Offensive coordinator to Oklahoma, defensive coordinator fired; it has been an eventful Monday for Cougar football. Head coach Jake Dickert now has to recreate his staff for the second time in three seasons.
It is yet to be seen what the effect will be on players and other coaches, but right now, the Cougs need new coordinators. Here are a few potential options for the new offensive coordinator.
Jordan Davis – North Texas offensive coordinator
Davis is an intriguing young coaching prospect, similar to Arbuckle. A Texas native, Davis graduated from Texas Tech in 2014. In 2023, the Mean Green offense under his command boasted one of only four offenses in the nation with a 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher and receiver.
He has spent the last seven seasons coaching under former WSU offensive coordinator Eric Morris at Texas Tech, UIW and WSU. Davis was an analyst at WSU in 2022, already having Pullman ties.
The ties between Davis and Pullman, as well as WSU, TTU and UNT are deep, and Davis maximized his player’s success in 2024.
This year under Davis, UNT boasted an offense that was third in yards per game (488.7), sixth in passing yards per game (322.8), averaged 114 rushing yards per game and 34 points per game.
He has a history of coaching great receivers, including former Cougar Robert Ferrel when he was at UIW and 2021 FCS All-American Taylor Grimes.
On top of his track record as a receiver coach, he coached QB Chandler Morris this season at UNT. Morris finished the season fifth in the nation with 3,774 passing yards and third in the nation with 31 passing touchdowns. He was one of just three QBs to do so behind Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
Overall, Davis has a similar offense to WSU, a history of coaching and maximizing great receivers and QBs, and a history at WSU and with a former Cougar OC. The cherry on top is he could potentially bring over some players from UNT’s electric offense.
Jason Beck – New Mexico offensive coordinator and QB coach
Again similar to Arbuckle, Beck sported one of the top offenses in the nation this year at New Mexico and is a coach on the rise. WSU also got to see Beck’s offense excel up close.
In Beck’s 10 seasons as a QB coach at the FBS level, his protegees have averaged 3,300 passing yards and 509 rushing yards per season. Three of his former QBs were on NFL rosters in 2023.
Before UNM, he worked at the Power 5 level as QB coach for Virginia for six seasons, and with Syracuse for two, where he was also the offensive coordinator.
In his first season as the Lobos’ OC, his offense was fourth in the nation in yardage, averaging 484.3 yards per game. Despite just 230.7 passing yards per game, his offense averaged 253.6 rushing yards per game, which was fifth in the country.
He ran an offense led by a QB similar to Mateer in Devon Dampier. Dampier only threw for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns, but he had the 33rd-ranked QB rating at 71.3 and ran for 1,166 yards and 19 touchdowns. Cougar fans saw him duel Mateer shot-for-shot when UNM defeated WSU this season.
Beck could be another solid option for WSU, and Dampier could be a nice added luxury.
Jim Chapin – Eastern Washington offensive coordinator and QB coach
This is a fun one. WSU just hired former EWU men’s basketball coach David Riley and the two schools already share an in-state basketball rivalry. Although there is not much of a football rivalry, the local pick is always fun.
Chapin has been the Eagles OC since 2022, before that he spent four seasons as the OC at DII Sioux Falls. The natural progression would be FBS OC.
In 2024, EWU’s offense was seventh in the FCS in total yards, averaging 444.2 per game. The big strength of the Eagles was the run game, averaging the fifth most yards per game at 229.3.
Despite not having a dominant passing attack. EWU’s leading receiver Efton Chism III had 120 catches for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Eagles also had five players with over 300 rushing yards, three over 500 and two over 700.
This is less likely of a hire, but at least a fun one.
Now on to the defensive side of the ball for some DC candidates.
Nick Benedetto – Northern Illinois defensive coordinator and safeties coach
Northern Illinois sported one of the nation’s top defenses this year, allowing just 281 yards per game, which was sixth in the nation. The Huskies also allowed just 18.4 points per game and had 34 sacks, 10 more than WSU.
In his first season as the NIU DC in 2022, the Huskies doubled their turnover total from the season prior and went from a -6 to a +4 turnover margin.
Benedetto also led the sixth-best pass defense in the nation in 2023. This year, his defense held now No. 5 ranked Notre Dame to just 14 points and 286 yards; the Fighting Irish finished the season averaging 39.8 points per game (4) and 421.3 yards per game.
Benedetto is likely one of the top up-and-coming DCs in the nation.
Lyle Hemphill – James Madison defensive coordinator and nickels coach
WSU head coach Dickert preaches one thing above all else, turnover margin. In 2024 WSU forced 22 turnovers, tied for 15th in the nation. Hemphill’s James Madison defense forced 26, which was fourth in the nation.
JMU’s defense also led the nation with 17 interceptions. Unlike WSU’s defense, however, the Dukes allowed just 20.8 points per game and 322.1 yards, both were ninth among Group of Five teams.
2024 was Hemphill’s first as a defensive coordinator and at JMU, having previously coached safeties at Duke from 2022-23. With that experience, the Cougs could get ahead of the curve on an exciting young coaching prospect, who Dickert, a former DC for Wyoming and WSU could mentor.
Skyler Cassity – Sam Houston State defensive coordinator
Cassity graduated from Auburn in 2016, so he is still young at just 30 years old. He is currently the youngest DC in the nation, similar to Arbuckle who was the youngest OC in the nation when hired by WSU.
Cassity has risen quickly, from graduate assistant to Missouri State assistant to Abilene Christian DC. After two years there he came to Sam Houston State.
Like WSU, SHSU’s defense also forced 22 turnovers this season. Unlike WSU, the Bearkats’ allowed just 20 points per game and just 174.1 passing yards per game (11).
Like Hemphill, Cassity is a young, intriguing defensive coaching prospect who Dickert could look to bring in and mentor before too much national hype is built.
It remains to be seen what WSU will do to fill its coordinator needs, but there are plenty of good options. One thing is certain, if Wazzu wants to keep the roster and recruiting class together as much as possible, it cannot afford to wait.
