NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) On the strength of rising-star coaches such as Justin Fuente, Tom Herman, Matt Rhule and Willie Taggart, the American Athletic Conference has positioned itself to at least make the case that it should be viewed as a peer to college football’s most powerful leagues.
The five-year old conference has had enough success on the field to fuel Commissioner Mike Aresco’s aspirations of turning the Power Five into the Power Six. That might be more of a dream than a goal, but if the AAC has any chance to close the gap on the Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference, it will need a new wave of up-and-coming coaches to develop.