Coaching Candidate is a mini-series exploring potential head coaches at the FCS and FBS levels. Read more about the contracts and backgrounds of Brent Vigen and Tim Polasek.
The coaching carousel is heating up, and UC Davis head coach Tim Plough is squarely in some of the early conversations. The 40-year-old offensive mind has turned his alma mater into one of the most explosive and exciting programs in the FCS.
Plough was hired in December 2023, taking over for veteran coach Dan Hawkins, who guided the Aggies to a 44–31 record over seven seasons. Since his arrival, Plough has reignited belief in Davis football and clearly has taken the program to the next step.
Tim Plough Contract & Buyout
- Contract Term: December 21, 2023 – December 20, 2028
- Base Salary: $315,000 in Year 1, rising to $335,000 in Year 5
- Signing Bonus: $20,000 within 60 days of signing
- Retention Bonuses: $10,000 if employed on December 20, 2026, and another $10,000 on December 20, 2027
- University Buyout (without cause): Remaining base salary for current year plus 50% of the following year’s base
- Coach Buyout (if departing):
- $300,000 – takes Power Five HC job outside California
- $250,000 – takes FBS HC job within California
- $150,000 – takes another Division I HC job (Group of Five or FCS)
- $100,000 – takes an Offensive Coordinator position
Tim Plough Bio
In his first season leading the Aggies, Plough went 11-3 (7-1), delivering one of the best single-year improvements for a new coach in school history. UC Davis reached the FCS quarterfinals for the first time, defeated both Montana and Idaho on the road, and posted the highest national finish in program history at No. 5. The 2024 season also marked the Aggies’ first-ever win over Eastern Washington and their first appearance on ESPN2.
Plough was named AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year and became an Eddie Robinson Award finalist, capping a debut that instantly validated UC Davis’s decision to bring one of its own back home. Through mid-2025, his record sits at 16-4, the best winning percentage of any head coach in school history.
A San Diego native, Plough has spent most of his career on the West Coast. He was a four-year letterwinner at quarterback for UC Davis from 2004–2007 and became the Aggies’ offensive coordinator at only 25 years old, making him the youngest OC in Division I football at the time. His early tenure helped lay the groundwork for the program’s transition to Division I and future success.
Plough spent four seasons at Northern Arizona, where his offenses regularly ranked among the FCS leaders in passing and total yardage. He returned to Davis in 2017 as offensive coordinator and later as associate head coach, helping the Aggies capture a share of the Big Sky title and their first FCS playoff appearance in 2018.
Before returning as head coach, Plough gained FBS experience at Boise State and California, working with quarterbacks and tight ends. His 2021 Broncos offense ranked first in the Mountain West in red-zone scoring and produced career seasons for quarterback Hank Bachmeier and wide receiver Khalil Shakir.
At UC Davis, Plough’s first team broke 19 individual records and six team records, including quarterback Miles Hastings surpassing 4,000 passing yards and running back Lan Larison setting the career all-purpose yards record. Defensively, David Meyer and Rex Connors both earned All-American honors while breaking each other’s single-season solo tackle marks.
Plough’s five-year agreement reflects UC Davis’s commitment to one of the brightest younger minds in college football. His salary ranks in the upper third of the Big Sky range, but his performance and trajectory are already among the best in the subdivision. The deal’s retention incentives and moderate buyout terms are a little low in comparison to others. He has strong ties to the MWC and PAC, which will generate interest in any opening.
Now entering the second half of 2025 with the Aggies again in the national picture, Plough’s combination of offensive creativity, program-building skill, and institutional loyalty makes him a serious name to watch as openings develop across the FBS landscape. He remains deeply tied to the identity of UC Davis, often referring to himself as a “Davis Guy” and building what he calls “Shredville,” a program culture rooted in connection and explosive playmaking.
For schools seeking a proven winner with both FCS and FBS experience, Tim Plough’s résumé checks every box. His hot start and age have made him one of the most intriguing young head coaches in the country and one of the few who might truly make the jump without losing the identity that got him here.
