The 2025 college football coaching carousel got off to a fast start when both UCLA and Virginia Tech moved swiftly to dismiss their head coaches after just three weeks of action. They will be far from the only Power 4 jobs to open this cycle.
This figures to be one of the more active markets in recent years. There could be far more changes—and more midseason moves—as a result of cost certainty for athletic directors with the House settlement and a growing movement to separate roster building under an NFL-style general manager and on-field coaching.
Here are the key names to know for the coming carousel.
College head coaches
Dave Aranda, Baylor head coach
The cerebral defensive mind won the Big 12 a few years ago but still feels like he’s just a few losses away from being back on the hot seat. Could he reset the clock elsewhere? A complicated buyout may dissuade some places from going after him.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach
It will take the right college job to lure Campbell from Ames, Iowa, where he’s been basically the best coach in school history and has a shot at an elusive conference title again this season. He’s interviewed for several NFL openings so a departure for the pros can’t be ruled out either.
Jason Candle, Toledo head coach
It’s been a decade since Candle took over full time with the Rockets, which is an eternity in coaching circles within the MAC. He’s had the potential to leave for other jobs, including as a Power 4 offensive coordinator, and is a candidate to leave with another strong year with the league favorites.
Jamey Chadwell, Liberty head coach
Though his star has dimmed recently, Chadwell has been in the conversation for several Power 4 jobs, including a few in the SEC. He’s paid like a big-time head coach so can still wait out the right opportunity.
Bob Chesney, James Madison head coach
Nearly every opening along the East Coast figures to have Chesney somewhere on the short list after years of building up programs at all levels. He’s got a team that can flirt with the Group of 5 bid to the playoff this season and seems like a good bet to be a power-conference coach before he turns 50.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri head coach
After a middling start to his tenure, Drinkwitz is 24–5 the last three years with the Tigers. He’s been progressive in pushing boundaries during a new era for talent acquisition, is a highly regarded offensive mind and will be a name that comes up for many bigger SEC/Big Ten jobs.
Jason Eck, New Mexico head coach
One of the best offensive play-callers in the game, Eck is tracking toward landing a Power 2 gig after finding ways to win at a lot of places where that is difficult. The former Wisconsin offensive lineman would be tailor-made for a number of jobs in the Big Ten on top of anything that opens out West.
Jedd Fisch, Washington head coach
The full resume for Fisch checks off any box imaginable. It might be difficult for Washington to keep him long term with his alma mater (Florida) potentially coming open. Don’t rule out any NFL openings either, especially if the Huskies notch some big victories in conference play.
Alex Golesh, USF head coach
The Bulls won one game before Golesh’s arrival and in Year 3 he’s winning at Florida and pummelling Boise State. He’s got a veteran team and will wind up in a Power 4 gig somewhere this cycle.
Bobby Hauck, Montana head coach
After spending 15 years in Missoula, does Hauck want another shot at an FBS job or will he keep pushing to get Montana over the hump to win an FCS title? The Grizzlies have been a consistent Top 10 program and knocking on the door of winning it all.
Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky head coach
Coaching is in Helton’s blood and he’s done an impressive job at Western Kentucky despite constantly being raided for both talent and assistant coaches. He’ll be a name to watch for several higher-profile Group of 5 spots and numerous power-conference jobs.
Charles Huff, Southern Miss head coach
After leading Marshall to the Sun Belt title last season, he decamped for Southern Miss but should be in line to land a Power 4 job this year. The Maryland native knows the DMV area extremely well and has plenty of SEC and Big Ten experience, too.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss head coach
Hard as it is to believe, this is Kiffin’s 16th season as a head coach. He’s extremely comfortable in Oxford, Miss., with a regular SEC contender but the allure of a bigger job like Florida is always going to be in the back of many people’s minds.
G.J. Kinne, Texas State head coach
Kinnie is just 36 and already sports a 30–13 record. Texas State is set to go to the Pac-12 next season so he could stick around for that or be one of the top options if any power-conference job comes open in his home state.
Rhett Lashlee, SMU head coach
He won a conference title and made the playoff before turning 42. Lashlee is one of the bright, young coaches in the game right now. It won’t be easy to pry him from Dallas given how much support he has from the boosters, but if some SEC jobs open up there might be a few difficult choices ahead.
Lance Leipold, Kansas head coach
It’s still incredible to see what Leipold has done, and he won’t leave a terrific setup for just any Power 2 job right now. But it might be worth keeping an eye on if Wisconsin or Iowa come open.
Jeff Monken, Army head coach
Monken has interviewed for other jobs over the years but still has to overcome the hurdle of being labeled a triple option guy. He’s not married to that offense and his success in West Point will keep earning him looks until a power-conference job ultimately hires him.
Eric Morris, North Texas head coach
After playing and coaching under Mike Leach, Morris could be an option at any number of vacancies in need of an offensive mind. He’s an incredible quarterback guru and has North Texas off to a great start as a contender in the American this season.
Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State head coach
Everywhere Mendenhall goes, the team gets better. He’s a turnaround specialist who relishes difficult jobs and might be open to leaving the Aggies after just one season given the school president and AD who hired him are no longer there.
Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach
With coaches no longer needing to be top-tier recruiters to stack talented rosters, Mullen’s ability to guide a team on game day might be even more valued than it was when he came out of the ESPN booth to take over at UNLV. Winning double-digit games twice plus making the SEC title game at Florida also makes his tenure look a lot better in retrospect.
Deion Sanders, Colorado head coach
Recurring health issues are going to make Sanders’s tenure with the Buffaloes an annual conversation, but he’ll be an in-demand candidate for a number of power-conference schools looking to make a big splash.
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis head coach
You may not “win” the press conference by hiring Silverfield away from Memphis but you will be getting a great head coach who has won double-digit games the last two years and regularly kept the Tigers as a contender in the American.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach
After considering taking the North Carolina job last year, Sumrall figures to be the candidate for top-tier SEC jobs this season. His next destination will largely drive the coaching carousel, but there will have to be the right alignment to land Sumrall’s services.
Jeff Traylor, UTSA head coach
Traylor is 47–22 with the Roadrunners, navigated a conference transition with ease and turned the Alamodome into one of the toughest places to play in college football. He’ll be in the mix for any power-conference job in the state of Texas or somewhere like Arkansas if it comes open.
Brent Vigen, Montana State head coach
Vigen has made the FCS title game twice in five seasons and notched a pair of conference titles in the competitive Big Sky. He is a Craig Bohl disciple and could be one to watch even beyond the regular MWC jobs sure to come open.
Former head coaches
Bill Clark, former UAB head coach
Back issues forced him to leave UAB, but he did a terrific job winning a ton of games at a program he brought back from the dead. Keep an eye out for a potential resurgence if the right job comes open.
Jimbo Fisher, former Texas A&M head coach
After joining the ranks of coach-turned-broadcaster, Fisher does not seem content with just living the buyout life and is already having an impact on the 2025 season. He would love another opportunity to land a Power 4 job but will have to convince folks that the backsliding at Florida State and Texas A&M won’t happen again.
Jon Gruden, former Raiders head coach
Are you ready for another offseason of Grumors? The former NFL coach has expressed interest in taking over a college program. His name would bring plenty of attention to some schools. It will take a confident AD and school president to hire him given there’s a reason he’s out of coaching right now.
Assistant coaches
Marcus Arroyo, Arizona State offensive coordinator
After playing a big role in turning ASU into a College Football Playoff team last season, the Broyles Award finalist could be in the mix to get another shot at a head coaching gig after doing a solid job elevating UNLV from 2020 to ’22.
Blake Baker, LSU defensive coordinator
The 43-year-old Texas native has done a great job making LSU’s defense one of the better units in the SEC this season. He’s one of the highest-paid coordinators in the country so can be picky about his next job, but is a former Tulane linebacker that might be one of the first calls if Sumrall leaves.
Tim Banks, Tennessee defensive coordinator
Banks has been in the mix for several G5 jobs but has stuck around to lead an impressive defensive unit the last few years. He’s a former MAC standout who also spent time at Memphis, Cincinnati and Maryland. He could be in the mix for similar jobs.
Jason Beck, Utah offensive coordinator
After regularly producing high-flying offenses and tutoring a number of notable quarterbacks, Beck could be a factor in several MWC and even ACC openings. It will be tough to pry him from Salt Lake City if the job isn’t right though.
Drew Cronic, Navy offensive coordinator
Cronic was a head coach at the NAIA, Division II and FCS levels before helping jump-start the Midshipmen’s offense. He could be a top candidate for several G5 jobs looking for an experienced hand that brings something different offensively.
Shannon Dawson, Miami offensive coordinator
After calling the top offense in the country last season and tutoring the No. 1 overall pick, Dawson will be a name to watch in several Power 4 and AAC searches. Given the way the Hurricanes’ season is trending, he can be choosy as to his next move.
Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech offensive coordinator
It was a big win for the Yellow Jackets to keep Faulkner around for this season. He may have the team pointed toward the CFP after a fast start to 2025.
Bryan Harsin, Cal offensive coordinator
Harsin’s name came up for a few Group of 5 jobs after he got fired from Auburn but might garner some more Power 4 interest with the way he’s led the Bears to a surprising start this season and turned Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele into a must-see freshman quarterback.
Brian Hartline, Ohio State offensive coordinator
The best recruiter and developer of wide receiver talent in the country, Hartline won’t leave his alma mater for just any job. The seven-year NFL veteran will benefit quite a bit from being a play-caller this season for the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Collin Klein, Texas A&M offensive coordinator
Just 35, Klein is one of the fast-rising names in the coaching industry. It won’t be long before the former Kansas State quarterback gets a head coaching position.
Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State offensive coordinator
Proprietor of one of the more fun offenses to watch in college football, he helped with turnarounds at Kansas and Buffalo under Leipold before making the jump to Happy Valley. He’ll garner some serious interest from MAC openings but could hold out for bigger jobs given his value to the Nittany Lions.
Brian Lindgren, Michigan State offensive coordinator
There are a number of jobs out West that will check in on Lindgren’s interest after he’s served as an offensive coordinator for the past 15 years at a number of stops. The former Idaho quarterback knows how to develop the most important position on the field and has the temperament to be a head coach soon.
D’Anton Lynn, USC defensive coordinator
Lynn has bounced between the NFL and college but the ex-Penn State defensive back’s next move is to be a head coach. He might be the highest-paid DC in the country so it will take a great job for him to make a move.
Kirby Moore, Missouri offensive coordinator
The brother of Saints coach Kellen Moore and a former Boise State receiver, Moore taking over play-calling at Mizzou has really led to a resurgence the past few years. He was involved in several MWC searches recently and could have an even broader group of schools inquiring about his interest this year.
Bobby Petrino, Arkansas offensive coordinator
Petrino is one-of-one in the coaching community, but there’s little question he can produce a great offense and make a team entertaining on the field. His presence looms large at Arkansas and could be an interesting name for a desperate athletic director or two.
Anthony Poindexter, Penn State co-defensive coordinator
An All-American player at Virginia, Poindexter might be the first call if the job at his alma mater comes open this year. He’s had a few opportunities to take jobs over the years but is comfortable waiting on the right fit.
Aaron Roderick, BYU offensive coordinator
After spending his entire career in the state of Utah, a few MWC openings might be tempting enough to leave the Cougars after doing a great job navigating an impressive amount of QB turnover.
Glenn Schumann, Georgia defensive coordinator
Schumann has quickly gone from off field staffer under Nick Saban to running point on Georgia’s defense as Kirby Smart’s trusted lieutenant. He’s only 35 but will get a shot at Power 4 jobs in short order.
Will Stein, Oregon offensive coordinator
After continually producing some impressive offenses and developing back-to-back Heisman finalists, the former Louisville quarterback is tracking toward getting a Power 4 gig.
NFL options
Al Golden, Bengals defensive coordinator
A former head coach at Temple and Miami, Golden won the Broyles Award last year before jumping back to the NFL. Joe Burrow’s injury puts even more pressure on the team’s defensive coordinator and could make a return to college in a head coaching role a possibility.
Jeff Hafley, Packers defensive coordinator
The question about Hafley is if he will be either an NFL head coach or if he can get a big-time college job this cycle. He did a solid job leading Boston College and is off to a great start in Green Bay even before landing Micah Parsons for his defense.
Mike Kafka, Giants offensive coordinator
The longtime NFL assistant’s name has come up for jobs at both levels of the game the last few years and could be one to watch at his alma mater Northwestern.
Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders offensive coordinator
At this rate, Kingsbury figures to get another shot at being an NFL head coach, but he’ll garner some interest for several high-profile Power 4 gigs if he is open to returning to college.
Todd Monken, Ravens offensive coordinator
He’s done wonders with the Ravens and elevated Georgia into a national champion. Monken has college head coaching experience and could be a good veteran option for several power-conference programs.
Tommy Rees, Browns offensive coordinator
The former Notre Dame quarterback has already been a coordinator at several high-profile places in addition to his job with the Browns despite not being much older than many of his players. He could get into the mix at UCLA and a number of other openings this cycle.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 College Football Coaching Carousel: All the Key Candidates to Know.
