Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
There were seven coaching changes in the non-BCS this season. Some coaches will get their first crack at a head coaching position, some will try to rebuild ailing programs, and some are trying to build a legacy.
Below are the three coaches I think will have the greatest impact on their teams this season.
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| | SMU athletics |
| | June Jones is focused on turning around the Mustangs. |
June Jones, SMU: He has to be the top choice simply because of how he turned around a Hawaii team that was 0-12 the year before he arrived. Jones had just two losing seasons in his nine at Hawaii and he won 10 games in each of the last two years. Now, he comes to SMU with a similar challenge. The Mustangs are coming off a 1-11 campaign and have not been a national contender since the 1980s. Jones will bring his run-and-shoot offense to a team that built its fame on the run. There are going to be bumps. Many, many bumps. And it's probably not fair to expect Jones to win eight games like he did in his first season with Hawaii. But the Mustangs do have the talent and the schedule to notch six wins and perhaps make their first bowl appearance since 1984.
Kevin Sumlin, Houston: This is probably my favorite non-BCS hire because Sumlin, the school's first African-American football coach, has the ability to keep Houston winning at a high level. He has a grasp on recruiting in Texas due to of his years at Oklahoma and Texas A&M. In his five seasons as an assistant with Oklahoma, the Sooners never had a losing season. Also, Sumlin brought high-level coaches to assist him. Former Texas Tech offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will assume the same position in Houston and Central Florida's John Skladany will be the defensive coordinator. The Cougars will have to rebuild a depleted offense. They lost their running back and top two receivers from an offense that was second in Conference USA a year ago. But almost the entire defense that ranked third in the conference returns.
Ken Niumatalolo, Navy: Niumatalolo has some big shoes to fill replacing Paul Johnson, a coach who brought Navy back to prominence. Niumatalolo, who is believed to be the first Polynesian head coach in NCAA Division I FBS history and the first Samoan collegiate head coach on any level, said he will continue to run Johnson's triple-option offense. Navy is the only team in the country that runs that offense full time, but it has helped the Midshipmen to five consecutive winning seasons and five consecutive Commander-In-Chief Trophies. Niumatalolo did lose his debut 35-32 to Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl last season.
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NON-BCS COACHING CHANGES FOR 2008 SEASON
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| TEAM | OUT | IN |
| Colorado State | Sonny Lubick | Steve Fairchild (NFL's Buffalo Bills) |
| Hawaii | June Jones | Greg McMackin (Hawaii DC) |
| Houston | Art Briles | Kevin Sumlin (Oklahoma OC) |
| Navy | Paul Johnson | Ken Niumatalolo (Navy asst.) |
| Northern Illinois | Joe Novak | Jerry Kill (Southern Illinois) |
| SMU | Phil Bennett | June Jones (Hawaii) |
| Southern Mississippi | Jeff Bower | Larry Fedora (Oklahoma State OC) |
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
