5 first-year college football coaches who will struggle in 2020

4. Ryan Silverfield, Memphis

A jump from position coach to head coach is always something worth taking a second look at. Granted, he was the offensive line coach for a team that finished 12-2, but it’s still worth thinking about.

As a coach who came from within the system, he shouldn’t have any issues adjusting to his new position. I do think, however, that he’ll do a bit worse than people are expecting.

This selection does come with an asterisk, so to speak. I don’t think Ryan Silverfield will do a bad job at Memphis, but I do think he won’t meet the high expectations that have been set for the Tigers.

To be honest, I don’t think Memphis was ever very good. They had two ranked wins, each against the same team in Cincinnati. And not to insult Cincy, but beating a 20th-ranked team from the AAC doesn’t prove much.

Silverfield has big shoes to fill and I don’t think he has the talent to meet the expectations of his fanbase in year one. I have nothing against him and I hope he proves me wrong, but I just don’t see Memphis winning anything close to 12 games for a long time.