Northwestern’s David Braun was just named the Big Ten Coach of the Year on Tuesday, an honor that was as expected as it was deserved. Now it’s time for the first-year head coach to make some hard decisions about his coaching staff.
Braun was essentially running previous head coach Pat Fitzgerald’s program this season. All of the players were recruited by Fitzgerald, and all but one of the assistant coaches was hired by Fitzgerald. It was the wise thing to do; he didn’t have time to make changes even if he wanted to.
Now, after he earned the permanent job with an outstanding 7-5 (5-4 Big Ten) season that tripled the team’s projected win total of 2.5 before the season, it’s time to begin to make the program his.
Sources say that there are definitely changes coming, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. You don’t have to be Nick Saban to figure that out. Changes in both the player personnel, and strength and conditioning staffs are also expected.
Some say that the entire offensive staff will be dismissed; our guess is that offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, offensive line coach Kurt Anderson and tight ends/special teams coach Jeff Genyk are the most likely to be fired.
The NU offense has struggled mightily in four years under Bajakian. The Wildcats never finished higher than 93rd in the nation in scoring, and that came in 2020, his first and best year in the job. The offense’s points per game dropped to 16.6 (125th) and 13.8 (128th) in 2021 and 2022, respectively. This year, the Wildcats improved significantly and managed to break 20 points in their three final games. Unfortunately, their 22.8 points per game average ranked just 104th nationally.
On top of that, Bajakian has failed to recruit or develop a bona fide Big Ten quarterback in that time. His best years came with graduate transfers who came in with a lot of starting experience: Peyton Ramsey in 2020 and Ben Bryant this year. Transfers Hunter Johnson and Ryan Hilinski didn’t pan out, and Brendan Sullivan is the only QB he recruited who has started a game (he started eight). His other recruits are Carl Richardson, who transferred to a Division III program after the 2022 season; Jack Lausch, who is thus far a Wildcat option only; and Aidan Gray, who as yet to play and is just a true freshman.
Anderson has been a fantastic recruiter, but on the field his offensive line has been a weak link for a few years now. The Wildcats allowed 48 sacks this year, eight more than anyone else in the Big Ten and fewer than only three teams in the country. Those aren’t all the line’s fault, but that’s an unacceptable number. On the ground, Northwestern averaged 3.0 yards per rush, better than only MSU in the conference. Considering the prospect rankings of the position, the Cats just aren’t getting much bang for their buck on the OL.
Genyk is 63 years old and is nearing the end of his career. The Wildcats have carried too many tight ends for too little production for years now. This season, the number of tight end catches went down from the year before, when the Cats went 1-11. Thomas Gordon, Marshall Lang and Charlie Mangieri combined for 27 catches this season; as a comparison, Ohio State’s Cade Stover had 41. Genyk also handles special teams, another area of underachievement over the last several years. Jack Olsen provided reliable field goal kicking this season, but the Cats still finished 10th or lower in the Big Ten in net punting, returns and kickoffs.
Some think that running backs coach Chris Foster and wide receivers coach Armon Binns may get pink slips, too. But given that it’s their first years in Evanston, we doubt that Braun would make that move. But no one knows for sure.
Things are much rosier on the defensive side of the ball, where the Wildcats showed drastic improvement in Braun’s first year as HC/DC. One source said the entire staff would return. The only real decision regards the fate of safeties coach Matt MacPherson, the lone assistant who was named in a hazing lawsuit. It was telling that NU selected Braun to take the reins in July instead of MacPherson, who was the associate head coach and was assumed to be next in line.
Braun also has to hire a defensive coordinator to replace him, as he’s already said he won’t be handling play-calling duties next season. One out-of-the-box name that would make sense here is North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz, if he’s willing to leave the top job at an FCS powerhouse to be a coordinator in the Power Five. Braun has total trust in his former boss. If Entz is the guy, we probably won’t know for a while; the Bison are in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
Tim McGarigle also figures to be a coordinator candidate. In that case, defensive assistant DJ Vokolek could slide right into McGarigle’s role as linebackers coach.
Braun has to make at least one hire in player personnel/recruiting: the director job has been open since Jonny Kovach left for the Houston Texans in August. We’re guessing the new director will come from outside, if only because recruiting directors Todd McShane (offense) and Bryan Payton (defense) weren’t elevated immediately.
We think that Braun may shuffle the strength and conditioning staff, as well. Director Jay Hooten has been in place since 2011, and, like MacPherson, was named in one of the hazing suits. That’s also an area where some think Northwestern has been behind the curve.
Whatever moves Braun makes, it would behoove him to make them quickly, especially the assistant coaching roles. Players are entering the transfer portal left and right, and it would be nice to have position coaches in place when the transfer window officially opens next Monday.
