Word on the street among coaching circles was that Rice was seeking an offensive-minded coach with head coaching experience, and now the Owls have identified their man.
Rice has hired Davidson head coach Scott Abell to the same position, the school announced Tuesday. The news was first reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel.
"After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear that we had found the right leader for our program," Rice AD Tommy McClelland said "He has had an immediate impact on every program he has coached and is passionate about developing winners on and off the field. He is the right person to lead Rice football into a new era of success. I am thrilled to welcome Scott and his family to Rice."
Abell had been at Davidson since 2018, going 47-28 overall and 35-18 in Pioneer Football League play. He guided the Wildcats to two PFL championships and three FCS playoff appearances. Prior to that, Abell went 39-24 as the head coach at Washington & Lee, with three conference titles and three Division III playoff trips in six seasons.
From 1970-2017 (54 year), @DavidsonFB won 6+ games nine times. @Scott_AbellFB won 6+ games every full season he was the head coach at Davidson. The job he did there was one of the best in college football history. @RiceFootball is in very good hands.
— SportSource Analytics (@SportSourceA) November 26, 2024
Abell was Washington & Lee's offensive coordinator prior to that, and coached in the Virginia high school ranks before joining college football in 2008, so living and working in Texas will be an adjustment on top of taking his first job at the FBS level.
Davidson annually ranked among the top rushing teams in FCS running Abell's modified triple option. This year's team finished second in the nation at 315.5, and last year's 308.7 average led FCS. Like all triple option teams, the Wildcats rarely threw the football but were highly effective when they did.
Either Rice will adjust to Abell's style of play, or Abell will modify his attack to win in the American Athletic Conference. For what it's worth, Army and Navy are doing just fine running their modern versions of the triple.
With an undergraduate enrollment of less than 2,000, Abell's experience winning at a high-achieving academic institution will prepare him for Rice, where at 8,500 the Owls have one of the smallest student bodies in FBS.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.