Grading the Top 5 College Football Head Coach Hires of 2023

5. Brent Key - Georgia Tech - B+

Georgia Tech hired Brent Key after a successful 4-4 interim stint to close the 2022 season. There was brief consideration of a national search, but Key made too much sense and had the interim tag removed heading into the 2023 season. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were fun to watch and offered a glimpse of an exciting future with many young weapons on offense and an excellent dual-threat quarterback in Haynes King. The future of the ACC is shaky, and Georgia Tech is a tough job thanks to every major school trying to recruit the Atlanta area and tougher-than-most academic standards. Still, Key appears to be an excellent hire who can steer GT into a solid bowl program.

Georgia Tech 2024 Win Totals: 5.5

2. Jeff Brohm - Louisville - A

Jeff Brohm returning home to lead the Louisville Cardinals was a hire everyone saw coming when Scott Satterfield left for Cincinnati. Louisville fans have long pined for Brohm, a former quarterback for the Cardinals with deep family ties to the area. The timing had not worked out previously, but after leading Purdue to a Big Ten West title, Brohm felt the time was now to make the move. Louisville loaded up in the portal, adding weapons on offense and a veteran quarterback in Jack Plummer that could execute Brohm’s offense. They then took advantage of a weak schedule to gain momentum and rode that to a berth in the ACC Championship Game. Despite losing to Florida State, the Cardinals had a great first season under Brohm. They faded down the stretch, losing to Kentucky, FSU, and USC in the Holiday Bowl to finish the campaign. The Cardinals again hit the portal hard, hoping the talent acquired is enough to manage a more challenging slate in 2024.

Louisville 2024 Win Total: 8.5

3. Alex Golesh - South Florida - A-

The South Florida Bulls football program was in complete and total disarray. Charlie Strong went 4-8 in 2019, causing USF to move on to Jeff Scott. His three-year tenure was a trainwreck as the Bulls went only 4-29 with one lone conference win. South Florida surprised many by hiring the young and unproven Tennessee offensive coordinator, Alex Golesh. The hire was panned by most and not expected to revive the program in any way, but Golesh surprised, going 7-6 and finishing with a winning record in the league. South Florida ended on a high note, winning over Charlotte to clinch bowl eligibility (48-14) and then demolishing Syracuse 45-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl. This hire has gone much better than anyone anticipated.

South Florida 2024 National Championship Odds: +100000

4. Barry Odom - UNLV - A-

UNLV is a tough job, and instead of trying to find magic with a hot-shot coordinator, the Rebels turned to veteran commodity Barry Odom. He was 25-25 in four seasons as the head coach at Missouri and has been a long-time defensive coordinator. Odom hired an excellent offensive coordinator, and UNLV quickly improved, finishing a surprising 9-3. That mark is their best since 1984, well before the school began playing in the FBS. The nine games are more than Marcus Arroyo won in his three seasons in charge in Vegas. Under Odom, UNLV could be a contender in the Mountain West.

UNLV 2024 National Championship Odds: +100000

5. Brent Key - Georgia Tech - B+

Georgia Tech hired Brent Key after a successful 4-4 interim stint to close the 2022 season. There was brief consideration of a national search, but Key made too much sense and had the interim tag removed heading into the 2023 season. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were fun to watch and offered a glimpse of an exciting future with many young weapons on offense and an excellent dual-threat quarterback in Haynes King. The future of the ACC is shaky, and Georgia Tech is a tough job thanks to every major school trying to recruit the Atlanta area and tougher-than-most academic standards. Still, Key appears to be an excellent hire who can steer GT into a solid bowl program.

Georgia Tech 2024 Win Totals: 5.5