College Football Coaching Carousel Predictions 2026

Manny Diaz

Now a month-and-half into the 2026 college football season, we have a good sense of what teams are going to be this fall. There have been fun stories and some pleasant surprises, but several notable programs are already looking ahead towards the offseason and what they hope are brighter days ahead in 2027. No power conference jobs have opened just yet, but it's only a matter of time until the coaching carousel starts spinning. Here's who I see taking over at each projected opening this offseason.

Colorado Buffaloes

(Fire Deion Sanders?)

For as controversial as Deion Sanders has been through his playing days and coaching career, he was the right hire at the right time for Colorado. The program desperately needed some excitement after the uninspired Karl Dorrell era in Boulder, and a reason for fans to buy in as they made the jump to the Big 12. Deion brought energy, and for a short period of time, success. The Buffaloes went 9-4 in 2024 and won their first Heisman Trophy in three decades. Since those highs, they have has gone 5-12, and the prognosis for the remainder of this fall does not look promising. The staff changes over the offseason have not moved the needle in the way Deion had hoped and perhaps most frustrating has been the quarterback situation. Julian Lewis was the type of big-name prospect coming out of high school that Colorado was hoping would lead them into the post-Shedeur Sanders future. Instead, he has been benched, with control of the offense handed to Utah transfer Isaac Wilson - at least for now. When you also consider the health problems Deion has also dealt with over the last several years, you do wonder if this is a situation where both decide to mutually part ways, with "Prime" finding a new endeavor away from the Rockies. He is owed a $26 million buyout if he is fired this fall, so perhaps CU brass doesn't have the money they need to make this move directly. But it just feels increasingly difficult to imagine a scenario in which "Prime" is again head man next fall, especially with the way the rest of the season is shaping up.

Hire: Ryan Walters, Washington Defensive Coordinator

This may not be a super popular hire in Boulder at face value given what happened with Ryan Walters during his stint as Purdue head man. Walters took over a Purdue program riding high after a superb run under Jeff Brohm and proceeded to go 5-19 over the course of two seasons. But Walters does offer almost the complete opposite of what Colorado has been under Deion, and that's appealing for a program that will be hungry for change. He's not the loud, sometimes abrasive personality of Deion, but instead a soft-spoken, old school football coach. He's an alum who played safety at the school from 2004-2008, so he has a deep understanding of Colorado football and an appreciation for the university. He is the type of coach that would want to be here and build something for the long haul, which just never felt like the case for Deion and the current regime. And, for as frustrating as the Purdue tenure was, there was a reason Walters was immediately hired on by Washington run their defense - he's an elite football mind. He has risen up the coaching ranks quickly and still has a bright future, as he is only 40 years old. I do believe coaches often learn a lot from their first head coaching gig, even it wasn't successful, and the lessons he takes with him could be just what Walters needs to turn things around this time. Another point in his favor? He's likely to be one of the more affordable options Colorado can realistically get, which may be extra important given the financial pressure the athletics department is under.

Other Names to Watch: Dan Mullen (UNLV Head Coach); G.J. Kinne (Texas State Head Coach); Brennan Marion (Colorado Offensive Coordinator); Jason Eck (New Mexico Head Coach); Brian Kelly (former Notre Dame and LSU Head Coach)

Florida State Seminoles

(Fire Mike Norvell?)

When Mike Norvell was brought back prior to the 2026 campaign for a seventh season as Florida State head coach, the wide-held belief was not that it was because of the administration's belief in him. No, Norvell was likely brought back because of the immense financial pressure the athletics department was under. The department closed the 2025 fiscal year with $347 million in athletics-related debt and has a complicated future in the years ahead. The assumption is that they are not long for the ACC - would the Big Ten or SEC be the next step? Now, to be fair to Norvell, he has at least kept the Seminoles fighting this fall, sitting at 3-3 on the year. They aren't ACC Title contenders, sure, but there is a chance they end the year in the 7-8-win range. However, with athletic director Michael Alford fired in mid-September, it's hard to imagine Norvell being around as Florida State head coach for much longer. 

Hire: Manny Diaz, Duke Head Coach

Few coaches in major college football have had as winding of a career as Manny Diaz over the last decade-and-a-half. Diaz first rose to prominence when Mack Brown hired him away from Mississippi State to be the next Texas defensive coordinator in 2011. His Longhorn stint ended in disappointment, and he served stints at Louisiana Tech and again at Mississippi State, before he again saw his stock rise as Miami defensive coordinator from 2016-2018. His aggressive, turnover-hungry defense and "Turnover Chain" became one of the cooler stories in the sport, and he was set to take the Temple head coaching job. Then, Mark Richt's abrupt retirement left the door open for him to stay at Miami as head man, an opportunity he couldn't pass up. Three years at Miami and the Hurricanes opted to move on, and he landed at Penn State for two seasons. Eventually, Duke hired him on, and he's done a very fine job in Durham. The Blue Devils have gone 9-4 and then 9-5, with an ACC Title to boot, and they are off to a 4-0 start this fall. Needless to say, Diaz stock is on the rise once more, and you get the feeling big name programs will be calling this offseason. You could understand if Diaz wants to stay put at a program with modest expectations like Duke given his track record, but there are several reasons Florida State could be particularly appealing for him. He's a Florida native and a Florida State alum, before serving for a short time as a grad assistant in Tallahassee in the late 90s. He'll have significantly more resources in place at FSU than he would at Duke, a school that has been raided in the portal era. Lastly, you still have to wonder if Diaz still feels frustration at the way things ended after him time at Miami. What better way to stick it to them than joining their chief Sunshine State rival?

Other Names to Watch: Kenny Dillingham (Arizona State Head Coach); Buster Faulkner (Florida Offensive Coordinator); Jake Dickert (Wake Forest Head Coach); Glenn Schumann (Georgia Defensive Coordinator); Jimbo Fisher (former Florida State and Texas A&M Head Coach)

Maryland Terrapins

(Fire Mike Locksley?)

Mike Locksley parlayed a Broyles Award win in 2018 when working with Tua Tagovailoa into the Maryland head coaching gig, where he had previously served as interim head man. There were turbulent times early, but Locksley eventually put together a very solid three-year run in College Park, thanks in large part to another Tagovailoa, younger brother Taulia this time. He went 7-6 and then had two straight seasons of 8-5 from 2021-2023, winning bowl games each year. Unfortunately, the Terrapins have again fallen back down the Big Ten totem pole since and now sit at 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the conference. The two Big Ten defeats have felt like the definitive conclusion to the Locksley era - they were dominated by first year head man Bob Chesney and UCLA, 54-3, and then squandered an early lead on the road in a losing effort to Nebraska. Now 39-53 overall and a measly 17-51 in the Big Ten, Locksley just has not won enough to warrant what would be a ninth season at the helm in College Park.

Hire: Charles Huff, Memphis Head Coach

Would a job like Maryland be enough to convince Charles Huff to finally make the jump to power conference football? Huff has bounced around in recent years, with pit stops at Marshall, Southern Miss, and now in his first season at Memphis. The Tigers offer him one of the top jobs in Group of Six football, a school with ample resources, NIL money to throw around, and in a solid recruiting footprint. But I'm not sold on Huff staying at Memphis for the long haul - he feels like a coach always looking for the next step. Maryland would have to pull off some fancy financial maneuvering to get off Locksley and land a big name like Huff, but given the money flowing around the Big Ten, you can certainly imagine a scenario where they're able to pull it off. A move like this would allow Huff to return to his home state and recruit the "DMV" area, one of the most loaded recruiting areas in America. There's also some interesting young talent already on the Maryland roster - namely QB Malik Washington and defensive end Zion Elee - if Huff can manage to convince them to stay. This has long been considered a program with significant potential with the right coach, and Huff could be the one to finally unlock it in College Park.

Other Names to Watch: Brian Kelly (former LSU and Notre Dame Head Coach); Bryant Haines (Indiana Defensive Coordinator); D'Anton Lynn (Penn State Defensive Coordinator); Billy Napier (James Madison Head Coach); Jason Candle (UConn Head Coach)

Rutgers Scarlet Knights 

(Fire Greg Schiano?)

The Greg Schiano reboot was always going to be an uphill battle at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were no longer competing in the Big East, but in the Big Ten, where they had to go toe-to-toe with some of the sport’s most recognizable brands. Coming off the disastrous Chris Ash era, Rutgers was simply looking for a coach that could restore some level of respectability in Piscataway. To his credit, Schiano has largely delivered on that front, leading Rutgers to back-to-back bowl appearances in 2023 and 2024. But after a 5–7 finish last season and a 1–4 start to this year, punctuated by a humiliating loss to UMass, the momentum has stalled. The financial realities could ultimately buy him more time. Rutgers would owe Schiano more than $18 million if it parted ways with him after this season, a figure that would drop to approximately $11.7 million after 2027. That’s a significant hurdle for a program that has rarely operated with the resources of its Big Ten counterparts. Still, another year of the same approach feels increasingly difficult to justify. The Schiano encore was what was needed at the time but now a full seven years into the experiment, a change feels imminent. 

Hire: Joe Harasymiak, UMass Head Coach

Brian Kelly is likely going to be a popular name if this job does indeed open up given his East Coast ties and connections with Rutgers AD Keli Zinn. But Rutgers should be looking for someone with a long-term vision for the program, not a big name who might view Piscataway as a stepping stone to something else. That makes UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak an intriguing candidate. The 40-year-old is a New Jersey native who has steadily climbed the coaching ranks since playing at the Division III level. After a stint as head coach at Maine, he earned his first Big Ten post at Minnesota, then served for three years as the defensive coordinator here at Rutgers. After a rough debut campaign with the Minutemen, he has them off to a surprisingly strong 4-1 start - which includes that win as a 29.5-point underdog to the Scarlet Knights. Harasymiak has deep ties to the East Coast, has familiarity with the program, and has now proven his worth as a program builder. He may not be a "flashy" hire, but Rutgers doesn't need flashy. They need a rising head coach with a clear vision for the program. Harasymiak answers that call, providing a breath of fresh air that is much needed after the Schiano era. 

Other Names to Watch: Brian Kelly (former Notre Dame and LSU Head Coach); Jason Candle (UConn Head Coach); Lance Taylor (Western Michigan Head Coach); Ryan Carty (Delaware Head Coach); Bryant Haines (Indiana Defensive Coordinator); Joe Sloan (Kentucky Offensive Coordinator)

South Carolina Gamecocks

(Fire Shane Beamer?)

Shane Beamer was born to be a football coach. The son of the legendary Frank Beamer, Shane played for his dad at Virginia Tech in the late 1990s before embarking on a long and winding coaching career. Shane has coached all across the country in various assistant coaching jobs, but it did always feel like South Carolina held a special place in his heart. He is a South Carolina native who coached with the program from 2008-2010, and he jumped at the opportunity to take over control of the Gamecocks when they fired his predecessor, Will Muschamp. South Carolina is by no means an easy job, a program without the rich history of many of its SEC foes that has to contend with Clemson inside the state. Yet, Beamer has done a fine job here, including the high-water mark of 9-4 in 2024 that saw the Gamecocks firmly in the hunt for the College Football Playoff. But after plummeting to 4-8 a year ago and off to a 3-3 start this fall, it does feel like the conclusion of the Beamer era is upon us. A big win over Florida this past weekend was a pleasant surprise, but the general consensus around the SEC is that it is a question of when, not if, Beamer is let go.

Hire: Jake Dickert, Wake Forest Head Coach

Prepare for Jake Dickert to be one of the most popular head coaching candidates in America as we look ahead towards the coaching carousel. The 43-year-old has spent most of his career in the Midwest, slowly climbing the ladder until his big break came at Washington State. Dickert was originally hired on as the team's defensive coordinator but when head man Nick Rolovich was fired, he was elevated to head man. After going 23-20 with the Cougars, Dickert made the move cross-country, and has done superb work in short order with Wake Forest. After winning nine games in his debut campaign, the Demon Deacons are 5-1, and a serious threat to push for their first ACC Title in two decades. It does feel like Dickert likes where he's at with the Demon Deacons, but it's an incredibly tough job by modern college football standards. The school is the smallest in power conference football, and the resources there pale in comparison to most others across the sport's landscape. At some point, I do think the Midwestern boy is going to get pressured to make the jump up, and South Carolina is an interesting landing spot. It may not be a school that has the long winning tradition of others inside the SEC, but Steve Spurrier (and Beamer, to an extent) proved you can win here. The Gamecocks would also be able to offer significantly more money - not just to him, but to build out the roster he would need to compete. Given those factors, I'd be shocked if he doesn't seriously consider taking the jump if the opportunity were to arise.

Other Names to Watch: Buster Faulkner (Florida Offensive Coordinator); Ricky Rahne (Old Dominion Head Coach); Shiel Wood (Texas Tech Defensive Coordinator); Jason Eck (New Mexico Head Coach); Charlie Weis Jr. (LSU Offensive Coordinator); Chris Hampton (Oregon Defensive Coordinator)

Other Potential Openings

Baylor Bears (Dave Aranda) -- Dave Aranda has been on a perpetual hot seat for a half-decade, but has managed to hold on in Waco. A 4-1 start has his seat cooled down once again, but the remaining schedule will decide Aranda's eventual fate. Three ranked foes loom in the month of November, including trips to Provo and Houston.

Charlotte 49ers (Tim Albin) -- Tim Albin felt like a home run hire for Charlotte after going 33-19 over four seasons at Ohio. But it's been a disaster for the 61-year-old head man, losing 17 of his first 18 games with the program. Nestled in a recruiting hotbed and with solid facilities, there's simply no excuse this program should be this bad in the American. 

Texas A&M Aggies (Mike Elko) -- One year removed from the program's first College Football Playoff appearance, the energy around Texas A&M could not be worse. The offense has been horrendous, a driving force behind a frustrating 3-3 start. Mike Elko then decided to call out a large portion of the A&M fanbase after the loss, never a great decision at a pressure cooker like College Station. Things would have to get very bad for A&M to even consider a move, but this no longer looks like the match made in heaven it once appeared to be during last season's strong start.

USC Trojans (Lincoln Riley) -- This would be the major domino to fall that could create chaos in this year's coaching carousel. Lincoln Riley has USC in the CFB Playoff hunt at 6-1, but the next month ultimately decides his fate. The Trojans travel to Wisconsin and Indiana, welcome Ohio State, and play UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Two or more losses in that four-game stretch, I'm not sure we see Riley back on the sidelines in Southern Cal in 2027.

Wisconsin Badgers (Luke Fickell) -- A 4–1 start has bought Luke Fickell much-needed breathing room. Yet, Wisconsin’s schedule has been incredibly favorable to this point, and the real tests lie ahead, with three ranked opponents remaining alongside the ever-important rivalry game with Minnesota. The fact that Jason Eck, a Badger alum, keeps on winning at New Mexico has to keep Fickell's seat warm.