2025 Coaching Carousel: The Dizzying Heights Edition
The 2025 coaching carousel reached dizzying heights with several preeminent programs making game-changing decisions to relieve their former coaches. Who did they get to replace some high-powered names in high-powered places? How did each program get there? Is there an end in sight to calamitous and grotesquely horrific buyout mania? The SEC alone had to fund well over $100 million to rid itself of unwanted headaches. Early Signing Day and the transfer portal certainly sped up the coaching carousel, essentially finishing before the conference championships begin. Several lower-rung jobs in FBS and FCS football remain open, but the top jobs have been filled.
You can find the 2023 and 2024 coaching carousel reviews linked below
Arkansas
Arkansas struggled to a 2-10 overall record and went winless in SEC play during the 2025 season. The Razorbacks fired Sam Pittman in September, naming Bobby Petrino the interim head coach. Petrino didn’t fare much better at Arkansas, leading his team to nine consecutive losses, prompting the administration not to bring him back full-time. There were close losses on the ledger, such as defeats to Tennessee, Texas A&M, and LSU. Former Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield steps in, but there isn’t much talent or hope on the horizon yet. He brings instant credibility to Fayetteville after leading the Tigers with a 50-25 record and had his teams competitive. Silverfield was likely the best coach Arkansas could get, given the program’s trajectory. Much will need to be done by Silverfield and staff to get the Razorbacks competitive in the stringent SEC again.
Grade: B
Auburn
Auburn fired Hugh Freeze after just over two seasons of substandard play, resulting in a 15-19 overall record, including a 4-5 record in 2025. His Tigers were offensively inept, which was a bad omen given his reputation as an offensive guru. The quarterback situation never improved during his tenure, and it was a significant factor in his dismissal. Scoring three points against a terrible Kentucky team (more on that later) was the death knell of Freeze’s tenure on the Plains. Auburn put up a game effort in the Iron Bowl in his absence, dramatically falling to the Tide. USF head coach Alex Golesh was hired for his offensive prowess and SEC experience.
Golesh revitalized the flagging Bulls program, leading them to a 9-3 record in 2025 and to a playoff push. It should be a fruitful relationship between the coach and the university. Auburn’s new coach knows the bountiful state of Florida well and can recruit with significantly more resources. He has SEC knowledge from his time at Tennessee, so it won’t be a brand-new adjustment period.
Grade: B
Cal
Cal finally sought to upgrade from longtime head coach Justin Wilcox after a seven-win season despite numerous transfers out. Freshman quarterback sensation Jaron-Keawe Sagapolute took the country by storm and led a dramatic resurgence in Cal, making it interesting again. Things are headed in the right direction for the citizens of Berkeley, as the team returned to bowl eligibility in 2025.
Lupoi brings a relentless energy to recruiting and defensive game plans from his time in the SEC and at Oregon. Coach Lupoi played at Cal in the early part of the 21st century, so he knows the place inside and out, which should give him an advantage. The ACC isn’t the most competitive conference, so Cal could compete for a top-five slot within it. Lupoi will face rigorous academic standards, but nowhere near Stanford’s imperious standards. If he does well, a job within the P2 will await him. The Golden Bears program is primed for a revival if they can align their NIL, recruiting, and portal needs.
Grade: A
Florida
The Gators rapidly pivoted their ship to the Sumrall waters after their dalliance with Lane Kiffin ultimately headed to its fruitless conclusion. Florida gave Billy Napier the inevitable axe after a 3-4 start, which doomed them to yet another mediocre season. He entered 2025 in the hottest seat in college football, but somehow survived 2024 with a hot streak. Alas, it was not to be a repeat as the brutal schedule finally did Napier in at Gainesville. He resurfaced at James Madison to replace another person on this list. Simply put, a .500 record does not warrant much grace at a place like Florida. There were some bright moments, but not enough during his tenure.
Sumrall steps in with SEC experience as a player and a coach. He’s a serial winner as a head coach, winning two Sun Belt titles and one AAC title, leading Tulane to a playoff berth in 2025. “Sun Belt Billy” was a derogatory nickname for Napier for years, so Florida fans may initially be wary of Sumrall. He brings a winning pedigree similar to that of Houston’s Willie Fritz. If he’s given the necessary time to build it in his way, the potential to win big at Florida is there.
Grade: B
Iowa State
Iowa State moved quickly to secure Rogers after losing program legend Matt Campbell to Penn State (more on that below). The Cyclones plucked him from Pullman after just one year at Washington State. Rogers is a national championship-winning coach at the FCS level with South Dakota State. He led the Cougars to a 6-6 record in his lone season at the Palouse, which is remarkable given all the external turmoil surrounding the program. The former linebacker is a strong cultural fit, as he played and coached in the same region as Iowa State at South Dakota State. Iowa State hired a talented coach who should continue the standard Campbell set, with at least seven or eight wins as the baseline.
Grade: A
Kansas State
The prodigal son comes home after former head coach Chris Klieman surprisingly retired after leading the solid but not flashy Kansas State program. Klein flew up the coaching ranks after last playing for KSU as a Heisman finalist. He served on Mike Elko’s staff as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, authoring one of the most explosive offenses in the country. The current coach set the mold for all Kansas State quarterbacks to follow, and he returns to lead a Wildcats program needing some offensive pizazz. It is an interesting trend that so many alumni are leading their respective programs. Klein should be a great head coach who can lead KSU into the modern age of college football and help it become a regional power.
Grade: A
Kentucky
Kentucky quickly tired of the Mark Stoops era, even if it means taking a small step back defensively, due to his offensive ineptitude. His tenure in Lexington fell apart the second he returned to Kentucky hat in hand after Texas A&M fans “persuaded” him not to take that job. The Wildcats completed the precipitous fall of the Stoops regime in 2025 with a listless 5-7 performance.
Oregon OC Will Stein steps into the breach with one of the best offensive minds in the game. He has Texas coaching roots but is a son of the Bluegrass State, playing quarterback for archrival Louisville. Stein crosses the Governor’s Cup divide, which will rankle some Cardinals-clad fanatics. Kentucky is a decent job, but the competitive nature of the SEC makes it ridiculously hard to win there. If not for the draw of “home”, Stein should’ve held out for a better job to launch his head coaching career.
Grade: B
LSU
Kiffin was the most sought-after coach in this year’s coaching carousel, with Florida, LSU, and numerous other programs throwing their hat in the ring. His departure to Baton Rouge wasn’t without controversy, however, as Ole Miss is in the middle of a playoff chase. The Rebels have had their most successful stretch in a long time under his watch, and he threw it all away to join the most pressure-cooker job in football. Months of speculation finally saw him leave Oxford after all, when he could’ve stayed at Ole Miss to do the same level of work under much more tenuous job security.
LSU is the most politically charged job in the industry, with the state governor pulling the strings behind the scenes and publicly when it suits them. Kiffin will undoubtedly bring success and attract big names, but this Tiger has shown an unwillingness to change his stripes. If he isn’t successful out of the gate, the hardcore contingent will be immediately skeptical of the hire.
Grade: A for the big-name hire, D for the entire saga
Michigan State
Michigan State’s hire of Jonathan Smith proved to be ill-suited and ill-timed, but he did provide some stability (of consistent losing) for the Spartans. Perhaps he’s better suited to lead smaller West Coast programs rather than trek eastward. As Smith departs, in steps a coach who is as Midwest as one can find straight out of central casting. Fresh from the settlement of the wrongful termination lawsuit, Pat Fitzgerald takes over. The Spartans are some years away from a complete turnaround, and Fitzgerald is the guy to spin some magic in East Lansing. He’s hired a Sparty legend for a DC role and is off to a good start in recruiting. If Michigan State can consistently compete for a slot in the upper half of the Big Ten, Fitzgerald will have done a good job. Check back in two seasons or so for definitive results.
Grade: B
Ole Miss
Lost in the Lane Kiffin fracas is the immediate, permanent elevation of DC Pete Golding into the lead chair. Golding brings SEC experience, having served in various roles on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama. His tenure in Tuscaloosa was pocked with disastrous results as defensive coordinator, leading to demotion in 2020. Kiffin hired him to his staff in Oxford before the 2023 season. While the Rebels’ defense under his watch is a salty unit, there were moments of inconsistency. Can he overcome these moments as the head coach?
His first offensive coordinator is a familiar name: former Ole Miss assistant John David Baker returns for a play-calling role. Ole Miss will have former OC Charlie Weis, Jr., on hand to coach in their playoff game against Tulane. Time will tell if the immediate promotion of Golding will pay dividends for the Rebels lost in a haze of the wild coaching carousel.
Grade: B
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State fired longtime head coach and its winningest coach in history, Mike Gundy, in 2025 after years of underperformance came to a fork in the road. They did not stray too far from the tree, as Air Raid aficionado Eric Morris was hired to replace him. Morris played for the man who took the Air Raid to new heights, Mike Leach, at Texas Tech. He continued the Leach legacy while coaching at Incarnate Word, coaching up Cam Ward. After UIW, he traveled to Denton to coach at North Texas. UNT competed for a playoff spot this season but came up short, despite winning 11 games. Morris will be a regen of the Air Raid philosophy and is expected to continue on the impressive legacy that Gundy built in Stillwater. Given how far the Cowboys have fallen, this is a solid hire for the program.
Grade: B+
Oregon State
Oregon State, lost in a daze while wandering the hinterlands of college football after the demise of the old Pac-12, fired Trent Bray. The Beavers were forced to adopt a strategy of taking on all comers due to the implosion of their former homes. It did not go well in 2025, winning only two games. In steps noted assistant JaMarcus Shephard, to shepherd the next line of great Beavers into the new Pac-12. The new OSU coach has coached across the country, notably on Kalen DeBoer’s staff at Washington and Alabama. Shephard began his coaching career in college football at Western Kentucky under Willie Taggart, Jeff Brohm, and Bobby Petrino.
Notable recruits to play under his watch include Ryan Williams, David Bell, and Rondale Moore. He’s a great recruiter and talent developer. Shephard brings experience with multiple offensive systems, allowing him to switch between philosophies and recruit from a broader pool of assistants. While Oregon State will need some time to recover, he’s the right man to build the foundation.
Grade: A
Penn State
Penn State’s coaching search lasted well over a month and enriched countless coaches who elected to remain with their programs. The well-known names include Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule, Eli Drinkwitz, and Kalani Sitake. PSU finally landed its man after Matt Campbell agreed to leave Iowa State as its winningest head coach. Yes, the coaching search bordered on cosmic ludicrous hilarity at times, but Campbell is a solid hire. He’s a consistent winner who built Iowa State from its past doldrums. The Nittany Lions fell far from grace as they floundered after losing to Oregon this season. They lost to doormats like UCLA and Northwestern before finishing on a three-game winning streak to find bowl eligibility. It seemed they ended their relationship with former head coach James Franklin too early, driven by delusions of grandeur for a period.
Interestingly, Campbell chose this opportunity in State College after years of notoriously declining high-profile jobs to stay in Ames. If Penn State is willing to give him a couple of seasons to get all systems in order, the potential to win big is there.
Grade: C for the dramatics, A for the hire
Stanford
After spending 2025 with a caretaker coach familiar to GM Andrew Luck, the Cardinal made a full-time hire after Thanksgiving. Stanford is arguably the toughest job in college football, given its location and stringent admissions requirements. Former quarterback Tavita Pritchard was tabbed as the newest head coach to give a try at bringing Stanford into the modern age of college football. He previously served as the Commanders’ quarterbacks coach, mentoring Jayden Daniels, a promising prospect, under OC Kliff Kingsbury. Hopefully, Stanford returns to its previous heights when its current GM played collegiately. The awkward relationship with the ACC, alongside Cal, remains ongoing, much to the chagrin of its power brokers.
Grade: B
Tulane
Tulane is another program that elected to promote internally. Hall is a well-regarded assistant who possesses head coaching experience from his time at Southern Miss. While his tenure in Hattiesburg isn’t anything to write home about, few coaches have had success there. He previously served as Tulane’s offensive coordinator for two seasons before heading to So Miss. Before his Tulane experience, he was the tight ends coach at Memphis. The Green Wave is a force to be reckoned with in the G6 ranks after two successful coaches. Hall will look to continue the trend, and he’s a safe option after Sumrall parlayed his tenure for the Florida job. Continuity is a positive asset for the New Orleans program administration, one would assume.
Grade: B
USF
The Bulls are on the upswing after Alex Golesh revitalized the sagging G6 school before he left for Auburn. USF is in a prime recruiting territory and will open a new stadium in the next couple of years. They’ve been tenants at Raymond James Stadium since their inception. Coach Hartline is legendary for recruiting and developing elite receivers such as Emeka Egubka, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison, Jr, and Jeremiah Smith. He’s been speculated to take a bigger job for many seasons, but he never left the Buckeyes until now. USF is a great first-time head coaching position for him, with expanding assets and his top-tier recruiting. The Bulls should get things back up and running quickly, given their advantages in the AAC. Expect to hear good things from Hartline and company in the near future.
Grade: A
Virginia Tech
Penn State’s loss is Virginia Tech’s gain as Franklin gets a chance to reset in Blacksburg. Interestingly, the man he replaced returns to the program as his defensive coordinator. Franklin’s CV is above reproach except for his inability to win the big games. His time in State College ended on a sour note, but he’s still a solid coach who should win a ton in the noncompetitive ACC. Combined with Franklin’s recruiting ability and the fruitful DMV market, where he has successfully operated for many years, VT should become great in short order. This is a home run hire for the Hokies in the new era of football.
Grade: A
Washington State
The younger brother of Boise State legend and current Saints head coach finally gets his shot at becoming a head coach. He got his start in coaching big-time football at Washington under Chris Petersen as a graduate assistant in 2015. The former receiver received his first on-field role as the receivers coach at Fresno State under Kalen DeBoer and Jeff Tedford. His work in Northern California led him to move to Missouri, where he served as offensive coordinator on Eli Drinkwitz’s staff for three seasons. Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener developed into a draft pick under Moore’s watch. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook also turned into an NFL-caliber player. Moore also played a role in the development of current Chicago Bears receiver Luther Burden. Missouri’s offense saw numerous draft picks along the offensive line, including Armand Membou and Javon Foster.
Washington State has long been known for its offensive fireworks, particularly under Mike Leach, so Moore should bring along a good program in that regard. Numerous receivers have gone on to success in Pullman, so the standard is high. Moore is the perfect fit for the program fighting for relevance in the new era of Pac-12 football. He’ll churn out good to great offenses at the Palouse.
Grade: B
Joseph is a veteran writer of many publications past and present. He is a long-time Tennessee Titans fan and draft scout/analyst, along with writing about the league is a passion project. Mr. Yun has been credentialed to the Senior Bowl multiple times. Readers will find he brings the juice with a scout’s eye and analytical mind. Follow me on Twitter @2Yoon2ZeroBlitz for more good stuff!