The coaching carousel is in full swing, and the weekend saw several coaches move to new destinations. One of those was recent MAC Champion Tim Albin, who shocked the college football world with his decision to move to the Charlotte 49ers. Now its the Ohio Bobcats who have an opening.
Who might the Bobcats target to replace their former MAC-winning head coach? Here are five potential candidates Ohio could target to replace Tim Albin.
Replacement Candidates for Tim Albin at Ohio
This is a difficult position to project. When long-time head coach Frank Solich retired in 2020, Albin was his natural successor. Now that Albin is gone, the Ohio program is at a crossroads.
The Bobcats can either aim for continuity, hiring a familiar name who is intimately acquainted with the school, or opt to go outside the program for the first time in over 20 years, kickstarting a new era.
The issue is that there isn’t a clear successor on the staff. Both coordinators on Ohio’s MAC Championship team are in their first season with the program and there’s no other longer-tenured coach on staff with the credentials to become a head coach.
That means the program will likely need to go outside its walls in the search for a head coach. But there are several directions the program can go.
Ohio is better positioned than most MAC teams. Albin got the Name, Image, and Likeness infrastructure off the ground, but it still isn’t great, and MAC teams have struggled to lure top talent as coaches have found it challenging to move up from the conference.
So, don’t be surprised if Ohio tries to flex its muscles by hiring within the conference, perhaps enticing a sitting head coach to come to Athens. The program could look for a coach with previous head coaching experience, either at the Group of Five or FCS levels. Here are five potential Albin replacements.
Pete Lembo (Buffalo Head Coach)
Pete Lembo is a great head football coach. That’s all that needs to be said about the current Buffalo Bulls coach. Lembo has a 120-69 career coaching record at three different stops, including a winning record with the Ball State Cardinal and an 8-4 record with Buffalo this season.
One of the best coaches in the MAC, could Lembo be persuaded to move to Ohio? Now is the time for the Bobcats to flex their muscles as the top program in the MAC, and hiring away one of the coaches who could challenge for the conference championship would be a power move.
Tom Matukewicz (Missouri State Head Coach)
A long-time FCS head coach with the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, Tom Matukewicz has deep MAC roots, dating back to his time with the Toledo Rockets and Northern Illinois Huskies.
Matukewizc spent 10 years with Jerry Kill in the early 2000s and was highly regarded in the coaching industry, even serving as the interim head coach in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl when Kill left for Minnesota. Would he be willing to return to Ohio after 10 years in Missouri?
Mike Denbrock (Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator)
Though Mike Denbrock doesn’t have head coaching experience, he’s coached at the highest level of the sport for over two decades, working as an offensive coordinator since 2018 with the Cincinnati Bearcats, LSU Tigers, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
His name is popping up a lot this year on coaching shortlists and he’s wll-respected within the industry. If the Bobcats have no issues with hiring a first-time head coach, Denbrock makes sense.
Bobby Petrino (Arkansas Offensive Coordinator)
A potentially off-the-wall hire, Bobby Petrino is still one of the most impressive offensive minds and play callers in college football. Petrino has garnered interest from other open Group of Five jobs but has removed his name from consideration at schools like Charlotte.
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Does Ohio have the stability to lure Petrino? He’d like to be an FBS head coach again, and Ohio could have the infrastructure to sway Petrino.
Jimmy Rogers (South Dakota State Head Coach)
FBS teams are finally catching onto the fact that successful FCS coaches usually become successful FBS coaches. Last week, the Fresno State Bulldogs hired former North Dakota State Bison head coach Matt Entz. Could Ohio succeed by hiring rising coaching star Jimmy Rogers away from the South Dakota State Jackrabbits?
Rogers is 37 years old and already holds a 27-2 career record with the Jackrabbits. He’s a bright defensive mind, and he’ll earn an FBS coaching job in the future. Could Ohio get in early and hire the favorite to win back-to-back FCS National Championships?
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