Ranking and grading all the college football coaching hires this cycle

The college football coaching carousel hasn't stopped spinning just yet, as almost every hiring at one school creates a fresh opening at another until all the pieces eventually settle into place.

Not to mention that whole situation at Michigan.

But we're most of the way there, with the Wolverines and Missouri State the remaining FBS schools without a head coach as of Sunday.

Meanwhile, more than two dozen head coaches have been hired in new places.

We rank and grade them all here, but keep in mind grades also pertain to fit.

For example, we're not saying Eric Morris would have been a better hire than Matt Campbell for Penn State, but Morris was an excellent hire for Oklahoma State for the reasons we'll outline. And we're not saying Florida should have hired Brian Hartline over Jon Sumrall, but the Hartline hire was a home run for South Florida, etc. It's all relative to each school's unique situation.

But this will surely spark some disagreement and debate, so have at it.

1A. Virginia Tech hires James Franklin -- A+

The first head coach hiring this cycle (Nov. 17) also tops our list as the most impactful move overall.

Cite Franklin's record against top-25 opponents all you want, there's a preponderance of proof that the man builds winners and elevates the programs he takes over.

Look, if he were hired at Florida or LSU, maybe we're not putting him atop this list, but Virginia Tech wasn't going to make a bigger splash than it did in hiring Franklin.

The Hokies haven't had a top-10 finish since 2009 and had failed twice in trying to find a worthy successor to legendary coach Frank Beamer, ultimately striking out with Justin Fuente (who had four years of experience as a head coach at Memphis) and Brent Pry (who was Franklin's longtime defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt and Penn State).

They just went from two dice-roll hires to landing a coach with a 128-60 career record at Vanderbilt and Penn State, including back-to-back 9-win seasons with the Commodores when that was still relatively unheard of and six seasons with double-digit wins at Penn State, including a 13-3 College Football Playoff semifinals run last year.

Franklin has already revived Virginia Tech recruiting, rallying the Hokies from 121st in the Rivals recruiting rankings to 27th in a matter of weeks before signing day earlier this month.

LSU hires Lane Kiffin — LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

1B. Ole Miss hires Lane Kiffin -- A+

Take away all the drama that mostly just affects Ole Miss and Kiffin's personal legacy, and there's no disputing this was a power move for LSU.

Like him or loathe him, Kiffin is a proven winner on the field.

Ole Miss had two 10-win seasons since the early 1970s before Kiffin arrived and delivered four such seasons in the last five years, including this 11-1 Rebels team now embarking on the College Football Playoff without him.

He had two 10-win seasons in three years at Florida Atlantic before that. He was an elite offensive coordinator at Alabama.

The guy may be a wildcard when it comes to all the drama that seems to follow him on the periphery wherever he goes, but he is a coach capable of winning a national championship in the near future at LSU. There simply aren't many hires you can say that about.

And then there's the recruiting element. LSU closed strong before signing day earlier this month to land the No. 11-ranked recruiting class by Rivals, which may well be the lowest the Tigers ever finish under Kiffin.

Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris from North Texas. — 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

3. Oklahoma State hires Eric Morris -- A+

For all the success Mike Gundy had over a very long time at Oklahoma State, it's a tough job and wasn't going to attract a big-name established Power 4 head coach on the rise. Even Gundy candidly admitted the challenges he faced working at a steep NIL disadvantage.

Oklahoma State needed to find a new identity for its program with this hire, one that could rally boosters and recruits alike, and it did that by hiring a proven QB guru who is building a Lincoln Riley-like resume in that regard (without the Heisman -- yet).

Morris really started building a name for himself at the FCS level at Incarnate Word, where he brought in an overlooked QB recruit in Cam Ward, put up crazy offensive numbers, and followed Ward to Washington State as offensive coordinator for a year. Ward, of course, went on to become the No. 1 overall draft pick after finishing up at Miami.

Morris, meanwhile, went to North Texas and took over a middling program coming off four straight non-winning seasons. After a slow build the first two years there, he led the Mean Green to 11 wins this season, its first national ranking in the AP poll since 1959 and came one victory shy of making the College Football Playoff.

He did that while turning another overlooked QB recruit, walk-on Drew Mestemaker, into the most prolific passer in the country this year (FBS-best 4,129 passing yards) and leading the FBS in scoring and total offense (44.8 points/504.3 yards per game).

Morris was also the offensive coordinator at Texas Tech when Patrick Mahomes passed for 9,705 yards and 77 TDs over two seasons and is credited with bringing future Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield to Texas Tech as a walk-on (before he transferred to play for Riley at Oklahoma), as well as signing John Mateer at Washington State.

It's hard to imagine Oklahoma State could have made a more impactful hire to revive enthusiasm for what's possible again in Stillwater.

Penn State hired Matt Campbell from Iowa State. — Matt Campbell answers questions from the media after being announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at the Beaver Stadium Press Room. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

4. Penn State hires Matt Campbell -- A

Penn State had more time than any other big-time program to hone in on and land a head coach, and the Nittany Lions were attached to many other names along the way to getting to Matt Campbell, including the failed push to pry Kalani Sitake out of Provo.

So maybe Campbell wasn't Penn State's first choice, or the fans' first choice, and the rash reaction has been to hammer athletic director Pat Kraft for the optics of what unfolded.

The fact remains Matt Campbell is a very, very good football coach who has deserved a chance to prove that in a more high-profile job after essentially changing the entire perspective of what was possible at Iowa State.

Iowa State won 3, 2 and 3 games in the three seasons before Campbell was hired and had just one winning season overall (7-6) in the 10 years before he landed in Ames. In his 10 seasons there, the Cyclones went 72-55 with eight winning seasons in the last nine years.

Everything is relative. Campbell took on one of the hardest jobs in college football and excelled.

Among his highlights were a 9-3 finish, a Fiesta Bowl win and a No. 9 final AP ranking in 2020 and an 11-3 mark and No. 15 finish in the polls last year.

He was in the mix for the USC job before Lincoln Riley got it four years ago, and it was only a matter of time until a big-name program hired him. This is not a reach for Penn State -- this is a nice get.

The only knock on Campbell is that he's not the most dynamic personality, and that is important in recruiting, but nowadays recruiting is so much about a program's recruiting department, collective and NIL offerings.

If Penn State supports Campbell on the recruiting side, he'll deliver on the field.

5. Michigan State hires Pat Fitzgerald -- A

Michigan State needed to nail this hire and bring some stability to a program that endured the ugly ending to Mel Tucker's tenure two games into his fourth season (fired for cause for off-the-field matters) and Jonathan Smith's disappointing two-year run as head coach.

How about a coach who stayed at Northwestern for 17 years despite plenty of opportunities to leave?

Like Campbell, Fitzgerald made a reputation as an overachiever at a school that is not traditionally an easy place to win in college football.

Fitzgerald went 110-101 with the Wildcats, posting three 10-win seasons, two 9-win seasons and was named the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to a 7-2 mark and a Big Ten championship game appearance in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.

He was fired in July 2023 after an investigation into hazing allegations among players within the program, but he filed a wrongful termination lawsuit that ended in a settlement this summer, and Northwestern issued a statement saying it did not believe Fitzgerald was ever made aware of the hazing complaints. He said he felt "vindicated" by the outcome and was ready to resume his coaching career.

If some schools were cautious about him as a result, that was Michigan State's gain as it landed a proven Big Ten winner.

Utah names Morgan Scalley head coach. — Utah Utes defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley watches the team warm up before a game against the Cal Poly Mustangs at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

6. Utah promotes Morgan Scalley -- A

It was expected that longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham would call it quits after this season, and he indeed made that announcement this week, with the Utes subsequently naming longtime defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley as his full-time replacement.

That too was expected, as Scalley had been acknowledged as the coach in waiting.

Scalley played at Utah from 2001-04, joined the staff in 2007 as a GA and has been the Utes' defensive coordinator for the last 11 seasons under Whittingham.

The program has been consistently successful and always defined by his physical defensive prowess, so turning the reins over to Scalley is the absolute right move here.

South Florida hired Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. — Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline takes the field for warm ups prior to the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

7. South Florida hires Brian Hartline -- A

South Florida lost coveted rising coach Alex Golesh to Auburn and replaced him with perhaps an even more intriguing rising young coach.

Hartline, a former Ohio State and NFL wide receiver, has established himself as one of the top recruiters in college football during his time with the Buckeyes, ultimately rising up to the role of offensive coordinator for the No. 2-ranked team entering the College Football Playoff.

He's credited with recruiting and developing NFL receivers Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka and eventually, next year, Jeremiah Smith.

Hartline should be able to keep South Florida's roster loaded with talent, and now gets the chance to prove what he can do as a head coach.

Florida hired Jon Sumrall. — New UF head football coach Jon Sumrall speaks during a press conference at the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center in Gainesville, FL on Monday, December 1, 2025. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

8. Florida hires Jon Sumrall -- B+

Florida came up short in the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes and seemed to quickly hone in on Sumrall, Tulane's fast-climbing head coach, as its next preferred target.

It is mildly interesting that Florida chose to roll the dice on another young Group of Five head coach after Billy Napier's failed tenure, but if there was one to bet on, it's Sumrall.

The 43-year-old has won at least nine games in all four seasons he's been a head coach, going 43-11 over two seasons at Troy and two at Tulane (including 11-2 with an AAC championship and CFP berth this year).

9. Kentucky hires Will Stein -- B+

This is a case where fit factors in majorly. Kentucky is one of the toughest jobs in the SEC, and finding someone who has a personal attachment and heightened investment in the program means a lot.

Especially when that someone is also a highly-successful offensive coordinator for a playoff team.

Stein, 36, grew up in the state of Kentucky and played at Louisville, but his parents went to Kentucky, and he grew up a Wildcats fan.

The offensive coordinator at Oregon for the last three years, Stein's Ducks rank ninth nationally in scoring at 38.2 points per game and 13th in total offense (465.2 yards per game). Oregon finished second nationally in total offense and scoring in 2023 with Bo Nix at QB and 22nd/17th last year.

Stein should bring fresh energy to Kentucky and be able to sell recruits and boosters on his offensive upside.

10. UCLA hires Bob Chesney -- B+

Well, we can't expect history to totally repeat itself after the last James Madison coach to leave for a Big Ten job was Curt Cignetti for Indiana. That's the 99.9999999th percentile of coaching hires.

But even without that context, UCLA did well to land a coach in Chesney who has worked his way up the ranks, succeeding at every stop. He was the head coach at Division III Salve Regina for three years (23-9), then five years at Division II Assumption (44-16) and six seasons at FCS Holy Cross (44-21) before going 21-5 the last two years at James Madison, including this 12-1 team that crashed the CFP party.

11. Colorado State hires Jim Mora -- B+

This one may have flown under the radar for a lot of college football fans, but Colorado State pulled a bit of a coup in getting Mora to make basically a lateral move from UConn, where he posted back-to-back nine-win seasons.

Mora, of course, has been an NFL head coach with the Atlanta Falcons and coached UCLA for six years, including a pair of 10-win seasons.

Colorado State has had just one winning season in the last eight years and bottomed out at 2-10 this year, prompting the firing of Jay Norvell midseason. Mora is a massive upgrade for the Rams.

12. Memphis hires Charles Huff -- B+

Memphis should be one of the most desirable G5 jobs in the country, given that its last three head coaches (Justin Fuente, Mike Norvell and Ryan Silverfield) all parlayed their tenures there into P4 head coaching jobs.

That's why Huff bolted Southern Miss after one year. He took over a 1-11 Southern Miss program and went 7-5 in his lone season there, after previously posting a 32-20 mark over four seasons as head coach at Marshall, including a Sun Belt championship last year.

13. UConn hires Jason Candle -- B

UConn was surprised when coach Jim Mora left after back-to-back nine-win seasons to take a comparable job at Colorado State, but the Huskies recovered well.

Candle went 81-44 over 10 seasons at Toledo, where he replaced Campbell after previously serving as offensive coordinator there. He never had a losing season at Toledo, posting two 11-win campaigns in 2017 and 2023, and winning two MAC championships.

14. North Texas hires Neal Brown -- B

North Texas got a taste of big-time football this year, winning 11 games and staying in the CFP hunt all the way until its AAC championship game loss to Tulane. The Mean Green wanted to keep Morris, but that wasn't going to happen.

So it makes sense they preferred a veteran head coach to come in and try to keep the program humming amidst its now heightened expectations.

Brown struggled as head coach at West Virginia, going 37-35 over six seasons while winning more than six games in only one of those campaigns, but he was the big G5 name before that after leading Troy to three straight double-digit-win seasons. This makes sense all around.

15. Cal hires Tosh Lupoi -- B

Cal badly needed a jolt of fresh energy after the stale Justin Wilcox tenure, and Lupoi should provide that, coming off a successful four-year run as Oregon's defensive coordinator.

It's also important that this isn't just any job for him. Lupoi is from Walnut Creek, California, played for the Golden Bears from 2000-05, and launched his coaching career with the program as its defensive line coach from 2008-11.

Lupoi's Oregon defenses improved throughout his tenure (albeit under defensive-minded head coach Dan Lanning), finishing 71st nationally in total defense in 2022 and then 22nd, 15th and 3rd this season (allowing just 251.6 yards per game).

16. Iowa State hires Jimmy Rogers -- B

Rogers wasn't an instant success at Washington State, going 6-6 in his lone season there, but before that, he was one of the most successful FCS head coaches and deserved a shot to prove himself at the FBS level.

He went 27-3 in two seasons at his alma mater, South Dakota State, including a 15-0 FCS national championship season in 2023, after working his way up the staff there since 2013, getting promoted to defensive coordinator before taking over as head coach.

He should fit the ethos of Iowa State's program that was established under Campbell.

17. Oregon State hires JaMarcus Shephard -- B-

You might be asking, who is JaMarcus Shephard and why is he so high on this list? Understandable.

But also understand that Oregon State is one of the toughest jobs in the FBS now that it's no longer in a P4 conference and doesn't appear well-situated for the NIL/revenue-sharing era of roster building. So the Beavers weren't going to have any high-profile options here short of hiring a retread.

Shephard brings energy and a reputation as a good recruiter to the job. Alabama's co-offensive coordinator the last two seasons under Kalen DeBoer, he got his start at Western Kentucky in a variety of roles from 2011-16, became the passing game coordinator at Purdue in 2017 and then the Boilermakers’ co-OC from 2018-21, and was the passing game coordinator and WRs coach at Washington under DeBoer from 2022-23 before following him to Tuscaloosa.

This is where we reiterate that the grades and rankings are about fit and how each school did in maximizing its needs with its hire. We're not saying Shephard is a better coach than some of the names to follow on this list; we're saying he was a smart move for Oregon State, given its constraints.

18. Auburn hires Alex Golesh -- B-

Golesh had as much buzz as any G5 coach this cycle aside from maybe Sumrall, and he was going to land a big job somewhere, so this was a sensible landing spot.

But for all that buzz, Golesh's resume isn't exactly overwhelming. He went 7-6 in his first two seasons at South Florida, then 9-3 this year, notably beating Boise State and Florida to climb into the national rankings, and later North Texas. But the Bulls squandered opportunities to push for a playoff berth with losses to Memphis and Navy. In the end, it felt like an underwhelming season given the early hype.

19. Toledo hires Mike Jacobs -- B-

There wasn't much spotlight on the Toledo coaching search, but the Rockets quietly made an intriguing hire here after losing longtime head coach Jason Candle to UConn.

Jacobs just went 20-6 in two seasons at FCS-level Mercer, making the playoffs both years while going 15-1 in the Southern Conference after also succeeding at the Division II level for four years each at Notre Dame College (42-8) and Lenoir-Rhyne (32-9), leading each to the Division II semifinals.

20. James Madison hires Billy Napier -- B-

This feels a little like when Georgia Southern hired Clay Helton after his failed tenure at USC, landing a big name on the rebound. The difference is that before floundering at Florida, Napier was a successful Sun Belt coach, going 40-12 over four seasons at Louisiana.

But James Madison struck gold in consecutive hirings by landing hungry coaches climbing the career ladder in Curt Cignetti (before his Indiana fame) and Bob Chesney (now at UCLA). It will be interesting to see how Napier bounces back from his struggles in the SEC (22-23 at Florida).

21. Southern Miss promotes Blake Anderson -- B-

Southern Miss enjoyed a bounce-back season this year under Charles Huff, going 7-5 after winning four games combined the previous two years, so it's not a surprise the program opted for continuity when Huff left after one season for Memphis.

Anderson was the offensive coordinator at Southern Miss this year, but he also has considerable head coaching experience. He was 51-37 in seven seasons at Arkansas State with two Sun Belt championships and 23-17 in three years at Utah State, where he delivered an 11-win season and Mountain West championship, followed by two 6-7 finishes.

22. Ole Miss promotes Pete Golding -- C+

Obviously, this was an unusual situation all around: Kiffin leaving for LSU, and Ole Miss' administration being adamant that he couldn't coach the team in the playoff, promptly promoting Golding to not just interim head coach but full-fledged head coach.

If Ole Miss wasn't in the playoffs and prioritizing continuity, would Golding have gotten the job? Maybe, maybe not.

He has been a defensive coordinator at UTSA (2016-17), Alabama (2018-22) and Ole Miss (2023-25), and his Rebels defenses have ranked 14th nationally last season (311.2 YPG) and 33rd this year (333.1 YPG).

23. Kansas State hires Collin Klein -- C+

It's debatable what was more surprising -- Chris Klieman's immediate retirement or Kansas State turning to a former star quarterback to take over the program.

On the one hand, it's an exciting hire for fans and boosters, which is ever-important these days, as Klein was a Heisman Trophy finalist for the Wildcats in 2012 and is tied to the Bill Snyder Era.

On the other hand, it's questionable if any other P4 programs would have considered Klein for a head coaching position at this point. He started his coaching career at K-State as a graduate assistant in 2014-15 and returned from 2017-23 first as QBs coach and later offensive coordinator before moving on to Texas A&M, where he has been OC the last two seasons and helped the Aggies to their 11-1 mark this year with an offense that ranks top-20 in yards and points.

24. Coastal Carolina hires Ryan Beard -- C+

Cue up the Ted Lasso "Coach Beard" memes!

This is an intriguing hire to a degree, as Beard coached competitive teams at Missouri State and led that program through its transition from FCS to FBS, going 7-5 this year in the Bears' first official season in Conference USA. Beard was 19-16 overall in three seasons as head coach after being promoted from defensive coordinator.

That's all well and good, but Coastal Carolina should be a more appealing job. Jamey Chadwell won 31 games over his final three seasons there before leaving for Liberty. Tim Beck couldn't sustain that success, but it's a desirable job with a recruiting advantage, being next to the tourist draw of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

It feels like Coastal Carolina could have made a bigger splash here, but that doesn't mean Beard won't work out.

25. Arkansas hires Ryan Silverfield -- C

Four AAC coaches landed P4 head coaching jobs this cycle, and Silverfield would rank last on that list for us, so essentially, Arkansas, an SEC program, hired the fourth-best AAC coach.

Maybe we're being harsh, but keep in mind that every coach at Memphis for a while now has had a certain base level of success before moving on to a bigger job. Justin Fuente parlayed his Tigers run into a failed tenure at Virginia Tech, and then Mike Norvell rode Memphis into the Florida State job, which isn't going well at the moment.

Silverfield arguably had less success than either of them. He was 50-25 in seven seasons at Memphis, including a 10-3 mark in 2023 and 11-2 in 2024, before an 8-4 finish this year, notably including a 32-31 win over Arkansas. Perhaps that game resonated with athletic director Hunter Yurachek, but the Tigers lost most of their biggest games this year to fall out of the AAC race.

26. Washington State hires Kirby Moore -- C

Washington State is in a tough spot in the new landscape of college football, losing its P4 status while getting left behind in conference realignment after the old Pac-12's implosion. As a result, Jake Dickert bolted for Wake Forest, and his replacement, Jimmy Rogers, lasted only one season before leaving for Iowa State.

So we're not saying this hire doesn't make some sense. Moore is from Prosser, Washington, which is less than three hours from Pullman, so he may feel an additional personal stake in leading this program, which is important.

But his experience is as an offensive coordinator at Fresno State for a season, followed by the last three at Missouri under offensive-minded head coach Eliah Drinkwitz.

27. Stanford hires Tavita Pritchard -- C-

Andrew Luck's tenure as Stanford general manager has been an interesting one so far, from firing Troy Taylor last March for off-the-field issues regarding his treatment of staff, to appointing Frank Reich (his head coach for a year with the Indianapolis Colts) as interim coach for the 2025 season, and now hiring another familiar face.

Pritchard was Stanford's starting QB in 2008 before Luck claimed the job the next year, and the two have remained close. Pritchard was Stanford’s coaching staff from 2010-22, starting as a graduate assistant and rising up to offensive coordinator. He was the Washington Commanders’ quarterbacks coach for the last three seasons.

It's unlikely Pritchard was being looked at for any other P4 head coaching job.

28. Tulane promotes Will Hall -- C-

Tulane opted for continuity in replacing Sumrall, promoting its offensive coordinator Hall, who now gets a second chance to prove himself as an FBS head coach.

Before returning to Tulane this year (after previously serving as offensive coordinator in 2019-20), Hall was the head coach at Southern Miss from 2021-24, going 14-30. He was previously the head coach at Division II West Alabama (25-11 in three seasons) and West Georgia (31-9 in three seasons, including two DII semifinal appearances).

Our main criticism here is that this job has become a launching pad for P4 opportunities, with Willie Fritz going on to Houston and Sumrall to Florida, so surely it was an attractive job for coaches looking to climb the ladder. Hall doesn't move the needle externally, but Tulane's decision-makers know him better than anyone and are convinced this was the best move, so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

29. UAB hires Alex Mortensen -- C-

This feels like UAB didn't really have a plan. Mortensen, the son of late ESPN NFL reporter Chris Mortensen, took over as interim coach midway through this season after Trent Dilfer was fired following a 9-21 tenure.

Mortensen went 2-4 the rest of the way with an upset win over Memphis in his first game as head coach. He did gain valuable experience in two stints on staff at Alabama as a GA/analyst, from 2014-19 and 2020-22, before becoming OC at UAB in 2023. His offenses ranked 18th, 58th and 54th nationally with the Blazers.