SEC Now's Roman Harper and D.J. Shockley evaluate former head coaches that now hold assistant roles in the SEC. (2:20)

Which former SEC coach will make the best assistant? (2:20)

LSU entered the 2019 season with the same quarterback, the same head coach and the same primary playcaller. Who was new? Joe Brady, a young, low-level NFL assistant who would transform the perennially underperforming LSU offense.

Brady's brilliance helped LSU to a national championship, loads of team and SEC records and a Heisman Trophy for quarterback Joe Burrow. Brady won the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.

The right new assistant, especially in a playcalling/coordinator role, can change a program's trajectory. A number of college programs are hoping new coordinators provide the Brady-like spark to reach the next level, perhaps all the way to a championship.

Some notable new coordinators already have called a game or two this fall. A number in the SEC get under way this week, while the Big Ten and potentially the Pac-12 will be on the field soon. Here's a look at the new coordinators who could get teams into the College Football Playoff mix.

LSU's Bo Pelini (defense) and Scott Linehan (passing game)

Debut: Saturday at home against Mississippi State