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ACC Football Spring Preview: Top 10 questions and storylines

By Patrick Schmidt

Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) and head coach Dabo Swinney celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Clemson won 37-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) and head coach Dabo Swinney celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Clemson won 37-17. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 8, 2015; Coral Gables, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes head football coach Mark Richt speaks to the fans during a timeout the first half against the Florida Gators at BankUnited Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 8, 2015; Coral Gables, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes head football coach Mark Richt speaks to the fans during a timeout the first half against the Florida Gators at BankUnited Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Who is the best new coach?

The ACC added some serious muscle on the sideline in the offseason. Mark Richt at Miami, Justin Fuente at Virginia Tech, Dino Babers at Syracuse and Bronco Mendenhall at Virginia all give their fan bases reasons for optimism in 2016 and beyond, to varying degrees.

I loved the Richt hire by Miami to get a competent head coach after Al Golden couldn’t get out of his own way. Richt has a proven quarterback in Brad Kaaya to help him win now and the recruiting imprint to sustain that success.

Related Story: Ranking The New Head Coaching Hires

Fuente has success turning Memphis into a winner and developed quarterback Paxton Lynch into a likely first round pick and should be able to inject some new life into the program built by Frank Beamer. There’s a lot to like about their future.

Babers is going to install the Baylor offense at Syracuse that he was able to win big with while at Bowling Green, but this will be a longer rebuild than the other three coaches have. But this could be a team that goes from 4-8 to 8-4 in two years.

Mendenhall was a big winner at BYU and I think he has the chance to be the best long-term hire because he won’t have the same recruiting restrictions he had in Provo. He’s in a state full of FBS talent and can tap into that pipeline to turn Virginia into a consistent 8-9 win team like he had at BYU.

Next: Will James Conner return?

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