The AAC will look radically different in 2023 as Cincinnati, Houston and UCF join the Big 12 on July 1. Those moves will be countered by the arrivals of six former Conference USA members as Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA begin AAC play this season, adding four first-year coaches to the league.
In total, seven of the AAC’s 14 coaches are entering their first season on the job as the league’s landscape undergoes a seismic shift. The three departing schools combined to win five of the conference’s eight titles since the AAC Championship Game’s inception in 2015.
Only Mike Bloomgren (Rice) and Willie Fritz (Tulane) have been on the job for more than four seasons entering the 2023 campaign, and nine of the 14 AAC coaches are either in their first or second season. With a lack of established success among the coaching ranks, many new faces will look to fill that vacuum and assert themselves in the pecking order.
So who are the best coaches in the AAC heading into the league’s new era? Here is how our team of CBS Sports college football writers voted ahead of the 2023 season.
2023 AAC coaches, ranked
1. Willie Fritz, Tulane: Fritz had an opportunity to leave after guiding Tulane to the AAC title. Instead, he stayed and led the Green Wave to a thrilling Cotton Bowl win over USC to cap a 12-2 season. Heading into his eighth season at Tulane, Fritz is the longest-tenured coach in the conference and has taken a Green Wave program that was struggling before his arrival to four bowls in the past five seasons. 2022 AAC ranking: 5
2. Jeff Traylor, UTSA: UTSA is 23-5 over the last two seasons with consecutive Conference USA titles. After retaining Traylor, the Roadrunners are poised to remain contenders amid the transition to the AAC. Traylor is a Texas native with deep ties within the state, which makes him a perfect fit for this burgeoning Group of Five power. 2022 AAC ranking: N/A
3. Tom Herman, FAU: Herman posted a 32-18 record in four years at Texas. In fact, he had a better record through two seasons (17-10) than current Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian (13-12). After two years away from college coaching, Herman looks poised to reclaim the positive reputation he enjoyed after a 22-4 run at Houston. 2022 AAC ranking: N/A
4. Rhett Lashlee, SMU: SMU ranked 14th nationally in total offense during Lashlee’s first season as the Mustangs finished 7-6…
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