Here are 10 soon-to-be-head-coaches to know heading into the 2012 season

Particulars: Age: 38. This will be 2nd season as Texas' coordinator
Buzz: At one time, Diaz was best-known as being the son of Miami mayor Manny Diaz. But he definitely has made a name for himself as a coach. He didn't play college football and spent his first two post-college years working at ESPN. He became a graduate assistant at Florida State, his alma mater, in 1998. He became North Carolina State's linebacker coach in 2002; the Wolfpack head coach at the time was Chuck Amato, who had known Diaz at FSU. Diaz spent four seasons at NCSU, then spent four seasons as coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, where his defenses became known for their aggressiveness and ability to force turnovers. He spent one season as Mississippi State's coordinator before being hired at Texas after the 2010 season. His calling card has been aggressive units, and that should continue this season with the Longhorns, where he has two big-time ends in Jackson Jeffcoat and Alex Okafor.

Particulars: Age: 52. This will be his 18th season as Virginia Tech's coordinator.
Buzz: Foster, who turns 53 in July, is a perennial name on this type of list. At some point, you figure a school is going to give him the chance to be a head coach. He has been at Virginia Tech since 1987 and has been an assistant to Frank Beamer since 1983, when both were at Murray State, Foster's alma mater. Foster won the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's best assistant in 2006. His defenses annually rank among the nation's best, especially against the run; Tech has ranked outside the top 12 nationally in total defense only once in the past eight seasons.

Particulars: Age: 34. This will be 2nd season as Texas' coordinator.
Buzz: In 2000, Harsin was in his first season as an assistant at Eastern Oregon, an NAIA school in rural LaGrande. He became a graduate assistant at Boise State, his alma mater, in time for the 2001 season, then was promoted to a full-time job as tight ends coach in 2002. He became Boise's OC in 2006 and spent five seasons in that job before moving on to Texas after the 2010 season. The Longhorns made big strides in their rushing attack last season and averaged almost five more points per game than in 2010. Similar improvement is expected this season, and given his background at Boise State under Chris Petersen, similar improvement very likely would mean head-coaching offers for Harsin for next season. His successor at Boise, Brent Pease, lasted just one season in the job before being hired away for the same post at Florida.

Particulars: Age: 34. This will be 2nd season as Oklahoma's co-coordinator.
Buzz: Heupel quarterbacked Oklahoma to the national title and was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2000. He became a graduate assistant at OU in 2004, spent the 2005 season as Arizona's tight ends coach, then returned to Oklahoma in 2006 as the quarterback coach. He added co-coordinator duties after the 2010 season, when then-OC Kevin Wilson left to become coach at Indiana. Heupel was the Sooners' main playcaller last season and will handle those duties again this fall. His three predecessors as OU's OV have become head coaches: Mike Leach, Chuck Long and Wilson.

Particulars: Age: 44. This will be 2nd season as Oklahoma State's coordinator.
Buzz: Monken spent seven seasons as Eastern Michigan's coordinator in the 1990s before moving on. He spent three seasons as Oklahoma State's wide receiver coach before moving with Les Miles to LSU. Monken spent four seasons as LSU's wide receiver coach before serving in that capacity for two seasons (2009-10) with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. He returned to the college ranks last season, overseeing the offense for the best team in Oklahoma State history. His predecessor at Oklahoma State, Dana Holgorsen, is coach at West Virginia.

Particulars: Age: 43. This will be 2nd season as Clemson's coordinator.
Buzz: Morris is as hot a commodity as there is among offensive coordinators. He's following roughly the same path as new Arkansas State coach Gus Malzahn: ultra-successful high school coach (Malzahn in Arkansas, Morris in Texas) who moves on to a college job and has success right away. Morris was lured away from Austin (Texas) Lake Travis High in January 2010 by then-Tulsa coach Todd Graham. Morris, who has a match degree from Texas A&M, oversaw the nation's No. 5 offense that fall, then moved on to Clemson after the '10 season. The Tigers were 26th in total offense and 24th in scoring offense last season with a new starting quarterback (Tajh Boyd) and a leading receiver who was a freshman (Sammy Watkins). Big things are expected again this fall from the Tigers' offense.

Particulars: Age: 46. This will be 6th season as Michigan State's coordinator.
Buzz: Narduzzi has overseen a steady build-up with the Spartans' defense. He was the coordinator for three seasons at Cincinnati under Mark Dantonio before moving with Dantonio to Michigan State after the 2006 season. The Spartans had one of the nation's top 10 defenses last season and should have a stellar unit again this season. His dad, Bill, was Youngstown State's coach from 1975-85 (he was Jim Tressel's predecessor at the school). Narduzzi got some job feelers after last season, most notably to be Texas A&M's defensive coordinator, but he decided to remain in East Lansing. If Michigan State's defense is as good as expected this fall, the feelers he will get this year will be for head-coaching jobs.

Particulars: Age: 36. This will be 5th season as Alabama's coordinator.
Buzz: Alabama lost offensive coordinator Jim McElwain to a head-coaching job (Colorado State) after last season, and Smart could follow this season. While Tide coach Nick Saban always is lauded for his team's defense, Saban is quick to remark that it is Smart's defense. Smart is a former safety at Georgia (he had 13 career picks), and he was the Bulldogs' running backs coach in 2005 under Mark Richt. That is the only season since he began his coaching career in 2000 that he has not been a defensive assistant. Smart was Saban's secondary coach at LSU in 2004, then was his safeties coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2006. He has been with Saban at Alabama since 2007 and has been coordinator since 2008. Smart won the 2009 Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant. His first full-time assistant's job came in 2000 at Division II Valdosta State; he was Valdosta State's secondary coach that season, and the DC was current Florida coach Will Muschamp.

Particulars: Age: 48. This will be 1st season as Ohio State's coordinator.
Buzz: Withers was the interim coach at North Carolina last season, and he has seven seasons of NFL experience as an assistant with New Orleans and Tennessee. His background is as a secondary coach, and he oversaw productive units at UNC, Southern Miss and Texas. He has prior experience in the Big Ten as Minnesota's DC. He technically is sharing coordinator duties with Luke Fickell, who was Ohio State's interim coach last season.

Particulars: Age: 41. This will be 4th season as Missouri's coordinator.
Buzz: Yost might be best-known for his floppy hair and has a laid-back demeanor, but he can coach. He was Mizzou's quarterback coach before adding OC duties in 2009, so he deserves credit for helping develop quarterbacks Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, Blaine Gabbert and James Franklin. Yost also is Mizzou's recruiting coordinator and – seriously – the Tigers' kicking coach. His predecessor as coordinator was Dave Christensen, who has led Wyoming to two bowls in four seasons.