The college football coaching carousel this season could go down as one of the wildest in history. Premier programs like the LSU Tigers, Penn State Nittany Lions and Florida Gators each have head-coaching vacancies this year and that will lead to a domino effect that impacts programs across the country.
Let’s dive into our College Football Coaching Carousel Predictions.
Florida Gators: Lane Kiffin
Under normal circumstances, Florida would face strong competition from LSU for Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin. However, the involvement of Louisiana’s governor in the LSU coaching search and the firing of athletic director Scott Woodward create a mess of a situation that Kiffin will likely want to avoid. So, Florida gets to take advantage of its conference rival’s dysfunction. Kiffin has always been at the center of the Gators coaching search, and a return to Florida is probably in his best interest. He’s an excellent recruiter, offensive architect, and he gets the most out of the transfer portal. Ole Miss is an appealing job, but the resources, money, and in-state talent that Florida offers pull him away from the Rebels and will make him the next Gators coach. Ole Miss loses a top coach, but we do have them landing an up-and-comer.
Penn State Nittany Lions: Manny Diaz
With Matt Rhule signing an extension with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, the top candidate in the Penn State coaching search is now off the board. That is the second time since the firing of James Franklin that a top target, Curt Cignetti, has taken themselves out of the mix by signing a contract extension. So, athletic director Patrick Kraft will have to pivot. We think Kraft goes back to the coach he tried to hire at Temple. Diaz, currently the Duke Blue Devils football coach, served as the Nittany Lions defensive coordinator from 2022-23. While his stint as the Miami Hurricanes coach didn’t work out, he’s shown improvement at Duke. It might not be the dream hire fans hoped for, but Diaz’s defensive mind and recruiting background could work well at Penn State.
Related: Penn State Coaching Candidates to Replace James Franklin
Oklahoma State Cowboys: Eric Morris
There isn’t much national attention on the Oklahoma State Cowboys, and that’s partially a reflection of where this vacancy ranks among the available jobs. With that said, the Cowboys still have plenty of intriguing options. There are a few coordinators out there with Oklahoma State ties, but head-coaching experience should matter here. North Texas head coach Eric Morris has had success as an offensive coordinator (Texas Tech and Washington State) and now has delivered winning records at Incarnate Word and North Texas. The Cowboys will need to exercise some patience with Morris, as his success typically comes in year three, but he’ll prove to be a worthwhile gamble.
Arkansas Razorbacks: Rhett Lashlee
Consideration was given to the Arkansas Razorbacks coaching search ending with the interim tag being removed from Bobby Petrino’s title. However, there’s a real chance that he finishes his interim stint with an 0-7 record, and that simply can’t be ignored for an athletic department that needs to nail this hire. Enter Rhett Lashlee. The 42-year-old SMU Mustangs head coach has delivered two seasons with double-digit wins, easily surpassing the success of his predecessor Sonny Dykes. Just as important, he’s an Arkansas native and played quarterback for the Razorbacks (2002-04). Alum head-coaching hires have worked out quite well for several programs in recent years, and Lashlee is perfect for Arkansas.
UCLA Bruins: Jonathan Smith
Given the lack of resources the UCLA Bruins seem capable of providing their football program, this feels like one of the least-appealing Power 4 jobs available. What happened with DeShaun Foster also demonstrates why the UCLA coaching search needs to prioritize head-coaching experience. Jonathan Smith’s tenure at Michigan State hasn’t gone well, and it’s very possible both sides would be better off parting ways. The Pasadena native can return to California, bringing stability to a program that needs it. It’s a safe hire for UCLA and a hiring that feels a bit inevitable.
Read More: UCLA Bruins News, Rumors
Virginia Tech Hokies: James Franklin
James Franklin to the Virginia Tech Hokies feels like destiny. Franklin gets knocked for his awful record versus top-10 teams, but the Hokies just want a stable team that can post a winning record each season and occasionally find its way to double-digit victories. Franklin is perfect for that. He posted a .615 winning percentage at Vanderbilt and a .698 mark at Penn State, delivering multiple nine-win campaigns with each program. Another positive for Franklin: the stakes of coaching at Virginia Tech will be lower than at a top job, and he’ll get an ACC schedule each year instead of an SEC schedule at Arkansas.
Stanford Cardinal: Tavita Pritchard
The recent $50 million donation to the Stanford Football program is outstanding, but there are still numerous academic hurdles that will make pulling talent in difficult. So, the Stanford Cardinal need a head coach who can get the most out of who he has on the roster and can maximize a quarterback. That’s Stanford alum Tavita Pritchard. The former Cardinal quarterback once served as Andrew Luck’s backup, and he’s since been climbing up the coaching ranks. Pritchard’s success in the NFL with Jayden Daniels will prove enticing to quarterback recruits coming out of high school. Just as crucial, he’s served on Stanford’s coaching staff as a grad assistant (2010), defensive assistant (2011-’12), running backs coach (2013), quarterbacks coach (2014-’17), and offensive coordinator (2018-’22). At 38 years old, there will be growing pains, but Luck will be willing to be patient with him, holding the long-term vision that Pritchard can get Stanford’s football team back to a respectable level.
Ole Miss Rebels: Ryan Silverfield
There is a chance that Ole Miss finds a way to retain Lane Kiffin, convincing him that legacy and money are worth turning down Florida. More than likely, though, he’s headed to the Gators. So, Mississippi pivots by poaching Memphis Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield. The 45-year-old Florida native has worked his way up from an assistant in both the NFL and college levels to leading the Tigers’ football program to even better results than they experienced under Mike Norvell. Quite frankly, it’s possible that Silverfield deserves even more credit for Memphis’ success under Norvell given he served on the staff since 2016. This wouldn’t be the splashy hire for Ole Miss, but Silverfield is a very good football coach and an excellent replacement for Kiffin.
LSU Tigers: Jon Sumrall
It’s the heavy involvement of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry that leads us to believe that the LSU head-coaching vacancy won’t be nearly as coveted as it would otherwise. However, we’ve seen multiple Tigers’ head coaches win national championships in recent years, and there is a relative ease in recruiting at LSU compared to many other Power 4 programs. That can all be appealing to Jon Sumrall. He’s won everywhere he’s coached, both rebuilding a team at Troy and delivering results when he stepped into the shoes of a top coach at Tulane. Sumrall also has experience coaching in the SEC (2018-’21) and has spent years recruiting and coaching in Louisiana (2012-’14, 2024-’25). It might not be a ‘home-run hire,’ but it’s a good move for LSU amid the chaos.
Related: LSU Tigers Coaching Candidates to Replace Brian Kelly
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