Where LSU, Florida rank among Power Four head coaching jobs right now

The 2025 college football coaching carousel is already spinning off its axis and looks to be a cycle for the ages, with a dozen openings at the FBS level already, including eight among Power Four programs before we even got to the month of November.

In the age of instant transfers, rabid NIL competition, and an expanded playoff, programs are under tremendous competitive and financial stress to produce in the short term, and if coaches aren’t pulling their weight, even at big schools, then decision makers are proving unafraid to pull the plug whenever they feel the time is right.

Every head coaching position is different because every college football program is different, even if the basic demands are the same. Here is a ranking of the best Power Four openings across the sport right now, according to College Football HQ.

8. Stanford

Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw both helped raise Stanford’s profile nationally, but since then the football program has plummeted given the school’s commitment to non-revenue sports, a factor that could play into football’s revenue sharing position.

Andrew Luck’s involvement with the program as its general manager is a major plus, but playing in the ACC means many of your conference games involve traveling across the country, and the university’s strict academic standards could hinder recruiting efforts.

7. Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy was the personification of the Cowboys program, involved in 10 of the school’s 11-win seasons as either a player or coach, and his success inspired the school to increase its investment in the football team, especially when it comes to facilities.

But while the Big 12 appears to be more competitive than other conferences when it comes to the league championship race every year, it’s also true that their path to the College Football Playoff is narrower than especially the SEC or Big Ten right now.

6. UCLA

Playing in Los Angeles in college football’s most treasured venue, the Rose Bowl, and now competing in the Big Ten, one of the two major conferences, should result in this being one of the more sought after destinations for coaches.

But the university has some major financial issues and there are legitimate questions around the passion, or lack thereof, of a fanbase that has resulted in semi-regular viral images of a half-empty stadium before UCLA games.

5. Arkansas

Head coaches yearn for a chance to get a foothold in the SEC, even if this particular destination is one of the less enticing. It’s been tough for the Razorbacks, a solid force in football over the years, but struggling since joining the conference back in 1992.

Arkansas has finished in the AP poll just once in the last 14 seasons and six times since joining the SEC. There are plenty of losses to go around, and it would take a generational figure to truly lift this program to the level of the conference’s top tier.

4. Virginia Tech

That work put in by Frank Beamer to raise the Hokies’ profile has paid off in recent years, as the school is putting more money into the football program, and its base of support has been increasing and reliable for a long time now.

And the ACC is starting to look more competitive as presumptive title contenders like Clemson and Miami look vulnerable, with the former’s dynastic years clearly behind them, and Virginia has also developed into a quietly lucrative recruiting base in recent years.

3. Florida

It’s Florida. It’s the SEC. What else needs to be said? College football’s top conference and a central location in the beating heart of arguably America’s best recruiting state. Despite what recent coaches have done to prove otherwise, it should be easy to win here.

It’s inexcusable that a program of this caliber has failed to make the College Football Playoff at all in more than a decade, given the resources available to it.

Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer, two of college football’s generational talents, are responsible for the bulk of the program’s recent success, otherwise the results have actually been pretty lackluster over the years.

2. Penn State

"Penn State offers resources, facilities and a Big Ten route that can reach the CFP without a title game win," De Lima said of the Nittany Lions.

It’s a tight race among the top three in these rankings, and if they can find the right man for the job, taking the helm in Happy Valley could easily make this the most lucrative position in college football in the modern era.

There are plenty of resources at the ready, a prime position in the Big Ten with its national standing and prominent media presence, a solid recruiting operation, and a rabid fan base hungry for a winner. If a few plays went differently a year ago, maybe this team plays for and wins a national championship. That’s how close they are.

1. LSU

"LSU blends elite upside with a singular in-state recruiting advantage and national title pedigree," De Lima said.

There’s an almost mystical bond between the LSU football program and the state it resides in. Good thing, too, considering the breadth of recruiting talent that comes out of Louisiana every cycle, right there for the picking.

A recent run of success, including three national championships in this century, one of which was arguably the single greatest team ever assembled, has only increased the fervor with which fans expect to remain in contention.

Whoever succeeds Brian Kelly will have to win where he lost: respecting the culture and fitting into it, winning against ranked teams, building a fortress in the state when it comes to high school recruiting, and consistently delivering body blows against the class of the SEC. It’s a tall order.

You can see the full FBS head coaching vacancy rankings from On SI here.