A degree of danger comes with forecasting how a coaching cycle goes based on its predecessor.
Last year’s cycle was widespread and wild. Openings surfaced at top jobs such as LSU, Penn State, Michigan and Florida, and at next-tier spots such as Auburn, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and UCLA. Lane Kiffin left a playoff-bound team at Ole Miss for LSU. The SEC had a run of American Conference hires, leading off with Tulane’s Jon Sumrall at Florida. James Franklin became the rare Power 4 coach fired and hired in the same cycle. Pat Fitzgerald moved right back to the Big Ten after three years out of the college game.
Typically, the coaching carousel that follows one such as 2025’s won’t be quite as robust or unpredictable. But what if it is? What if something happens at USC? What if Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman says “yes” to the NFL? What if the tension around Kalen DeBoer at Alabama keeps growing and leads him to leave? What if Clemson has another subpar year with Dabo Swinney? What if the coaching experiments at North Carolina and Colorado end? Could there be some coaching movement in the Northeast?
Cycles can always get crazy, which is why administrators need to know the top movable candidates. I’ve surveyed several industry sources to identify the names to know. Most hires come from the second and third buckets, but we’ve seen some unpredictable moves — and candidates — in recent years. I tried to identify coaches on their way up, whether to Power 4 or major Group of 6 programs.
Not every good coach is listed, and not every hire in the coming cycle will be from the names below. I intentionally avoided first-year coaches and left off some candidates I like but who need to deliver big seasons to help their candidacies. But these are some of the names creating buzz in the industry.
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P4 head coaches | G6 head coaches
P4 coordinators | FCS candidates
Sidelined coaches
Power 4 head coaches
Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri Tigers: His name surfaced for some of the high-profile jobs last year, but he remained at Missouri, which has rewarded him with contracts and program investment. Drinkwitz is 29-10 during the past three seasons and has overseen balanced teams. If the 43-year-old can continue his success while navigating seemingly a tougher schedule this fall — he’s 26-24 all time in SEC games — interest in him should remain strong. Would he leave the SEC for a job such as Florida State?
P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Golden Gophers: His consistency at Minnesota seems to be overlooked nationally, but how many programs would gladly accept eight wins or more in five of the past six full seasons, or a 7-0 record in bowl games? Fleck’s slogans/branding seem to get more attention than the results he delivers. The 45-year-old has a decade of Big Ten experience, at a program that doesn’t rank among those with the most resources. He’s 66-44 as an FBS coach and could be ready for a different challenge, depending on what opens in this cycle.
Jake Dickert, Wake Forest Demon Deacons: He has inherited challenging situations at both of his head coaching opportunities and has succeeded each time, compiling a 32-24 record at Washington State and Wake Forest. His 9-4 debut at Wake Forest didn’t get nearly enough attention nationally, as the roster projected to be among the ACC’s weakest. If Dickert, 43, delivers a strong encore, expect to hear his name for other jobs, including possibly Wisconsin, as he grew up in the state and played college ball there.
Jedd Fisch, Washington Huskies: Fisch is a coaching journeyman, making 11 college or NFL stops since 2008 and none for longer than three years. He enters his third season at Washington with a team that can build on last year’s 9-4 mark and possibly return to the CFP. The 50-year-old has voiced a need for Washington to keep pace financially, especially given the spending of archrival Oregon and other Big Ten contenders. Florida and Michigan were both fits for Fisch but chose other candidates in the past cycle, so similar job opportunities likely would need to open to get him away from Seattle.
Manny Diaz, Duke Blue Devils: After being forced out at Miami despite a 21-15 record so the school could hire Mario Cristobal, Diaz has taken the right steps to boost his profile. He oversaw a highly successful Penn State defense for two years and has delivered consecutive nine-win seasons at Duke, which surprisingly won the ACC title last season. Duke has increased its commitment to football, and Diaz, 52, is a great fit there. But he also should have higher-profile opportunities, especially with a diverse background as an assistant. “The rise of Manny Diaz,” an industry source said. “Fired by Miami and now he’s a hot name at Duke. Look, you can win at Duke, you can win at a lot of places.”
Brent Key, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Key has made it very clear that he loves Georgia Tech and has no aspirations of leaving his alma mater. Resources have been an area of focus for Georgia Tech, which opened a new athlete performance center this spring and has a renovation for Bobby Dodd Stadium on tap. Key, 48, has guided Georgia Tech to three consecutive bowl games and boasts a 20-11 record in ACC play. The Alabama native also has spent his entire career in the Southeast and would be a good fit at several SEC jobs.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Commodores: Lea is a Vanderbilt guy, and the program has taken care of him, making major investments in multiple areas to build on the momentum from a historic 2025 season. The 44-year-old has won consecutive SEC Coach of the Year awards, and last fall, he earned the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year honor after guiding Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season. Lea likely would leave his alma mater and hometown only for the right type of job — with a higher, more consistent ceiling. He spent 2017-20 at Notre Dame, the final three years as defensive coordinator, and made a strong impression there.
Kalani Sitake, BYU Cougars: He came very close to leaving for Penn State late last year before remaining at his alma mater with an enhanced long-term deal. Crisis averted, right? Not quite. BYU’s recent announcement that Sitake will report to a university vice president, not athletic director Brian Santiago, continued to stir doubts about his long-term future in Provo. His comments this summer about BYU’s resource allocation also raise questions. Sitake, 50, is 23-4 during the past two seasons and has 10 or more wins in four of the past six seasons. He would be a strong choice if USC has an opening and could be appealing elsewhere.
Rhett Lashlee, SMU Mustangs and Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State Sun Devils: I’m grouping Lashlee and Dillingham because both would need a truly great opportunity to leave their current gigs. Both have made CFP appearances at places that have stepped up their resources to become annual Top 25-type programs. Dillingham, 36, was involved in the Michigan search and has made assistant coaching stops at Oregon, Florida State and Auburn. He’s an ASU guy and deeply rooted in the valley. Lashlee, 43, also has Auburn ties and spent time at Miami. An A-list SEC job seems to be the next logical move. “Rhett’s going to be tough to move,” an industry source said.
Group of 6 head coaches
Jason Eck, New Mexico Lobos: One of the more colorful coaching personalities in college football also could be among the most coveted, especially if New Mexico builds on a nine-win season that marked the best by a first-year Lobos coach. Eck, 49, is a Midwest native who has spent much of his career there, but he has also made his mark out West, first with Idaho, where he went 26-13 with three FCS playoff appearances, and now at New Mexico. The former Wisconsin offensive lineman could be a candidate if a job opens at his alma mater. He also was hired at UNM by first-year Colorado athletic director Fernando Lovo. Eck was a graduate assistant at Colorado in 2002 and 2003.
Matt Entz, Fresno State Bulldogs: Entz has championships in his profile, leading North Dakota State to FCS titles in 2019 and 2021, and he went 60-11 there, with four top-three finishes in five years. He then made the somewhat surprising move to USC, where he spent the 2024 season as a defensive assistant, gaining Power 4 experience, before taking the Fresno State job and going 9-4. Another strong season at Fresno State would put the 53-year-old on the radar for jobs spanning from the Midwest to the West Coast.
Dan Mullen, UNLV Rebels: After three years away from the sideline, Mullen returned last year to UNLV, going 10-4 in his first season. He now leads a team favored to win the reshaped Mountain West this fall. Things went downhill quickly for him at Florida, but there’s no overlooking Mullen’s 113-65 overall record, the consistent success he had at Mississippi State and his ability to develop quarterbacks. A return to the SEC might not be likely, but Mullen, 54, would fit well at potential Big Ten or ACC openings this cycle.
Spencer Danielson, Boise State Broncos: Since taking over late in the 2023 season, Danielson has guided Boise State to conference titles each year, a CFP appearance and No. 8 finish in 2024, and a 24-8 overall record. The team had a mini step back last fall but enters the reshaped Pac-12 with an opportunity to make noise again. Boise State also has big nonleague opportunities against Oregon, Memphis and Western Michigan. Danielson, 37, has been at Boise State since 2017 and has not worked at another FBS program, but he could be an appealing option for vacancies in the western half of the country.
Jason Candle, UConn Huskies: Candle went 81-44 in a decade at Toledo, including two MAC titles, but surprisingly couldn’t springboard from there to the Power 4. Will a somewhat surprising move to UConn get him over the hump? Predecessor Jim Mora worked wonders at UConn, an FBS independent that has made strong investments in its program. Candle, 46, has overseen productive offenses and has shown great balance as a coach, as Toledo finished fourth nationally in scoring defense last season. Immediate success at UConn could put him in the mix for jobs at Boston College and Syracuse the next time they open.
Charles Huff, Memphis Tigers: Could Huff land four FBS jobs in four years? Don’t rule it out if he wins big at Memphis this fall, which opened Saturday with a massive win at UNLV. Huff guided Marshall to a Sun Belt title in 2024, then left for Southern Miss, which improved by six wins in his only season there. The 43-year-old takes over a Memphis program that has vaulted its past three coaches to Power 4 jobs. Huff spent time in the SEC (including with Nick Saban at Alabama), Big Ten and NFL as an assistant. The Denton, Maryland, native would be a top candidate if Maryland has a vacancy this year.
Lance Taylor, Western Michigan Broncos: Last fall, Taylor guided WMU to its first MAC title since 2016, and he did so with a balanced team that rose to ninth nationally in scoring defense and 16th nationally in rushing. A strong encore will put the 45-year-old on the radar for Power 4 opportunities. Taylor is an Alabama alum with extensive NFL experience as well as assistant coach stops at Stanford (where he mentored Christian McCaffrey), Notre Dame and Louisville.
Brian Newberry, Navy Midshipmen: Successful academy coaches have had a challenging time landing Power 4 jobs, but Newberry could put that trend to the test if he keeps winning. He’s 21-5 in the past two seasons, including a Top 25 finish in 2025, when Navy tied for first place in the American. Newberry, 52, played defensive back at Baylor, which could have a coaching opening soon, and has spent most of his coaching career in the mid-Atlantic region. Could he finally be the academy coach to make the Power 4 jump?
Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State Owls: Mack had an eight-year gap between his first head coaching stint at North Carolina Central and last season at Kennesaw State, but he showed he hasn’t lost his touch, leading the Owls to 10 wins and a Conference USA title. The 45-year-old is 41-19 with four conference titles in five seasons as a college coach. A Memphis native, Mack has worked extensively in the mid-South and made assistant coach stops at Tennessee and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He might need one more move before the Power 4 but merits a close look by schools with openings.
Sean Lewis, San Diego State Aztecs: His overall record of 36-44 might turn off some, but context matters when analyzing Lewis, who led Kent State to its first bowl win and three straight seasons without a losing record. After a tough first year at San Diego State, his team went 9-4 last year and featured the nation’s No. 6 scoring defense, even though Lewis is mainly known for offensive octane. If the 40-year-old can deliver success in the reshaped Pac-12, he should gain Power 4 interest. Lewis has coordinator experience from Colorado and Syracuse, and he’s a Chicago-area native with several coaching stops in the Midwest.
Blake Harrell, East Carolina Pirates: He will face questions about a background that includes only one FBS program, but if Harrell keeps winning at East Carolina, other schools will have to take notice. He capitalized on an interim coach opportunity in 2024, then went 9-4 last fall in his first full season. The 46-year-old has extensive experience in the state of North Carolina, coaching in high schools and at Lenoir-Rhyne. The American has supplied candidates for Power 4 schools, and Harrell, who is 10-3 in league play, could be among the next group to move up.
Willie Simmons, Florida International Panthers: Simmons has never had a losing season as a head coach, making stops at Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M before going 7-6 with a bowl appearance in his FBS debut at FIU. He’s 73-30 overall as a college coach and has ties to the state of Florida, where he guided Florida A&M to four FCS Top 25 playoff finishes. Simmons gained some Power 4 experience in 2024 as an assistant with Duke.
Tim Polasek, North Dakota State Bison: The last three North Dakota State coaches before Polasek — Entz, Chris Klieman and Craig Bohl — all eventually ended up as FBS coaches. Polasek already has the distinction as he guides the Bison into the land of bowls and the Mountain West in their inaugural FBS season, which began with a 33-7 win against Conference USA runner-up Jacksonville State. Continued success this fall will bring more attention to Polasek, 47, who is 27-3 as a college coach with an FCS national title in 2024. Polasek is a Wisconsin native with deep roots in the state, and he has Power 4 experience from Iowa, where he coached the offensive line from 2017 to 2020.
GJ Kinne, Texas State Bobcats: Kinne has the profile that a lot of athletic directors like — young, former quarterback, operates exciting offenses — and has reached bowl games in all three seasons at Texas State, after a 12-2 mark and a No. 3 FCS finish in his lone year at Incarnate Word. The 37-year-old has ties to Baylor, where his father played, and connections throughout the states of Texas and Oklahoma.
Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: The lack of a 10-win season or a conference title is likely the factor keeping Helton from a Power 4 opportunity, as he has been incredibly consistent at WKU. He has won eight or nine games in six of seven seasons with the Hilltoppers, including each of the past five. The 49-year-old also has thrived in Conference USA play, going 40-15 with two division titles. Helton has Power 4 assistant experience at Tennessee and USC, and he typically has productive and entertaining offenses.
Power 4 coordinators
Glenn Schumann, Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator: He’s only 36 but might be the most established name in a largely picked-over coordinator market. Schumann was a candidate for the North Carolina job that ultimately went to Bill Belichick and should gain consideration for most openings in the region. The Valdosta, Georgia, native has spent his career at two A-list programs — Alabama and Georgia — and can be somewhat picky as he occupies a great situation in Athens. “Florida State would make a lot of sense,” an industry source said.
Matt Patricia, Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator: The justified skepticism surrounding Ohio State’s hiring of Patricia has vanished. He oversaw a historically strong defense in his first season with the Buckeyes, and he’s a huge hit in the college game despite having spent the previous 20 years coaching in the NFL. A return to the pros is possible, but Patricia, 51, also should gain significant interest from college teams in the coming cycle.
Bryant Haines, Indiana Hoosiers defensive coordinator: He has quickly become the most prominent member of Curt Cignetti’s coaching tree at Indiana, helping the Hoosiers to a national championship while managing the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense, which consistently mystified opponents. Haines, 40, won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach, and he has strong Midwest roots but also has coached in California, North Carolina and Virginia. Haines likely will be coveted by NFL teams as a coordinator and might go that route, but if he wants to be a college head coach, opportunities should soon come his way.
Kane Wommack, Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator: Successful Alabama coordinators usually have little trouble moving on, and Wommack has the advantage of previous head coaching experience at South Alabama, where he went 10-3 in 2022 and reached consecutive bowl games in his final two seasons. Wommack, 39, led an Alabama defense that ranked 13th nationally in yards allowed and 20th in points allowed in 2025. He has SEC and Big Ten experience as an assistant and should gain more interest if the Tide take another step this fall.
Arthur Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator: Patricia isn’t the only former NFL coach on Ohio State’s staff who could be tempted to lead a college program. Smith, 44, returned to the college game after a 15-year stretch in the NFL, including three seasons as Atlanta Falcons head coach and three seasons as a pro coordinator. His management of Ohio State’s talent-stocked offense will be under the microscope this fall. Smith is a North Carolina grad with ties to the state of Tennessee and elsewhere.
Blake Baker, LSU Tigers defensive coordinator: LSU’s retention of Baker under coach Lane Kiffin puts a spotlight on the 44-year-old, who enters his ninth year as an FBS coordinator and fifth in the Power 4. Baker was a candidate for the top job at Tulane, his alma mater, and could be in play for similar or better opportunities if he delivers this season for Kiffin. LSU’s defense finished fifth in the SEC and 23rd nationally in points allowed last season. Baker has made previous stops at Missouri, Miami and Louisiana Tech.
Buster Faulkner, Florida Gators offensive coordinator: Faulkner’s pro-style hybrid offense is one of the more distinct schemes in college football, and it gave opponents fits with quarterback Haynes King at Georgia Tech. He now brings his system to a bigger stage at Florida with new coach Jon Sumrall. Faulkner, 44, has coached extensively in the South and could parlay success at Florida into his first head coaching opportunity.
Jay Hill, Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator: If Sitake had left BYU for Penn State, Hill would have been a top candidate to replace him in Provo. Hill led Weber State to a 68-39 record and four Big Sky championships in between assistant stops at Utah and BYU. The 51-year-old has coached defense, offense and special teams, and he now leaves his home state for the first time for a high-profile opportunity at Michigan. If he delivers there, he should generate interest to lead FBS programs. Hill had a heart attack before the 2024 season but has recovered and had no interruptions in his work.
Shannon Dawson, Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator: Dawson’s credentials as an offensive coordinator certainly should put him in conversations to be a head coach. Dawson has mentored Miami quarterbacks Cam Ward and Carson Beck during the past two seasons and showcased his versatility with scheme designs and playcalls. The 49-year-old is in his fifth offensive coordinator role and will be working with another talented quarterback this fall in Duke transfer Darian Mensah. The Louisiana native likely would fit best for jobs in the South and Southeast.
Mike Shanahan, Indiana Hoosiers offensive coordinator: Much like Haines, Shanahan has fast-tracked into the conversation of the nation’s top coordinators after Indiana’s championship run. He coached Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza last season, and orchestrated an offense that ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring and No. 12 in rushing. Shanahan, 36, isn’t in any rush to leave Cignetti and Indiana, but if he continues to put out productive offenses with different quarterbacks, the inquiries will come.
Chris Hampton, Oregon Ducks defensive coordinator: Oregon’s past two coordinators (Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi) vaulted to Power 4 jobs, and Hampton could follow a similar path if the Ducks deliver on big expectations. He held a co-coordinator role during the past three seasons with Lupoi after serving as Tulane’s DC in 2021 and 2022. Hampton, 40, played at South Carolina and has also coached defensive backs at Duke, so he has some geographic versatility.
FCS candidates
Brett Vigen, Montana State Bobcats: After helping North Dakota State become an FCS power as an assistant, Vigen is doing the same as the head man at Montana State, which last season won its first national title since 1984. Vigen, 51, has reached the championship game three times in five seasons and finished in the top 10 in each year, going 61-12 overall. The North Dakota native has some FBS experience at Wyoming and could appeal to schools with openings in the regions where he has coached.
Kevin Cahill, Yale Bulldogs: The fast rise of UCLA coach Bob Chesney could place a spotlight on other coaches thriving at under-the-radar programs in the Northeast. Cahill, 47, worked as an assistant at Maine and Yale before leading Lehigh for three seasons, posting a 21-5 mark in the past two and winning 17 consecutive regular-season games. He won the Eddie Robinson Award in 2025 as the top FCS coach and was a finalist in 2024. If Cahill succeeds at Yale, where he coached from 2012 to 2022, he could be a candidate for FBS openings in the region.
Sidelined coaches
Brian Kelly: Despite a swift and disappointing end to an LSU tenure that didn’t deliver championships, Kelly still wants to coach. He lacks popularity in many circles, and his exit from Notre Dame and underwhelming tenure at LSU are factors schools must consider in evaluating the 64-year-old. But Kelly’s overall accomplishments — two CFP appearances and three AP top-five finishes at Notre Dame, two Division II national titles at Grand Valley State, a 34-6 mark at Cincinnati — are also part of the equation. Would a lower-level Power 4 or top Group of 6 school take a shot on Kelly, who is working for CBS this season? We could soon find out.
Jimbo Fisher: The ACC Network analyst has stated an openness to coach again, either leading a college program or joining an NFL team as offensive coordinator. Fisher, 60, would need to address how things ended at Texas A&M, which paid him a record amount of money to walk away in late 2023 after a 45-25 tenure that did not produce a CFP appearance or a 10-win season. Could Fisher recapture the playcalling magic that fueled his career — and led to a national championship at Florida State — but also seemingly went stale at Texas A&M? He’s 128-48 all time as a coach, with five AP top-10 finishes.
Skip Holtz: He hasn’t coached in college since his nine-year run as Louisiana Tech’s coach ended in 2021, but his name hasn’t been forgotten in industry circles. Holtz, 62, coached the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions from 2022 to 2025, going 33-7 with three straight championships. After taking care of his father, Lou, in the final weeks of Lou’s life earlier this year, Skip recently said he’s not retiring and would seek the right opportunity. He has 151 career wins at four college programs. “I would take Skip tomorrow,” an industry source said. “Part of the problem last year was his dad was real sick, but with that behind him now, I think Skip’s ready.”
