Long time William & Mary head coach, Jimmye Laycock, coached his last game on Saturday. His tenure as the Tribe coach goes back to 1980. For reference, Steve Spurrier was promoted to offensive coordinator at Duke in the same year. Laycock has enjoyed a large amount of success, leading W&M to 10 FCS playoff appearances and 7 conference championships. His coaching tree includes three current NFL head coaches; Mike Tomlin, Sean McDermott, & Dan Quinn.
Athletic director, Samantha Huge, is faced with the tough task of hiring the new head coach. With the early signing period of December 19th approaching, she'll likely make the hire within a few weeks. We believe there's 5 names to keep an eye on.
Mike London
Current Position: Howard Bison Head Coach
After leading the Richmond Spiders to a FCS National Championship in 2008, Mike London was destined for a FBS job. He eventually was hired as the coach at UVA and lead to Hoos' to a Chick-Fil-A bowl appearance in his second season. However, that was his only winning season and he was fired in 2015 after compiling a record of 27-46. Lastly, he was a defensive line coach for the Tribe from 1991 - 1994. Because of his ties to the school, most believe London is the front-runner.
Wayne Lineburg
Current Position: Wake Forest Special Teams Coordinator / Tight End Coach
The former UVA quarterback got his coaching start at William & Mary as a graduate assistant and returned to the program in 2000 as the running back's coach. He served under Latrell Scott at the University of Richmond and after Scott's resignation in 2011, Lineburg was named the interim head coach of the Spiders. In 2017, Wake Forest had a TE, punt returner and place kicker named first-team All-ACC. It should also be noted that Lineburg has a number of connections to the state and would likely keep all of the current recruiting momentum.
Alan Williams
Current Position: Indianapolis Colts Defensive Backs Coach
Most Tribe fans know Williams as the former William & Mary running back. He graduated from W&M in 1992 and compiled 1,220 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns during his career. In 2001, he got a call from Tony Dungy and was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His Colts' defense is currently ranked in the bottom third of the NFL but they've actually made gains considering their production a year ago. While Williams would be a fun hire, he doesn't have the recruiting connections London and Lineburg possess.
Donnie Kirkpatrick
Current Position: JMU Offensive Coordinator
To put things plainly, this would be a home-run hire for the Tribe. Donnie Kirkpatrick left ECU and joined Mike Houston at JMU in 2016. The Dukes won the FCS national championship that year, and the offensive broke multiple records. In addition to being a great offensive mind, Donnie also has head coaching experience at the FCS level. As the coach of the Chattanooga Mocs from 2000 through 2002, Kirkpatrick struggled greatly, compiling a record of just 10-24. Despite the poor record, it's been 16 years and being immersed in a winning culture at JMU has likely changed his ideology. Keep in mind though that Samantha Huge likely wants to start interviewing candidates soon. With JMU currently in the playoffs, that timeline could be problematic.
Bob Shoop
Current Position: Mississippi State Defensive Coordinator
Of the names on our list, this is the most unlikely. However, Shoop spent four seasons the William & Mary defensive coordinator from 2007 through 2010. That span was arguably one of the most successful periods of Laycock's career. The Tribe won 30 games during that time and reached the FCS playoffs twice. He's been incredibly successful with Mississippi State too, as the Bulldogs' defense currently ranks third in FBS. Shoop would obviously be a home-run hire but he's poised to receive offers from FBS programs and it's unlikely he would consider an offer from a FCS program. Lastly, his salary at Mississippi State is $1.16 million. For comparison, JMU's Mike Houston makes $300,000 per year. While Shoop would be a remarkable hire, it's not going to happen.
