Kiffin leads first-year coaches’ Week 1 grades as Whittingham struggles
CBS Sports gave Lane Kiffin an A+ after LSU’s 51–10 win over Clemson, while Michigan’s Kyle Whittingham and Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris received failing grades.
Lane Kiffin made the strongest opening statement among college football’s first-year coaches, according to CBS Sports, after LSU defeated Clemson 51–10 in his Baton Rouge debut. The performance earned Kiffin an A+, although the assessment questioned how much Clemson’s display contributed to the margin.
Bob Chesney also received an A after UCLA defeated California 45–24. CBS Sports highlighted UCLA’s execution, situational football and diversified running game in a result that gave Chesney a positive start to his tenure.
Kyle Whittingham was graded an F after Michigan struggled against Western Michigan. The Wolverines produced 229 yards and six points before a Hail Mary, while the defence struggled to get off the field.
Eric Morris also received an F after Oklahoma State lost 24–10 to Tulsa. The Cowboys scored only 10 points, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker failing to reach 100 passing yards until the third quarter.
The grades cover coaches taking charge after a full off-season, as well as some promoted from interim roles and others whose seasons began in Week 0. CBS Sports also gave grades including B+ to Buster Faulkner and Matt Campbell, A to Jedd Fisch, and C or below to Pete Golding, Alex Golesh, Sam Pittman, Justin Fitzgerald and Tavita Pritchard.
The assessments are an early reading of debut performances rather than an established measure of long-term coaching performance.
