College football coach hirings tracker: Updated list of every new hire for 2026, from Jon Sumrall to Alex Golesh 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
Alex Golesh
LSU
Brian Kelly
Lane Kiffin
Penn State
James Franklin
Florida
Billy Napier
Jon Sumrall
Arkansas
Sam Pittman
Ryan Silverfield
UCLA
DeShaun Foster
Stanford
Troy Taylor
Tavita Pritchard
Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin
Pete Golding
Colorado State
Jay Norvell
Jim Mora Jr.
North Texas
Eric Morris
UConn
Jim Mora Jr.
Oregon State
Trent Bray
JaMarcus Shephard
Coastal Carolina
Tim Beck
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.
Kent 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCarney, 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.
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Colorado 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe'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.
Oregon State: JaMarcus Shephard
Oregon State hired Alabama co-offensive coordinator the post of head coach, the school announced on Nov. 28. Shephard agreed to a five-year deal with the Beavers. He will take over for Trent Bray, who was dumped after going 5-14 across two seasons in Beaverton.
Shephard is an experienced tactician, having previously turned out for Washington State and Washington. During his time with the Crimson Tide, Shephard helped facilitate the development of an impressive WR room that included Germie Bernard and Ryan Williams. He also coached Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan during his two-year stint with the Huskies.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm honored to lead the Oregon State University football program and to join a community that cares so deeply about its student-athletes," Shephard said said in a statement. "We will build a culture rooted in toughness, integrity, and relentless effort, and I'm excited to get to work with our players, staff, and supporters to write the next great chapter of Beaver football."
Stanford: Tavita Pritchard
Stanford announced the hiring of Tavita Pritchard as head coach on Nov. 28, replacing interim coach Frank Reich, whose hire was always expected to be a one-year role.
The 38-year-old Pritchard was in his third season as the Washington Commanders' quarterbacks coach, but he is a Stanford man at heart after spending four years as a quarterback with the Cardinal and another 13 on the coaching staff in various roles.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPritchard spent most of 2008 as Stanford's starter, but he was quickly replaced by none other than Andrew Luck in 2009. As the hands-on general manager of the program, Luck made the decision to hire Pritchard, who spent five seasons as the program's offensive coordinator under David Shaw before Shaw departed at the end of the 2022 season.
Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield
Arkansas is hiring Ryan Silverfield as its head coach, according to multiple reports.
Silverfield spent the last six seasons as the head coach at Memphis after replacing Mike Norvell, guiding the Tigers to five winning seasons without ever finishing under .500. Silverfield is 29-9 over his last three seasons, though Memphis fell a bit short of playoff expectations in 2025 with an 8-4 campaign.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUSF's Alex Golesh was reported to be a top candidate at Arkansas after Sam Pittman's firing, but the Florida-born Silverfield is headed to Fayetteville while Golesh is Auburn-bound.
Auburn: Alex Golesh
Auburn is hiring USF's Alex Golesh as head coach to replace Hugh Freeze. Tulane's Jon Sumrall was reported to be a top target of the Tigers' search, but with Florida in the running for Sumrall, the school pivoted to Golesh.
Born in Moscow before coming over to the U.S. with his family at seven years old, Golesh spent nearly two decades as a collegiate assistant at different stops before becoming the head coach at South Florida in 2023. Golesh helped drag the Bulls out of a dark period, leading USF to three consecutive winning seasons including a 9-3 campaign in 2025.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFlorida: Jon Sumrall
Florida is hiring Tulane's Jon Sumrall as its next head coach. Sumrall, who was a candidate for the Auburn job before Florida pivoted away from Lane Kiffin, is 42-11 in four seasons as a head coach between Troy and Tulane.
Sumrall went 23-4 at Troy before replacing Willie Fritz at Tulane and sustaining some of the success Fritz established in New Orleans. The Green Wave went 9-5 with Darian Mensah at quarterback in 2024 and are 10-2 in 2025 with wins over Duke and Northwestern.
The Gators went with a Group of Five head coach again after hiring Billy Napier four years ago, and expectations will be sky-high for Sumrall in the SEC.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLSU: Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin made it official on Nov. 30, announcing that he will be the next head coach at LSU after a weeks-long saga.
Kiffin just wrapped up an 11-win season at Ole Miss, where he went 55-19 in six seasons and effectively locked up a College Football Playoff berth for the Rebels in 2025. Despite the success, a massive seven-year contract and the promise of resources to build a championship-caliber roster lured Kiffin to Baton Rouge.
LSU fired Brian Kelly in October and targeted Kiffin from the start, never wavering until they landed their man exactly five weeks later.
Ole Miss: Pete Golding
Ole Miss announced the promotion of Pete Golding to full-time head coach after Lane Kiffin's departure for LSU.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Rebels reportedly spoke to Jon Sumrall and Alex Golesh as Kiffin debated on a potential exit, but both Sumrall and Golesh found other SEC jobs before Kiffin's official departure. Ole Miss is instead choosing Golding, who has spent the last three seasons as the program's defensive coordinator after five seasons as Alabama's defensive coordinator under Nick Saban.
This is Golding's first head coaching job at any level.
Which college football coaching jobs are still open?
There are still a number of big jobs open for 2026.
Cal
Justin Wilcox was fired by Cal 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEarly 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.
Penn 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUCLA
UCLA fired head coach DeShaun Foster following the Bruins' 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.
The 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.
North 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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’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.
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.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCoastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina entered the search for a new head coach after firing Tim Beck on Nov. 30. The Chanticleers finished the 2025 season at 6-6, which included three consecutive losses to end the year — all of which the defense gave up at least 45 points.
Beck's teams have regressed in his three seasons in Conway, going 8-5 in 2023 before finishing 6-7 last year and 6-6 this year, ending his tenure with a mark of 20-18.
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