With Maurice Linguist joining the staff at Alabama, Pete Lembo is back as a MAC head coach at Buffalo.

Was at Ball State from 2011-15, Ohio went 1-2 against the Cardinals in that time. Since then, Lembo was an assistant at Maryland, Memphis, Rice, and South Carolina.

Did Maurice Linguist get fired?

Co-DB Coach?

Alabama is a great landing spot, that's for sure, might even pay similarly, but from a head coach to one of a dozen defensive assistant coaches...?

Alabama is a nice resume padder, but feels odd.

He's listed as co-defensive coordinator at Bama now. Feels like a pretty good gig.

I think we're going to see a lot more of this. To run a big program, you'll not only need to be a good coach, but you're gonna need to understand how the fundraising/NIL engine works. No way to get that experience at a MAC school.

Yep.

Anyway, back to Pete...

I've thought about it, and it honestly feels like the antithesis of a "sexy" hire. Not that I'm mad about it.

Times are changing (assistants are staying in P5 longer, etc) and it honestly feels like Buffalo went for a "lifer" doesnt it?

Rather than bring in someone like Dino Babers, really think that could've been a good move for them and the conference, Josh Gattis, Willie Simmons (RB coach at Duke now) Pat Fitzgerald or even kick the tires on SPENSE, who might bounce at the next opportunity, they brought in Lembo - whose only real ties to Buffalo are being from Albany - and having had two decent seasons at Ball State some years ago.

I bet he basically said he would be a lifer.