As we predicted, right around lunchtime today the East Carolina Pirates announced the hire of Mike Houston as their new head coach. Although he spent only three seasons as the coach of James Madison, he provided Dukes' fans with 37 wins, one National Championship, and two appearances in the championship game. Now that the news of his departure is official, it's time to discuss potential replacements.
Josh Conklin - Wofford
To put it simply, this would be a home-run hire for JMU. Prior to taking over Wofford a year ago, Conklin was the defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh and has experience at FIU, Tennessee, The Citadel and South Dakota State. His experience with premier FCS programs, along with high-end FBS programs give him an edge in recruiting that will be tough to match. Not to mention, despite Conklin being a defensive guy, he knows JMU QB Ben DiNucci. Even if he can't elevate DiNucci's play, he has enough experience with the situation to determine if it's time to move on. In his one season with the Terriers, Conklin lead the team to the second round of the FCS playoffs, falling 13-10 to #4 Kennessaw State. Now, pulling Conklin away from Wofford will be difficult but JMU has the resources to pay him handsomly. This is our favorite candidate at the moment.
Grade: A
Bryan Stinespring - Maryland
A JMU alum, Stinespring last coached for JMU just a year ago as the offensive line coach. Despite his connections to program, and the area (Roanoke, VA native, longtime Virginia Tech offensive coordinator), this could be a disaster. For one, ask any Hokie fan what they think of Stinespring. From 2002 through 2012, he was the offensive coordinator for Virginia Tech and eventually parted ways with the program in 2015. Fans constantly complained about his offensive being too vanilla and exposed in big games. If Ben DiNucci or Cole Johnson is the QB next year, JMU needs someone who can elevate the offense. While Stinespring has proved he can coach offensive lines, he's not shown anything in the way of elaborate game plans or elevating QB play.
Grade: C+
Everett Withers - Texas State
Believe it or not, there is a small number of people who would like to bring Withers back to Harrisonburg. This one just flat out makes zero sense. Withers first coached for JMU in 2014 and despite the athletic department bidding enough for a home playoff game, the Dukes fell to Liberty 26-21. A year later, they fell to Colgate in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Texas State just fired Withers after three years in which he finished 7-28. It's one thing if a coach uses your program as a stepping stone, and at the FCS level, that is expected. However, keep in mind that Withers left a sour taste with JMU fans and his history gives little confidence the program would return to Frisco.
Grade C-
Bob Trott - JMU Defensive Coordinator
While Conklin is our favorite candidate, Bob Trott is the most sensible. In his two years as the Dukes' defensive coordinator, Trott has created arguably the most dominant defensive unit in all of FCS. Prior to JMU, Trott was the defensive coordinator for Richmond for 5 years. Although not the flashiest candidate, he has also worked at UVA and with two NFL teams (Giants, Patriots). Lastly, if athletic director Jeff Bourne is looking to make a hire before the early signing period of December 19th, who better to save the recruiting class than a current staff member?
Grade: A-
Joe Harasmiak - Maine
At 32 years old, Joe Harasmiak is one of the youngest head coaches in all of football. In just his third year with the Black Bears, they won the CAA and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs after blowing out Jacksonville State this past Saturday. If you're not sold yet, think about this, if JMU doesn't hire Harasmiak, they'll have to face him often since Maine is a fellow CAA member. And since Joe is just 32, he may not be in any rush to move to FBS. While Conklin and Trott are better suited for the job, this is an exciting option.
Grade: B+
