News/Commentary

New FCS Head Coaches in 2022, Part One

July 23, 2022 by Staff

At last count, there will be 22 new head coaches patrolling the FCS sidelines in 2022. As we reveal them alphabetically by team, here are the first seven.

Team 2021 Coach
(Record)		 2022 Coach Notes
Abilene Christian
(WAC)		 Adam Dorrel
(5-6)		 Keith Patterson Dorrel (19-32, 5 seasons) was fired on 11/21/21 and hired by Central Oklahoma as HC on 12/5/21. Patterson (hired 12/6/21), had been a FBS DC for past 16 seasons with the last 3 at Texas Tech.
Alabama State
(SWAC)		 Donald Hill-Eley
(5-6)		 Eddie Robinson, Jr. Hill-Eley (20-21, mid-2017 thru mid-2021) fired 11/1/21 and DC Travis Pearson was named interim. Robinson, who was hired on 11/26/21, is no relation to the former famous Grambling head coach and has never held any coaching position. The former ASU standout had an 11-year NFL career, 1992-2002, with 805 tackles and 23 sacks as a LB.
Butler
(Pioneer)		 Jeff Voris
(3-8)		 Mike Uremovich Voris fired after going 80-95 with 3 conference titles in 16 seasons with just 1 FCS playoff game which was a loss in 2013. Uremovich was hired way from his post as DC at Temple on 12/26/21. This is his first HC gig.
Delaware
(CAA)		 Danny Rocco
(5-6)		 Ryan Carty Rocco was 31-23 in 5 seasons with a 2-2 FCS playoff record. Carty (hired 12/10/21) famously survived a stroke at the age of 29 in his first season as DC at New Hampshire. He returned to his post 15 months later and most recently served as Sam Houston State DC (2018-2021).
Eastern Illinois
(OVC)		 Adam Cushing
(1-10)		 Chris Wilkerson Cushing was 2-1 vs. Tennessee Tech, 1-2 vs. Tennessee State, and 0-23 vs. everyone else in 3 seasons. Wilkerson was 51-27 in 8 seasons as HC at Chicago University (D3).
ETSU
(SoCon)		 Randy Sanders
(11-2)		 George Quarles Sanders (26-16) retired after 11-2 season and loss in FCS quarterfinals. He was co-OC of the Florida State team that won the 2013 BCS national title. Quarles was hired away from Furman (his alma mater) on 12/21/21 where he served as AHC and/or OC for 5 seasons.
Gambling State
(SWAC)		 Borderick Fobbs
(3-7)		 Hue Jackson Fobbs (51-24) was fired before the end of the 2021 season on 11/14/21 with record of 3-7 and only the Bayou Classic vs. Southern left to play. Fobbs was 54-32 in 7+ seasons, but 3-11 over his last two. Jackson is the massively ineffective former HC of the Cleveland Browns (3-36-1, 2016-2018) and was 8-8 with Oakland in 2011. Otherwise, he has been a journeyman assistant in the NFL and College for over 30 years with no college HC experience. He played QB on bad Pacific college team in Stockton which dropped football after 1995 season. At Grambling, Jackson's first bone-headed move was to hire Art Briles as OC who had to resign under severe backlash 4 days later.

See FCS New Head Coaches In 2022: Part One - Part Two - Part Three