5 Best Head Coaching Changes Entering 2017

5. Lane Kiffin, FAU

Lane Kiffin is a head coach again, this time around at Florida Atlantic. He’ll be the Florida Atlantic Owls’ fourth head coach since 2004. The team hasn’t had a winning season since 2008. Kiffin will be looked upon to turn a number of things around which will make for an interesting storyline either way.

Kiffin was the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season, a title he had held since 2014. His first head coaching job was at Tennessee, where Kiffin went 7-6 before bolting for the University of Southern Cal in 2010. At USC, Kiffin lasted four seasons before being fired after a 3-2 start in 2013. He did compile a 28-15 record while at Southern Cal but by all accounts, he looked in over his head.

2017 Outlook: Recruiting and Scheduling

Entering 2017, Kiffin gets another chance at redemption at Florida Atlantic. However, with his first commit, he’s off to a bit of a shaky start. FAU signed former Florida State quarterback De’Andre Johnson out of East Mississippi Community College. Johnson was kicked out of FSU in the summer of 2015 for a domestic violence incident. Second chances are in order for both head coach and player, and we’ll see how they do in the upcoming season.

Along with Johnson, FAU also has 11 other commits pending the National Signing Day deadline, according to 24/7 Sports.

The 2017 schedule is a tough one for Kiffin and the Owls as they open against Navy on September 2, then on the road at Wisconsin on September 9. After that, things get a bit easier, on paper anyway, with Bethune-Cookman on September 16 and Buffalo on September 23. The Owls will need to win early if Kiffin hopes to survive after those first two games.

Conference USA opponents should be an interesting change for Kiffin as well. With his prowess for high-powered offenses, he could very well be a coach to watch by year’s end.