College football second-year coach grades

[MSOrange]

College football second-year coach grades: Alabama's Kalen DeBoer gets 'C+'

A look at the success stories (and failures) from coaches after their second year on the job

www.cbssports.com

Syracuse

Fran Brown

13-12

Brown's second season was derailed by losing quarterback Steve Angeli to an injury early, but dropping from 10 to three wins is a rough look. Positively, Angeli is back, along with a star recruiting class highlighted by five-star receiver Calvin Russell.

B

Also of note:

Indiana

Curt Cignetti

27-2

What is the highest possible rating in the known universe? Give Cignetti that.

A+++

 

[PAcuse]

Comparing Fran to Cignettis is simply not far and this board needs to stop it.
Cignetti will go down as a generational coach and has had YEARS of HC experience as well.
Oh he also hit a home run by going to the school with the largest alumni base that was desprite for anything football and are just throwing truckloads of cash at the program.

Fran is doing well with what he has and his experience. One QB injury short of this place not being meltdown city anytime anyone brings up last season

 

[sufandu]

I didn't see that particular post as a comparison, which is why it said, "Also of note."

Clearly, no 2nd year coach should be compared to Cignetti.

 

[PAcuse]

I didn't see that particular post as a comparison, which is why it said, "Also of note."

Clearly, no 2nd year coach should be compared to Cignetti.

It was a general statement to the board and not the poster, that is why I didn't quote the poster.

 

[MSOrange]

I didn't see that particular post as a comparison, which is why it said, "Also of note."

Clearly, no 2nd year coach should be compared to Cignetti.

Exactly and from PACuse next post, he realizes I meant no comparison. It was more just laughing at the comment on Cignetti as A+ really doesn't seem high enough in his case.

 

[upperdeck]

If you have 10x the budget good things can happen.

What happens to Indy last year if the QB goes down week 4? They had a great season.

How many lost starts did they get on the Oline? They had a WR get hurt.

 

[djorange1989]

The narrative I have seen from national guys, this included, is we were on our way to a solid season and Angeli’s injury derailed it. At least we aren’t being dismissed as a fluke.

 

[Newhouser]

Fran should not have received a B for last year.

 

[djorange1989]

Fran should not have received a B for last year.

Agreed, if we had been competitive and at least beaten the stiffs(BC, UNC) he would have deserved a decent grade

 

[SuFTW]

Fran should not have received a B for last year.

The grade is for two years combined, not just the second year.

 

[TexanMark]

Fran should not have received a B for last year.

Agreed...I'd say C- for having horrid depth at QB and a dysfunctional OL...if for 2 years maybe a C+

 

[CbusCuse]

I’d say an A for year 1 and a D for year 2.
Yes we lost our starting QB and that was the major factor but 3 wins is 3 wins. Shouldn’t get any higher than a D for that in my book.

I’m sure he’ll be back safely on the higher side of the grading scale this year.

 

[Archbold44]

Fran should not have received a B for last year.

I am not sure how you receive a B for both years combined. We are 13-12 over 2 years. We were 13-13 the 2 years before he came and 18-20 over the 3 years before he came. So, a program hovering around .500. I would say going from just under to just over makes him a C+.

If we had gone 5-7 last year to have him at 15-10, that would be a big difference. I'd give that a B.

But we could have had no coaches at all and let the players call the plays... and gone 0-8 post-Angeli. Not sure we would have been any less competitive.

An above average (and perhaps even average) coach finds a way to win one game out of 8, especially with 4 homes games including 2 home games against teams that finished a combined 4-18 in games not involving us. We could not even split those games to get to 4-8. That is an (Letter between E and G) for the year, regardless of the Angeli injury. A+[letter between E and G] = C.

(apparently the letter between E and G cannot be used)

 

[SUalldway]

I’d say an A for year 1 and a D for year 2.
Yes we lost our starting QB and that was the major factor but 3 wins is 3 wins. Shouldn’t get any higher than a D for that in my book.

I’m sure he’ll be back safely on the higher side of the grading scale this year.

Year 3 will be regression towards the mean, hopefully at least a B

 

[Eric15]

A for Year 1. Eph for Year 2. I don't think either is an exaggeration. We were fantastic in 2024 and barely a football team in 2025 who got murdered at home by 1-10 BC.

Averages out to a C.

I can't believe the board won't let me write the letter Eph as a grade. This is probably Marsh's fault.

 

[CuseFan]

A for year 1, D for year 2. The lack of a viable backup QB, and the misuse QB backups was inexcusable. I love Fran, but that stunk.