Rice was one of two FBS programs in the state of Texas to make a coaching change ahead of the 2025 season, the other being Sam Houston. The Owls relieved Mike Bloomgren of his duties at the end of October following a loss to Connecticut, the sixth of the season. The defeat guaranteed that the Owls wouldn’t finish the regular season above .500 for the 10th straight season. Bloomgren finished his tenure on South Main with a record of 24-52 in seven seasons.
Pay attention to coaching changes in college football close enough and a trend emerges. The next coach is typically a complete 180 from the previous one. That was especially true for the Rice Owls. Bloomgren ran a pro-style offense after his days in the NFL and at Stanford. Rice wanted to zig while the rest of the state zags. The Owls scoured the country for a coach with a unique offense and experience winning at prestigious academic institutions without any recent success. They found it in Scott Abell, who spent his college coaching career at Washington and Lee, and Davidson.