College Football Coaching Carousel 2025 Predictions

G.J. Kinne, Texas State

Less than one month into the 2025 college football season, the coaching carousel has begun spinning. A total of four programs have already fired their coaches, with UCLA and Virginia Tech first to make the move after 0-3 starts. With several other potential big-name gigs set to open, we could see a potentially chaotic carousel this fall and winter. Who do I see taking over at each current vacancy or potential opening? It's time for some speculation.

Current Openings

Arkansas Razorbacks

(Fired Sam Pittman)

Few coaches in college football entered this fall under as much pressure as Sam Pittman. After a 4-8 record in 2023 originally put his job in jeopardy, a resurgent 2024 at 7-6 earned him another year. But ultimately, three straight losses ended his time as Arkansas head coach after five-plus seasons in charge. Pittman was a bit of an unconventional hire, but he did return the program to respectability after the disastrous two-year run of his predecessor, Chad Morris. In fact, his nine-win campaign in 2022 was just the second time in a decade the Razorbacks had reached or surpassed the eight-win plateau. However, it just felt like the program had reached its peak under his leadership, and a new direction was necessary. He concludes his Arkansas tenure with a 32-34 overall record and 14-29 mark in the SEC.

Hired: Rhett Lashlee, SMU Head Coach

Any SEC job that opens is going to be an attractive one, but I am curious to see how Arkansas is perceived compared to others on the market. The program has resources, but they've struggled mightily over the last decade-and-a-half, since the first Bobby Petrino tenure (who is now their interim head coach). It's also a school that is committed to building winners in basketball and baseball, so it is fair to wonder how serious they are in building a winner on the football field.

With all that being said, it does feel like a job a name like Rhett Lashlee, current SMU head coach, would be interested in. Sure, SMU is now a power conference job and has plenty of money to throw around, but the fate of the ACC is an uncertain one. Moving into the SEC would be attractive alone, but Lashlee is also an Arkansas native and alum of the university. It could be a natural stepping stone for a coach who progressed up the career ladder fairly quickly and has now proven himself as a head coach. Lashlee has seen Arkansas as a winner - he was a grad assistant on the 2006 team that went 10-4 and went to the SEC Championship Game. The opportunity to return to his roots and take over this program has to be a very difficult one to pass up.

Others to Watch: Bobby Petrino (interim HC); Jon Sumrall (Tulane HC); Ryan Silverfield (Memphis HC); Gus Malzahn (Florida State OC); Barry Odom (Purdue HC); Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky HC); Barry Lunney Jr. (Illinois OC)

Oklahoma State Cowboys

(Fired Mike Gundy)

After over 30 years with the program - split between his time as a player, assistant coach, and head coach - Mike Gundy's time at Oklahoma State has come to its conclusion. There's little denying how much Gundy has meant to this program, turning it from a Big 12 doormat to consistent postseason team and near National Championship Game participant back in 2011. Even recently, the Cowboys were having success, coming within inches of a Big 12 Title and potentially College Football Playoff trip in 2023. But, the last 15 games, the program has hit a wall. They limped to a 3-9 mark last season in a nightmare season defined by injuries and poor play, and were off to a 1-2 mark this year before Oklahoma State pulled the plug. A loss to in-state foe Tulsa is ultimately what led to the Cowboys pulling the plug midseason, a disappointing but ultimately understandable decision for the school. Whoever replaces Gundy will not only have to replace a living legend, but manage life in a chaotic Big 12. Yet, perhaps that could be what draws someone to this job, the potential to put their own stamp on things here in Stillwater and assert the Cowboys as a regular contender in this new-look league. 

Hired: G.J. Kinne, Texas State Head Coach

Oklahoma State may not have to look too far for their next head coach, going just a bit south for Texas State head coach G.J. Kinne. The 36-year old has had a quick ascent up the college football coaching ladder, and it seems only a matter of time before he lands a power conference gig. He was a star quarterback inside the state of Oklahoma at Tulsa from 2008-2011, and has been coaching since the conclusion of his playing career in 2016. After a 12-2 one-year pit stop as Incarnate Word head coach, Kinne has done a superb job at Texas State, going 8-5 his first two years and off to a fast start in 2025.

Kinne is known for explosive offenses, but I think what will be most enticing for Oklahoma State will be the fact that he was fully embraced this new age of college football. He has gone all in on upgrading Texas State through the portal, and you have to imagine he could quickly flip this Cowboy roster through the portal if he does indeed take the job. That forward-thinking approach is a big split from Gundy, a successful coach, but one you it felt like let the game pass up by during the final years of his tenure.

Others to Watch: Ben Arbuckle (Oklahoma OC); Jeff Traylor (UTSA HC); Eric Morris (North Texas HC); Zac Robinson (Atlanta Falcons OC); Tre Lamb (Tulsa HC); Collin Klein (Texas A&M OC)

UCLA Bruins 

(Fired Deshaun Foster)

Deshaun Foster was always against long odds to be a successful head coach at UCLA, so it's not a major surprise the Bruins bailed after just 15 games (5-10 overall). Chip Kelly's decision to leave for the Ohio State offensive coordinator late in the traditional offseason calendar left Foster working from behind in his first ever head coaching job. Add in the fact the program was transitioning to a much tougher conference in the Big Ten and the athletic department has openly had financial issues, it just never quite got going for the former Bruin running back.

The decision to fire Foster does leave UCLA in an interesting spot heading into 2026 and beyond. They spent big to bring on quarterback Nico Iamaleava over the offseason, an experiment that has not worked through the first month of the season. High school recruiting has already been hit hard with the Foster departure, with seven decommits already, including a pair of four-star prospects. And, the remaining roster is going to be ravaged by the portal. How is this job going to be viewed by prospective head coaches? There's obviously resources here, it's in Los Angeles, the recruiting base has always been there. But, is this administration committed to building a winner on the football field? The Rose Bowl has been vacant for years, and the energy around the program just feels lackluster. One great hire can turn things around, but I'm not sure how attractive this is going to be among the names UCLA will likely be in the hunt for.

Hire: Tony White, Florida State Defensive Coordinator

Tony White was considered a finalist for the job the last time it opened before UCLA brass settled on Foster, but the timing works out better this time around. It's well-known around Florida State that White, who came over in the offseason from Nebraska, is a one-year rental. He's destined to be a head coach, but can afford to be selective if he continues to do excellent work in Tallahassee. Even with the history considering he was passed over, it'd be hard to pass up. He's an alum who has spent a big chunk of his coaching career on the West Coast before he was hired by Syracuse as their defensive coordinator. White knows what it takes to build a winner here, and UCLA can afford to throw ample amounts of money at him considering their status in the Big Ten. White can afford to be selective, but it's going to be difficult to pass up on this job, and I'd be shocked if there isn't mutual interest.

Others to Watch: Jonathan Smith (Michigan State HC); D'Anton Lynn (former UCLA DC, current USC DC); Brent Brennan (Arizona HC); Clark Lea (Vanderbilt HC); Pat Fitzgerald (former Northwestern HC)

Virginia Tech Hokies

(Fired Brent Pry)

Fresh off a 2023 campaign in which the Hokies finished strong, going 7-6 overall and 5-3 in the ACC, they entered last season as a team with significant hype. With so much returning and a wide open league, there was hope around Blacksburg, this was the breakthrough team for head coach Brent Pry. It simply never materialized, as the team finished the year under .500 and watched so much of their roster head elsewhere through the portal. Now, Pry is officially done, doomed by an 0-3 start that included a humiliating blowout loss to in-state foe Old Dominion. 

Pry, a longtime James Franklin assistant, just never had the feeling of a guy who was going to return the program to the heights of the Frank Beamer era. The Hokies were an average product on the field, and never quite moved the needle in high school recruiting or the portal to develop the roster. Still, this is a program that can spend when they want to, and we've seen winners in Blacksburg before. Even with the ACC's future most certainly in doubt, you have to believe this at least an intriguing opening for potential suitors across the college football landscape.

Hired: Alex Golesh, South Florida Head Coach

The American has several head coaching candidates that could be on the move this cycle, chief among them Alex Golesh from South Florida. Golesh was one of the architects of Tennessee's high-flying offense in 2022 that smashed countless records en route to an 11-win campaign. Since, he's taken over at South Florida and had a successful tenure with the Bulls, winning seven games in both seasons at the helm and off a to a superb start this fall. With the Bulls looking to be in the College Football Playoff mix given their start, that could raise his profile further and attract even more openings.

Golesh does not have any obvious ties to Virginia Tech. He's an Ohio State alum and most of his coaching career has been spent at stops throughout the Midwest. However, his offensive acumen could be just what Virginia Tech brass is looking for after their last hire, a defensive-minded coach, flamed out. The timing just feels right for him to make the jump, and I think he's the most logical hire for the Hokies - even if long shot names like Shane Beamer and Mike Vick are going to be thrown around during this search.

Others to Watch: Shane Beamer (South Carolina HC); Ricky Rahne (Old Dominion HC); Ryan Silverfield (Memphis HC); Bob Chesney (James Madison HC); Mike Vick (Norfolk State HC); Andy Kotelnicki (Penn State OC)

Potential Openings

Florida Gators 

(Fire Billy Napier?)

Assuming things don't go completely off the rails elsewhere, Florida looks to be the most significant job likely to open during this coaching carousel. Billy Napier is treading water in Year Four, with the Gators off to a 1-3 start and facing down a gauntlet of a schedule. Napier has faced tough circumstances, given who the Gators have faced during his time in Gainesville, but a 20-22 record and 10-15 mark inside the SEC simply will not cut it at this point. The cherry on top? Sophomore quarterback D.J. Lagway was supposed to be the program's savior, a five-star prospect who had all the physical gifts to be the best Gator QB since Tim Tebow. After flashing potential last fall, his pronounced struggles so far in 2025 feel like the perfect symbol for how the Napier era has gone at Florida.

This is a job that is going to recruit some heavy names. Even with their struggles in recent years, Florida has all the resources to be a consistent contender in the SEC, and there's no shortage of talent inside the state. Even coaches at other power conference schools are going to be interested, meaning this could be a very diverse and interesting pool of candidates.

Hired: Jon Sumrall, Tulane Head Coach

You're going to see names like Lane Kiffin, Dan Lanning, and more pop up in this search, but I don't see a lot of those heavyweights leaving their current jobs. Instead, Florida settles on a guy like Jon Sumrall, who isn't as flashy, but feels like the right fit. Sumrall went 23-4 over two seasons at Troy from 2022-23 and parlayed that success into Tulane, which has become an obvious stepping stone job. The winning hasn't stopped so far inside the American, as the Green Wave are off to a 4-1 start following last season's nine victories.

Sumrall brings deep experience inside the SEC, as he played at Kentucky and has coached at several places throughout the league, including in Lexington and at Ole Miss. He's a proven Xs and Os coach who should be able to bring competent, disciplined football to Florida, which has not been a consistent sight for some time now. I will be very curious to see him as a recruiter - at both Troy and Tulane, he's been able to lean on talent brought in by a past staff or through the portal. At Florida and in the SEC more generally, it's all about what can be done as a recruiter and the talent he can bring in here and develop. Fortunately, he's going to have a war chest at his disposal to make this roster right and perhaps the Gators back on the winning track in short order.

Others to Watch: Dan Lanning (Oregon HC); Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss HC); Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri HC); Jon Gruden (former NFL HC); Jedd Fisch (Washington HC); Glenn Schumann (Georgia DC); Blake Baker (LSU DC)

Oregon State Beavers

(Fire Trent Bray?)

When Jonathan Smith bolted from Corvallis to take charge at Michigan State, it was an understandable decision for the Beavers to go with a familiar name who was already on staff in Trent Bray. Bray played at Oregon State from 2002-2005 and spent several seasons on staff in the early 2010s before again returning as defensive coordinator under Smith. But, 17 games into his tenure as head coach, it just doesn't feel like he's the long-term answer here for the Beavers.

Oregon State went 5-7 during a strange 2024 season, but the conclusion of the season had to leave a bad taste in people's mouths. The Beavers were at one point 4-1, and then proceeded to lose six of their next seven games, with the lone win coming coincidentally in the only Pac-12 game they would play during the fall. So far in 2025, it's been even worse. The Beavers sit at 0-5, and haven't been even competitive in several contests, including blowout losses to Cal, Texas Tech, and Oregon. It may be difficult to part with an alum like Bray and this athletic department isn't exactly loaded with cash. But it may be better to cut ties now and head into the new era of the Pac-12 with a new staff in place.

Hired: Mike Riley, former Oregon State & Nebraska Head Coach

We've seen an emerging trend of football programs pressing the redo button on former head coaches, including Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia) and Scott Frost (UCF) just this past cycle. Do we see it again with Mike Riley, a Corvallis native who coached the Beavers from 1997-98 and again from 2003-2014? Now, the caveat here is that Riley is 72 years of age and hasn't coached in college since 2018, when he served as a consultant for Oregon State. In fact, his coaching in recent years has been in the sporadic spring leagues that have popped up, including the San Antonio Commanders of the short-lived Alliance for American Football, the Seattle Dragons of the XFL, and the New Jersey Generals of the relaunched USFL.

Despite all those caveats, Riley knows how to build a winner at Oregon State. Even during a time in the Pac-10 and later Pac-12 when just about every other program in the league had more resources, Riley went to eight bowl games and went 93-80 overall. He has a great understanding of the university and the area more broadly, and understands the limitations they are up again. He would absolutely not a long-term guy, but could be the type of steady, stabilizing force they need as they look toward brighter days ahead in the new-look Pac-12.

Others to Watch: Jason Eck (New Mexico HC); Sean Lewis (San Diego State HC); Brent Vigen (Montana State HC); Bronco Mendenhall (Utah State HC); Andy Avalos (TCU DC); Matt Wells (Kansas State OC); Chuckie Keeton (New England Patriots offensive assistant)

Wisconsin Badgers

(Fire Luke Fickell?)

Luke Fickell felt about as close to a home run hire for Wisconsin as could be when he was brought on prior to the 2023 campaign. He had head coaching experience in the Big Ten, albeit just one season as Ohio State's interim, and had an extremely impressive track record at Cincinnati, building the Bearcats into the Group of Five's first ever CFB Playoff participant. He brought a clear identity to the equation and as a proven Midwest coach, he was going to bring the program back out of the funk they had fallen into under Paul Chryst.

As good as it looked on paper, the hire has not worked out in practice. The Badgers have gone just 15-15 under Fickell, with last season's 5-7 record causing the program to miss the postseason for the first time in 22 years. So far this season, the Badgers 2-2 start has not particularly promising. While they have had to deal with an injury to starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., the offense continues to feel flat and unimpressive. And on defense, the backbone of the program for so long, Wisconsin has been downright bad. With one of the nation's toughest schedules the rest of the way, a second straight losing season seems not like a possibility, but the likely outcome in Madison. 

Hired: Jason Eck, New Mexico Head Coach

While the Badgers struggle, a former Badger offensive linemen is having quite a bit of success out west - Jason Eck at New Mexico. Eck, who is in his first season with the Lobos after a successful three-year run at Idaho, has them at 3-1 and they beat Big Ten foe UCLA earlier in the season. Being born in Wisconsin and playing in Madison, Eck's familiarity with the program would be a huge point in his favor. But just as important, he feels like the type of hire that could restore them to their roots. The fit with Fickell has always been strange, as he wanted to bring in a spread offense and open things up, which has resulted in a disjointed offense and strange personnel management. Eck would bring a physical, run-first offense back to Wisconsin and have this team playing a much stronger and more identifiable brand of football. I think Wisconsin fans are reasonable about their Big Ten fortunes - they aren't expecting National Titles here, but much better than what we've seen from Fickell so far. Eck would certainly deliver just that.

Others to Watch: Lance Leipold (Kansas HC); Ryan Silverfield (Memphis HC); Chris Kleiman (Kansas State HC); Dave Aranda (Baylor HC); Andy Kotelnicki (Penn State OC); Sean Lewis (San Diego State HC); Jim Leonhard (former Wisconsin interim HC, current Denver Broncos passing game coordinator)