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The Rice Owls Are Entering A New Era In 2025

Mark Haines on April 1, 2025

The Rice Owls are about to undergo their most significant transformation in recent memory.

After a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2024 that saw a mid-season coaching change, Rice University has appointed Scott Abell as the program’s 20th head coach—a move that signals a dramatic shift in offensive philosophy and team identity. Abell, who turned Davidson College from a perennial loser into a championship contender, now faces the challenge of doing the same in the increasingly competitive American Athletic Conference.

But can his run-heavy approach succeed at Rice? And will 2025 be a year of growth pains or immediate improvement?

Let’s break it down.

Abell Brings A Winning Formula To South Main

Scott Abell isn’t just another coach looking for a bigger paycheck.

His track record of program revival is precisely what Rice desperately needs:

At Davidson College, he transformed a program without a winning season since 2007 into a powerhouse with a 47-28 overall record
He captured two Pioneer Football League championships and led the Wildcats to three consecutive FCS playoff appearances
His teams led the nation in rushing offense for five straight years—a stark contrast to Rice’s 106th-ranked rushing attack in 2024

The philosophical shift couldn’t be more dramatic. While Rice averaged 252.5 passing yards per game (45th nationally) but just 110.5 rushing yards (106th) last season, Abell is bringing a ground-and-pound approach that dominated at the FCS level.

How quickly this transformation takes hold will determine the Owls’ ceiling in 2025.

A Staff Blending Old And New Creates Intriguing Mix

Abell didn’t come alone.

His coaching staff represents a strategic blend of familiar faces and fresh perspectives:

Offensive coordinator Vince Munch follows Abell from Davidson to implement the run-heavy system
Porter Abell (the head coach’s son) takes over as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator
Defensive coordinator Jon Kay enters his third season at Rice but with a promotion from linebackers coach
Former NFL standout Ty Warren, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots, joins as defensive line coach

This mix of continuity and new blood could help ease the transition while bringing much-needed energy to a program that has struggled to find its identity in the AAC.

The question is whether this diverse staff can quickly get on the same page and implement Abell’s vision.

The Transfer Portal Giveth And Taketh Away

Rice’s roster has been significantly reshuffled through the transfer portal, creating both opportunities and challenges.

Key Departures:

Running back Dean Connors (780 rushing yards, 62 receptions in 2024) transferred to crosstown rival Houston
Offensive tackle Ethan Onianwa left for Ohio State, creating a void on the offensive line
Safety Tyson Flowers departed for Virginia Tech, weakening the secondary

Notable Additions:

Cornerback Max Lofy brings Big Ten experience from Wisconsin to bolster the defensive backfield
Offensive linemen Sean Sullivan (Yale) and Cole Morgan (Michigan) provide potential solutions up front
A recruiting class ranked 103rd nationally and sixth in the AAC adds young talent, including running back Tyvonn Byars

Perhaps the most concerning departure is Connors’, particularly given Abell’s run-focused philosophy. Finding his replacement will be critical for offensive success in 2025.

Fixing The Turnover Problem Is Priority Number One

To understand why Rice struggled in 2024, look no further than the turnover column.

The Owls finished with a turnover margin of -13—dead last in college football—by committing 25 turnovers while forcing only 12. This fatal flaw neutralized a defense that performed reasonably well (364.5 yards allowed per game, 54th nationally).

Abell’s disciplined approach at Davidson emphasized ball security and mistake-free football. If he can instill these values quickly, Rice could see immediate improvement even before his offensive system fully takes root.

Imagine what even a neutral turnover margin could mean for a team that lost three games by seven points or fewer last season.

A Schedule Offering Both Challenges And Opportunities

The 2025 slate allows Rice to build momentum while testing its progress against quality opponents.

Non-Conference Games:

August 30: at Louisiana (road test to open the Abell era)
September 6: vs. Houston (crosstown rivalry with added Dean Connors storyline)
September 13: vs. Prairie View A&M (potential confidence builder)
September 27: at Navy (challenging service academy matchup)

Key AAC Games:

September 18 (Thursday): at Charlotte (early conference test)
October 11: at UTSA (regional rivalry)
October 31 (Friday): vs. Memphis (prime-time opportunity)
November 29: at USF (season finale)

Six AAC programs will introduce new head coaches in 2025, making the conference landscape unusually fluid and creating potential opportunities for the Owls to climb the standings faster than expected.

Four home games in the final six weeks could allow Rice to build momentum as players become more comfortable with the new schemes and expectations.

Realistic Expectations For Year One

Success in 2025 will not be measured solely by wins and losses.

While a bowl game would be a tremendous achievement, fans should look for these signs of progress:

Significant improvement in turnover margin from last year’s -13 disaster
Development of a consistent rushing attack reflecting Abell’s philosophy
Competitive performances against established AAC powers
Growth from younger players who fit the new system
Victories against fellow programs also undergoing transitions

The reality is that systematic changes take time. Abell’s history suggests he can accelerate rebuilds, but patience will still be required as Rice installs a new offensive identity.

If the Owls can show progressive improvement throughout the season and establish a clear foundation for 2026 and beyond, that’s a successful first step in the program’s revitalization.

Sometimes, you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.

For Rice football, 2025 lays the groundwork for sustained success under Scott Abell’s leadership. The journey begins on August 30.

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Coaches Hot Seat Rankings – Week 14

Mark Haines on November 26, 2024

Coaches Hot Seat Rankings—Week 14. Our full rankings are delayed due to technical difficulties. Our team is working on a solution, and we will release them as soon as possible.

In the meantime, the Top 20 appears on our site.

The coaching carousel has started spinning earlier than expected this year, with two notable moves reshaping the landscape just days before rivalry weekend. On Tuesday morning, North Carolina shocked the college football world by parting ways with Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown, ending his second stint in Chapel Hill after six seasons. The decision came just 24 hours after Brown had publicly stated his intention to return in 2025, marking an awkward end for the 73-year-old who led the Tar Heels to six straight bowl appearances during his return tenure.

While Brown prepares for his final game against NC State this Saturday, Rice made its move by hiring Davidson head coach Scott Abell to lead their program. Abell, who built Davidson into an FCS powerhouse with his innovative triple-option offense, faces the challenge of translating his success to the FBS level.

These early moves could be harbingers of a relatively quiet coaching carousel, as many programs appear hesitant to make changes amid uncertainty surrounding player revenue sharing and a thin candidate pool. However, that hasn’t stopped the temperature from rising for several coaches fighting to save their jobs.

In this week’s Hot Seat Rankings, we examine the mounting pressure at FIU, where Mike MacIntyre’s tenure has devolved into chaos amid allegations of misconduct and thrown furniture. We’ll also analyze Neal Brown’s expensive mediocrity at West Virginia, Kenni Burns’ historically bad run at Kent State, and the declining returns at Appalachian State under Shawn Clark.

Week 14 – Coaches Hot Seat Top 4

Mike MacIntryre, head coach of Florida International - Coaches Hot Seat

In the economics of college football, Mike MacIntyre’s tenure at FIU represents a perfect market failure – where moral hazard meets reputational collapse in real-time. His 11-24 record tells only part of the story; the real ledger is written in broken trust and thrown furniture.

The math is brutal: one chair was thrown in a rivalry game halftime, twelve current players silently support allegations of misconduct, and eight are starters. It’s a balance sheet of fear, where scholarships become leverage and silence becomes currency.

MacIntyre’s recent attempt to rewrite FIU’s history (“this program hasn’t had a good history since the beginning”) reads less like a gaffe and more like a desperate man’s attempt to hedge against his failure. However, markets have a way of finding true value, and in college football, truth emerges in empty seats and player testimonies.

The most telling metric isn’t his 3-8 record in 2024 but the text message circulating through his locker room, begging players to defend him to the athletic director. It’s the kind of desperate liquidity call that precedes institutional collapse, where a coach’s credibility becomes the ultimate distressed asset.

In the end, MacIntyre’s FIU tenure might be remembered not for the games lost but for the moment when the cost of silence exceeded the price of speaking out.

Neal Brown - Head Coach of West Virginia Mountaineers - Coaches Hot Seat

Neal Brown’s story at West Virginia reads like a cautionary tale of college football’s middle class. In an era when programs are expected to ascend or decline, Brown mastered the art of maintaining perfect mediocrity—a feat that paradoxically sealed his fate.

Every season followed a similar script: flashes of potential undermined by predictable setbacks. He’d win just enough to keep hope alive but never enough to compete. His 37-34 record tells the story of a program stuck in limbo, neither good enough to challenge the conference elite nor bad enough to force immediate change.

The numbers that matter aren’t the wins and losses but the empty seats at Milan Puskar Stadium. In college football’s attention economy, being average is worse than being terrible. At least terrible teams inspire passion. Brown’s teams inspired something far more dangerous: indifference.

The 2024 season, following a deceptively promising 9-4 campaign exposed the fundamental flaw in Brown’s tenure. When finally given a veteran team and heightened expectations, his program reverted to its mean. A pattern that speaks to a larger truth about college football: you can’t build a program on almost but not quite.

Brown’s buyout is $16.7 million if fired before Dec. 31, 2024. Reports suggest WVU donors may help fund this buyout, making his termination more financially feasible than previously thought. The high buyout was initially considered job security, but donor intervention changed that calculus.

Kenni Burns - Kent State Head Coach - Coaches Hot Seat

Kenni Burns’ tenure at Kent State has devolved from a cautionary tale into pure absurdity. His 2024 season reads like a dark comedy: losing to St. Francis (PA), a non-major program, before suffering historic beatdowns at Tennessee (71-0) and Penn State (56-0). His overall record now stands at 1-33, with zero wins in 2024.

The numbers tell a story of competitive collapse. Kent State hasn’t just lost – they’ve been outscored 486-160. In MAC play, where mid-majors are supposed to find their level, they’ve been outscored 282-99. The final indignity came in losing the Wagon Wheel rivalry to Akron, sacrificing even the $5,000 bonus that might have helped with those credit card payments.

But the contract extension through 2028 transforms this from tragedy into farce. Kent State isn’t just paying for failure – they’re financing it long-term, like a subprime mortgage on competitive irrelevance. Their head coach can’t balance his checkbook, and their football program can’t score a point against top-25 teams. Both, somehow, keep getting extended credit.

In the end, Burns isn’t just losing games—he’s redefining the boundaries of institutional patience in an industry famous for lacking it.

Burns’ buyout after 2024 is $1.51 million, per his contract extension signed in February 2024. This figure represents approximately three years of his base salary at Kent State.

Shawn Clark - Appalachian State Head Coach - Coaches Hot Seat

The 2024 season has only reinforced the narrative of App State’s decline under Clark. At 5-5 (potentially 5-6 with Georgia Southern remaining), the program continues its downward trajectory from its previous G5 powerhouse status.

Key 2024 Issues:

Blowout losses (66-20 to Clemson, 48-14 to South Alabama)
2-5 in Sun Belt before recent recovery
Defensive collapse (allowing 35.1 PPG)

However, recent wins over JMU and ODU show signs of life. The question is whether this late-season surge can save Clark’s job, especially given his careful contract structure with decreasing buyouts.

The math is stark: Clark’s overall record is now 44-28 (.611), but the trend line points downward. For a program that once dominated the Sun Belt, mediocrity feels like failure. App State faces a decision: whether maintaining a winning record justifies retaining a coach who’s transformed their championship expectations into bowl eligibility hopes.

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