Rice hired Davidson’s Scott Abell as its new head coach

Rice has hired Davidson football coach Scott Abell as its next coach, the university announced Tuesday.

Abell has gone 47-28 since arriving at Davidson in 2018 and has had seven straight winning seasons there. He has demonstrated the ability to achieve great success at academic schools that have not traditionally won, making him an attractive candidate for the Rice leadership, sources said.

Abell went 39-24 at Washington & Lee before coming to Davidson and showed an affinity for turnarounds and recruiting at schools with high academic standards.

Abell reached three consecutive FCS playoffs prior to the 2023 season. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated the ability to put together impressive offenses.

“After spending time with Scott throughout this process, it was clear we had found the right leader for our program,” Rice vice president and athletic director Tommy McClelland said in a statement. “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 very pleased to welcome Scott and his family to Reis.”

In 2023, Davidson led the FCS in offensive scoring and was among the nation’s leaders in many categories. He was also successful as a high school coach in Virginia with several state championships.

“He is a proven winner wherever he has been, whether in high school or college,” said a source familiar with the recruitment. “He has a fast-paced and unique offense. He knows what it takes to succeed at high academic institutions and is a leader of men.”

He also has a strong track record of recruiting players from Texas to Davidson, which was important for Rice.

Abell replaces Mike Bloomgren, who was fired after a 24-52 record this season.