We are in the midst of an unprecedented coaching cycle in college football. In recent weeks, Billy Napier and James Franklin left two of the biggest programs in the country, while Mike Gundy was relieved from one of the longest tenures in the sport.
Most recently, Brian Kelly was given his marching orders from the LSU Tigers, but where do all these jobs rank among an ever-growing list of college football head coach openings?
12) Kent State Golden Flashes
With only five winning seasons since 1977, the Golden Flashes of Kent State have a history of lackluster gridiron performances. With that, they had a promising stretch under Sean Lewis from 2019 to 2021 in which they went 17-14, and did not have a losing season.
This is the first stretch of three years without a losing season since they did it from 1972 to 1974. Lewis left for San Diego State, and Kent State is looking for another savior to right the ship, which he showed the blueprint of what that looks like.
11) UAB Blazers
Having only been in existence since 1991, the UAB Blazers have had a decent amount of success. They have already been to six bowl games, winning three, and have won their conference twice.
In their first game since the firing of head coach Trent Dilfer, UAB may have ended Memphis’ bid for the last College Football Playoff Spot, with a 31-24 win under interim head coach Alex Mortensen. While Mortensen may be the answer there, it is certainly a situation worth monitoring.
10) Colorado State Rams
Colorado State was in the Arizona Bowl last year, feeling good about the future of the program, and about Jay Norvell, and then everything came crashing down. The loss to Hawaii bringing them to 2-5 was the last straw for Norvell, and they fired him and paid his buyout. He won 18 of his 44 games with the Rams, and it is clear that the team is looking at now as a time they can expect success, so the next coach will be selected accordingly.
9) Oregon State Beavers
With some new teams coming to the Pac-12 next season, the conference realignment is finally going to have them able to compete for a conference championship that means something again, and that is important for coaches coming in, and recruiting as well.
The Beavers improved to 1-7 this weekend after a 45-13 win over Lafayette, in which they trailed 13-10 at half. This program will take some time to rebuild, but it is a program with some positive history that could return to that with the right hire.
8) Stanford Cardinal
Stanford is the 47th-best program in terms of winning percentage of all-time, and while a move to the Atlantic Coast Conference is perplexing in terms of location, it shows that they are committed to building a quality program, and facing some of the best competition in the nation.
While I grade this as the 7th-best destination, I do expect them to make a huge splash to really try and elevate their program to the next level and return them to their previous glory.
7) Oklahoma State Cowboys
Mike Gundy took the Oklahoma State program to incredible heights during his 21-year tenure at the school. With the business of college football being bigger than ever, this organization that he got so used to success, fell behind the times and had the worst record of his tenure in 2024-25, at 3-9.
The season started with a win, and then the Cowboys were dismantled by Oregon 69-3 which seemed to totally destroy their confidence as they then lost to in-state rival Tulsa for the first time since 1988. This was the last straw for Gundy. The Cowboys will go into the offseason looking for a coach to make them competitive for a long time, and immediately too.
6) Virginia Tech Hokies
These are no longer the days of Frank Beamer, as the Virginia Tech Hokies are known as a gritty program that hangs around in every game, and has success.
While they have had four winning seasons over the last ten years, the last two seasons have been exceptionally tough for the program, as they fell to 2-5 on the year last week. Look for Virginia Tech to look for a tough coach to reaffirm the values that they are built on, and for them to make a very strong push for Shane Beamer, son of their former legendary coach, and current South Carolina coach.
5) Arkansas Razorbacks
With a community deeply rooted in the University of Arkansas athletic department, they have shown that they are willing to go and get a big name coach, like they did for their basketball team. Also, this will be a sought after job with a QB like Taylen Green already on their roster.
Imagine watching Taylen Green
& thinking there’s a more talented
Quarterback than him in The Nation pic.twitter.com/ZfA2CPFJdI— Gifted 天才 (@G0dGifted_) October 20, 2025
Quarterback is an essential buliding block for building a football team, and any coach coming in has that box checked, and can focus on making a strong team around him. He is someone with potential to be a Heisman finalist, and if they can get this hire right, they can compete in the SEC immediately and get back to the glory days like when Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz were at the helm.
4) UCLA Bruins
While they may not be as successful as their basketball counteparts, the UCLA football progam is no joke. They have the 37th-best win percentage, with 645 wins all time, and were the champions in 1954.
They joined the Big Ten in hopes of getting back to their winning ways, and compete with some of the best competition in the nation to gain the respect of the Selection Committee, who determines who plays for a national championship each season. Expect for a massive hiring this offseason, and that to follow with a sharp incline of their performance and for recruits to follow.
3) Florida Gators
Speaking of dynamic SEC quarterbacks, DJ Lagway is an impressive player with jaw-dropping moments that make you think that he can be a star at the next level some days.
However, Florida has big expectations, and you need to string together successful seasons and compete for national championships, otherwise you will have the same fate that Billy Napier was given yesterday. This season can be salvaged to make a bowl game, but that is far from the goal in Gainesville. Look for them to be linked to all top candidates, including James Franklin.
2) Penn State Nittany Lions
After Penn State lost to Oregon, the last thing that James Franklin could afford to see happen was a loss to Northwestern, and when that happened, the writing was on the wall for Franklin as he was bought out and Penn State has gone a different direction.
This will be one of the most sought out head coaching jobs in recent memory, as this is the program with 946 wins all-time, 7th-best in the nation, and a .689 winning percentage, 9th-best. This is a team with a championship contending roster talent-wise, so look for Penn State to bring someone in that will make an immediate impact, and be battle-tested in big games.
1) LSU Tigers
Brian Kelly’s firing opens up one of the biggest coaching jobs in college football. The LSU Tigers boast a passionate fan base (which actually might not be the best thing if the results don’t start flowing early), and Death Valley is comfortably one of the best places to call your workplace every Saturday in the fall.
Recruiting should be easy for any prospective head coach, due to the program’s rich history of producing top-tier quarterbacks, wide receivers, and defensive backs for the NFL. Naturally, expectations are high. Brian Kelly left as the only head coach this millennium not to deliver a national championship. They also play in arguably the most competitive conference in the country.
Still, if you’re a head coach offered the opportunity to call Baton Rouge your home, you’re going to snap the hands off.
