Analysis: Which coaching hires were the most effective?

Since the regular season ended, the coaching carousel has been active with multiple programs looking to find the right leader. While it is far too early to tell which hires have been the right ones, judging a coach's pedigree and new environment are good indicators of how effective he might be in his new role.

With this in mind, here's a look at the coaching hires so far and how effective each might be:

Tom Herman, Texas

It's hard to argue with Herman's track record, as he led Houston's program to a 22-4 record in two years. A big reason for his success was his ability to build a culture similar to what Urban Meyer built at Ohio State. Due to this, and his recruiting ties in Texas, it won't be surprising to see the Longhorns take their next step back to national title contender. The only question will be how long it takes Herman to do this?

Grade: A

Major Applewhite, Houston

Applewhite's hire is important because it keeps continuity within the program since Herman's departure; this can be a huge selling point to attract recruits. At the same time, Herman elevated Houston's program to the point that having nine to ten win seasons are becoming the new expectation. The expectations, coupled with this being Applewhite's first head coaching job could create some concerns. At the same time, he inherited a winning culture.

Grade: B

Willie Taggart, Oregon

Taggart has been a coach on the rise for some time now. He's built two great football programs, has exceptional vision, and Pac-12 experience, which bodes well on the recruiting front. He's also sticking to basics, understanding the Ducks have to be more physical to compete in an improving Pac-12 North.

Grade: A

Matt Rhule, Baylor

What Rhule did at Temple was phenomenal, as he took a football program that almost ended and helped transform it into conference champions. Rhule is old school in that he believes in power run football and strong defenses. There's no doubt he can change the culture at Baylor, the biggest question concerns how does his on-field philosophy translate with the rest of the conference?

Grade: B

Luke Fickell, Cincinnati

Fickell has strong recruiting ties in the state; he's been able to learn from one of the best head coaches of all time in Meyer and most importantly for Bearcat fans, he's loyal. Though his head coaching sample size is small, he did well leading the Buckeyes through a tumultuous year. At the same time, because his sample size is small, it's hard to gauge how effective he will be.

Grade: B

Lane Kiffin, FAU

In many ways, this is a good fit. Kiffin struggled to find a program that wanted to hire him as head coach and the Owls have struggled to win consistently. However, if Kiffin finds success early how long does he stay in Boca Raton? The short-term benefit is high, but the long-term effects can be riskier if he leaves early.

Grade: C+

Butch Davis, FIU

Davis returns to Miami to take over a program that has had four consecutive losing seasons. He has the vision, the talent, and the name recognition to transform the Panthers into a conference championship team.

Grade: B

Ed Orgeron, LSU

Orgeron led the Tigers to a 5-2 record after taking over for Les Miles. He did a great job leading the resurgence of the Tigers' offense and his hiring of Matt Canada as LSU's new offensive coordinator shows his emphasis on making its offense one of the country's best. He’s a Louisiana native; he's learned from his rough stint as coach at Ole Miss and he has the passion for leading the Tigers back to SEC prominence.

Grade: B+

Charlie Strong, USF

Strong has many recruiting ties in the state; he has a track record of helping to develop NFL caliber talent at Louisville and he knows how to build a championship culture. While Austin might not have been the right fit for him, Tampa certainly is for these reasons.

Grade: A

Jeff Brohm, Purdue

The Boilermakers need an identity outside of the Big Ten bottom dwellers. Luckily, they might have found the guy to give them a needed change. Brohm is an offensive mastermind who learned his craft under Bobby Petrino. He led a dynamic Western Kentucky offense that was seventh nationally by averaging 517 yards a game. He's more than capable of transforming Purdue from hapless to competitive.

Grade: A