College football coach hirings tracker: Updated list of every new hire for 2026, from Eric Morris to James Franklin originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The college football coaching carousel is constantly spinning. But during the months of November and December, the carousel becomes especially chaotic.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSo far in 2025, we've seen a total of 12 positions open, including 10 at the power-conference level. With marquee jobs such as Penn State, Florida, and LSU open, 2025's carousel could prove to be even more chaotic down the stretch.
Let's take a look at the 2025 jobs that have been filled, as well as the ones that still remain open.
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College football coach hirings 2026
Departure
Replacement
Virginia Tech
Brent Pry
James Franklin
Oklahoma State
Mike Gundy
Eric Morris
Kent State
Kenni Burns
Mark Carney
Cal
Justin Wilcox
Auburn
Hugh Freeze
LSU
Brian Kelly
Penn State
James Franklin
Florida
Billy Napier
Arkansas
Sam Pittman
UCLA
DeShaun Foster
Stanford
Troy Taylor
Colorado State
Jay Norvell
Jim Mora Jr.
North Texas
Eric Morris
UConn
Jim Mora Jr.
Virginia Tech: James Franklin
Virginia Tech has failed to be a consistent ACC contender since Frank Beamer retired in 2015. After cycling through hires Justin Fuente and Brent Pry, the Hokie faithful are hoping James Franklin can lead VT into a new era.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFranklin is 128-60 as a head coach, and his 68.1% win percentage is far greater than VT's all-time 746-503-44 record in football. Franklin will need to prove he can win games against ranked opponents, as he is 4-21 against Top-10 teams. But his track record suggests he could turn things around in Blacksburg quickly.
Don't be surprised if Virginia Tech makes it back to the ACC title game for the first time since 2016 in the next few years. The biggest goal for Franklin? Winning a national title, which has never been done before at Virginia Tech.MORE: Dissecting James Franklin's fit at Virginia Tech
Oklahoma State: Eric Morris
Oklahoma State faced the difficult task of replacing the winningest coach in school history, Mike Gundy, following a 4-11 record dating back to last season. The Cowboys have turned to North Texas head coach Eric Morris to take on the challenge.
Morris has gone 21-15 over three seasons with the Mean Green, including a 10-1 record so far in 2025. In fact, North Texas is in the hunt for the Group of Five playoff spot this season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPrior to arriving at North Texas, he led FCS Incarnate Word to a 24-18 record from 2018-2021, guiding his teams to two conference titles and two playoff appearances.
He has worked with some impressive signal-callers as an offensive coordinator as well. During his stint with Washington State in 2022, he helped Cam Ward have a breakout season. Before Incarnate Word, he was Texas Tech's offensive coordinator from 2013-2017, during which he helped Patrick Mahomes have a record-breaking college career.
Morris, who will coach North Texas until the season's conclusion, played quarterback for the Red Raiders from 2004-08. His familiarity with the Southwest recruiting landscape should help bring Oklahoma State back to its winning ways quickly.
Arkansas: Alex Golesh, per report
According to KATV, USF"s Alec Golesh has reportedly accepted an offer to become the next head coach at Arkansas. Paired with a statement from interim head coach Bobby Petrino on Nov. 26 thanking Razorback fans for the support, the hire could be made official soon.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bulls head coach has gone 22-15 over three seasons in Tampa, including an 8-3 record in 2025. He helped lead the Bulls to a bowl victory for the first time since 2017 with USF's 41-39 five-overtime win over San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl. His current season with the Bulls have included signature wins over ranked opponents in Boise State and Florida, including a 63-36 win over North Texas earlier in the season.
Prior to arriving at USF, Golesh spent several years as an offensive assistant. He was at Tennessee under head coach Josh Heupel from 2021-22, helping the Vols finish 11-2 in 2022. That year, Tennessee finished with the nation's No. 1 scoring offense, which averaged 46.1 points per game. Golesh also coached Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt that season. He spent the 2020 season with Heupel at UCF as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.
From 2016-2019, he coached on Matt Campbell's staff at Iowa State after spending 2012-2015 at Illinois. His other various coaching stops include Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State and Toledo.
Golesh's track record as an offensive mind paired with his recruiting experience in Florida and the southeast makes him a great hire at Arkansas. He should turn things around in Fayetteville quickly.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKent State: Mark Carney
Kent State didn't have to go far to find its next head coach. The Golden Flashes fired head coach Kenni Burns in April for violating multiple university policies. He had gone a combined 1-23 over his last two seasons.
Carney, who had been on staff at Kent State since 2023, was named the interim head coach. After leading Kent State to a 3-5 start to the season in late October, the school removed the interim tag and made him the permanent head coach. The Golden Flashes are 4-7 heading into the final week of the season.
MORE: Who are college football's highest-paid coaches?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementColorado State: Jim Mora Jr.
UConn's Jim Mora Jr. is headed back West to replace Jay Norvell as head coach at Colorado State. The son of former NFL coach Jim Mora, Mora Jr. enjoyed his most success as a head coach while at UCLA from 2012-2017, including consecutive 10-win seasons that ended with bowl victories.
He's since compiled back-to-back winning seasons at UConn, where he's gone 27-23 after helming the FBS independent program in 2022. Mora Jr. is 73-53 overall throughout his NCAA coaching career and went 31-33 across four NFL seasons with the Falcons and Seahawks.
Which college football coaching jobs are still open?
There are still a number of big jobs open for 2026.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCal
Justin Wilcox was fired by Cal school on Nov. 23. He led the Bears to two straight bowl appearances the last two seasons and a 6-5 mark in 2025. But a 48-55 over nine seasons isn't good enough to compete inside the expanded ACC.
Early candidates to keep an eye for the job include Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and San Diego State's Sean Lewis.
Auburn
Auburn will hire its third head coach in five seasons after missing badly on previous hires Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze. Auburn is looking for a coach who can turn the Tigers into a legitimate SEC contender each and every season. The last time the Tigers made it to the SEC title game was in 2017. It's been even longer since Auburn won one, back in 2013.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTulane head coach Jon Sumrall is a big name to watch, with an impressive 41-11 record. Keep an eye on Houston's Willie Fritz, USF's Alex Golesh, and Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz as well.
LSU
LSU fired Brian Kelly in late October, despite a 34-14 record over four seasons. But it wasn't good enough for Baton Rouge, as he failed to lead LSU to a national title or SEC Championship in his first four seasons.
It appears as though LSU has gone all in on landing Ole Miss coch Lane Kiffin. The school is reportedly set to offer him a $90 million contract and $25 million-plus in NIL and recruiting funds. Sumrall could be a decent backup plan if Kiffin stays at Ole Miss or goes elsewhere, coaching at nearby Tulane. MORE: LSU coaching rumors tracker
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPenn State
Having multiple double-digit win seasons and Rose Bowl appearances couldn't save James Franklin. Not after three straight losses to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern, setting off Franklin as the first big coaching domino to fall earlier this season.
In recent days, there have been rumors of the school targeting Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, which would make the carousel even more chaotic. But names like JMU's Bob Chesney, Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and Louisville's Jeff Brohm are ones to keep in mind there, assuming DeBoer wins the Iron Bowl.
Florida
Florida is in desperate need of a proven winner, as there hasn't been one at head coach since Urban Meyer left in 2011. Although Lane Kiffin has been linked to the open job, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin seems to have cast a wide net in his search. Other names to keep in mind for the open job include Washington's Jedd Fisch, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, Sumrall and Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham. MORE: Florida coaching rumors tracker
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArkansas
Sam Pittman was a lovable figure in Fayetteville. His personality seemed to fit well with the culture as well, but the school moved on from him after Arkansas' 2-3 start in 2025 dropped his overall record to 32-34.
The Razorbacks could pick a Group of Five coach on rise to replace Pittman, such as Golesh, Memphis' Ryan Silverfield or even Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack.
UCLA
UCLA fired head coach DeShaun Foster following the Briuns' 0-3 start in 2025. The school being located in Los Angeles, as well as the recruiting-rich state like California makes it a solid coaching destination.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe likes of BYU's Kelani Sitake and Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi are names to know there, but don't be surprised if interim coaches in Tim Skipper or Jerry Niutheisel get considered for the full-time job.
Stanford
The Stanford job has been open since March, as the school fired Troy Taylor after investigations stemming from bullying allegations. The team is being coached by interim Frank Reich, a move made by Cardinal General Manager Andrew Luck.
Former Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard has been a name floated for the job—he was on Stanford's staff from 2010-2022. He has been the Washington Commanders quarterbacks coach since 2023, helping Jayden Daniels have a breakout rookie season last year. Stanford is 4-7 with one game remaining in 2025, but Reich could come back for another season if Luck doesn't find a worthy replacement.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNorth Texas
With Eric Morris leaving for Oklahoma State, we have another opening. Although Morris will reportedly coach the Mean Green for the remainder of their 2025 games, the search for his replacement begins now.
It’s early, but expect an up-and-coming assistant with ties to the state of Texas to be in-play. How about current Texas Tech offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich? He coached with Morris at Incarnate Word from 2018-21, and has been at Tech since 2023.
USF
Assuming the reports are accurate, Alex Golesh leaving USF means the Bulls' job is open for a fourth time since 2017. Golesh is leaving the program in a great spot, reaching back-to-back bowl wins for the first time since 2016-17, and three straight winning seasons since 2015-2017.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bulls have yet to win a conference title in school history, but Golesh made USF into a consistent, respectable program inside the AAC. With its location in the state of Florida and building an on-campus football stadium, the program is on the up and up. Look for USF to hire a young coordinator on the rise to take the reins in Tampa.
UConn
With Jim Mora departing UConn, the Huskies are once again looking for a new head coach, Mora led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in school history.
The Huskies have struggled historically, compiling a 131-182-2 overall record in the FBS. From 2011-2022, UConn saw 13 straight seasons finishing below-.500. UConn will be looking for a coach with ties to the northeast who can continue the winning ways that Mora brought.
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