By Here’s a look at the 11 new Power 5 head coaches and how they’ll impact the betting lines in 2019 and beyond.
BIG TEN
Ryan Day, Ohio State
2018 record: 13-1, 8-1 Big Ten (6-8 ATS)
Bottom line: Day, a first-time head coach, went 3-0 as the acting head coach in 2018 while Urban Meyer was suspended. Ohio State was the favorite in all but one game it played last season, but lost bettors plenty of money. Day’s specialty is offense, and he’s more aggressive as a play-caller than Meyer was, so expect the Buckeyes to hit the over more than the six times they did in 2018.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. Florida Atlantic
Mike Locksley, Maryland
2018 record: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten (6-6)
Bottom line: The warning bells should be going off with this hire. Locksley may have rebooted his career as a coordinator at Alabama, but he went 2-26 as a head coach at New Mexico from 2009-11.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. Howard
BIG 12
Neal Brown, West Virginia
2018 record: 8-4, 6-3 Big 12 (8-4 vs. straight-up spread)
Bottom line: Brown earned a lot of praise as the coach at Troy, but buyer beware if you bet West Virginia early in the year, whether it’s vs. the spread or over/under. WVU lost head coach Dana Holgorsen to Houston after he engineered some of the best offenses in school history, with a lot of help from since-departed QB Will Grier.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. James Madison
Chris Klieman, Kansas State
2018 record: 5-7, 3-6 Big 12 (6-6 vs. straight-up spread)
Bottom line: Kansas State underachieved in Bill Snyder’s last season, on the field and against the spread. Klieman, who won four straight FCS national championships at North Dakota State, will inject energy into the program. But Snyder made bettors a lot of money as an underdog, and Klieman is used to coaching as a favorite.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. Nicholls State
Matt Wells, Texas Tech
2018 record: 5-7, 3-6 Big 12 (6-6)
Bottom line: The Red Raiders wanted more than mediocrity, and they’ll get someone who can claim that in Wells, who was phenomenal at Utah State over the last five seasons. Wells’ Utah State squad finished 9-3 vs. the spread in 2018.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. Montana State
Les Miles, Kansas
2018 record: 3-9, 1-8 Big 12 (7-5)
Bottom line: Miles may have brought a considerable amount of buzz with him, but college coaching re-treads are often disasters in the long run.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. Indiana State
PAC-12
Mel Tucker, Colorado
2018 record: 5-7, 2-7 Pac 12 (5-7 vs. straight-up spread)
Bottom line: Colorado’s meltdown was epic. It started the season 5-0, then dropped seven straight games. Tucker is a former Nick Saban and Kirby Smart assistant getting a Power 5 head coaching opportunity, which is usually a recipe for disaster. Colorado has been a Pac-12 whipping post almost every season. Keep betting against the Buffs in 2019.
2019 opener: Aug. 30 vs. Colorado State
ACC
Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
2018 record: 7-6, 5-3 ACC (5-8 vs. straight-up spread)
Bottom line: Once Georgia Tech and Collins get past a brutal season opener vs. defending national champion Clemson, the good news is that the ACC is wide open. Collins coached at Temple the last two seasons and his teams played well as underdogs.
2019 opener: Aug. 29 vs. Clemson
Scott Satterfield, Louisville
2018 record: 2-10, 0-8 ACC (1-11)
Bottom line: Louisville’s failures on the field and against the betting line were most evident when the team lost to Clemson, 77-16, as 39-point underdogs. Satterfield did a great job at Appalachian State with the transition from FCS to FBS, and his steady hand should make Louisville a much safer play in 2019.
2019 opener: Sept. 2 vs. Notre Dame
Manny Diaz, Miami
2018 record: 7-6, 4-4 ACC (8-5)
Bottom line: Miami hopes it has finally found the right coach in Diaz, a South Florida native who made his name as a defensive coordinator. If you’re looking for plays with Miami, the Hurricanes games went under the posted total in seven consecutive games to end 2018.
2019 opener: Aug. 24 vs. Florida
Mack Brown, North Carolina
2018 record: 2-9, 1-7 ACC (2-9)
Bottom line: North Carolina’s move to bring back Brown, who coached there from 1988-97, is similar to what Kansas did by bringing in Les Miles. After five years sitting in a broadcaster’s booth, don’t expect Brown to make the Tar Heels competitive in the ACC immediately, though he’ll probably recruit well.
2019 opener: Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina
