ARKANSAS STATE
OUT: Steve Roberts. Resigned Nov. 29 after going 45-63 in nine seasons IN: Hugh Freeze, promoted from offensive coordinator Dec. 2.
THE BUZZ: Roberts led Arkansas State to its only bowl appearance and the Sun Belt title in 2005, but the Red Wolves have not had a winning record since that season. Arkansas State went 6-6 three times under Roberts. Even for a Sun Belt job, Arkansas State is difficult. Teams in this league are looking for players to fall through the cracks, but that's much easier in Florida, Texas and Louisiana than in Arkansas. The Red Wolves had success in Division II and Division I-AA, but that has not translated to FBS play. Arkansas State made the somewhat unorthodox move of promoting an assistant off the ex-coach's staff. Freeze was the offensive coordinator this season after serving as head coach at Lambuth College, an NAIA school in Jackson, Tenn., for the previous two seasons. Freeze, who also was an assistant at Ole Miss under Ed Orgeron, probably is best known as the former coach at Memphis Briarcrest Christian when Michael Oher played there. Under Freeze, sophomore QB Ryan Aplin helped Arkansas State rank second in the Sun Belt in scoring offense, total offense and pass offense. Arkansas State broke the school record for total offense with 4,841 yards. The Red Wolves also set school records for first downs, passing first downs, pass completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and total offensive plays this season.
BALL STATE
OUT: Stan Parrish. Fired Nov. 22 after going 6-19 in two seasons IN:: Pete Lembo, Elon coach. Hired Dec. 20.
THE BUZZ: Ball State showed patience with Brady Hoke, as it took him five seasons for his first winning season in Muncie. Parrish, Hoke's offensive coordinator, did not get the same treatment. He lasted only two seasons, though Ball State doubled its win total in his second year (from two victories to four). Ball State won three MAC titles from 1989-96. Since then, Ball State struggled to stay competitive until Hoke revived the program by going 12-2 in 2008. Most of Ball State's hires have been from the assistant coach ranks, but the Cardinals reached into FCS to replace Parrish. Lembo took over a rebuilding job at Elon, reaching FCS playoffs for the first time in program history in 2009 and achieving the school's first winning season in seven years in 2007. Before Elon, he went 44-14 with two Patriot League championships in five seasons at Lehigh. Even as an assistant, Lembo has never coached in the bowl subdivision (i.e. Division I-A).
OUT: Dan Hawkins. Fired Nov. 9 after going 19-39 in five seasons IN: Jon Embree, Washington Redskins tight ends coach. Hired Dec. 5.
THE BUZZ: The Hawkins hire looked like a slam dunk when Colorado plucked him from Boise State after a 53-11 run with the Broncos. But on the field, the Buffaloes arguably are in worse shape than when Hawkins arrived in Boulder. Hawkins took Colorado to one bowl and never had a winning season (a 6-6 team lost the Independence Bowl in 2007). Colorado's money woes may have aided in Hawkins sticking around an extra season, but the administration couldn't take any more of the same. As Colorado moves into the Pac-12, it is making a connection to its past with the hiring of Embree, a former Colorado player (tight end) and assistant (under three coaches). Embree is a former assistant with the Redskins and Chiefs in the NFL as well as at UCLA. The Buffs also hired their leading career rusher, Eric Bieniemy, as offensive coordinator. He had been the running backs coach with the Minnesota Vikings. Embree and Bieniemy overlapped as Buffs assistants under Gary Barnett in 2001-02.
OUT: Urban Meyer. Resigned Dec. 8 after going 64-15 in six seasons. IN: Will Muschamp, Texas defensive coordinator. Hired Dec. 11.
THE BUZZ: Meyer resigned in December last season, citing health concerns before electing to return to coaching a day later. Although Meyer said the decision to step away this time was not due to immediate health concerns, but reports indicated his health was a factor in the decision to step away. The Florida job is one of the top two or three jobs nationally in terms of resources, recruiting base and alumni support, but Meyer's final season was one of the worst in decades. The new coach will inherit a program that lost five regular season games for the first time since 1988, lost four SEC games for the first time since 2004 and lost to Florida State for the first time since 2003. Although the Gators underachieved last season, the new coach will inherit a deep and talented roster. Florida will turn that roster over to a first-time head coach in Muschamp, who was the coach-in-waiting at Texas. Muschamp has a long resume as an energetic and effective defensive coordinator. He has SEC ties as a defensive coordinator under Nick Saban at LSU and Tommy Tuberville at Auburn.
OUT: Bill Lynch. Fired Nov. 28 after going 19-30 in four seasons IN: Kevin Wilson, Oklahoma offensive coordinator. Hired Dec. 7.
THE BUZZ: Lynch was elevated to coach after the death of Terry Hoeppner in 2007. He did an admirable job that season by holding the team together on the way to the Insight Bowl, the Hoosiers' first postseason appearance in 14 years. Since then, Indiana slipped to its customary spot at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, going 3-21 in the conference in Lynch's final three seasons. Fans are more anxious to watch the basketball program rebuild, so the new coach needs to be content with playing second-fiddle to hoops. Wilson has been an assistant at Oklahoma for nine seasons, following Mike Leach and Mark Mangino in taking head coaching jobs from the Sooners offensive coordinator post. Wilson was offensive coordinator under Randy Walker at Northwestern and Miami (Ohio), serving on the same offensive staff with Hoeppner at Miami until 1998. Wilson left Northwestern to become the offensive line coach at Oklahoma in 2002.
KENT STATE
OUT: Doug Martin. Resigned Nov. 21 after going 28-53 in seven seasons IN: Darrell Hazell, Ohio State assistant head coach/wide receivers coach. Hired Dec. 20.
THE BUZZ: Martin's departure didn't come as a surprise, as the Golden Flashes never finished better than 6-6 under him. In recent seasons, the Golden Flashes have had a couple of decorated players in RB Eugene Jarvis and QB Julian Edelman, who plays in the NFL as a wide receiver. Kent State is one of the MAC's toughest jobs. The program hasn't had a winning record since going 7-4 in 1984 under Glen Mason. Don James led Kent State to its only bowl, in 1972. Hazell has a long successful career as an assistant at Ohio State, Rutgers and West Virginia. With the Buckeyes, Hazell coached Ted Ginn, Santonio Holmes, Anthony Gonzalez, Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey.Inception (Two-Disc Edition) [Blu-ray]
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