Duke Football Coaches Search 11-29-23

[Inveigle]

The rumors and names are already circulating. Nina King says it's well underway. So who are the names that are being suggested?

*Interim HC Trooper Taylor
*Kevin Johns OC under Elko. His play calling is one of the reasons for Duke's two year success under Elko.
*Steve Spurrier Jr. (The Son of former Duke legendary Coach Steve Spurrier) Played at Duke and now is OC at Tulsa. Also served as an assistant under Mike Leach at Washington State.
*Curt Cignetti, HC at James Madison. He has built JMU into a legit FBS program, earning Top 25 consideration in the two seasons immediately following JMU’s move up from the FCS. The Dukes are 19-4 over the past two seasons and 13-3 in the competitive Sun Belt. Overall, the 62-year-old is 52-9 in his James Madison tenure. He also is familiar with North Carolina, having spent two seasons in the state while he was the head man at FCS program Elon.
*Charles Huff is a Maryland native who learned under James Franklin and Nick Saban before getting the Marshal Thundering Herd job. The 40-year-old is considered a charismatic leader and a strong recruiter.
*Jim Knowles, who was Cutcliffe’s defensive coordinator in Durham for eight years under Cutcliffe. His defense at Ohio State is No. 2 in the nation in scoring defense and No. 3 in yards per play allowed. The 58-year-old Knowles, like Elko, has Ivy League roots, having played college ball at Cornell before beginning his career in Ithaca as a defensive line coach. Knowles has spent much of his coaching career working at high-academic institutions.
*Alex Atkins has been a superb hire for Mike Norvell at FSU. The Seminoles were dreadful up front toward the end of the Jimbo Fisher era, and Atkins deserves most of the credit for getting that fixed. In his debut season in Tallahassee in 2020, Florida State averaged 200 rushing yards per game, the program’s best since 2016. In 2022, the Seminoles led the ACC and were eighth in the nation in yards per carry. They also led the ACC in yards per play. This season, FSU is undefeated with a chance to make the CFP. They’re No. 10 in scoring, No. 14 in yards per play and No. 9 in plays of 30-plus yards. Atkins also has coached in North Carolina before: As Charlotte’s offensive coordinator in 2019, he helped lead the 49ers to the first bowl game in school history behind their conference’s top rushing attack. The Chicago native has also spent three seasons as Tulane’s assistant head coach, so he has plenty of experience working at a high-academic program.
*Manny Diaz who has been a HC at Miami. Also serves as DC at Penn State. He was 21-15 in three years at Miami and 16-9 in ACC play. The 49-year-old has also coached at FSU and NC State. Diaz is really bright and would probably fit in well at Duke, and like Elko, he’s regarded as one of the top defensive minds in college football. Last year, Diaz led Penn State to a No. 5 finish in yards per play allowed. This year, Diaz’ defense ranks No. 1 in the country in yards per play allowed, total defense and sacks.
*Jamey Chadwell, Liberty University. Chadwell might be aiming higher, but Duke has to reach out to the 46-year-old coach who seems to be a promising, rising star in the ranks. Chadwell thrived at Coastal Carolina and other stops before bringing an elite offense to Liberty. The Flames are 12-0 and ranked in the AP Top 25 poll.

I'm sure there are others. Please post names you've heard so far.

 

[Inveigle]

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles met with Duke on Wednesday as part of its head coaching search, according to a report from The Athletic. ....

The website reported the school, which is looking to replace Mike Elko after he left for Texas A&M this week, also spoke with other defensive coordinators, including Penn State’s Manny Diaz and North Carolina State’s Tony Gibson, about its vacancy. It added the search is in its “early stages.”

 

[aiw]

 

[Inveigle]

An (12-7-23) update as we get closer to a final decision on who will become Duke's new Head Coach. An announcement could be made by this weekend.

Internal Candidates:

Trooper Taylor, Duke running backs coach, interim head coach: One of the top recruiters in college football and immensely popular in the locker room, Taylor is a two-time interim head coach. He also took over following David Cutcliffe’s departure while the team searched for Elko. He has no head coaching experience otherwise and was only an offensive coordinator for one season, with Oklahoma State in 2008. However, he would give the team continuity and is the clear choice among the players as the man for the job.

Kevin Johns, Duke offensive coordinator: He would also give the team continuity and clearly showed his readiness to run a team with his handling of the offense this year. Duke managed a seven-win season and bowl bid despite playing a true freshman third-stringer much of the second half of the year. Like Taylor, he would be a popular choice with players and recruits, but like Taylor, he has no head coaching experience.

External candidates:​

Ryan Grubb, Washington offensive coordinator: Perhaps the top available candidate remaining, he has built a high-scoring offense in the northwest. Like the internal candidates, he has no head coaching experience and will likely carry a much higher price tag.

Jon Sumrall, Troy head coach: It will certainly make for an awkward bowl if the Blue Devils poach their opponent’s head coach prior to the game. He’s young and enthusiastic, like Elko, and Sumrall has head coaching experience as well as experience as an assistant in the SEC. He’s had four gigs since 2018, so there may be a concern that he’d use Duke as a steppingstone.

Jason Candle, Toledo head coach: A young, successful head coach in the MAC, he seems like a good fit. He has head coaching experience, but just about all his experience has been with Toledo, and he’s never coached in Power Five.

Manny Diaz, Penn State defensive coordinator: An intriguing “big name” on the list, his tenure at Miami didn’t go well. He’s still one of the top defensive coordinators around, and he’s only five years older than Elko. Supposedly, he’s already had one round of interviews for the job.

Jim Knowles, Ohio State defensive coordinator: Another intriguing name, he was defensive coordinator at Duke for much of the first half of David Cutcliffe’s tenure. Since then, he’s moved on to some of the top programs in the sport. He has head coaching experience, but it was at Cornell, not in the Power Five or even FBS. He also has supposedly been through the first round of interviews.

Alex Atkins, Florida State offensive coordinator: Primarily an offensive line coach, he’s served as coordinator at both Charlotte and FSU but only for two seasons. He has no head coaching experience, but he’s considered a fast-rising coaching star.

Tony Gibson, NC State defensive coordinator: He’s also rumored to have participated in Duke’s interview process. He has plenty of Power Five coaching experience and has been coordinator at both West Virginia and State. He has no head coaching experience, however. State appears to be on the verge of giving him a big raise to keep him on board, which might take him off the table.

Sherrone Moore, Michigan offensive coordinator: He stepped in as interim head coach of the top-rated Wolverines during Jim Harbaugh’s two suspensions, which has stamped him as one of the biggest stars in the pool of assistants/coordinators. He was considered a candidate for Indiana before the Hoosiers took Cignetti, and he may have his sights set higher than Duke.

 

[sludevil]

Looks like it’ll be Manny Diaz, which feels like a pretty good result.

 

[dukeberto]

Can’t get excited about this hire at all. Almost would have preferred Trooper or Johns

 

[DrKlahn]

I hope he does okay?

 

[Inveigle]