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Six coaches quietly making names for themselves |
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| Written by Chris Vannini |
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Posted by: Chris Vannini on October 29, 2012 While BCS schools always get the most publicity, there have been several non-BCS programs having big seasons led by under-the-radar coaches making names for themselves. Don't be surprised if you hear some of these names in the mix for bigger jobs in the coming months. Sonny Dykes (Louisiana Tech) - Dykes has steadily taken the Bulldogs forward in each of his three seasons. After a 5-7 season in 2010, La Tech went 8-5 and won the WAC for the first time in a decade last season. This year, the Bulldogs are 7-1 and earned their first-ever ranking in the Coaches Poll. Their remaining opponents are Texas-San Antonio, Texas State, Utah State and San Jose State. Darrell Hazell (Kent State) - In his second season, Hazell may have picked up the biggest win in program history when the Golden Flashes downed their first ranked opponent ever - No. 15 Rutgers - last weekend. After a 5-7 season in his debut, Hazell has Kent State at 7-1 in 2012 and receiving votes in both polls. The Golden Flashes are set to make their third bowl game ever, and first since 1972. KSU's remaining opponents are Akron, Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green and Ohio. Gary Andersen (Utah State) - In his fourth season, Andersen as made the Aggies very relevant in the state of Utah. They defeated Utah in overtime earlier in the season and lost at Wisconsin on a last-second field goal. USU reached its first bowl since 1997 last season and will make it two in a row this year, currently sitting at 7-2. Remaining opponents are Texas State, La Tech and Idaho. Mike MacIntyre (San Jose State) - In his third season in San Jose, MacIntyre has produced an incredible turnaround of one of the nation's worst programs. After going 1-12 in his first season in 2010, the Spartans went 5-7 in 2011 and are sitting at 6-2 in 2012. SJSU has made one bowl game since 1990 - the 2006 New Mexico Bowl. Remaining opponents include Idaho, New Mexico State, BYU and La Tech. Bill Blankenship (Tulsa) - Since being promoted to head coach in 2011, Tulsa hasn't missed a beat under Blankenship. The Golden Hurricane went 8-5 in 2011, including a 7-1 record in C-USA and are off to a 7-1 (5-0) start in 2012 - including seven straight wins since an opening loss. Remaining opponents include Arkansas, Houston, UCF and SMU. Matt Campbell (Toledo) - Like Blankenship, Campbell has more than kept the ship afloat since bring promoted to the head job. Campbell took over and won the Military Bowl with the Rockets last season and Toledo is off to an 8-1 start this year, including 5-0 in the MAC. Two weeks ago, Toledo gave Cincinnati its first loss of the season. Since opening the season with an overtime loss at Arizona, Toledo has won eight in a row. Remaining opponents include Ball State, Northern Illinois and Akron. __________________________________________________ Recent Articles on CoachingSearch.com
Chris Vannini is the lead writer for CoachingSearch.com and has covered Michigan State sports for The State News, The Oakland Press and MLive.com. He writes a weekly column for the Detroit Free Press on behalf of SB Nation. Vannini lives in Big Ten country, so his foot speed is far from SEC caliber, but his pulse on coaches is hard to match. Be sure to follow @CoachingBuzz on twitter and send your feedback to chris@coachingsearch.com |
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