We’ve had some fun taking a look this summer at the top returning coaches in the Big 12 and Big Ten. We now head west to the “Conference of Champions, ” the Pac-12. The Pac-12 future is uncertain, but one bright spot is its coaches. Before we break down the Pac-12 Top Returning Coaches, let’s look at some of the uncertainties facing the “Conference of Champions” in 2023. The uncertainty began when USC and UCLA announced they were heading to the Big Ten last summer. Oklahoma and Texas disrupted college football with their move to the SEC. USC and UCLA’s move was different. The Big 12 was formed in 1994. USC joined the PAC-12 in 1922, and UCLA joined in 1928. This was a long-term relationship, and like when many long-term relationships end, this one has had some cataclysmic consequences. (Beyond getting used to this.)
The USC Trojans unveil their new uniforms for their upcoming move to the Big Ten 💯
📸: @DrelonMiller + @cellesthegreat1 pic.twitter.com/s2KXKR7EZB
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 20, 2023
Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff had enough on his plate when he took over for Larry Scott in 2021. USC and UCLA’s move set off a chain reaction of the schools in the Pac-12 trying to flee like rats trying to escape a sinking ship. Numerous reports had then-Big 10 Kevin Warren eyeing Washington, Oregon, Stanford, and Cal to join the two Los Angeles schools. Warren is gone, but the phone lines remain open in Seattle and Eugene. Since the Spring, the Big 12’s Brett Yormark has been hot after Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State. Yormark also beat Kliavkoff for a new media rights deal. The Pac-12 has a strong group of coaches but requires more decisive leadership from Kliavkoff to bring stability past 2023.
Pac-12 Top Returning Coaches
Only returning coaches were considered for the list of top coaches. Coach Prime and Louis must wait for 2024 (and maybe the Big 12). The same goes for Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State. Dillingham is one of the top offensive minds in college football, and his embrace of Arizona high school football should put him in the mix in the years ahead. Dan Lanning at Oregon also just missed the cut. Lanning’s risen quickly up the coaching chain, learning under Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. The question remains if he can seize the momentum with the Los Angeles schools headed to the Big Ten.
#5 Chip Kelly: UCLA
Chip Kelly was the hottest name in the 2018 coaching carousel, with Flordia and UCLA in hot pursuit. Kelly decided to return to the Pac-12 and was hired by UCLA. Kelly had a history of success in the Pac-12. He revolutionized the game with his up-tempo blur offense. He was the pinnacle of success at Oregon, finishing with a 33-3 record at Oregon and a National Championship game appearance in 2010 before heading to the NFL. Kelly and the Bruins got off to a slow start finishing his first three years with a 10-21 record. UCLA found its footing under Kelly in 2021, highlighted by their win over LSU in the 2nd game of the season. Kelly traded the Blur for a more traditional ground-and-pound run game. The success has translated into a 17-8 record over the last two seasons.
A soft non-conference schedule will help prepare a new quarterback for the Bruins’ final season in the Pac-12. Ethan Garbers was #2 behind Dorian Thompson-Robinson last year. But he will face challenges from transfer Colin Schlee (Kent State) and one of the top quarterbacks of the 2022 Class, Dante Moore from Detroit. Flipping Moore from Pac-12 rival Oregon shows that Kelly is ready for the Bruins to take the next step in 2023 and into the Big Ten in 2024.
#4 Lincoln Riley: USC
Lincoln Riley shocked the college football community when he announced he was leaving Norman, OK and taking his talents to SoCal after the end of the 2021 season. Some may argue that #4 in the list of Pac-12 Top Returning Coaches is too low with his impressive resume. Riley has a 66-13 record at Oklahoma and USC, coached three Heisman-winning quarterbacks (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams), and has three College Football Playoff appearances. Riley’s teams have never been short of talent, and he has put together some of the most explosive offenses in college football.
Defensive lapses and shortcomings have haunted Riley’s teams, with his units getting burned more often than his brisket. Last year, the Trojans ranked 106th in total defense. Riley did not change his staff, kept Alex Grinch as his Defensive Coordinator, and used the transfer portal to bring more talent to the Trojan defense. Riley and the Trojans have the offense to be a contender, not just a Trojan Horse, in 2023.
#3 Kaelen DeBoer: Washington
Kaelen DeBoer is in his second year as the head coach at Washington. DeBoer has a strong pedigree of winning, going 67-3, and winning three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls. He also had a 12-6 two-year run at Fresno State that included beating Chip Kelly’s UCLA team at the Rose Bowl. DeBoer brought stability to a Washington program that was spiraling after the firing and failed leadership of Jimmy Lake. Reunited with his former quarterback from Indiana, Michael Penix, DeBoer led Washington to an 11-2 record and a second-place conference finish in Seattle last year. Seattle has had a pipeline of talent that has left the Pacific Northwest in recent years. If DeBoer can keep some of that talent at home, he should have Washington competing year in and year out for Pac-12 Titles and CFB Playoff appearances.
#2 Jonathan Smith: Oregon State
How is a guy with a 26-31 record at his school #2? Johnathan Smith has one of the more challenging jobs in the Power 5. Oregon State is not located in a hotbed in recruiting and is consistently overlooked by the other in-state school. Smith knew the challenges when he took the job in 2018. He is an alum and has slowly built the Beavers back, ending the 2022 season with a 10-3 record. If the Pac-12 can keep the conference together, Smith should have the Beavers continuing to compete at the top end of the conference. This year he will have Clemoson transfer DJ Uiagalelei to lead the Beavers in 2023.
#1: Kyle Whittingham Utah
Consistency. No word better defines Kyle Whittingham’s tenure at Utah. Whittingham came to Utah in 1994 as a defensive line coach and worked his way up to Defensive Coordinator before taking over after Urban Meyer departed to Flordia in 2005. Whittingham oversaw the Utes’ transition from the Moutain West to the Pac-12. He’s had only two losing seasons in his 19 years and has won one Moutain West and two Pac-12 Championships. The Southern California native has had chances to seek greener pastures but has remained committed to Utah. It’s a relationship that should continue to flourish in 2023 and beyond.
Photo courtesy: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
