Scot Loeffler, the architect of the Bowling Green Falcons’ resurgence, departs for the NFL. While the coach strolls away with a 27-41 mark, the Falcons did enjoy three consecutive bowl trips.
Now, he accepted a job as the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback coach, working with Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts.
Scot Loeffler Leaving Creates Questions for Bowling Green
As the dust clears on Loeffler’s exit, the immediate question is, who will the Next Bowling Green head coach be? The Falcons can look to the past for answers here.
Dino Babers, the former Bowling Green coach, could easily step back into the fold. During his two-year stint in northwest Ohio, he took the program bowling twice, compiling a record of 18-9.
The most intriguing option, Charlie Frye, makes sense for a flood of reasons.
First, Frye grew up in Willard, Ohio, approximately 80-90 east of the campus. Next, he starred in the Mid-American Conference as a quarterback at Akron. Most importantly, Frye possesses coaching experience in the MAC (Central Michigan, 2019-2020). He knows the area, the high schools, coaches and culture.
Bowling Green needs to replace an offensive-minded coach like Loeffler with a similar mind in Frye.
To his credit, Loeffler did not leave the cover empty at Bowling Green. The Falcons—provided the recruits stay enrolled—should bring in functional recruiting and transfer classes. Adding three-star players at quarterback, receiver and tight end provides potential starting ability and depth.
Moreover, the addition of fifteen transfers brings a glimmer of hope for not only the fanbase but administrators and donors. Now, the trick remains how the football program can retain these players, when the transfer portal immediately opens for them.
In modern college football, keeping players matters just as much as initial recruiting.
Recent Trend: Head Coaches Leaving for Assistant Jobs
Loeffler walking away for an assistant job, in the NFL, while stunning, arrives with a precedent.
In 2023, Jeff Hafley, fresh off a Fenway Bowl victory as Boston College head coach, packed for Green Bay, taking over as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. On a different level, Chip Kelly abruptly left his UCLA head coaching position to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator.
What could serve as the impetus for rather lateral moves?
In the age of NIL and money flowing through college athletics, some coaches feel like the landscape is titled towards the richer teams.
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With all due respect, what did Scot Loeffler see as his ceiling at Bowling Green? He didn’t graduate from there, so alma mater allegiance doesn’t apply. The program looks like seven or eight wins will constitute a good season.
The MAC and its visibility, to some, becomes a hindrance if they aspire for better jobs. P.J. Fleck managed to turn a 30-22 record with Western Michigan into a lucrative job at the University of Minnesota. Cash plays a significant role in today’s game. Many view the Group of Five schools as a stepping stone.
Loeffler leaving for an assistant job in the NFL reverberates through college football. The move underscores the rapidly changing present and future.
No matter how successful a coach is at a collegiate level, the lure of an NFL job and dissatisfaction with the money-centric behaviors surrounding the game drive people away.
As Bowling Green State University attempts to look for a permanent replacement, will this new trend of leaving become more prominent as the financial gap between conferences continues to widen?
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