The 2023 college football regular season is over, with other business now on the mind.
After what has been an exciting few months, let’s rank the best first-year coaches who had their introductory campaigns at the FBS level this year.
- G.J. Kinne – Texas State
The Texas State Bobcats have the 22nd-ranked scoring offense under G.J. Kinne and he ranks No. 1 among first-year coaches when it comes to offense. Kinne also showed shrewdness with the transfer portal, getting the best out of the likes of Joey Hobert, Ismail Mahdi, and TJ Finley.
The Bobcats’ 7-5 record is the best they have achieved since 2014, and this year marks the first time since they’ve qualified for a bowl game since then, though they didn’t play in the postseason when they last qualified.
It’s been an amazing year for Kinne. It will be interesting to see how he gets on in his second year in charge of the program.
- Alex Golesh – USF
Deion Sanders, mentioned below, was not the only coach to take a one-win team and shape it into something bearing immense hope for next season. 39-year-old Alex Golesh has USF churning out wins; and they ended their season on a high, beating Charlotte 48-14 this past Saturday.
The former Tennessee offensive coordinator and tight ends coach did not receive half of the attention Coach Prime did but can boast a much better season as he’s led the Bulls to bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record following a 1-11 season in which they lost all their games in the AAC.
After an opening-day loss to Western Kentucky that likely lit up sports betting in Kentucky, the Bulls went on to win three of their next four games to give themselves a springboard that set them up for a winning season. Golesh deserves all of the credit.
- Brian Newberry – Navy
Brian Newberry did not have the easiest of welcoming campaigns at Navy given that the transfer portal and recruitment weren’t avenues he could rely on. The Midshipmen are one win away from bowl eligibility and will look to snatch it when they play Army on the weekend.
A former defensive coordinator with the program, Newberry is one of only two coaches on here with a winning conference record in his first season. His influence has seen them shoot up to rank 24th on a national level for scoring defense as no other first-year custodian has coached a better defense in 2023.
- Tim Beck – Coastal Carolina
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers finished the season with a 7-5 record and got within one win from the Sun Belt Championship Game. A 56-14 blowout loss to the 11-1 James Madison Dukes has ensured that won’t happen. Still, the Chants have had a very decent season under Tim Beck, who is the only other coach on this list to lead his team to a winning conference record, especially after their bad start.
The team has improved offensively under Beck, while they’ve allowed 10 points fewer than last season on the defensive side of things.
- Kenny Dillingham – Arizona State
Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham had a remarkable first season with the Sun Devils. He had his work cut out for him as he had to deal with recruitment violations that left him short in multiple areas, but he helped steady the ship and worked wonders with what he had at his disposal.
The players struggled with inexperience in important positions, while injuries also plagued them. However, they’re expected to improve significantly next season.
- Deion Sanders – Colorado
Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder with all of the fanfare you would expect. While he has attracted a lot of criticism since the Buffaloes began losing, he’s taken a program that went 11-0 last season to one that’s finished just two games shy of bowl eligibility at 4-8.
Coach Prime’s use of the transfer portal has already changed the landscape of college football and we imagine CU will go on to achieve a whole lot once he gets the offensive line they so desperately need.
Following a 3-0 start to the season, Colorado went on to lose eight out of their next nine games. But they are a work in progress and there’s still plenty to be excited about ahead of next season. For one, they’re bringing in Hall of Famer Warren Sapp to sort their defense out in 2024.
