Rice football hires Davidson’s Scott Abell as new coach with explosive FCS offense in mind

Rice has hired Davidson head coach Scott Abell as its new head coach, the school announced Tuesday.

Abell went 47-28 in seven seasons at the Football Championship Subdivision school. He inherited a Davidson program in 2018 that had not won more than two games in a season since 2011 and had seven winning seasons in seven years. This included two Pioneer Football League championships in spring 2021 and fall 2021 and three FCS playoff appearances.

“After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear we had found the right leader for our program,” athletic director Tommy McClelland said in a statement. “He had an immediate impact on every program he 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’s teams were led by an explosive shotgun triple-option offense that led the FCS in scoring and rushing in 2023. The Wildcats led the FCS in rushing four straight seasons, from the spring of 2021 to 2023. This fall’s Davidson team went 6-5 and ranked 13th in the FCS in scoring. In 2018, Davidson broke the Division I record with 789 rushing yards in a single game against San Diego (a game he lost 56-52).

From 1970-2017 (54 years), @DavidsonFB won more than 6 games nine times. @Scott_AbellFB He won 6+ games each season and was the head coach at Davidson. The job he did there was some of the best in college football history. @RiceFootball is in very good hands.

— SportSource Analytics (@SportSourceA) November 26, 2024

This year’s Rice team ranks 115th in the FBS in offensive rating and 116th in rushing yards per game. While the Owls reached bowl games in 2022 and 2023, the program hasn’t had a winning season since 2014.

“I cannot imagine a more ideal or fitting time for myself, my family and the future of Rice Football,” Abell said in a statement. “Today the journey begins, we are aiming for championships.”

Abell was previously the head coach at Washington & Lee with a 39-24 record from 2012 to 2017 and will bring experience from a coaching career that was almost entirely based in Virginia and North Carolina to Houston to coach the Owls.

(Photo: David Butler II / Imagn Images)