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Rice Football Head Coaching Search: Names to Know

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Rice Football is in the market for a new head football coach. Here are a few names to scratch off and a few that make the most sense for the Owls.

Whenever there’s a head coaching change, candidate lists pop up all over the internet. It’s part of the gig. Every outlet has its natural bents and sources and that drives who gets included in each respective allotment. But as is often the case with these things, no real list exists. At least, not a that moment.

I’m certain Rice Athletic Director Tommy McClelland did not go into the decision to fire Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren blindly. There were probably some potential names or descriptors on his mind, but most importantly, the decision to move on from Bloomgren opened the door for McClelland to align his criteria with a pool of interested parties. A search is underway. And now that a search is underway, a real list exists.

So, after letting the dust settle from the initial shock and doing some due diligence, here’s what I can share about who Rice Football won’t be hiring and a few names and candidate profiles who might be in the mix.

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Upset bid comes up short for Rice Football at Memphis

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Rice football had its chances, but missed opportunities proved too much to overcome, as the Owls fell to Memphis in a one-score game on the road.

Another strong start. Another furious fourth quarter rally. Another loss. Rice football was left with another all too familiar sour taste following a road defeat at Memphis on Friday night, the Owls’ seventh loss of the season. The Owls hung around with the Tigers all night but ran out of time in the fourth quarter.

“There’s a certain recipe that we know we have to cook to win the game. At the end of the day, we didn’t cook the full recipe,” interim head coach Pete Alamar said. Here are a few immediate reactions from the game:

Turnovers (almost) set the tone

A Rice football defense that felt allergic to turnovers for much of the season seems to have found the takeaway button at the most opportune time. The Owls went six games against FBS opponents before they registered more than one turnover in a game and went without a turnover at all in four of those games.

The tide began to turn two weeks ago against UConn when Rice took the ball away twice, but couldn’t muster enough points on the arm of a backup quarterback. With EJ Warner back at the helm and the offense up and running again, Rice knocked off Navy with the help of two turnovers from the defense, one of which came on the Owls’ first defensive possession.

A similar series of events put Rice football in front on Friday night. Following a Rice drive that stalled out to start the game the defense quickly got Memphis into third and long in the shadow of their own endzone. Tigers’ quarterback Seth Henigan tried to force the ball into a tight window but Rice corner Sean Fresch was ready and won the battle for the ball.

Fresch probably could have had another takeaway on the ensuing possession but wasn’t able to corral a missile from Henigan that deflected off his hands. The defensive effort was the difference early, though, staking Rice to a 6-0 first quarter lead. That marked the fifth time in the Owls’ last six contests that the defense held their opponent scoreless in the first frame. For only the fourth time this season, Rice won the turnover battle. They held Henigan in check for most of the night. When you’re looking to mount an upset on the road, that’s how you have to start.

Red Zone Woes

On paper, the Rice offense matched the Owls’ strong defensive start, but no matter how efficient quarterback EJ Warner was between the 20s, the lack of finishing ability of the entire offensive unit allowed Memphis to stay in the game. Rice took over at the Memphis 20-yard line following the turnover but managed one first down before settling for a chip-shot field goal. In the next possession, the Owls drove 76 yards in 11 plays but petered out in the red zone again, kicking another field goal.

Scoring points in the red zone has been a problem for Rice this season, but the degree to which the Owls have been unable to capitalize on opportunities is staggering. Rice entered this game 132nd in the nation in red zone scoring percentage, getting points on just 68 percent of their drives that reach their opponent’s 25-yard line. Nationally, only Houston and UTEP are worse.

When you take away the chip shot field goals, which Rice settled for in each of their first two red zone drives on Friday, the numbers get even more discouraging. Rice was already dead last in the AAC entering this game with a 50 percent red zone touchdown percentage. That rate will fall to 47 percent after a 1-for-4 showing against Memphis.

“It’s the little things, not executing,” Warner pointed to after the game, emphasizing the impact of a misstep here or a yard too far there makes on plays in that are of the field.

The feeble field goal lead fell apart no sooner than it had been established with Memphis closing the half with three successive scoring drives, getting points on all three possessions in the second quarter. The Owls’ only saving grace to that point was a 27-yard strike from Warner to Matt Sykes. Apparently, that’s the Owls’ current solution to their red zone issues: score from outside the 25.

Add in a turnover on the two-yard line when Warner and Dean Connors couldn’t connect on an exchange and you get a disastrous performance from up close. It’s hard to win football games when you don’t take advantage of those kinds of opportunities. Especially with Memphis going 3-for-3 in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on each trip.

Excellent EJ Warner

Even with their red zone issues, it’s impossible to discuss the Owls’ overall offensive renaissance of late without giving credit to Warner. The Owls’ transfer signal caller ran a vastly different offense at Temple and frankly looked out of his depth in his first month and change of live game action at South Main. Head coach Mike Bloomgren, who was always quick to support his guys, went on the record on multiple occasions demanding more from Warner who just wasn’t fully in sync with the offense early on.

Warner’s uncertainty showcased itself in very few throws downfield and lots of checkdowns to Connors who, not coincidentally, became the all-time receptions leaders for a running back in Rice football history against Memphis on Friday night. When Warner did air it out, passes were off the mark. As a result, defenses played close to the line of scrimmage and dared Warner to beat them. For the most part, he didn’t.

In Warner’s first four games, he averaged 3.85 adjusted yards per attempt, a statistic that measures a quarterback’s efficiency on his attempts, incorporating touchdowns and interceptions. As a rough rule, anything below five is sub-par. Warner only passed that number once, and it came against the Owls’ lone FCS opponent.

From the Charlotte game on, Warner has steadily shown progress. It’s not just the counting stats — he’s throwing for 90 more yards per game since that mark. He led what probably should have been the go-ahead drive in the fourth against the 49ers, missed field goal aside, and delivered the actual game-winning play a week later against UTSA.

Warner’s adjusted yards per attempt since Charlotte is 6.37. He registered 6.36 AYA against Memphis, right on the new standard he’s set for himself in the second half of the season. For as often as Warner was the problem early this year, he’s transformed himself into the solution.

He came through again on a key fourth down in the red zone, giving Rice football a chance to win a game they probably hadn’t earned the right to still be in.

What’s next?

The Navy game gave this team and this fanbase a reason to kindle hope for one more week. For at least a few more days, there was a chance this team had found their groove and could thread the needle, winning out to salvage one of the most unexpected bowl berths this program has ever seen. While there’s still an outside chance this team could go bowling with a five-win APR exception, the traditional path to a six-win season is officially not in the cards.

Senior Izeya Floyd say the team isn’t preoccupied with possible ways to sneak into the postseason.

“We don’t even think about it like that,” he said. “That’s not what we play for. We play to go win these games because that’s what we do. That’s what we do four our seniors, including myself. We’re going to go try and win these games. We’re going to go win these games.”

With that reality sinking in for the first time, the Memphis game felt a lot like a fair synopsis of this season. Rice did a lot of things well against a team expected to finish near the top of the American Athletic Conference. The Owls were one score away — giving the ball away on the doorstep in heartbreaking fashion along the way. Yet the result was the same as it’s been all too often this season, a loss in a competitive game the Owls couldn’t find a way to finish.

With the storybook finish likely done, all that’s left is to win the next two. For the first time all year, this feels like a team capable of getting that done.

“We got two games left. Let’s go win two games,” Alamar said post game. “Let’s be 3-1 in the month of November and let’s be playing out best football in the last game of the season. Let’s continue to grow as a football team and keep playing. I told our team in the locker room, our goals haven’t changed, to go out and win every week.”

Digging deeper

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Rice Football 2024 Game Preview: Memphis

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Can interim head coach Pete Alamar keep the good times rolling as Rice football hits the road to take on Memphis? How to watch, key stats, x-factor picks and more.

Rice football notched an unexpected prime-time win over Navy last Saturday, persevering through an expected afternoon kickoff that became an evening affair. In the meantime, Memphis was outgunned by UTSA, losing a shootout in the Alamo Dome. What will happen when the Tigers and Owls square off on Friday night?  Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup between Rice and Memphis.

Kickoff time | 8:00 PM CT
Venue | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium – Memphis, TN
TV | ESPN2 (Viewing Guide)
Radio | Varsity Radio App (Online)

Audio / Visual Preview

We’ll preview Rice football vs Memphis on this week’s episode of the Blue and Gray Preview Show, kicking off live on Wednesday on the Rice Athletics YouTube channel. Look for a recap of the game on the site afterward as well as on The Roost Podcast, which should be released early next week.

Sizing up the contenders

Rice football had no choice but to focus on the game at hand following the dismissal of Mike Bloomgren. But with a win under their belts and some much-needed momentum, dreams of a bowl berth can be seen if you squint just a little bit. If Rice can get past Memphis, those fledgling hopes will be given real oxygen. 

For Memphis, they’ve still got a shot at a spot in the conference championship game, but it will necessitate a perfect finish to the regular season. A misstep this week against Rice or next week against UAB would doom a season with sky-high expectations before they ever reach their regular season finale against Tulane. 

Series History

All Time | Tied, 2-2
Last Five | Tied, 2-2
Last Meeting | Away 2012, Memphis won 14-10

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Rice Football Stat Notables

Passing | Warner – 188/303 (62.0 percent), 1573 yards, 10 TD, 9 INT /  Devillier 20/38 (52.6 percent), 137 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Rushing | Connors – 112 carries, 623 yards (5.6 yards per carry), 8 TD / Jackson – 34 carries, 147 yards (4.3 yards per carry)
Receiving | Sykes – 49 receptions, 569 yards (11.6 yds/rec), 4 TD / Campbell – 22 receptions, 261 yards (11.9 yds/rec), 1 TD / Connors – 49 receptions, 329 yards (6.7 yds/rec), 1 TD
Tackles | Morris – 46, Taylor – 42, Fresch – 40
Pass Breakups | Fresch – 7, Ahoia – 6, Taylor – 5
Interceptions | Taylor/Flowers – 2, Williams/Mutombo – 1

Memphis Stat Notables

Passing | Henigan – 232/357 (65.0 percent), 2532 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT
Rushing | Anderson – 148 carries, 833 yards (5.6 yards per carry), 14 TD / Thomas – 41 carries, 267 yards (6.5 yards per carry), 6 TD
Receiving | Taylor – 46 receptions, 658 yards (14.3 yds/rec), 2 TD / Blankumsee – 34 receptions, 477 yards (14.0 yds/rec), 5 TD / Anderson – 39 receptions, 227 yards (5.8 yds/rec), 2 TD
Tackles | Martin – 73, Rubin – 55, Hudson – 47
Pass Breakups | Ross – 6, Rubin/Watts/Bell – 5
Interceptions | Ross – 2, Five others tied with one

Memphis X-Factor | Protect the football

Memphis has shown this season they can trade points with the best of them. The Tigers typically find a way to score when they get the football and they do so at a very high rate, but it’s what happens when the ball doesn’t go in the box that’s caused them issues.

Twice this season Memphis has failed to win the turnover margin: against Navy and against UTSA. They lost both games. In their other seven contests, Memphis is a combined +12 in turnovers and managed to win even their tighter contests simply by giving themselves a chance late to keep adding points.

A Memphis turnover means a drive with no points. With a defense that’s been as leaky as the Tigers have been this season, that’s simply not going to work. 

Rice X-Factor | Strike first

Whether it was the energy of an interim head coach or the sheer adrenaline of the moment, a different version of Rice football took the field against Navy this past weekend. The Owls staked themselves to a 17-0 lead before Navy had a chance to return fire. Scoring more points than the other team is always the goal in this game, but for the Owls, getting the first shot appears to be more paramount than could have been previously imagined.

The Owls have been forced to play from behind all of their other games against FBS opponents this year. They found a way to get it done against UTSA, but barring another miraculous drive, that can’t be Plan A this coming weekend. When Rice demonstrated last week that when they are able to set the tone and play from the front they’re an entirely different kind of football team.

Memphis can score in a hurry and it might very well take more than a couple of touchdowns to upset the Tigers on their own turf. Rice needs to keep pace and to do that effectively, they absolutely have to set the tone with an early touchdown (or two).

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One Final Thing

For a moment, I thought about casting this game as one in which Rice football will be playing with proverbial house money. Nobody expects them to pull off another stunner and there won’t be any shame as they drop a road contest to the team picked to win the league in the preseason. 

However, what keeps coming back to me is a comment made by a subscriber following Saturday’s momentum victory over Navy. This was the team we expected to see in August. 

That version of Rice football never fully materialized for a litany of receivers we can unpack at the end of the season. But even without their head coach in place, those same players make up this team and they’ve shown the world what they’re capable of when things come together the right way.

Instead, this is a game full of opportunity. Who knows maybe a program that can knock off Navy and Memphis with an interim head coach has good enough bones to make a prospective head coach more intrigued than he otherwise might be? Maybe Rice football is a coach away from hitting its stride with a roster that’s bought in, regardless of the tumult around them.

It’s one game in a season that so far has largely been remembered for what hasn’t happened. But who’s to say they don’t have another stunner up their sleeves? It sure would make for a fun story. 

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What will Rice Football look like under Pete Alamar: October 2024 Q&A

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Pete Alamar has been named the interim coach for the remainder of the 2024 Rice Football season. What will the program look like now? We look at both in this month’s subscriber Q&A.

There are still four games remaining in the 2024 Rice football season. The decision to move on from Mike Bloomgren midseason — the first time such a move has happened in season in program history — has shifted a lot of responsibilities around South Main. What will the program look like under the direction of interim head coach Pete Alamar? We tackle that question, ranging from the specific adjustments to the more philosophical ramifications.

Questions were edited briefly for clarity. Want to get your questions answered? Subscribe on Patreon for our monthly mailbag.

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Q: Just how does Alamar run things in the interim…delegate to the coordinators?

Q: Will we notice anything different with Alamar? Is he changing personnel or implementing anything interesting schematically?

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Rice Football 2024: Tulane Game Week Practice Report

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Rice football is getting clarity on some injuries and getting to work preparing for Tulane.  Here’s what we learned from the Owls at practice this week.

There were many players in and out of the lineup this week as the rigors of the physicality of the sport have made themselves present within the Rice football roster. This week, that meant a lot of good news including a couple of potential starters the Owls are trending toward having back on the field against Tulane.

However, head coach Mike Bloomgren did disclose an update regarding the trio of receivers the Owls expected to be their top three options entering fall camp: Landon Ransom, Rawson MacNeill and Thai Bowman.

“I don’t know that Landon [Ransom] or Rawson [MacNeill] will play this year,” Bloomgren told The Roost “I do expect Thai to [play].” How does that change the complexion of the receiving corps if two of the Owls’ frontline options are indeed expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season? And about the other moving parts as the Owls ready for the Green Wave? Here’s where the team stands prior to the Tulane game this weekend.

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And then there were few

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