Blog Article
FAU IS BETTING ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S YOUNGEST HEAD COACH TO REVITALIZE THEIR PROGRAM
Zach Kittley is 33 years old, making him the youngest head coach in FBS football — and he’s about to unleash an offensive revolution at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).
After going 3-9 last season, the Owls decided to blow everything up
The FAU football program needed a fundamental reset after a disappointing 2024 campaign that saw:
- Former head coach Tom Herman was dismissed late in the season after starting 2-8
- A revolving door at quarterback producing just 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions
- A porous defense surrendered 30+ points in 7 different games
- A measly 1-7 record in their second year in the American Athletic Conference
When Athletic Director Brian White searched for a new leader, he didn’t want incremental improvement—he wanted transformation.
Enter Zach Kittley, the offensive wizard whose previous systems at Houston Baptist, Western Kentucky, and Texas Tech averaged a ridiculous 457.3 yards and 34.8 points per game over seven seasons.
“We want to play fast, physical football and put a product on the field that the entire FAU community can be proud of,” Kittley said when hired in December 2024.
The bold move signals FAU’s willingness to embrace a high-risk, high-reward strategy in the increasingly competitive college football landscape.
The transfer portal has completely reshaped FAU’s roster in just one offseason
Kittley raided the portal like a kid in a candy store, completely overhauling the roster with players who fit his system.
The most significant additions came at key positions:
- Quarterback: Caden Veltkamp followed Kittley from Western Kentucky, bringing pre-installed knowledge of the offensive system
- Wide Receivers: Easton Messer (Western Kentucky), Damien Alford (Utah), and Asaad Waseem (Colorado) form a suddenly dangerous receiving corps
- Offensive Line: Madden Sanker from Louisville arrives to protect the quarterback in Kittley’s pass-heavy scheme
- Defensive Line: Naejuan Barber (Coastal Carolina), Enyce Sledge (Illinois), and twins Tycoolhill and Tyclean Luman (Rutgers) provide immediate upgrades
- Secondary: Antonio Robinson Jr. (Wake Forest) and Derrick Rogers Jr. (Purdue) bring Power Five experience to the defensive backfield
The mass roster turnover represents both a necessary reset and a calculated gamble.
If these transfers mesh quickly, FAU could become one of the most improved teams in the AAC.
The returning veterans provide the stability needed during this massive transition
Not everything is new in Boca Raton.
A core group of battle-tested players will anchor the team during this period of rapid change:
- Linebacker Jackson Ambush returns after leading the team with 89 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss
- His partner Desmond Tisdol added 71 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks
- Center Federico Maranges, an honorable mention All-AAC selection, provides stability on the offensive line
- The receiving corps retains senior Caleb Coombs (51 career receptions) and redshirt juniors Jayshon Platt and BJ Alexander
These veterans will be crucial in maintaining team culture while integrating the influx of new talent.
Their leadership in the locker room might determine whether this ambitious rebuild sinks or swims.
Kittley has assembled a coaching staff as young and hungry as he is
Youth and innovation define the new coaching regime at FAU.
The offensive staff features:
- Offensive line coach Stephen Hamby
- Tight ends coach Jujuan Dulaney
- Wide receivers coach, DJ McCarthy with NFL and SEC experience
Defensively, coordinator Brett Dewhurst takes charge of a unit that desperately needs improvement, supported by:
- Inside linebackers coach Aaron Schwanz
- Defensive line coaches Devin Santana and Brandon Lacy
Most significantly, Kittley will call the offensive plays—the clearest indication that FAU is all-in on his offensive vision as the program’s identity.
This staff represents a complete philosophical shift from the previous regime.
The 2025 schedule offers both immediate challenges and significant opportunities
The Owls face an immediate reality check with a season-opening trip to Maryland on August 30.
The full slate includes:
- Non-conference: at Maryland (Aug 30), Florida A&M (Sep 6), at FIU (Sep 13)
- Key home games: Memphis (Sep 27), UAB (Oct 11), Tulsa (Nov 8), UConn (Nov 22), East Carolina (Nov 29)
- Tough road trips: Rice (Oct 4), USF (Oct 18), Navy (Oct 25), Tulane (Nov 15)
- Strategic breaks: Two bye weeks (Sep 20 and Nov 1) provide recovery periods
The schedule seems designed for a team in transition — challenging enough to reveal their true identity but balanced enough to build momentum if things click early.
With SMU departing for the ACC and coaching changes across the conference, the AAC hierarchy is suddenly more fluid than in years.
Here’s why FAU could dramatically exceed expectations in 2025
Is bowl eligibility realistic for a program coming off a 3-9 season with a first-time head coach?
The optimist’s case is compelling:
- Kittley’s offensive system has proven capable of producing points regardless of talent level
- The transfer portal additions represent immediate upgrades at multiple positions
- The AAC lacks dominant powerhouses, creating an opportunity for rapid ascension
- South Florida’s recruiting territory gives the program natural advantages
- The new staff brings fresh energy and schemes opponents haven’t prepared for
The path from three wins to six isn’t as far as it might seem.
If Veltkamp provides stability at quarterback and the defense can make modest improvements, the Owls could play meaningful games in November.
But significant challenges could derail FAU’s ambitious reset
Program instability remains the elephant in the room.
The Owls are now on their third head coach in four years, creating obstacles like:
- Systems and terminology changing constantly for returning players
- Team culture being repeatedly reset just as it begins forming
- Recruiting relationships requiring rebuilding with each coaching change
- Fan and donor patience potentially wearing thin with each restart
Beyond that, fundamental football questions remain unanswered:
- Can a 33-year-old first-time head coach handle the responsibilities beyond X’s and O’s?
- Will a defense that surrendered 30+ points seven times last season improve enough?
- Can transfers from various programs gel into a cohesive unit quickly?
- Is Kittley’s offensive system too complex to implement in just one off-season?
The answers to these questions will determine whether 2025 represents the beginning of a breakthrough or just another false start.
College football programs don’t transform overnight.
The Kittley era represents the highest-risk, highest-reward strategy in FAU’s recent history
Florida Atlantic is making a bet that few programs would have the courage to make.
They’re banking on youth, offensive innovation, and wholesale roster changes to create immediate competitive advantages in a conference that’s suddenly more vulnerable than ever.
If it works, the Owls could become the AAC’s next breakthrough program, following the path of schools like Coastal Carolina and UTSA, which rose from obscurity to conference contenders.
If it fails? It’ll just be another coaching regime that promised big and delivered little.
Either way, FAU football will be one of college football’s most fascinating experiments in 2025.
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