The FAU coaching staff has a whole new look for the 2023 college football season after the appointment of Tom Herman as the head coach. Who else makes up the Owls coaching staff ahead of their first season in the American Athletic Conference?
FAU Coaching Staff
Head Coach, Tom Herman
After two seasons removed from the college football sidelines, hugely successful and well-renowned head coach Herman was named the sixth full-time head coach of FAU for 2023. He replaces Willie Taggert, who led the team to a 15-19 record over the past three seasons. Herman constitutes a significant hire for the Owls as they prepare for life in the AAC.
A former all-conference wide receiver during his playing days at California Lutheran, Herman has established himself as one of the most prolific offensive-minded coaches in college football.
His high-scoring offenses at Texas State, Rice, Iowa State, and Ohio State paved the transition into a head coaching role at Houston, where he won the AAC and was named AAC Head Coach of the Year.
MORE: AAC QB Rankings 2023
Taking over at Texas for the 2017 season, Herman ended a number of significant droughts for the Longhorns, including landing their first 10-win season since 2009 and guiding them to a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, their first in the same timeframe. His offenses made a household name of Sam Ehlinger, who established himself as a Texas legend.
Although he’s been absent from college football sidelines for the past two seasons, Herman has by no means been absent from the game. In 2021, he worked as an offensive analyst in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, while in 2022, he spent time as a TV analyst. His return to the sport with FAU is the latest chapter of his college coaching résumé, which can be found below.
- Texas Lutheran (WR coach, 1998)
- Texas (graduate assistant, 1999-2000)
- Sam Houston (WR and special teams coach, 2001-2004)
- Texas State (offensive coordinator and QB coach, 2005-2006)
- Rice (OC and QB coach, 2007-2008)
- Iowa State (OC and QB coach, 2009-2011)
- Ohio State (OC and QB coach, 2012-2014)
- Houston (HC, 2015-2016)
- Texas (HC, 2017-2020)
- FAU (HC, 2023)
Offensive Coordinator, Charlie Frye
Charlie Frye was hired ahead of the 2023 college football season to be the Owls’ offensive coordinator. Additionally, he’ll serve as the quarterback coach on the FAU coaching staff, reprising a role that he’s held at both the college football level with Central Michigan and in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.
Frye’s foundation for developing quarterbacks was born as a highly successful playmaker for Akron, where he holds 54 records, including the single-season passing yards record that he set in 2003.
While his NFL career never reached a similar level of success, Frye reinvented himself as a high school offensive coordinator in Florida before leading Nike’s “The Opening” as the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. After a year spent at Ashland coaching WRs, he established himself at Central Michigan.
Under his tutelage at the Chippewas, Lew Nichols III and Kalil Pimpleton emerged as two of the most electric playmakers in the MAC. Meanwhile, the program landed a MAC West title and played in the MAC Championship Game for the first time in 10 years while Frye was the OC and QB coach. His most recent college role was as an offensive analyst at Penn State.
Defensive Coordinator, Roc Bellantoni
It’s a case of the same old brand new you for the defensive coordinator role on the FAU coaching staff as Roc Bellantoni returns to the Owls following an absence of almost seven years. In addition to coordinating the defense for Coach Herman, Bellantoni will also be responsible for coaching the program’s linebackers — something he has done at multiple schools.
Bellantoni was first on the FAU coaching staff from 2014 to 2016. In his first season with the program, he coached the versatile and experienced defensive duo of D’Joun Smith and Andrae Kirk — both of whom would go on to play professionally. Meanwhile, Trey Hendrickson earned first-team all-conference honors during the defensive coordinator’s final season with the program.
Vastly experienced, Bellantoni began his coaching career at Mamaroneck High School in New York, working on both sides of the trenches. He has spent time at nearly all levels of college football and has been involved in seven conference championship-winning teams. His full college coaching résumé can be found below.
- Buena Vista (DL coach, 1995-1997)
- Drake (DL coach, 1998-1999; DC and LB coach, 2000)
- Eastern Illinois (DL coach and recruiting coordinator, 2001; DC and LB coach, 2002-2006; acting head coach, 2007; DC, LB coach and DL coach, 2007-2011)
- Villanova (special teams coordinator and DL coach, 2012-2013)
- FAU (DC, 2014-2016)
- Buffalo (director of player personnel, 2017; special teams coordinator, DE coach, 2018)
- Washington State (interim DC and LB coach, 2019)
- Utah State (special teams coordinator, LB coach, 2020)
- Auburn (defensive analyst, 2021; special teams and edge rushers coach, 2022)
- FAU (DC and LB coach, 2023)
Special Teams Coordinator, Chad Lunsford
Chad Lunsford joined the FAU coaching staff in 2022 as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. Previously, he served as the head coach at Georgia Southern, where his Eagles teams had consecutive winning seasons from 2018 to 2020. Lunsford’s successes on special teams include coaching Younghoe Koo and Tyler Bass, who are currently two of the best kickers in the NFL.
Cornerback Coach, Brandon Harris
A second-team All-American cornerback at Miami (FL) in 2009, Brandon Harris went on to have a six-year NFL career before beginning his coaching career at FSU in 2020 as a defensive analyst. Harris joined the FAU coaching staff for the 2022 season as the cornerback coach and added co-defensive coordinator duties to his résumé ahead of the 2023 college football season.
Offensive Line Coach, Ed Warinner
A longtime coach at some of the most prominent college football programs in the nation, Ed Warinner joined the FAU coaching staff in 2021 after spending three seasons working with the Michigan Wolverines’ offensive line.
MORE: AAC Season Predictions 2023
Warinner also has stints at Minnesota, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Kansas, Illinois, Air Force, Army, Michigan State, and Akron on his college résumé.
Wide Receiver Coach, David Beaty
David Beaty joins the FAU coaching staff for the 2023 college football season, having previously worked with head coach Herman at Texas in 2019. A standout WR as a player, he has coached the position at Rice, Kansas, Texas A&M, and with the Houston Gamblers. Beaty has been a head coach at both the high school and college levels, compiling a 45-57 overall record.
Safety Coach, Derrick Gibson
After winning a national championship as a three-year starter at FSU, Derrick Gibson was a first-round NFL Draft pick and played in a Super Bowl with the Oakland Raiders. Following the end of his playing career, he embarked on a highly successful high school coaching career that included five state titles in Florida. He joined the FAU coaching staff in 2022 as the safeties coach.
Defensive Line Coach, Roosevelt Maggitt Jr.
A productive player at Iowa State, Roosevelt Maggitt Jr. immediately turned his attention to coaching, where he has spent time at the highest levels of college football and the NFL. He was most recently the director of player personnel for CUSA champions UTSA. Maggitt joins the FAU coaching staff as the DL coach, a role he held at West Georgia from 2019 to 2021.
Running Back Coach, Chris Perkins
After a year away from the program, Chris Perkins returns as the running backs coach for the 2023 college football season. He originally joined the FAU coaching staff in 2017 as a player development assistant before being promoted to running backs coach in 2020. Perkins has a long history of working with quarterbacks at the high school level dating back to 2003.
Defensive Pass Game Coordinator, Corey Bell
A longstanding member of Florida college football coaching, Corey Bell joins the FAU coaching staff for 2023 after spending time at FIU, Florida, UCF, USF, and Miami. Bell is in his second stint with the Owls, having spent three seasons working with the secondary from 2014 to 2016. He will serve as the defensive pass game coordinator.
