Athlon’s Magazine tabbed University of Louisville head coach Charlie Strong as the best new head coaching hire for the 2010 season.
Strong took the Cardinals, who won four games in 2009, to a 7-6 record and a trip to the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. The +3 win/loss improvement was the best mark for any new head coach in the country that was hired last season. Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher, Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Western Kentucky’s Willie Taggart were second as they improved their squads by two games.
Below is a complete list of how the 22 new head coaches fared in 2010.
| New College Football Coaches in ‘10 | |||
| Coach, SCHOOL | ’09 Record | ’10 Record | +/- |
| Charlie Strong, LOU | 4-8 | 7-6 | +3 |
| Jimbo Fisher, FSU | 7-6 | 9-4 | +2 |
| Brian Kelly, ND | 6-6 | 8-5 | +2 |
| Willie Taggart, WKU | 0-12 | 2-10 | +2 |
| Mike London, UVA | 3-9 | 4-8 | +1 |
| Sonny Dykes, LA TECH | 4-8 | 5-7 | +1 |
| Skip Holtz, USF | 8-5 | 8-5 | 0 |
| Derek Dooley, TEN | 7-6 | 6-7 | -1 |
| Lane Kiffin, USC | 9-4 | 8-5 | -1 |
| Todd Berry, LA MON. | 6-6 | 5-7 | -1 |
| Tommy Tuberville, TTU | 9-4 | 8-5 | -1 |
| Joker Phillips, UK | 7-6 | 6-7 | -1 |
| Mike MacIntyre, SJS | 2-10 | 1-12 | -1 |
| Larry Porter, MEM | 2-10 | 1-11 | -1 |
| Doc Holliday, MU | 7-6 | 5-7 | -2 |
| Turner Gill, KU | 5-7 | 3-9 | -2 |
| Rob Ianello, AKR | 3-9 | 1-11 | -2 |
| Ruffin McNeill, ECU | 9-5 | 6-7 | -3 |
| Jeff Quinn, BUF | 5-7 | 2-10 | -3 |
| Bobby Hauck, UNLV | 5-7 | 2-11 | -3 |
| Butch Jones, CIN | 12-1 | 4-8 | -8 |
| Dan Enos, CMU | 12-2 | 3-9 | -9 |
