ESPN Independents and Others Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

A couple days ago I looked at the Mountain West's new coaches, now it's time to check out the new coaches in the Mid-American conference.

The MAC had more coaching turnover than any other conference in the country. The conference also nabbed some of the great up-and-coming talents in the coaching world. Lest we forget the MAC is the birthplace of great coaches such as Urban Meyer and Nick Saban.

Could the next big name be on the horizon?

* Quick fix... I listed Stan Parish's head coaching experience as nil. He was the head man at Marshall and Kansas State in the 1980s.

BALL STATE

	Marvin Gentry/US Presswire
	New Ball State coach Stan Parrish won't have to change the philosophy of his program.

Coach: Stan Parrish
Previous school and position: Ball State, offensive coordinator
Head coaching experience: Marshall 1984-85, Kansas State 1986-88
Ball State's 2008 record: 12-2, 8-0 MAC
Returning players: Offense 4, defense 7

What he brings: The good thing about hiring from within is the core philosophies of a program usually don't change. Players don't have to learn too new of a system and they don't really have to audition for spots. So for a guy like Parrish, his first spring was about making changes here and there and really cultivating what he has. Parrish is a good offensive mind and knows how to work even mid-level talent into big-time production. He helped transform Ball State into an offensive force and that should be a staple of his tenure as the head coach there.

Challenges he faces: Ball State's defense, which was OK last year, is mostly intact, but the offense is going to need some work. Not only did the Cardinals lose star quarterback Nate Davis, it also lost most of the offensive line and a couple of its top receivers. Bringing all that together in a short amount of time isn't going to be easy, but since Parrish already knows his personnel, he also already knows what's going to fit where. He's really high on new starting quarterback Kelly Page and thinks he could be as good if not better than Davis.

Likelihood of pulling off a winning season: Ball State will not be 12-2 again. Just forget about that right now. It probably won't be undefeated in conference play either. But it will be a player in the race for the MAC West title. I really like Ball State's defense. Sean Baker is one of my favorite players because I like the way he reads the game. He could easily lead the conference in interceptions.

The Cardinals have the luxury of three easy games -- North Texas, New Hampshire and Army -- to begin the season before traveling to Auburn to end nonconference play. It's a nice 3-1 start for a team that will be looking for some confidence.

In fact, the bulk of the schedule sets up nicely for Ball State to have a pretty good record heading into the final month of the season. The Cardinals open conference play against Toledo, travel to Temple, host Bowling Green, travel to Eastern Michigan and then play Ohio at home to end October.

Then the season begins. The Cardinals end the year against Northern Illinois, Central Michigan and Western Michigan, all midweek games and against opponents that are going to be fighting for both bowl slots and the MAC West title.

So while the Cardinals' record might be pretty good heading into November, those three games will be the telltale sign of how far the team has progressed in Parrish's first season.

My prediction: 8-4, 5-3 MAC

BOWLING GREEN

	Jim Brown/US Presswire
	Dave Clawson and Bowling Green will face a difficult schedule this season.

Coach: Dave Clawson
Previous school and position: Tennessee, offensive coordinator
Head coaching experience: Fordham 1999-2004, Richmond 2004-07
Bowling Green's 2008 record: 6-6, 4-4 MAC
Returning players: Offense 7, defense 4

What he brings: This was one of my favorite hires of the offseason because I thought Clausen was a guy that could bring Bowling Green to its potential. He knows how to be a head coach and had success at both Fordham and Richmond. He also knows how to work in a big-time program and what it takes to make a program big time. Clausen's background is on offense, but with several seniors on his roster, he'll be able to make this team a contender for the 2009 season.

Challenges he faces: Bowling Green has a ton of seniors, most who will play big roles this season, but he doesn't have a lot of depth after that. He spent most of the spring developing that depth and he'll continue to do so during fall camp. He inherits a good offense that didn't live up to expectations last year. Quarterback Tyler Sheehan is one of the best in the conference, but he doesn't have a lot of help on the ground.

On defense, Bowling Green was great at stopping the run, but struggled against the pass. That's not a good balance in a pass-heavy conference. The defense lost a lot of key players, but does return safety P.J. Mahone, who will be leader in the secondary.

Likelihood of pulling off a winning season: Every year, at least for the past few years, the MAC East has been wide open. And during the last few years Bowling Green has either shared the division title or  been right in the thick of it. Even last year, Bowling Green finished tied for second in the East and was a win over Buffalo away from playing in the MAC title game. So, the desire to be a contender in the MAC is there. It's a matter of learning a new system and putting it all together.

The Falcons don't have an easy schedule. It opens against a talented Troy team, which is favored to with the Sun Belt, and then travels to Missouri and Marshall before coming home to face Boise State. That's likely going to be a 1-3 start, perhaps 2-2 because they get Troy at home.

Conference play opens against Ohio and then a road game at Kent State, both winnable games. Then the Falcons hit a tough stretch at Ball State, against Central Michigan and at Buffalo. The Falcons haven't played Central since 2006, haven't played Ball State since 2005 and Buffalo edged them ultimately for the title last year.

Then Bowling Green drops into another winnable set of games at Miami (Ohio), and at home against Akron and Toledo.

My prediction: 6-6, 5-3 MAC

EASTERN MICHIGAN

	Tony Ding/Icon SMI
	Ron English is a defensive mind in an offensive league.

Coach: Ron English
Previous school and position: Louisville, defensive coordinator
Head coaching experience: None
Eastern Michigan's 2008 record: 3-9, 2-6 MAC
Returning players: Offense 8, defense 8

What he brings: English brings a defensive mind to a conference that is known for its offense. English was the defensive coordinator at Louisville last season and it ranked 35th in the country in total defense. Prior to that, English was the defensive coordinator at Michigan and it ranked No. 24 in total defense in 2007, the year before it ranked 10th. English is exactly what a team that allowed 408 yards of total offense and 35.58 points per game needs.

Challenges he faces: Well, Eastern Michigan isn't exactly a defensive oriented team and hasn't placed a ton of emphasis on it the past couple seasons. It does have a great offense, so he won't have to worry about that. But defensively English is really going to have his work cut out for him. He does return eight players, but they still lack the size and speed to keep up with some of the MAC's potent offenses. So, the process to transform this defense might be gradual. He does return defensive lineman Brad Ohrman, who led the team in sacks last season.

The secondary is going to be the biggest challenge. EMU was almost last in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Its leader in interceptions was linebacker Jermaine Jenkins with two. Both safeties return, but he has to replace both defensive backs.

Likelihood of pulling off a winning season: The Eagles have an offense that rivals any in the conference and most of the key players -- Andy Schmitt, Jacory Stone, Terrence Blevins -- return. The problem is that almost every team in the MAC has a great offense and EMU's isn't consistent enough to outscore its opponents.

The Eagles should open the season with a win over Army, but then they have tough road games against Northwestern and Michigan. It's easily a 1-2 start, though they could steal the game at Michigan. The Eagles open conference against a deep and experienced Temple team that has a couple quarterbacks that can spread the ball around. The next game at Central Michigan could be ugly especially since the Chippewas will be looking for revenge for last season.

The Eagles could split their games against Kent State and Ball State before traveling to Arkansas for a mid-season nonconference loss. They come home to play Northern Illinois and Western Michigan, two teams that will contenders in the MAC West, and end the season on the road against Toledo and Akron teams that can be beaten.

Wins are going to be hard to come by with this schedule, but the Eagles should be a little better than they were a year ago.

My prediction: 4-8, 3-5 MAC

MIAMI (OHIO)

Anderson?

	AP Photo/David Kohl
	Mike Haywood must rebuild a team that won one game last season.

Coach: Mike Haywood
Previous school and position: Notre Dame, offensive coordinator
Head coaching experience: None
Miami's 2008 record: 2-10, 1-7 MAC
Returning players: Offense 8, defense 5

What he brings: It's difficult to know exactly what Haywood brings to the table because he wasn't given a lot of freedom at Notre Dame. He was the offensive coordinator more or less in name only. Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis called the plays during Haywood's tenure and though Haywood called the plays the first half of last year, Weis regained control by the end of the season.

Haywood was in charge of a running game that was ineffective during the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In all fairness, it was a young group behind a really young and inexperienced line.

In fact, there were a lot of rumors floating around -- do a Google search -- that Haywood was in line for "voluntary resignation" had he not gotten the Miami job. So, it's hard know what Haywood will bring since his coaching style has been bottled up by Weis the past few years. But he has a long steady history as an assistant, which means he's got something special going for him.

Challenges he faces: Two years ago, Miami played for the MAC title. Last year, it won one game. Miami is a team that hasn't gotten consistent play out of any of its players except linebackers and kicker and punter -- all lost to graduation. So Haywood is more or less starting from scratch. I think he'll have more success with quarterback Daniel Raudabaugh if he puts a little faith in him. Last year, Raudabaugh was in and out of the lineup, and his numbers were down from 2007. The RedHawks were one of the worst teams in the country in passing efficiency.

He needs to develop a running game. It was one of the worst in the country. Starter Thomas Merriweather returns, but he needs to get more production out of him.

The defense, which relied heavily on a trio of linebackers last season, was also one of the worst in the country last season. And now that three of the top four linebackers are gone, it's going to be a battle getting this defense to a level where it can compete with the rest of the MAC. In 2007, the RedHawks defense was the reason it won the East.

Likelihood of pulling off a winning season: Haywood might have drawn the short straw of all the new MAC coaches. Unlike some of the other schools, Miami doesn't have a name playmaker to build the team around. Raudabaugh could be that guy, but he's not right now. Defensively, linebacker Caleb Bostic could be that guy, but he's not there yet either.

This is an uphill climb. No doubt about it. The good thing is that Haywood is a big enough name that he can bring in some players to help turn the program around, but it's going to take time especially with the brutal schedule it faces this year.

The RedHawks open the year with Kentucky and Boise State before dropping into conference play against Western Michigan and Kent State. That's easily an 0-4 start especially with Kent State's running game and Miami's lack of running defense. Then the RedHawks go back into nonconference play against Cincinnati and Northwestern before playing Ohio, Northern Illinois and Toledo to end October. The RedHawks finish the year at Temple and then at home against Bowling Green and Buffalo.

This year could easily be a repeat of 2008.

My prediction: 2-10, 2-6 MAC

TOLEDO

	Barry Taylor/Icon SMI
	New to the conference this year, Tim Beckman already has plenty of knowledge about the MAC.

Coach: Tim Beckman
Previous school and position: Oklahoma State, defensive coordinator
Head coaching experience: None
Toledo's 2008 record: 3-9, 2-6 MAC
Returning players: Offense 9, defense 9

What he brings: Beckman might have come over from Oklahoma State as the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, but it wasn't his defensive coaching that got him the job. After all, Oklahoma State ranked 93rd and 101st in total defense the two years he was there.

It was his personality, his MAC coaching background and his knowledge of winning offenses that got him hired. Beckman worked with both Ohio State and Oklahoma State, two teams that didn't have much trouble putting points on the board. He also spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Bowling Green, so he has an idea of how to win in the MAC.

Challenges he faces: Obviously, Toledo was not one of the best teams last year. It struggled to score, it struggled to keep leads, it struggled to keep teams out of the end zone. During the last three seasons, something has gone awry at Toledo and Beckman will be charged with finding out what that is. This is a team that won the MAC East in 2005 and dominated the MAC in the late 90s and early 2000s.

The cupboard isn't bare. The Rockets return a couple possible draft picks on defense and receiver Stephen Williams could turn into a major offensive player in the MAC if quarterback Aaron Opelt can stay healthy. Toledo wasn't outright awful in any one category, it was just mediocre in several.

Likelihood of pulling off a winning season: Of all the new MAC coaches, Beckman probably inherited the best and most underrated team available. Don't be fooled by Toledo's record or stats last season. There are good players on this team, they just needed a little bit of direction, which I believe Beckman can bring.

With that said, this season could go either way. Toledo hasn't had a winning season since 2005, but it does have the personnel to turn that around.

The schedule could be challenging. The Rockets' nonconference schedule consists of Purdue, Colorado, Ohio State and Florida International. I'm a big believer in Florida International, so I'm calling that a loss. I think Toledo could perhaps pick off Colorado at home.

It has a tough stretch to open conference play -- at Ball State, then at home against Western Michigan and Northern Illinois -- but then gets Temple and Miami. The Rockets end the schedule with another tough stretch against Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green.

Although the schedule is tough, I think Toledo can be one of the surprise teams of the season.

My prediction: 6-6, 5-3 MAC