Florida Atlantic hasn't had a head coach for more than three seasons since the man who created the program. Howard Schnellenberger was hired by FAU in 1998 to create the university's football program and the football team played its first game in 2021 as a Division I-AA school. The Owls joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2004 and went 9-3 in its first season. But since Schnellenberger retired at the end of the 2011 season, Florida Atlantic has had five different full-time head coaches. None lasted more than three seasons at Florida Atlanta and after FAU fired Tom Herman on Monday in his third season, that trend will continue.
Herman went 6-16 since taking over as head coach in 2023 and was fired on Monday following an 18-15 overtime loss to Temple, which dropped FAU to 2-8 overall and 0-6 in their second season in the American Athletic Conference. Although four of the last five coaches were fired following poor final seasons, Lane Kiffin went 27-13 in three years before becoming head coach at Ole Miss, so there is potential for Florida Atlantic to become a stepping-stone job for a coach with higher aspirations. If you love the Owls, or just want to know who will call the shots for FAU football in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at Owls247, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Florida Atlantic.
The Owls247' FAU insiders are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding Herman's firing and the future of the FAU football program, including insights from Luke Chaney and Cameron Priester, who have deep-rooted ties inside and around the FAU community. Get all the inside scoop on the football program, plus VIP intel on FAU football, basketball, recruiting and more.
And right now, Owls247 is offering 50% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Owls247 already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to Owls247 now to see them all.
Top Florida Atlantic football coach candidates
One name the staff has identified as a potential target is Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. The 31-year-old offensive coordinator has familiarity with FAU, serving as the offensive coordinator/quarterback coach for two years under Lane Kiffin. Weis has continued learning from Kiffin, who is a well-respected offensive mind and served as Alabama's offensive coordinator for three years under Nick Saban, so the chance to work with Kiffin on a daily basis should only help him develop as a coach.
Weis has been around coaching and football his whole life as the son of Charlie Weis, a former offensive coordinator with the Patriots and head coach at Notre Dame, so although Weis is 31 years old, he seemingly has football knowledge well beyond his age. Ole Miss has averaged more than 31 points per game in each of his three seasons as offensive coordinator, including ranking 12th in college football at 36.8 ppg this year. Weis could bring a name appeal and youthful excitement to a program in need of a shake-up. See more candidates at Owls247.
How to get insider FAU coaching staff search updates
The rest of the list includes several other coaches with ties to the area, including a former AP College Football Coach of the Year and an NFL Hall-of-Famer who is now rising up the college coaching ranks. You can only see who they are at Owls247.
Who are the top candidates in the FAU football coaching search, and which massive names could be in the mix? Go to Owls247 to see their FAU coaching hot board and more, all from a team of FAU insiders, and find out.
And reminder, Owls247 is offering 50% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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