Scott Abell wrapped up his first spring practices as head coach of the Rice Owls last week and spoke to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football afterward to provide updates on his roster for the 2025 summer magazine. Abell, who runs a unique option offense out of the gun, was most recently the head coach at Davidson and was previously at Washington and Lee. This is his first FBS job.
Abell inherits a program that went 4-8 in 2024 and hasn’t finished with a winning record since 2014. Coincidentally, 2014 was the only year in Abell’s 13 years as a head coach on the college level that he finished with a sub .500 record. Abell praised the “buy-in and commitment” from his roster after the spring and said, “I’m not sure I’ve ever had a group be committed to the process as fast as this one.”