Notable Coordinators in College Football

College football coaches change positions regularly. With that, schools are always looking for coordinators who are doing a good job. This could be to take the same spot or the head coaching position. Here are notable coordinators in college football.

ACC

Miami Hurricanes: Shannon Dawson

Dawson has had some ups and downs as offensive coordinator of the Hurricanes. The offense flourished under Cam Ward, but was inconsistent with Carson Beck under center. They ranked 35th in scoring last season, but now he will get to work with Darian Mensah at quarterback. Mensah will have a good running back in Mark Fletcher and a game-changing wide receiver in Malachi Toney. The offensive line will need to come together for the offense to flourish. Dawson is creative and Miami’s chances of another CFP run could rest in his hands. 

Virginia Tech Hokies: Brent Pry

It is not often that a head coach immediately returns to the school that fired him to be the defensive coordinator, but that is what Pry is doing at Virginia Tech. He had success as Penn State’s defensive coordinator before taking the Virginia Tech job and now joins James Franklin’s staff at the school. Pry could thrive with the ability to just focus on defense and the roster has more talent than he had during his tenure as head coach. 

Big 12

Colorado Buffaloes: Brennan Marion

The title of this is notable coordinators, so this isn’t necessarily a list of the best in the business. Marion created the GoGo offense and took it to Sacramento State when he became head coach. Before that, the offense really helped breathe some life into the UNLV program. At Colorado, he’ll be under Deion Sanders. He will be able to work with quarterback Julian Lewis, but won’t have as much talent as other programs in the Big 12. 

Big Ten

Indiana Hoosiers: Bryant Haines

Haines has done impressive work at Indiana, specifically with taking undersized players and allowing them to make an impact. The Hoosiers ranked second in the country in scoring last season, allowing 11.7 points per game. He will be on a lot of shortlists to be a head coach if he keeps it up. 

Indiana Hoosiers: Mike Shanahan

Although he shares the name with a former NFL head coach, Shanahan is paving his own path. He helped Indiana win the national championship with the offense averaging 41.6 points per game. He will have some new players entering the fold this season, but some experienced ones as well. There is enough talent to have good offensive output once again. 

Iowa Hawkeyes: Phil Parker

Parker has been the defensive coordinator for Iowa since 2012. He has an especially tough job, as the offense doesn’t always sustain long drives and give his defense a break. Last season, Iowa allowed 15.6 points per game, ranking eighth in the country. Only three starters return, so Parker’s work could be cut out for him. 

Ohio State Buckeyes: Matt Patricia

Patricia helped Ohio State have the best defense in the country last season, as they allowed just 9.3 points per game. He has elite athletes and he knows how to use them. While a lot of those players are off to the NFL, Ohio State shouldn’t take too far of a step backwards, as they usually reload with new talent regularly. 

Penn State Nittany Lions: D’Anton Lynn

Lynn played at Penn State and now returns as the defensive coordinator. He helped USC and UCLA’s defenses improve during his stints with those schools. There probably won’t be as much talent on the defensive side of the ball as Penn State is used to seeing, but Lynn can help get more out of the players on the roster than a lot of coaches. 

SEC

Georgia Bulld0gs: Glenn Schumann

Schumann has been with Georgia for a while, but last year he took over the defense by himself after being a co-defensive coordinator. The Bulldogs delivered well, as they had the 10th-ranked defense in the country, allowing 17.6 points per game. There are plenty of quality players returning to help Schumann have another good season and possibly get a head coaching job. 

LSU Tigers: Blake Baker

Lane Kiffin comes in as head coach and the school was able to retain Blake Baker at defensive coordinator, which is a win. Despite the offense sputtering last season, Baker’s defense allowed just 19.8 points per game, ranking 23rd in the country. He will have more good players than last season and the offense should be a lot better to help get his defense off the field. 

LSU Tigers: Charlie Weiss Jr. 

Following Kiffin to Baton Rouge is Weiss Jr., who helped run the offense at Ole Miss last season as they made their CFP run. The Rebels ranked 10th in the country in scoring. They also developed quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who was not very well known before the season. Weiss Jr. will have more resources at LSU and with Kiffin’s guidance, the offense should flourish.

Oklahoma Sooners: Ben Arbuckle

Arbuckle came in last season from Washington State with transfer quarterback John Mateer. The offense ranked 78th in scoring, but could’ve done better had Mateer not injured his thumb during the season. If they can get running backs to help the cause, Mateer’s dual-threat abilities can help elevate the offense a lot in 2026.

Other

Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Mike Denbrock

Denbrock was the offensive coordinator at LSU with Brian Kelly in 2023. He helped Jayden Daniels develop, as the Tigers scored 45.5 points per game, which was the best rank in the country. Daniels won the Heisman and the Tigers had a good season on the offensive side of the ball. In 2024, he helped the Fighting Irish make the National Championship Game behind an offense that scored 36.1 points per game. Last season, he helped CJ Carr develop as a quarterback and with him returning, it should be a big year for the Notre Dame offense. 

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