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Ranking college football’s open head coaching jobs: LSU overtakes Penn State as new No. 1

Published

2 months ago

October 27, 2025

This could be the most active coaching carousel college football has seen in many years. Before the end of September, five Power 4 programs were searching for new head coaches for 2026, and the number of open jobs is now up to 12 (counting some late-offseason dismissals).

The 2024-25 hiring cycle was historically slow at the Power 4 level, as schools waited to see the impact of budgeting more than $20 million for athletes in the House v. NCAA settlement, but with that revenue sharing system now set, the focus has turned back to coaching changes.

Here is our ranking of college football’s open head-coaching jobs. The ranking leans heavily on the chances for a coach to succeed there. That might mean more stock put in a program’s upside than its recent success, but it’s not just coach pay or quality of life. Coaches want to take jobs where they believe they can win, and this is how most coaches would view these jobs. This list will be updated throughout the fall as jobs open and close.

1. LSU

Record over the last five years: 40-21
The Athletic’s estimated valuation: $1.23 billion (10th among Power 4 programs)
Job grade: A

LSU is a top-five job in college football, maybe top-three. How can it not be when Les Miles and Ed Orgeron recently won national championships here? It has titles, tradition and unique local support. It has a hold of its talent-rich state like very few schools — one of the few remaining places where kids really do commit to the school and not the coach. LSU will always get almost all of the best kids in Louisiana because that’s the culture. After a few years of LSU falling behind in player spending, that changed this year, with an $18 million roster and the nation’s top-ranked transfer class. There’s a reason LSU was able to pull an unprecedented move of hiring a winning Notre Dame head coach four years ago.

But with all that comes the highest of bars. You have to compete for and win national championships here. Brian Kelly, a very successful coach otherwise, couldn’t do it. Was that because of Kelly’s personality, or was it because the flattening of the sport’s competitive structure has made it harder for all the top schools to win big? The school leadership and involvement of politicians also make for a bit more for a coach to navigate. Still, almost anyone could be an option here. LSU is that good of a job.

2. Penn State

Record over the last five years: 44-17
The Athletic’s estimated valuation: $1.2 billion (11th among Power 4 programs)
Job grade: A

This place has it all: tradition, money, facilities, support and recent success. It’s a top-15 job in college football. Penn State is paying around $45 million to get rid of James Franklin coming off a CFP semifinal appearance. That signals how serious the Nittany Lions are about getting over the hump.

Franklin deserves a lot of credit for getting Penn State back near the top of the sport. He won a lot of games, just not the big ones. He also forced the program to modernize, demanding more in facilities and money.

A few sitting head coaches elsewhere in the Big Ten would fit here, but the school also may take even bigger swings. Jobs as good as this one, coming off such a successful run, do not come open like this often. If Penn State is fully aligned and committed on the revenue share/NIL front, anything could happen during the search.

3. Florida

Record over the last five years: 28-30
The Athletic’s estimated valuation: $1.08 billion (12th among Power 4)
Job grade: A-

Florida might have the highest ceiling in this cycle, with three national championships since 1996. The natural advantage of being in Florida helps. The school’s financial investment is catching up to its peers, including a nice new football training building that finally opened.

But Florida is also looking for its fifth coach since Urban Meyer left. It hasn’t clicked here in a while. Dan Mullen won but couldn’t recruit. Billy Napier could recruit but couldn’t win. In the new era of paying players, who’s to say those recent national titles contribute all that much to this job’s quality? Recent university administrative drama also doesn’t help, but it’s a high-level SEC job that almost anyone would want.

Florida needs a coach who can get everyone on the same page, take advantage of the talent and build an identity. It’s been a long time since the Gators had one.

4. Arkansas

Record over the last five years: 29-27
The Athletic’s estimated valuation: $646 million (23rd among Power 4 programs)
Job grade: B

It’s one of the toughest jobs in the SEC, without much in-state high school talent and far away from major cities and recruiting areas, and Arkansas has underpaid coaches and players relative to its competition. The Razorbacks’ 2021 peak under Sam Pittman was their lone Top 25 finish since 2011; there have been more losing seasons than bowl appearances since then. Arkansas hasn’t won a conference championship since 1989 and hasn’t played in the SEC Championship Game since 2006.

But it’s still an SEC job, which will give it an advantage over many other open jobs in the eyes of coaching candidates, and it’s the only Power 4 program in the state. Everyone is behind the Razorbacks. Adding to the difficulty is the money invested in men’s basketball and baseball. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek recently admitted Arkansas is competing for national championships in those sports, but not football. The floor here is lower than that of jobs farther down this list, but the ceiling may be higher. The school needs a coach who can convince boosters to compete for better football players while, more importantly, maximizing the talent on the roster.

5. UCLA

Five-year record: 30-24
The Athletic’s estimated program valuation: $343 million (T-43rd among Power 4 programs)
Job grade: B

The idea of UCLA has long seemed better than the reality of UCLA. The Bruins haven’t won a conference championship since 1998 and haven’t posted a 10-win season in more than a decade. Fan apathy is showing up in the attendance figures at the Rose Bowl, and the athletic department’s financial problems have been piling up — the Bruins have been operating at a cumulative deficit of over $200 million over the last five years.

But it’s a Big Ten job in Southern California. That doesn’t mean all Big Ten jobs are better than all ACC or Big 12 jobs. But it means the Bruins’ ceiling and the floor should be higher, and the path to success is easy to envision.

The school needs a coach capable of setting up a better recruiting operation in California and exciting the fans and donors to spend for success. The expectation should be annual bowl games with periodic 10-win seasons.

6. Oklahoma State

Five-year record: 33-24
Estimated valuation: $373 million (39th among P4)
Job grade: B

The bottom fell out from under Mike Gundy so quickly, but the Cowboys played for the Big 12 championship in 2021 and 2023, including a Fiesta Bowl win in 2021. They had made 18 consecutive bowl games until last season. The flip side is that the program had a sub-.500 all-time record before its native son Gundy took over.

The program has a pipeline to Texas for talent and sits in a winnable Big 12 conference. This should be a top-third job in that league, which means a fairly clear path to the College Football Playoff. The Cowboys’ financial investment must increase, however, and the school’s leadership has spent some of this year on somewhat shaky ground.

Oklahoma State needs a coach who can take advantage of its proximity to Texas and meet the expectations of regularly competing for a Big 12 championship.

7. Virginia Tech

Five-year record: 23-31
Estimated valuation: $455 million (31st among P4)
Job grade: B

Under Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech played for a national championship to cap the 1999 season and won at least 10 games 13 times from 1995 to 2011. But those days are long gone, and it’s not clear whether they can come back. Dominating recruiting in the Hampton Roads region and consistently finding diamonds in the rough, as Beamer did, is a lot harder in today’s game.

The program has been underfunded and understaffed relative to the rest of the ACC for a long time. Athletic director Whit Babcock has proposed a sizable budget increase, though it’s not clear where all the money would come from. The location isn’t ideal for recruiting, either.

The school needs a coach who can better develop talent, and the expectation should be to compete to reach the ACC Championship Game, which the Hokies haven’t played in since 2016.

8. Stanford

Five-year record: 14-39
Estimated valuation: $202 million (60th among P4)
Job grade: C+

The Cardinal won at least 10 games five times from 2010 to 2016, but that was a different era of college football. They haven’t won more than four games since 2018, and the NIL/portal era has limited the program’s upside. General manager Andrew Luck has been tasked with running the football program, and he’s all-in. Luck loves the school, but he has never done this before. Will he let the next coach run the program the way that coach wants?

Stanford is also now an ACC member, receiving less money in conference payouts after the Pac-12’s collapse. There is no identity around this program right now.

The school needs a coach who can do more with less, maximizing development. The expectation should be to regularly reach bowl games.

9. Oregon State

Record over the last five years: 30-28
Job Grade: C+

The Beavers won 10 games just three seasons ago but were left behind in conference realignment and have tried to pick up the pieces. The bad news is this has always been a difficult job located in an area that isn’t rich with talent. The good news is Oregon State has facilities and decent NIL support, and the reconstructed Pac-12 next year provides a path back to contention. The Beavers expect to compete in that new league, made up mostly of current Mountain West schools, and bowl games are a reasonable expectation.

10. Colorado State

Record over the last five years: 21-35
Job grade: C+

This job has been defined by unmet potential. People in the industry love the upside , with top-notch facilities for the Group of 6 (a new stadium opened in 2017), a good amount of money (previous coach Jay Norvell’s salary was $1.9 million) and solid fan support (40,000 fans came to the Homecoming game). But the Rams are headed toward seven losing seasons in eight years, they don’t have an ideal recruiting base and they’re heading into a new Pac-12 that will be a tougher league top to bottom. Can someone tap into the potential?

11. UAB

Record over the last five years: 25-31
Job Grade: C

UAB was college football’s feel-good story. The Blazers were shut down in 2014 before the community brought the program back in 2017 and immediately won big under coach Bill Clark, with 43 wins in the first five seasons back on the field. But Clark stepped down due to health issues, and the school didn’t stick with interim head coach Bryant Vincent and instead hired Trent Dilfer. The ensuing tenure sent the program back into the ground with a 9-21 record, including 0-15 in road games. UAB has a new stadium, a nice football building and a good location. It’s behind its American Conference peers financially, but the upside remains.

12. Kent State

Five-year record: 14-40
Job grade: F

On the field, this is the worst job in the country. The Golden Flashes were the only winless team in the FBS last season, then fired coach Kenni Burns in the offseason for issues around a loan from a booster and his use of a school credit card. In mid-October they beat an FBS opponent for the first time since 2022.

Going back to 1988, Kent State has just four winning seasons, one of which was the four-game season in 2020. Despite being the alma mater of Nick Saban, Lou Holtz and Gary Pinkel, Kent State has not been able to find much success. Former coach Sean Lewis turned the program into a respectable outfit from 2019 to ’22, going 6-2 in MAC play in 2021, but he left for an assistant job at Colorado, and the several notable players on the team transferred out. Playing in the MAC does provide room for upward mobility, competing against teams with similar resources, but it’s as uphill a climb as it gets in the FBS.

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Miami vs. Ole Miss score, live updates: Trinidad Chambliss puts Rebels ahead with TD pass

Published

28 minutes ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Q4 3:13 – Ole Miss 27, Miami 24

Huge mistake by Miami again. Trinidad Chambliss fires incomplete toward Harrison Wallace III but Ja’Boree Antoine had a hand full of jersey, drawing a pass interference penalty.

Three plays later, after a 19-yard scramble by Chambliss, Ole Miss finds the end zone. Chambliss calmly connects with Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown to put the Rebels up by a point.

The two-point conversion is good too as Chambliss finds Caleb Odom wide open.

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NIL

Troy Aikman convinced Joe Buck not to fund Indiana football

Published

1 hour ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

After witnessing Troy Aikman’s tribulations with NIL at UCLA, Joe Buck has no interest in funding Indiana football.

Last month, Aikman told Richard Deitsch he was a one and done with NIL, claiming he wrote UCLA a sizable check to secure a star recruit who ultimately left for another school after just one season. Aikman was further miffed by the fact that he didn’t even get a thank you note for his donation.

It has been widely assumed that current Oregon quarterback Dante Moore is the player Aikman was referring to. And according to UCLA, school protocol prohibits players from knowing which donors contributed NIL funds, thus making thank you notes difficult. Considering NIL has turned college sports into the Wild West, it is odd that a line is drawn at players learning where the money comes from. Protocol or not, Aikman didn’t like his foray into funding college players, and it seems to have rubbed off on Buck.

The Monday Night Football play-by-play voice joined The Morning After on 101 ESPN this week where they discussed his alma mater playing in the College Football Playoff semifinals this week. As a former Indiana University student, Joe Buck is now in the unprecedented position of seeing his favorite college football team morph into a football powerhouse. Unfortunately for Indiana, Aikman’s experience with NIL has already soured Buck on the idea of donating to their football program.

“Troy has talked to me about what went on at UCLA and kind of what he got for the money that he donated and that will not be something that I will be partaking in,” Buck said.

“He left!” Buck added of the UCLA player that supposedly received a sizable check from Aikman. “You don’t get the money back from what I understand…it doesn’t seem like a great program for the donor.”

The good news for Indiana University, who boasts Mark Cuban’s pockets as an alumnus, is that Buck also claims the local wealthy farmers are heavily involved in supporting NIL.

“I’m not being a smart aleck about it, I think there are a lot of farmers around Indiana that are making money,” Buck said. “It’s almost like everybody has come out of the woodwork and it’s like, ‘Let me have my little piece of this’ because it’s been so long and they’re willing to send money in, from what I hear.”

It’s hard to argue with Buck and Aikman. Where’s the incentive to spend big dollars on a recruit who can leave after one season? And we’re not even going to get into the fact those players are prohibited from offering a thank you note in return. But hopefully for Indiana, those hardworking farmers don’t start taking NIL advice from Buck the way he did from Aikman.

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Demond Williams announces he’ll return to Washington for junior season

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Demond Williams Jr.’s dalliance with the transfer portal has come to an end.

The Washington quarterback, who announced Tuesday that he planned to enter the portal despite signing a contract with Washington four days prior, wrote in an Instagram post Thursday that he is “excited to announce that I will continue my football journey at the University of Washington.”

Williams wrote that the decision came “after thoughtful reflection with my family.”

Williams’ return ends a two-day saga over the quarterback’s status.

Williams signed a contract agreeing to return to the Huskies in early January, a Washington source close to the negotiations told The Athletic on Tuesday night. Yet, Williams said in an Instagram post Tuesday that transferring was “best for me and my future.” Williams had not filed any paperwork with Washington compliance officers to have his name entered into the portal before making his announcement on social media.

Washington sources told The Athletic after Williams’ announcement that the program had “no intention” of releasing the quarterback from the contract he signed Jan. 2 and was prepared to pursue legal action to enforce the terms of the contract, according to a person briefed on the situation.

On Thursday night, ESPN reported that Williams was “leaning toward returning,” and a Washington source told The Athletic that the program was willing to “take back” its star.

Shortly after Williams posted that he was returning, Washington head coach Jedd Fisch and athletic director Patrick Chun also released statements on social media confirming Williams’ return.

Statements from Head Coach Jedd Fisch and UW Director of Athletics Pat Chun. pic.twitter.com/gq7wDL0cn5

— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) January 9, 2026

“Over the last few days, Demond and I have engaged in very honest and heartfelt conversations about his present and future,” Fisch wrote. “We both agree that the University of Washington is the best place for him to continue his academic, athletic, and social development.

“I appreciate Demond’s statement. I support him, and we will work together to begin the process of repairing relationships and regaining the trust of the Husky community.”

Chun wrote that the situation was “emblematic of the many current issues in college sports,” adding, “It is critical in this post-House, revenue-sharing environment that contracts with student-athletes are not only enforced but respected by everyone within the college sports ecosystem.”

Leaving Washington after signing a contract could have potentially been costly for Williams.

The Big Ten has a revenue-share contract template that its schools use, varying slightly based on different state laws or individual negotiations. Those contracts state that if a player intends to transfer before the end of a payment period, he owes the remaining amount on his contract, unless the school agrees to accept a buyout from the player or the player’s next school, according to multiple copies obtained by The Athletic. The contracts also state that the school is “not obligated” to enter a player into the portal.

In this case, Williams would likely have owed Washington $4 million for the one-year deal if his deal was based on those templates. The buyout also could have counted toward his next school’s revenue-sharing cap, according to Collegiate Sports Commission rules.

However, it’s unclear if such contracts would hold up in court. Williams obtained the services of noted NIL lawyer Darren Heitner earlier Thursday, but it doesn’t appear this will be challenged. Former Georgia defensive end Damon Wilson II last month sued Georgia’s athletic association over its attempt to get $390,000 from his decision to transfer last year. The case is ongoing.

Big Ten officials held a call with the conference’s athletic directors earlier Thursday to assure them that the league office would support Washington in its enforcement of the contract, according to a person involved in the meeting.

Williams followed Fisch to Seattle two years ago after committing to Arizona out of high school. However, before signing with Fisch at Arizona, Williams initially committed to Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin in late 2022. He de-committed the following summer. Williams started the 2025 season, with Fisch not holding back the hype for his quarterback entering the season.

“I would probably say, at this age, not even 19, he’s the best player I’ve ever been around,” Fisch said on the “Until Saturday” podcast last spring. “… My goal from when I started recruiting him in high school, and I told him this, we’re going to partner up and find a way to be in New York City when it’s time for the Heisman.”

Williams has thrown for 4,009 yards and 33 touchdowns against nine interceptions, adding 893 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 26 career games at Washington. In his first season as the starter, he passed for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.

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Bo Jackson could leave Ohio State, seeking major NIL deal

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

After Ohio State’s College Football Playoff exit at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes, the Buckeyes have been bleeding players to the transfer portal.

22 Buckeyes have entered the portal as of Wednesday afternoon, including two running backs, James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon.

Now, Ohio State may be at risk of losing a third, the program’s star freshman.

Ohio State portal entries so far, with 9 Days left in the portal:
– QB Lincoln Keinholz
– RB James Peoples
– RB Sam Williams Dixon
– WR Quincy Porter
– WR Mylan Graham
– WR Bryson Rodgers
– WR Damarion Witten
– TE Jaleni Thurman
– IOL Tegra Tshabola
– IOL Jayvon McFadden…

— Swish (@swishxvibes) January 7, 2026

Ohio State running back Bo Jackson may be entering the transfer portal if the Buckeyes cannot meet the desired amount he and his camp are seeking. According to WBNS-TV, Jackson is seeking an NIL deal that would surpass what Ohio State’s running backs earned last season and rival some NFL rookie contracts.

“From what I understand, the request from [Bo Jackson] is more than what TreVeyon [Henderson]’s salary was for the New England Patriots this year,” Jeremy Birmingham said on The Beat with Austin & Birm Thursday morning. “And, more than both TreVeyon and Quinshon [Judkins] made in their final year at Ohio State, and maybe combined.”

Per reports from On3, Judkins’ NIL valuation at the end of his Ohio State career was $1.1 million. For Henderson, while less than his counterpart, reportedly made over $700,000 at the end of the 2023 season.

Additionally, Henderson’s contract with the New England Patriots is a four-year rookie deal valued at just over $11 million, with a $4.7 million signing bonus. Henderson’s rookie year base pay with New England is $840,000, with a $1.1 million signing bonus.

Based on those figures, it appears that Jackson and his camp may be requesting the Buckeyes to pay somewhere in the realm of $1.8 million to retain the freshman.

If all the rumors are true, Ohio State will have to decide whether spending a huge chunk of its NIL money to pay just one starter is worth not letting him slip into the transfer portal. A nearly $2 million NIL deal for Ohio State would cost around 10 percent of the program’s total NIL budget of last season, which Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork said cost around $20 million.

Ohio State will have to decide if Jackson’s freshman performance is worth the high pay. During his first year as a Buckeye, Jackson rushed for 1,090 yards (No. 24 nationally) and six touchdowns (No. 120 nationally) over the span of 13 games. Jackson averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

In Judkins and Henderson’s final seasons with Ohio State, the running back duo both rushed for more than 1,000 yards each and combined for 24 rushing touchdowns in 16 games.

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College football program loses 34 players to transfer portal

Published

4 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Just one year ago, Colorado was one of college football’s most talked-about success stories.

The Buffaloes finished 9–4 in 2024, riding national attention, high-profile transfers, and head coach Deion Sanders’ star power into bowl relevance and Big 12 respectability.

As a result, expectations entering 2025 were significantly higher, with the belief that continuity and experience would push the program forward.

Instead, the season collapsed: Colorado stumbled to a 3–9 record, managing just one conference win and struggling on both sides of the ball.

The Buffaloes routinely found themselves outmatched, and the optimism that defined the previous year slowly gave way to frustration as the team lost its final five games, including back-to-back conference losses to Utah and Arizona, both of which saw Colorado allow 50-plus points.

Adding insult to injury, former blue-chip recruit Kam Mikell announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Wednesday, becoming the 34th Colorado player to leave the program since the end of the season.

A highly regarded, four-star recruit (No. 2 ATH in the 2024 class by 247Sports) when he arrived, Mikell was initially viewed as an offensive chess piece capable of contributing at wide receiver or in the backfield.

In 2025, Mikell’s role shifted primarily to the run game as Colorado searched for offensive answers, appearing in 10 games and totaling 75 rushing yards on 19 carries (3.9 yards per carry), along with two receptions for 5 yards.

Despite his athletic upside, a defined role never materialized, ultimately leading him to pursue another opportunity elsewhere.

More concerning, however, is that his exit reflects a broader exodus that has rapidly reshaped the roster.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Kam Mikell. — Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Kam Mikell (18) runs the ball during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

More than 30 scholarship players have entered the portal, highlighted by leading receiver Omarion Miller (808 yards, eight touchdowns on 45 receptions) and leading tackler Tawfiq Byard (79 total tackles), along with several linemen and depth contributors.

The volume of departures is among the highest in the country this cycle.

This level of churn is not entirely new under Sanders, who, since arriving at Colorado in 2023, has aggressively leveraged the transfer portal to rapidly overhaul the roster with experienced college players and high-profile recruits.

To his credit, those exits have been paired with incoming talent, as Colorado has already added 22 transfers, including Texas linebacker Liona Lefau, Missouri offensive tackle Jayven Richardson, and Notre Dame cornerback Cree Thomas.

Still, the scale of departures following a losing season is far from ideal.

NIL

UCLA lands a top transfer in James Madison running back Wayne Knight

Published

5 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Your Sports Nation

UCLA has landed a transfer who could hasten Bob Chesney’s rebuilding efforts.

Wayne Knight verbally committed to following Chesney from James Madison to Westwood on Wednesday, giving the new Bruins coach a high-quality running back to pair with quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Showing what he could do on a national stage last month, Knight ran for 110 yards in 17 carries against Oregon in the College Football Playoff. It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for Knight on the way to being selected a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player.

Combining excellent speed with the toughness needed to break tackles, the 5-foot-6, 189-pound Knight led the conference with 1,357 rushing yards. He also made 40 catches for 397 yards and averaged 22.3 yards on kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on punt returns. His 2,039 all-purpose yards were a school record, helping him become an Associated Press second team All-American all-purpose player after ranking third nationally with 145.6 all-purpose yards per game.

Knight, who will be a redshirt senior next season in his final year of college eligibility, becomes the seventh player from James Madison to accompany Chesney to UCLA, joining wide receiver Landon Ellis, defensive back DJ Barksdale, tight end Josh Phifer, edge rusher Aiden Gobaira, right guard Riley Robell and offensive lineman JD Rayner.

UCLA also has received verbal commitments from Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan, Florida wide receiver Aidan Mizell, San Jose State wide receiver Leland Smith, Iowa State running back Dylan Lee, Boise State offensive tackle Hall Schmidt, Virginia Tech defensive back Dante Lovett, Iowa State defensive back Ta’Shawn James and California edge rusher Ryan McCulloch.

But no incoming player can match the production of Knight, whose highlights included a career-high 211 rushing yards — including a 73-yard touchdown — against Troy in the Sun Belt championship game, earning him most valuable player honors for the Dukes’ 31-14 victory.

Knight will join a group of running backs that includes senior Jaivian Thomas (294 yards rushing and one touchdown in 2025), redshirt senior Anthony Woods (294 yards rushing in 2025) and redshirt freshman Karson Cox (nine yards in two carries during his only appearance as a true freshman).

With Knight on board, the Bruins presumably have their starting running back in Year 1 under their new coach.

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