Why Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk could be college football's next hot head-coaching candidate

[Jonnyeagle]

The 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide football staff is one that people look back on and wonder how so many elite coaches could have been on a single team.

That season, Nick Saban's staff included six current Power 5 head coaches in offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin (now at Ole Miss), defensive coordinator Kirby Smart (Georgia), position coaches Mel Tucker (Michigan State), Mario Cristobal (Miami) and Billy Napier (Florida) and graduate assistant Dan Lanning (Oregon).

 

 

"Everybody messes with me about that a little bit," current Houston associate head coach and defensive coordinator Doug Belk said. "Like, 'How they leaving you off the list?'"

Belk was one of three graduate assistants on that Alabama staff. He is now one of the biggest rising stars in college football's coaching landscape. He joined Houston in 2019 as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach after leaving West Virginia along with head coach Dana Holgorsen.

Belk was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021, leading a unit that was sixth in the country in total defense (302.2 yards), tied for 13th in turnovers forced (23) and 19th in points allowed per game (20.4). The success that Belk, 34, has had since leaving Alabama has made him a hot commodity in coaching circles, including with Saban himself, who has attempted to bring Belk back to Tuscaloosa.

link:  https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34298172/why-houston-defensive-coordinator-doug-belk-college-football-next-hot-head-coaching-candidate?fs=e&s=cl

[Cougar King]

Coach Belk took one of the worst defenses in all of college football and turned it around with players he did not even recruit. He does NOT believe in the "wait til I get my guys" excuse that many subpar coaches use.

 

I'm glad we have him for another year but he will get a head coaching job soon. Likely at the end of this season.

 

Holgerson raising his pay and promoting him to Associate Head Coach is what we had to do to keep him.

 

[97and03]

And?