a move in a division where the ACC Coastal Champion finished 7-6.
2. Les Miles, Kansas
Miles, 65, returns to the sideline and brings a 142-55 record to a program that hasn't won more than three games in a single season this decade. Miles compiled a 28-21 record at Oklahoma State from 2001 to 2004 before going to LSU. That kind of makeover would be welcome at Kansas.
3. Mike Locksley, Maryland
Locksley was 2-26 at New Mexico from 2009 to 2011 and was Maryland's interim coach for six games in 2016. The stint as Alabama's offensive coordinator rebooted the Washington, D.C., native's career. It's a tough job in the Big Ten East, but Locksley is a good fit for the Terrapins.
