Head coaches usually get the lion’s share of the credit when things go well (and the blame when they don’t), but coordinators are often the brains of the operation, charged with directing the team’s strategy on a play-to-play basis and reacting instantaneously to what the other team is doing. Athlon Sports gathered 15 of the nation’s best offensive and defensive play-callers and picked their sizable football brains on topics ranging from the nuts and bolts of their jobs to college football’s big-picture issues.
Coordinators Featured
Dave Aranda, defensive coordinator, LSU
Mike DeBord, offensive coordinator, Indiana
Manny Diaz, defensive coordinator, Miami (Fla.