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Invoice Connelly
After compiling an ideal teaching pedigree — he performed for Invoice Walsh, Tom Osborne and Invoice Belichick and coached for Frank Solich and Chip Kelly — and going unbeaten at UCF in 2017, former Nebraska quarterback Scott Frost returned to Lincoln to avoid wasting a flailing Cornhuskers program. It was excellent timing, and there gave the impression to be roughly a 100% likelihood of issues figuring out superbly.
Frost went 16-31 and was fired early in his fifth season.
After main Cincinnati to prolonged success (53-10 from 2018 to 2022, together with making the 2021 Faculty Soccer Playoff), former Ohio State participant and longtime Buckeyes assistant Luke Fickell took the Wisconsin head teaching job. He had a fantastic résumé, had proved his participant improvement chops and had trendy concepts however was grounded in Huge Ten physicality. It was an ideal rent.
Three years in, Fickell is 17-21. Through the season, hypothesis swirled about his job standing, and when the varsity introduced he was returning for 2026, the Badgers really perked up and performed properly down the stretch. However they nonetheless went 4-8, their worst report in 35 years.
The 2 most completely logical faculty soccer hires of the previous decade both did not work out or have not to this point, proving that the method of grading teaching hires instantly after they’re made is nearly fully pointless. We by no means know the way coaches will deal with their new environment, and a lot is set by the varsity doing the hiring (or, in some circumstances, plain outdated luck).
Grading hires can also be enjoyable, nonetheless. And on this second in faculty soccer’s transition to changing into a player-compensation sport, it is a notably fascinating thought train. So we’ll do it anyway.
Although just a few vacancies are nonetheless on the board, we have seen 30 FBS head coaches employed to date within the 2025-26 teaching carousel. Some faculties sought a confirmed winner and dedicated the kind of big-money (and assured) contracts for which the game has turn into more and more identified. Others opted for up-and-coming assistants, probably selecting to speculate a few of these financial savings into participant expertise.
We do not but know who can be rewarded for his or her strikes, and we all know we’ll be incorrect with about half of our opinions. However let’s grade this yr’s hires based mostly purely on the logic at hand. I am truthfully a fairly simple grader — I simply want to know (and, ideally, agree with) the thought course of. Subsequently, a rent rating into the 20s would possibly nonetheless land a fairly good grade. However in concept, the upper the grade, the extra possible the rent will succeed.
Grade: A+ (most likely the perfect job obtainable, crammed by the perfect obtainable coach)
1. Lane Kiffin, LSU. We can’t overthink this one. All the pieces concerning the run-up to Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss was dramatic and strung out, and it’ll ceaselessly be a part of his teaching biography that he left an lively playoff crew for a college he had crushed weeks earlier. However in his previous 9 years as a head coach, he has received double-digit video games six instances (at faculties with out a lot, or any, latest historical past of doing that), and he engineered the Rebels’ finest three-year run in 60-plus years. He checks nearly each field for a college that may afford to rent a man who checks a lot of containers.
Grade: A (this simply makes all of the sense on the earth)
2. James Franklin, Virginia Tech. Final summer time, I used stats to have a look at which coaches have finished the best job of overachieving in opposition to their college’s latest historical past. Granted, Franklin’s common will go down as soon as I’ve added this yr’s Penn State crew to the combo, however heading into 2025 he was No. 8 amongst all long-term coaches of the previous 20 years.
Vanderbilt had averaged 3.1 wins per season over a 35-year interval, and he received 24 video games in three seasons there. Penn State had loved 4 top-10 finishes in 19 years and was nonetheless coping with sanctions when he arrived in 2014, and he oversaw 5 top-10 finishes in a nine-year run. Irrespective of how the run at PSU ended, for Tech to land somebody with that kind of résumé was an absolute coup.
3. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State. OSU was at its finest below Mike Gundy when it was lighting up the scoreboard with an progressive offense. Morris groups try this. He was Texas Tech’s offensive coordinator as Patrick Mahomes transitioned from high-three-star recruit into Patrick Mahomes. Morris took on an unrecruited possibility quarterback named Cam Ward at Incarnate Phrase in 2020, and 5 years later Ward turned the No. 1 decide within the draft. At North Texas, Morris took a walk-on (and highschool backup) named Drew Mestemaker and turned him right into a 4,000-yard passer. Morris may need the perfect quarterback-development monitor report within the sport in the intervening time, and in each of his head teaching stops he led traditionally unsuccessful applications to new heights. It is arduous to ask for way more.
4. Jon Sumrall, Florida. The soiled little secret about Tulane this season is, the Inexperienced Wave weren’t really nice at something. Sumrall needed to rebuild a wholesome portion of his depth chart after final season’s nine-win marketing campaign, and he ended up beginning a quarterback (Jake Retzlaff) who arrived in July. However by means of sheer will and adaptableness, his crew received 11 video games and an American Convention title. That is three convention titles for Sumrall in 4 years as a head coach. He can put collectively groups and items with excellent expertise, however even when he does not, he finds a technique to win.
5. Jim Mora, Colorado State. CSU certain appeared to make a logical rent in Jay Norvell 4 years in the past, however the former Nevada coach might by no means generate traction, and now the Rams are on an prolonged run of dreadful play: one profitable season and a mean SP+ rating of 105.5 up to now eight years. However they are not in as a lot of a funk as UConn was in when it employed Jim Mora, and after a few iffy seasons, he produced one thing sensible: The Huskies received 18 video games in 2024 and 2025 after profitable simply 19 within the earlier seven seasons.
6. Mark Carney, Kent State. The perfect Kent State might have hoped for when firing Kenni Burns in mid-April — possibly the one most awkward time on the calendar, a minimum of when there was a spring portal window — was that Carney, the offensive coordinator and new interim head coach, would do sufficient to earn the job completely. Man, did he accomplish that. The Golden Flashes have been 1-23 below Burns however perked as much as 5-7 this fall. Have been they really good? Not likely. Do we have now any concept how Carney will navigate an ever-tricky offseason? Nope. The challenges are simply starting, however Carney earned the suitable to take them on.
7. Matt Campbell, Penn State. When Campbell took over at Iowa State in 2016, the Cyclones had loved two ranked finishes ever, none greater than nineteenth. He engineered a No. 9 end in 2020 and a No. 15 displaying in 2024, succeeding sufficient that going 8-4 in 2025 nearly appeared disappointing. He had eight profitable seasons in 9 years after ISU had simply seven between 1981 and 2016. The issue for nearly anybody Penn State employed was going to be that he would not have a résumé that stacked up with that of the man it simply fired (Franklin). Campbell comes about as shut as one can get.
8. Charles Huff, Memphis. Huff was an assistant for Nick Saban and James Franklin, he went to 4 bowls and received a Solar Belt title in 4 years at Marshall, and he impressed sufficient loyalty together with his gamers that, when the Thundering Herd let him depart for Southern Miss a yr in the past, greater than 20 adopted him to Hattiesburg and helped the Golden Eagles surge from 1-11 to 7-5. He has constructed groups round potent offenses and powerful defenses. One other rent who checks a lot of containers.
Grade: A- or B+ (completely smart)
9. Bob Chesney, UCLA. Chesney took Assumption College to the Division II quarterfinals. He took Holy Cross to the FCS quarterfinals. He took James Madison to the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Chesney is 132-51 as a head coach, and whereas he took over a fantastic scenario at JMU, he dealt with the soar in competitors with as a lot ease as one might have hoped for. The rationale this is not an outright A grade is that he has coached solely within the East and Northeast, and UCLA is about as distant from there as doable. However in a world with such transient rosters, I am unsure that really issues.
10. Will Stein, Kentucky. Of the groups within the present AP high 10, six are led by first-time head coaches. Hiring a identified entity is nice, however I used to be curious which faculties would try and land the following Dan Lanning as an alternative of a identified (and costly) winner. What higher candidate for that title would possibly there be than Stein, the man who has operated a ruthlessly environment friendly offense for Lanning for 3 years and has ties to the state of Kentucky as properly (albeit largely at Louisville)?
11. Collin Klein, Kansas State. When Chris Klieman immediately introduced his retirement in early December, Ok-State clearly had a succession plan able to go. Not that it was arduous to piece collectively. Klein quarterbacked the Wildcats to a Huge 12 title below Invoice Snyder in 2012 and produced the No. 7 offense within the nation (per SP+) as Klieman’s coordinator in 2023 earlier than shifting on to Texas A&M. It is as if he have been produced in a lab to be Ok-State’s head coach at some point. (Granted, you would have stated the identical about Frost and Nebraska.)
12. Alex Golesh, Auburn. Golesh inherited a program that had gone simply 8-37 over the earlier 4 seasons, and he instantly went 7-6 twice, then completed his run with a 9-3 crew that was simply six factors away from 11-1. We’ll see whether or not he can craft benefits from heavy tempo in a convention that has already seen loads of it from Josh Heupel’s Tennessee and Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss, however should you can win 9 video games at USF, you possibly can win 9 video games at Auburn.
13. Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State. Rogers went 27-3 with an FCS nationwide title in two seasons at South Dakota State, and though he had inherited a brilliantly crafted tradition in Brookings, he went to Washington State final season and instantly put collectively an thrilling crew there too. Constructed round protection, the Cougars almost beat Ole Miss, Virginia and James Madison on the street down the stretch. Now he inherits a fairly good tradition from Matt Campbell. This looks like a “Chris Klieman to Kansas State” kind of rent — solely Rogers is simply 38 — and, properly, that was a fantastic rent.
Grade: B (do not completely like it however will not be shocked if it really works out)
14. Mike Jacobs, Toledo. Jacobs is mainly Bob Chesney from two years in the past. He introduced the now-closed Notre Dame Faculty to the Division II semifinals, then did the identical for Lenoir-Rhyne. He went to Mercer and instantly constructed on what Drew Cronic had began, going 20-6 and reaching the playoffs twice. Jacobs is 94-23 as a head coach at two ranges and three numerous faculties. It is a huge soar to the FBS, however we have seen loads of guys do it properly.
He is additionally an Ohio man. Bonus factors for that.
15. Pete Golding, Ole Miss. After he was put within the ridiculously robust spot of attempting to make sure continuity when Lane Kiffin left earlier than the varsity’s first playoff run, Golding’s promotion makes loads of sense. And I loved his number of East Carolina coordinator John David Baker to run the offense subsequent yr, in order that’s one hurdle cleared. Evidently continuity hires have decrease ceilings on the whole, so I am a minimum of a smidgen skeptical, however he clearly cleared his first hurdle with aplomb due to Ole Miss’ CFP blowout of Tulane.
16. Morgan Scalley, Utah. Scalley labored for the departing Kyle Whittingham for 19 seasons, and he was named Utah’s head coach in ready 18 months in the past, so he has had loads of time to organize for the job. His history isn’t pristine, and succession plans usually fail, however the logic right here is fairly simple to know.
17. Tosh Lupoi, California. With apparent exceptions, most of the best active and recent coaches have come from the offensive facet of the ball, so proper or incorrect, I have a tendency to have a look at defensive coordinator-to-head coach hires with a bit extra scrutiny. Or a minimum of, I wait to see whether or not stated former DC makes an offensive coordinator rent that does not appear both hostile to latest offensive developments (the Will Muschamp particular) or centered too closely on a “pro-style” method that usually lacks id.
Lengthy often known as an elite recruiter, Lupoi has spent the previous 4 seasons slowly constructing Oregon’s protection right into a wrecking ball. It was past time for him to get a head teaching alternative, and he aced his first take a look at in ensuring quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele stays in Berkeley. However his first offensive coordinator is a younger former Oregon staffer who spent the previous three seasons as assistant QBs coach within the very pro-style professionals.
Be part of us in welcoming Offensive Coordinator @JordanSom_TBB to Bear Territory 👏🐻#GoBears pic.twitter.com/MP1tvbLT7z
— Cal Soccer (@CalFootball) December 19, 2025
Perhaps Jordan Somerville will become a genius rent, however I do not love the logic there. It produces a slight level deduction, a minimum of.
18. Kirby Moore, Washington State. The previous Mizzou offensive coordinator was worshipped by Tigers followers in his first yr on the job and jeered in his third yr when the factors tapered off after a quarterback change and quarterback harm. That tends to be the way in which it goes. However he has the pedigree — he performed for Boise State’s Chris Petersen, and he is Kellen Moore’s brother — and truthfully, when your monitor report of hires is as robust as Washington State’s of late, you get the advantage of the doubt.
19. Billy Napier, James Madison. Napier was capable of construct main expertise benefits at Louisiana and went 33-5 in his final three seasons there. That looks like extraordinarily related expertise now that he is returning to the Solar Belt at a college that’s constructing a powerful infrastructure.
I do not completely love this rent, however the causes are largely aesthetic. First, we noticed him run a sloppy and mistake-prone program at Florida for 3½ seasons, and even when Florida is not something like JMU, that is nonetheless a knowledge level. Plus, I do not like when faculties stray from a mannequin that works. JMU had finished the “Rent an FCS overachiever” factor for 3 straight hires and was rewarded superbly for it. I simply assumed the varsity would go after somebody like Lehigh’s Kevin Cahill.
20. Neal Brown, North Texas. Final we noticed Brown on the mid-major stage, he was main Troy to 32 wins and a Solar Belt title (plus a win over LSU) in his closing three seasons there. As with Napier, that could be all of the expertise that issues. He went simply 37-35 in six seasons at West Virginia after that, although, which muddies the waters a minimum of a bit. His offensive id has muddied, too, by means of the years, which is a minimum of a slight concern contemplating UNT simply loved its finest season ever with a particular id.
21. JaMarcus Shephard, Oregon State. I would like to have seen some solo coordinator expertise on the résumé, as leaping straight from place coach (and even co-coordinator) will be difficult. However should you’re in search of a possible overachiever for a college that desperately wants a shot within the arm, hiring somebody who has coached for Bobby Petrino, Jeff Brohm, Mike Leach and Kalen DeBoer — and has a little bit of expertise within the Pacific Northwest (plus a popularity as a powerful recruiter) — looks like a fantastic place to begin. And getting a man who can reply a query like this at his introductory information convention is even higher.
22. Brian Hartline, South Florida. Like Lupoi, Hartline is thought to be a masterful recruiter, and at USF he would possibly have the ability to construct a minimum of a few of the expertise benefits he was used to at Ohio State. His defensive coordinator rent (ECU’s aggressive Josh Aldridge) is intriguing from a disruption standpoint, however he went with a trusted outdated good friend, former Ohio State co-coordinator Tim Beck, as his OC. That does not scream “tactical benefit” there, but when Hartline recruits properly sufficient, possibly it will not matter.
23. Jason Candle, UConn. A Mount Union product like Campbell, Candle received 81 video games, two MAC titles and three division crowns (plus two MAC Coach of the 12 months awards) in 10 seasons at Toledo. He is the varsity’s winningest coach — he is clearly good. However with the expertise benefits he was capable of compile at UT, it all the time appeared that his Rockets ought to have received greater than they did. That waft of disappointment makes it arduous to guage him.
24. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas. Like Candle, Silverfield was capable of construct a superb base of expertise and rating some huge wins over groups akin to Arkansas, Florida State, West Virginia, Iowa State and Mississippi State. However that made the letdown losses that adopted — like a ghastly defeat in opposition to UAB this season — much more disappointing. Silverfield is clearly strong, however he will not have many athleticism benefits within the SEC.
25. Ryan Beard, Coastal Carolina. Bobby Petrino’s defensive coordinator at Missouri State for 3 seasons (and likewise his son-in-law), Beard has been thought to be a strong up-and-comer for some time. He took over the Bears in 2023 and went 19-16, and whereas that is extra spectacular than it sounds — it features a strong 7-5 debut and No. 99 SP+ rating in MSU’s 2025 FBS debut — it is nonetheless a fairly gentle résumé.
Grade: B- or C+ (I perceive, however I am not completely certain I agree)
26. Tavita Pritchard, Stanford. There is a sure poetry to basic supervisor Andrew Luck hiring Pritchard, the quarterback earlier than him at Stanford and the participant who led the upset of USC that put Stanford’s late-2000s rise into movement. Pritchard has loads of teaching expertise too, together with 13 seasons at Stanford. However the Cardinal averaged an offensive SP+ rating of 84.0 in his 5 years as OC. He did oversee Jayden Daniels‘ wonderful rookie season within the professionals, and he has witnessed what it takes to construct Stanford up. However that run as OC is tough for me to look previous.
27. Alex Mortensen, UAB. Mortensen was the fired Trent Dilfer’s offensive coordinator, and offense was undoubtedly the Blazers’ stronger unit. UAB pulled an enormous upset of Memphis after Mortensen took over because the interim coach, so you possibly can most likely see the hiring logic right here. However the Blazers in any other case performed to projections below Mortensen, and this appears a bit like settling to me.
28. Will Corridor, Tulane. Corridor led West Georgia to the Division II semifinals in 2014 and 2015; he is aware of Tulane properly (three years as an assistant); and he loved transient success as Southern Miss’ head coach, going 7-6 in 2022. However whereas Southern Miss has turn into an awfully arduous job, his Golden Eagles collapsed to 4-20 in 2023 and 2024. I would like to have seen him tackle an extended teaching rehab stint earlier than getting the keys to such a high-profile Group of 5 job.
Grade: C (are you certain about this?)
29. Blake Anderson, Southern Miss. Southern Miss caught a foul break of types, making such rent (Charles Huff) that he left for a higher-rung job after only one season. However hiring Anderson, who had one profitable season in his previous 4 head teaching seasons (one at Arkansas State, three at Utah State) and was fired by USU for failing to stick to reporting necessities relating to “investigating problems with sexual misconduct, together with home violence” and failing to “handle the crew in a way that displays USU’s educational values” is questionable for any variety of causes.
30. Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State. At first look, this appears proper. Fitzgerald, nonetheless solely 51, received 110 video games at Northwestern with a pair of division titles and three seasons of double-digit wins. Who higher than a identified Huge Ten overachiever to take over a program that has fallen into fairly an underachieving rut?
That logic falls aside fairly rapidly, nonetheless. Even together with his success throughout the 2020 COVID-19 season, a yr through which a lot of groups and coaches noticed success they could not preserve below regular circumstances, Fitzgerald went 14-31 in his final 4 seasons at Northwestern. Its common offensive SP+ rating over these 4 years was a ghastly 108.5, and maybe extra worrisome is that, following the retirement of longtime defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz after 2020, his final two groups sank to forty ninth after which 62nd in defensive SP+. The Wildcats fell to 3-9 in 2021 and 1-11 in 2022.
Merely put: If Michigan State had employed Fitzgerald from 2019 to 2022, the varsity would have fired him. Jonathan Smith was simply fired for going 4-15 in a part of two seasons, and as an alternative of embarking on an intensive substitute search, the varsity changed him the very subsequent day with a man who went 4-20 in his previous two years. Fitzgerald has no monitor report of success within the NIL-and-transfers period both, and whereas it’d end up that he has all the suitable solutions, why would you pay $6 million a yr to search out out?
(Plus, whereas Fitzgerald was discovered to haven’t identified about or inspired the hazing and sexual abuse that was allegedly occurring throughout his time at NU, that is solely a lot of an exoneration for a the-buck-stops-here kind of coach.)
That is the one power-conference rent I simply do not like. Once more: Perhaps issues will work out nice. Our guts are incorrect about hires on a regular basis. Fitzgerald remains to be fairly younger, and nobody merely forgets easy methods to coach. However with so little latest success and with a lot latest change within the sport, I assumed he would wish to show himself on the G5 stage earlier than being handed the keys to a big-time program once more. State is taking an enormous threat.
