"Will Muschamp is back as defensive coordinator at Texas, where he accelerated his "Coach Boom" reputation and spent 2009 and 2010 as head coach-in-waiting behind Mack Brown. Gary Patterson has not worked at USC before, but his arrival as defensive coordinator -- a role he hasn't held since 2000 -- under a coach he knows well (Lincoln Riley) qualifies as one of the splashiest moves of the winter."
"The most familiar name in a familiar place is that of Brent Pry, whom Virginia Tech hired as defensive coordinator in a truly historic move. Pry began the 2025 season as the Hokies' head coach and will begin 2026 as their defensive playcaller, working for the coach (James Franklin) who replaced him, and for whom he last served as a DC at Penn State."
Coaching hires during the recent coordinator carousel favored familiar names returning to known programs and prominent coaches moving to high-profile roles. Chad Morris returned to Clemson as offensive coordinator after earlier work with Dabo Swinney. Will Muschamp returned to Texas as defensive coordinator and Gary Patterson joined USC as defensive coordinator, marking a rare return to playcalling for him. Virginia Tech made a historic move by hiring Brent Pry as defensive coordinator after he began 2025 as the Hokies' head coach, rejoining James Franklin. The cycle raises questions about whether proven playcallers can reproduce prior success at familiar and new stops.
Read at ESPN.com
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