FAU football coaching search 2024: Candidates, hot board, names to watch by Owls experts

Florida Atlantic football fired Tom Herman on Monday, November 18 following an 18-15 overtime loss to Temple, dropping the Owls to 2-8 in their second season in the American Athletic Conference. Florida Atlantic went 6-16 under Herman, who took over for the 2023 season when FAU moved from Conference USA to the AAC. Chad Lunsford, the team’s special teams and tight ends coach, takes over as interim FAU football head coach. He has previous head coaching experience, as Lunsford went 28-21 at Georgia Southern before his firing during the 2021 season. It hasn’t been a decade since Lane Kiffin revitalized his career at FAU, so there could be high-profile FAU football coach candidates or rising coordinators interested in taking over. 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. He has the name appeal as the son of former Notre Dame and Kansas head coach Charlie Weis. That coaching pedigree has helped him develop quicker as a coach and a play-caller and can resonate with recruits who know about his father’s history. Weiss Sr. was the offensive coordinator for three New England Patriots Super Bowl teams with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

Weis Jr. has more than just his dad’s reputation to fall back on. He’s orchestrating the No. 1 scoring team in the SEC, as Ole Miss leads the perceived top conference in college football in scoring (40.7 points per game), total yards (539.7 per game) and passing offense (365.7 yards per game).

The 31-year-old has head coaching aspirations, like his father, and FAU can be that stepping-stone position in a strong recruiting area. FAU already took a chance on Lane Kiffin, so FAU may be willing to take a risk on Weis, who would become the youngest head coach of an FBS program. 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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