Scott Abell named football head coach
Rice football has hired Scott Abell as the program’s 20th head coach, according to an announcement from director of athletics Tommy McClelland, who led a national search to fill the position.
Abell joins Rice after seven seasons at Davidson College, a Division I Football Championship Subdivision school in North Carolina. He became the winningest coach in Davidson’s history, going 47-28 overall and 35-18 in the Pioneer Football League. He won two PFL Coach of the Year awards, captured two PFL championship titles and led the Wildcats to three FCS playoff appearances.
"After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear that we had found the right leader for our program," McClelland said in his announcement. "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.”
Prior to Abell’s arrival at Davidson in 2018, the Wildcats had six consecutive seasons with two or fewer victories and went winless in conference play in four of the previous five years. He immediately brought a winning culture back to the program, going 6-5 in 2018 and delivering a winning record in each of his seven seasons as Davidson’s head coach.
Abell’s Wildcats ranked first in rushing offense among all FCS teams during six of his seven years. This season, they rank second, averaging 58.2 carries, 315.5 rushing yards and 3.4 rushing touchdowns per game.
“In just seven years, Scott transformed the [Davidson] football program, doing so with the highest standards of excellence both on and off the field,” Davidson director of athletics Chris Clunie said in a statement.
Abell will fill the vacancy left by Mike Bloomgren, who was fired Oct. 27 during his seventh season as the team’s head coach. Bloomgren had never led the program to a winning record. His best finish came in 2023 when Rice went 6-6 and lost their bowl game to Texas State University.
Since Bloomgren’s firing, the Owls are 1-2 under the leadership of interim head coach Pete Alamar. At 3-8 overall (2-5 in AAC), Rice has already been eliminated from bowl contention and will host its final game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 30, against the University of South Florida.
Hiring Abell is Rice’s second major coaching shakeup since McClelland took over the athletic department in 2023. Last March, he fired men’s basketball head coach Scott Pera and replaced him with Rob Lanier, whom Southern Methodist University had recently dismissed.
Abell, scheduled to be introduced at 11 a.m. Wednesday, will be tasked with getting the Owls back to their first winning season since 2013, along with leading a national player recruitment process and ensuring his roster maintains Rice’s high academic standards.
"I am incredibly honored and humbled to be named the next head football coach at Rice University," Abell said. "I cannot imagine a more ideal time or fit for myself, my family and the future of Rice football. Today begins the journey, as we pursue championships.”
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