Grading the season openers for all 22 first-year college football coaches

From the good to the bad, how did first-year coaches fare in Week 1?

By Ben Kercheval

Sep 3, 2017 at 10:23 am ET • 8 min read

The overriding feeling every offseason optimism. Every team is 0-0. It's a clean slate and an opportunity to get better. The past is the past and the only thing to do is move forward. Everyone has a chance. This is something first-year coaches preach a lot.

Then the regular season starts and reality hits.

Sometimes, that reality is a sobering reminder of what lies ahead. Other times it's euphoric. For others still, it's a perpetuated sense of uncertainty of what to conclude. The first week of the 2017 college football isn't entirely over, but every first-year FBS coach has completed at least their first game. How did each of them grade out? We graded each debut (or two-game debut in some cases) based on not only the final score, but how the game played out.

Tom Herman, Texas: D-

Herman lost his first game -- in Austin -- to a double-digit underdog in Maryland, by double digits. However, the Terps might be better than initially thought. But that doesn't take away the sting of the loss. Texas still makes a lot of the same mistakes as the one that finished 5-7 a year ago. On top of that, Herman took a few risks on fourth-down calls that weren't well executed. He obviously deserves time to do what he needs to do, but for the Horns to show practically no improvement against a good -- but certainly not great -- team is a bad debut.

Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma: A

We weren't going to learn a whole lot about the Sooners in a 56-7 win over UTEP. Still, there's not much to complain about when quarterback Baker Mayfield goes 19-of-20 for 329 yards and three touchdowns, and is sitting by halftime. Is the defense ready for a challenge at Ohio State in Week 2? We'll find out. For now, Riley's debut was uneventful, which is just how he should want it.

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota: C

A win is a win. Beating Buffalo 17-7 counts the same as beating them 71-7. There was a big passing touchdown in the first quarter, thanks to receiver Tyler Johnson. Overall, though, there wasn't much that stood out about this win. On to the next one.

Willie Taggart, Oregon: B

Southern Utah wasn't going to pose much of a threat, and though the Ducks gave up some points and had the ball moved on them in a 77-21 win, it's not enough to get too worked up over -- for now. Like a lot of teams facing lesser opponents, take the lopsided W and move on.

Jeff Brohm, Purdue: B-

Giving Louisville a run for its money certainly warrants at least an above average rating. The Boilermakers led at two different points in the game and up until about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. It was far from a clean game, though by both sides. Still, it's a promising start for the Brohm era.

Matt Rhule, Baylor: F

There will probably be better days ahead for Rhule. He has a seven-year deal and deserves all the time in the world to get this program turned around on and off the field. His tenure will not be defined by one game and it probably won't be defined by his first year, or maybe even his second. The Bears are painfully young and thin on the depth chart, especially on defense. That's going to be trouble as Big 12 play picks up. But allowing a FCS team -- Liberty -- to rack up nearly 600 yards of offense in a 48-45 loss doesn't bode well for the rest of the season. Yeesh.

Charlie Strong, South Florida: D-

Strong doesn't merit an "F" because his team hasn't lost, but he hasn't earned anything higher than a D after struggling to pull away from Stony Brook of the FCS. Keep in mind, too, that the Bulls had an all-time disastrous first quarter in Week 0 on the road at San Jose State. That could sort of be explained away, seeing as it was the first game of the year and it was a cross-country road trip. However, Strong better hope these slow starts don't turn into a theme.

Mike Sanford, Western Kentucky: B-

The Hilltoppers showed once and for all which direction of the Commonwealth was best by beating Eastern Kentucky 31-17. Have to throw out the record books when these two get together.

Lane Kiffin, FAU: D

There was some late line movement in favor of FAU, but losing to Navy 42-19 wasn't all that surprising. There were some positives: the Owls did have a 95-yard score and kept the game close for a half. Meanwhile, multiple weather delays meant it took more than three hours to play the fourth quarter. All anyone wanted to do was go home. Everyone except Kiffin, that is. Look, I get it. Play 'til the end and never give up and all that. But ... maybe give up?

Randy Edsall, UConn: C-

Holy Cross has what appears to be a legitimate player at quarterback in Peter Pujals. That won't make the Edsall and the Huskies feel any better about allowing Pujals to throw for 358 yards. UConn survived the Crusaders 27-20 and that might be an ominous sign for the rest of the season.

Ed Orgeron, LSU: A+

Anytime you hold your opponent to under 100 yards of offense and keep them on their side of the 50 for all 60 minutes, as LSU did to BYU in a 27-0 shutout, you get an A+. And a cookie!

Matt Luke, Ole Miss: A-

South Alabama gave the Rebels a bit of a first-half scare, but Ole Miss was able to weather the storm -- not unlike what they'll have to do this season -- behind quarterback Shea Patterson's four touchdown passes in a 47-27 win. Unlike a lot of other coaches, Luke's efforts this year will be graded on curve given all the NCAA distractions happening around the program. To get a win in Week 1, against any opponent, has to be a welcome relief.

Tom Allen, Indiana: B+

The final score of 49-21 doesn't do Indiana's loss to Ohio State justice. The Hoosiers came ready to play. They had the right defensive plan and their wide receivers made incredible catches all night. Like so many games against Ohio State in the past, however, the toll of the game took over about midway through the third quarter and the Buckeyes pulled away. It was a bad sign when the Hoosiers did just about everything right in the first half, but could only manage a one-point halftime lead. Not much Allen can do about that.

Geoff Collins, Temple: C-

At least Notre Dame looks competent again? That's about the only thing keeping this above a failing grade. The Owls had some rebuilding to do and playing an athletically superior team isn't the best way to get started. The best thing Temple did all day -- intercepting a Brandon Wimbush pass and returning it to the Notre Dame 14-yard line -- ended in a 36-yard missed field goal.

Luke Fickell, Cincinnati: D+

Needing the second half to put away Austin Peay -- the same Austin Peay that has won exactly one game in the previous four seasons -- 26-14 isn't exactly a strong start for Fickell.

Butch Davis, FIU: D

Central Florida looks pretty darn good. With the way South Florida stumbled through the first two weeks, maybe it's the Knights who are the team to beat in the AAC East. FIU wasn't going to win this game and that's not really Davis' fault. Still, there aren't many positives in losing 61-17.

Justin Wilcox, Cal: A+

North Carolina may be taking a step back, but going cross-country and getting a 35-30 win on the road in your first game is impressive. Plus, the Golden Bears' defense already looks at least a little bit better than it did a year ago -- not that that's saying too much. Considering where Cal was when Wilcox took over, this among the best opening week wins of any first-year coach in the FBS this season.

Tim Lester, Western Michigan: A-

Short of actually, you know, beating USC, I'm not sure how you can grade Lester's first game much differently. The Broncos never, ever went away and they out-toughed the Trojans on multiple occasions. Only when USC turned on the jets at the absolute end was the 49-31 game decided. Coach P.J. Fleck may be gone along with Corey Davis, but this team still has dudes.

Jeff Tedford, Fresno State: A

Shutting out Incarnate Word 66-0 is a hell of a way for Tedford to get back into the college game.

Brent Brennan, San Jose State: B-

We have to average Brennan's first two games here, but the early returns are promising. Getting a 34-13 win over Cal Poly was needed, and a 42-22 loss to South Florida was a game that simply got away from the Spartans. San Jose State had a perfect first quarter against the Bulls in Week 0, they just didn't have the players to sustain it. This is a rebuilding job and Brennan has shown this program has a little bit of life in it.