West Virginia to Face at Least Four First-Year Head Coaches in 2026

The coaching carousel has been crazy this year, with several jobs opening due to performance or because a coach left for a much bigger opportunity. As of today, West Virginia will face four first-year head coaches in 2026.

Any time there is a coaching change, there's a good chance that said team will have a large roster turnover and will go through its fair share of bumps throughout year one, as we all witnessed this past season with Rich Rod and WVU.

The opponents who will be going through that next season?

Coastal Carolina

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Missouri State Bears head coach Ryan Beard watches from the sidelines in the second half against the Southern California Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

New coach: Ryan Beard (from Missouri State)

What happened: Tim Beck was fired.

Beck failed to build on the momentum that Jamey Chadwell created before leaving for Liberty. In just three years on the job, Beck went 20-18. The Chants are now turning to Ryan Beard, who did an incredible job this past season, leading Missouri State to a seven-win campaign in their first year as a member of the FBS. In his first two years there, at the FCS level, the Bears went 4-7 and 8-4.

Iowa State

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New coach: Jimmy Rogers (from Washington State)

What happened: Matt Campbell takes Penn State job.

If I'm being honest, I would have stayed at Iowa State if I were Matt Campbell. Sure, you have a better opportunity to make the College Football Playoff and win a national championship, but you're also going to a place with sky-high expectations. You can get canned there if you win 10 games a year and can't get over the hump. In Ames, they're thrilled with seven and eight-win seasons. Rogers was unbelievable at South Dakota State, where he went 27-3 and won an FCS national title. He went 6-6 in his one and only year at Washington State.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State University (OSU) introduces the new head football coach, Eric Morris, during a rally in Stillwater on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New coach: Eric Morris (from North Texas)

What happened: Mike Gundy was fired.

Gundy was among the longest-tenured head coaches in all of college football, but after two brutal seasons in which he went 4-11, it was time to move on. Eric Morris is coming off an 11-win campaign with the Mean Green and nearly took UNT to the College Football Playoff. He's worked with some great quarterbacks over the years, such as Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech), Cam Ward (Incarnate Word/Washington State), Chandler Morris (North Texas, and Drew Mestemaker (North Texas), who had an incredible true freshman season this year.

Utah

Sep 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley watches the team warm up before a game against the Cal Poly Mustangs at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

New coach: Morgan Scalley (promoted)

What happened: Kyle Whittingham steps down.

Scalley has been a part of the Utah football program since 2007, serving as a grad assistant, safeties coach, special teams coordinator, and then defensive coordinator, a role he's held since 2016. He was named the coach in waiting in 2024, but it's been something that has been in the works dating back to 2020. With him having been in place and much of the staff likely staying put, it should be business as usual for the Utes in 2026 and beyond.

Coastal Carolina

Iowa State

Oklahoma State

Utah

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