The head coaching carousel in last year’s college football season was historic. There were 34 head coaching changes at the FBS level and 17 in the Power Four alone. Both were records. But, what about the assistant coaching changes?
Here’s a look at five assistant coaching hires that will impact the SEC the most in 2026.
5. John David Baker, Ole Miss
One hire. Three first names. Only in Oxford. All jokes aside, Baker is a really good hire for Ole Miss. The question is, will there be a drop off from the production the last few offenses have had in Oxford.
Baker was targeted by multiple SEC schools who needed to make OC hires this offseason, but ultimately ended up on Pete Golding’s staff upon leaving East Carolina.
Baker has been a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the last two years at East Carolina and was a Broyles Award nominee in 2024. In 2025, the Pirates offense finished 15th in total yards per game and 31st in scoring. The combination of Baker’s offensive mind and Golding’s defensive mind looks good on paper.
How close the offense can come to the production and explosiveness of last year’s will tell the story of how far Ole Miss can go in 2026.
4. Kendal Briles, South Carolina
No one needed an offensive overhaul more than South Carolina. The Gamecocks had one of the worst offenses in the conference last season despite having a quarterback with arguably the highest ceiling in the country. Briles’ offenses have traditionally been among the best in the country. The real story is the turnaround that his offenses can make in year one with him at the helm.
Before going to TCU, where he spent his last three seasons, Briles was at Arkansas. In year one, the Hogs increased their offensive yards per game by over 50 yards. Prior to that, he spent the 2019 season at FSU where he increased the scoring offense by over a touchdown per game (29.1 ppg) and over 40 yards per game.
The Gamecocks revamped the offensive line and brought in weapons at the skill positions from the portal to help. If they can replicate the same first year improvement that Briles’ offenses have had at previous stops, they can be dangerous.
3. Will Muschamp, Texas
Like several US Congressman and politicians, Will Muschamp is a reminder that term limits do not exist in politics or coaching. Muschamp returns to Texas and will add another stamp on his assistant coaching passport around the league that now features almost all the teams.
Muschamp takes over a Texas defense that regressed significantly from 2024 to 2025. They allowed over 20 ppg, up nearly five points per game from the previous season, and dropped from first in the SEC in total defense to eighth.
Muschamp walks into one of the most cupboards being anything but bare situations possible and should be a huge help towards getting them to a championship like he did in 2005.
2. Holoman Wiggins, Texas A&M
Texas A&M had an offensive surge a season ago under former offensive coordinator Collin Klein. The Aggies offense finished fourth in the SEC in scoring up five spots from the previous season. They saw the biggest jump in the passing game that increased by almost 50 yards per game and went from 13th in the league to sixth from 2024 to 2025.
Wiggins isn’t new to this role. He’s been the co-offensive coordinator at A&M for the last two seasons and was the assistant head coach of offense at Alabama from 2019 to 2023. Still, he’s tasked with keeping the offense rolling in a year where the Aggies lose four offensive lineman and a first round draft pick at wideout.
The Aggies getting back to the CFP will largely depend on how well he can mimic the success from a season ago.
1. Charlie Weis Jr., LSU
No team will see a bigger instant upgrade on offense this season than LSU. Part of that is Lane Kiffin, but another large part of it is the offensive coordinator that came with him, Charlie Weis Jr.
Both were instrumental in orchestrating one of the best offenses in America a season ago. They’re tasked with improving what has been an anemic rushing attack and inept at times play calling from a season ago.
LSU’s defense should be one of the better units in the league this year. If they can figure out how to score 30 ppg consistently they may be able to win a national title in year one.
