WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Now that Willie Taggart has been fired after three seasons at Florida Atlantic, the search is on for the next head coach.
Bruce Feldman, senior college football writer for The Athletic and a sideline reporter for Fox, referred to the FAU job as "one of the more attractive Group of 5 coaching jobs" currently available.
Here are five possible candidates to replace Taggart as the sixth full-time head coach of the Owls in school history, as first reported by Feldman.
Kendal Briles, Arkansas offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
Kendal Briles is one of the great young offensive-minded coaches whose name is frequently tossed around when it comes to head coaching openings each year. Briles has spent the past three seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Sam Pittman at Arkansas. He held the same roles under Taggart at Florida State in 2019 and Lane Kiffin at FAU in 2017, when the Owls won 11 games, laid claim to their first Conference USA championship in school history and capped 10 straight victories by embarrassing Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl.
Pros: Briles is a somewhat unheralded quarterback whisperer still waiting for his shot at a top job. He was lured to Florida State to essentially save Taggart's job (although Taggart was ultimately fired) and has helped make Arkansas respectable again. As Kiffin's offensive coordinator, Briles was given full control of the offense, including play-calling duties, and that turned out OK for the Owls.
Cons: There's that whole Baylor sexual assault scandal that took down his father, then-head coach Art Briles, in 2016. The younger Briles has seemed to successfully disassociate himself from his time there as his father's offensive coordinator, but there will always be a lingering cloud hanging over him so long as he's coaching. He also received a contract extension earlier this year, which could afford him the opportunity to wait it out for a more desirable opportunity.
Manny Diaz, Penn State defensive coordinator/linebackers coach
Home is where the heart is for Manny Diaz. That was the case when the South Florida native spent 18 days as the head coach at Temple in December 2018 before returning to Miami, where he had been defensive coordinator, after Mark Richt's surprise retirement. Diaz went 21-15 in his three seasons as head coach at Miami, leading the Hurricanes to a No. 22 finish during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and a 2-1 record against rival Florida State. Penn State is one of the better defensive teams in the country this season under Diaz. The Nittany Lions are No. 10 nationally in scoring defense, No. 14 in defending the run and No. 18 overall defensively.
Pros: Diaz knows South Florida and has lifelong ties to the region. He grew up in Miami, where his father was once mayor, and surely still has solid relationships when it comes to recruiting the tri-county area. Diaz also has been under the microscope at the helm of an iconic football program, so the expectations of being a head coach shouldn't overwhelm him.
Cons: FAU has already hired another Florida team's discarded coach (see Taggart). Do the Owls really want to do that again? Unlike Taggart, though, Diaz has a winning record as a head coach. He'd also likely have to take a pay cut to come to FAU.
Chris Kiffin, Cleveland Browns defensive line coach
Could Chris Kiffin follow in the footsteps of his older brother? In many ways, it makes plenty of sense. Lane Kiffin hired his brother to serve as his co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach when he took over the Owls in 2017. In Chris Kiffin's lone season in Boca Raton, he improved the defense from No. 124 to No. 63 nationally before he left for the NFL.
Pros: Kiffin comes from a distinguished line of coaching pedigree, as the son of longtime NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. He knows what he's getting at FAU, having previously coached there.
Cons: Although Kiffin has college and NFL experience, he hasn't been a head coach before. It's not known whether that'll be a prerequisite for FAU athletic director Brian White. Even if it isn't, Kiffin may want to avoid living in the shadow of his brother. There's also the question of whether he wants to coach in college again. He spent less than a month with his brother at Mississippi earlier this year before having an apparent change of heart and returning to the NFL's Cleveland Browns to coach the defensive line. The grind of the college coaching cycle seemed to be a key factor in his decision to return to the Browns.
Willie Simmons, Florida A&M head coach
Willie Simmons has proven to be an impressive head coach at the Football Championship Subdivision level. He is 54-23 in seven seasons at Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M, including a 33-12 record with the Rattlers. FAMU had endured six straight losing seasons before Simmons took over in 2018 and made an immediate impact. The Rattlers have won nine games each year since 2019 (they didn't play in 2020 because of coronavirus concerns). That's despite a 0-2 start this season with the loss of nearly two dozen players because of eligibility issues.
Pros: Simmons has never had a losing season as head coach. His worst seasons were a pair of six-win teams at Prairie View A&M in 2017 and his first year at FAMU. He also played for Tommy Bowden at Clemson, so he's been a part of a big-time program and understands the nuances between the FBS and FCS levels. Despite the success of this year's team, it still wasn't enough to get the Rattlers into the FCS playoff, which might just be enough motivation for him to make a move to the next level.
Cons: Can FAU afford to take a chance on a coach making the transition to an FBS school when someone like Diaz is out there as well?
Charlie Weis Jr., Mississippi co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
Charlie Weis Jr. isn't that far removed from coaching in Florida. He succeeded Briles as FAU's offensive coordinator from 2018-19 and then spent the 2020-21 seasons as offensive coordinator at South Florida before reuniting with Lane Kiffin at Mississippi this year. When he was hired by FAU at 24, Weis was the youngest offensive coordinator at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. Weis is the son of former Notre Dame and Kansas head coach Charlie Weis.
Pros: Under Weis, FAU ranked in the top 30 nationally in total offense. He helped lead the Owls to the 2019 C-USA championship, coordinating an offense that ranked 14th in scoring and 27th overall. His 2018 offense was 14th overall and 13th in rushing. Like Briles, he knows what it takes to win championships at FAU, which was lacking in the Taggart era.
Cons: If hired at FAU, how long would he stick around? Weis hasn't held any one job longer than three seasons, and that was when he was team manager for his father's Jayhawks squads. In fact, he's already demonstrated that he's willing to bail on FAU for a better opportunity. He had a short stint as FAU's tight ends coach from December 2016 to February 2017, when he left to become offensive analyst for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. If FAU wants a coach who will be there to develop his recruits and see them graduate, Weis may not be that guy.
