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Football

Tim Albin Appointed as Charlotte's Fourth Football Coach

2024-12-08

Charlotte is excited to announce the appointment of Tim Albin as its fourth full-time head football coach. With an impressive coaching resume and a proven track record of success, Albin is set to lead the 49ers to new heights.

Charlotte's Football Future in Tim Albin's Hands

Albin's Coaching Journey

Tim Albin's coaching career has been a remarkable one. He has spent over three decades in the football world, working with various teams and leaving an indelible mark wherever he goes. From his early days as an assistant coach at Northeastern State to his recent stints at Ohio and North Dakota State, Albin has continuously demonstrated his coaching prowess.

At Northwestern Oklahoma State, he led the team to a perfect 13-0 record and a NAIA National Championship in 1999, earning him NAIA Coach of the Year honors. His time at Nebraska as a graduate assistant and later as a running backs coach also played a crucial role in his development as a coach.

Success at Ohio

Over the past four seasons at Ohio, Albin has been nothing short of exceptional. He posted a 33-19 record, including a 23-9 mark against conference opponents. His teams have achieved three consecutive 10-win seasons from 2022-24 and have made three consecutive bowl game appearances.

The 2024 MAC Championship was a significant milestone for the program, marking the first since 1968. The team's 35-point victory over Miami (Ohio) was the largest in the 28-year history of the MAC Championship game, while allowing only three points was the fewest in title game history.

Bringing Success to Charlotte

Now, Albin is ready to bring his winning ways to Charlotte. He is excited to start the process of developing the 49ers into a championship-caliber program. With his leadership and commitment to the holistic development of student-athletes, he is confident that the football program will continue to grow and thrive.

Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber and Director of Athletics Mike Hill have placed their trust in Albin, and he is eager to get started. Under his leadership, the 49ers are set to represent Charlotte with pride on the football field.

With a coaching hire on the horizon, I delved into what the staff is seeking in a head football coach. The burning question remains: What qualities do they desire in the next Purdue football head coach? And do they have a personal favorite candidate?

Uncovering the Ideal Qualities for Purdue's Football Future

Ledman's Perspective

In my view, what we need is a coach who is passionate and knowledgeable. Take a look at Matt Painter and Dave Shondell, Purdue's most successful coaches. They aren't flashy; they're just deeply immersed in their sport. You can see Painter's evolution in coaching style over time and Shondell's continuous improvement. It's not just about winning; it's about having a coach who learns from history and is committed to growth.

It's easy to focus on winning and specific offensive strategies, but that doesn't guarantee success. There are no foolproof hiring formulas; it's a complex process.

Ryan's Take

For me, it's quite simple. I'm looking for a former head coach with an offensive mindset and proven success over multiple seasons. Tyson Helton from Western Kentucky fits the bill. Purdue has had success in the past by pulling from the Hilltopper coaching pool, so why not try again? Helton was close to getting the Purdue job over Ryan Walters, showing the desire is there. Be sure to catch the Conference USA Championship game this Friday to see him in action.

Jed's Criteria

When considering a candidate for the Purdue job, several factors stand out. Firstly, a head coach should call an offense that is truly their own, not just their offensive coordinator's. This ensures stability if there's success and a bigger program comes calling. Secondly, a coach who builds successful assistant coaches is crucial. Matt Painter has shown this to be effective as good coaches want to work under him. Thirdly, a head coach with growth and success at previous jobs knows what it takes to succeed. The last staff lacked this, and it showed in their performance this season. Finally, strong public relations are essential in the era of NIL. A coach who can connect with the Boilermaker community will have more support. Western Kentucky's Tyson Helton meets many of these criteria. He's been at WKU for 6 seasons, made a bowl game each year, and is known as a quarterback developer.

Sometimes, the obvious choices are the hardest to make. Bobinski had the right instinct about Helton two seasons ago, but for some reason, he was swayed otherwise. We can't make that mistake again.

After a remarkable resurgence with UNLV's dormant program, Barry Odom is now set to take on the significant task of rejuvenating Purdue football. This news was first brought to light by Yahoo's Ross Dellenger. Odom, a former Missouri linebacker, has an impressive coaching record of 44-33 in six years as a head coach, with only the first season at his alma mater resulting in a losing record.

Competitive Dynamics and Challenges

During the week-long search for Ryan Walters' replacement, it became increasingly likely that the next coach would be involved in a conference championship game. Odom's Runnin' Rebels faced a setback as they lost to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship Game for the second consecutive year. At Missouri, Odom experienced a similar competitive landscape compared to the SEC's national powers. UNLV had only 29 wins in nine seasons before his hire in 2022 and only two seasons with more than eight victories since 1978.In his debut season at UNLV in 2023, the Runnin' Rebels went 9-5 and reached the Mountain West Championship game. This year, with a 10-2 regular season, they returned to the championship but lost to playoff-bound Boise State 21-7. Odom's defensive background influenced Athletic Director Mike Bobinski's decision not to hire an offensive coach to succeed the defensive-minded Walters. The next big question is whether UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion will join Odom.Odom inherited a program coming off a 1-11 season, with a 11-game losing streak after a season-opening victory over FCS Indiana State. The streak included the most lopsided loss in program history against Notre Dame (66-7) and a more decisive defeat (66-0) at playoff-bound Indiana in the Old Oaken Bucket game.The new coach inherits a roster in transition, as is typical with coaching changes. As of Saturday evening, 19 Purdue players had entered the NCAA transfer portal. Some key players like safety Dillon Thieneman, tight end Max Klare, defensive end Will Heldt, and quarterbacks Ryan Browne and Marcos Davila are keeping their options open and could return depending on the new coach.Although Odom's most recent experience was at the Group of Five level, he spent most of his career in the Big 12 and SEC. His college coaching career started at Missouri, where he climbed the ranks from graduate assistant to director of recruiting and then to position coach over safeties and linebackers. He later left for three seasons as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Memphis before returning to the Tigers as Gary Pinkel's defensive coordinator in 2015 and taking over the following season.Missouri had a 4-8 record in Odom's first season and improved to 7-6 in his second. The Tigers returned to the AP Top 25 poll in 2018 with an 8-5 record but were fired after a 6-6 finish in 2019, including a five-game losing streak in the second half of the season.“I thought I got a bad deal at the end, too,” Odom said on the Coaches and the Mouth podcast last summer. “You live and you learn. But I also look at it as if we had NIL the way it’s rolling out, we probably could have recruited a little differently at my alma mater.”Odom spent three seasons as defensive coordinator on Sam Pittman's Arkansas staff. He was hired to transform a UNLV program that had been to only one bowl game in 22 seasons and none in the previous nine. Now, he is tasked with elevating a program that has tasted success and expects to do so again soon.