Grading college football head-coaching hires - ESPN

The college football coaching carousel is cranked up for another spin after the bombshell news of Alabama's Nick Saban riding off into retirement. And with Kalen DeBoer leaving Washington for Tuscaloosa to replace the legendary Saban, there will be at least one more domino to fall.

Every new hire comes with a degree of hope but also plenty to analyze. Recent coaching cycles have shown that some can't-miss hires will miss and that less-celebrated coaches can be exactly what certain programs needed.

We are here to break down the most notable new hires: how head coaches fit, the challenges they will face and more. We also will supply an initial grade. This file will be updated throughout the coaching carousel.

Jump to a hire:
Alabama
Texas A&M
Duke
Houston
Indiana
Mississippi State
Michigan State
Northwestern
Oregon State
Syracuse

Adam Rittenberg: DeBoer is a proven coach who has quickly shown he can win at the highest level of college football. Although he has only three total seasons in the Power 5 — two at Washington, one as Indiana's offensive coordinator — he hasn't flinched at all in the spotlight. He was unbeaten at Washington against ranked opponents until Monday's national championship game against Michigan. Although Alabama and the SEC represent a dramatically different challenge, DeBoer has the steady temperament and skill set to transition as well as possible. He's not Saban and he knows it, and he won't try to be anyone but himself as he fills impossibly big shoes in Tuscaloosa. After ESPN reported Saban's retirement, several knowledgeable industry sources noted that Alabama would need a different personality type to replace him and continue the program's success. DeBoer fits that, while also bringing an understanding of