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The carousel is moving slowly, but that could change in a hurry. From rising stars to established names, these are the coaches who could land bigger jobs.
The college football coaching carousel is moving at a slower pace than normal this season, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t return to the normal frenzy in the near future as hot seats become open seats across the country.
Who could be in line for a bigger job and who are athletic directors already vetting? Here are 50 names to keep an eye on at multiple levels of the sport who could be in the mix to take over a new job this cycle.
After doing a fantastic job at lower-resourced schools, Dickert is one of the few established power-conference coaches who has a chance to make a step up to a more marquee position. The Wisconsin native will be one of the first calls if any Big Ten gig opens, but he has the opportunity to be picky this cycle given how much the Demon Deacons value him being in charge.
The man won an ACC title at Duke. There really doesn’t need to be many more bullet points on the résumé than that and his tenure at a big job like Miami certainly won’t be held against him. There may not be enough openings to tempt him to leave Durham, N.C., but his alma mater Florida State would be intriguing and Diaz knows more than most how to work around any limitations the Seminoles might have.
There has been a slight regression in the Sun Devils after making the College Football Playoff, but make no mistake, Dillingham is one of the brightest young coaches around who understands what is needed to run a major program. He’s been vocal about resources at the only job he’s ever truly coveted so it would take a massive offer to lure him from Tempe, Ariz., at one of the bluebloods.
Sitake seriously considered leaving for Penn State last cycle and has been extremely frank recently in pushing his administration to support his program more. There have been changes behind the scenes but this year will be a big test for BYU should a marquee program come calling for a coach who has built a team worthy of being No. 1 in the polls.
Few coaches have a better personality than Drinkwitz, who is as sharp on the field as he is witty off it. He has an offense that does a great job of adapting to its personnel and has been linked to much bigger jobs the last few years for a reason.
There are some athletic directors who may be scared off by Fleck’s personality but that would be discounting a terrific coach who has somehow won 70 games at Minnesota. It’s been a decade in the Twin Cities, so if ever there was a time to finally pull the trigger on a move to another power-conference job, this would be it.
He’s not just a viral video star, but one of the best coaches around and a real threat to make the CFP this season. Eck has experience all over the country and at all levels, but would be a perfect fit in the Big Ten.
There are numerous athletic directors who would love to hire Polasek and even a few who have tried recently. Moving the Bison up to the FBS level was enough to keep him around Fargo, N.D., for this season, but he ticks off every box for someone who will succeed with a Power 4 job.
As much as Mullen says he’s excited to be in Las Vegas, there always figures to be the itch to coach back in the big leagues once again. The biggest flaw from his time at Florida—recruiting—is less of an issue in this NIL/revenue-sharing era and he’s an excellent X’s and O’s coach who should be a candidate at a number of spots.
Four jobs in four years may be tough for some to stomach but it’s understandable for Huff, who has a stellar record and has learned from Nick Saban. He has one of the top teams in the American in Year 1 with the Tigers and figures to be an excellent option at places like his native Maryland.
Just about every job in the state of Texas that comes open will feature Traylor in its search. He’s positioned the Roadrunners into CFP contention this season and could be a trendy name for several programs looking for a no-nonsense option.
Three conference titles in three seasons is going to get Danielson onto the radar of just about every major job, especially given how well his team plays. He won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but should be in the mix for any power-conference opening west of the Mississippi at the very least.
Another coach with significant head coaching experience, Entz has won national titles and been part of a high-end blueblood program as an assistant. He’ll value alignment in whatever job might come next and has the benefit of being able to be quite picky with any next move.
For any schools looking to jump-start their offense, Kinne will be an early call in the search. He has tremendous ties to the state of Texas and will be interviewed for any top opening in the region.
Taylor earned a ton of praise among administrators for how he handled the aftermath of the game against Michigan and that only added to him being one of the top candidates this cycle. He has experience all over the country, has Saban in his corner and should be the first call of just about every Big Ten or SEC opening at this point.
There are some who think Whitten is bound to take Tarleton State to the FBS level in the near future but if no invite is there for the program, he could be an intriguing option for several schools looking for a veteran coach. One complicating factor? He may be locked up until January with one of the FCS title favorites.
Fresh off a national title, Vigen will likely earn an interview with just about every FBS job that comes open out West. He’s toyed with a number of FBS gigs before backing out, but could be an excellent candidate for several aspiring Group of 6 teams.
The Princeton grad has extensive Ivy League experience and fits the mold of the slew of recent successful FCS-to-FBS coaches. He’s 22–4 with the Crimson and could capitalize on so many ADs looking for the next great coach out of New England.
Jon Sumrall zeroed in on Faulkner to help turn around the Gators and that’s paid off in a big way in Gainesville, Fla. The lack of success Georgia Tech has had after he left should only enhance the résumé of one of the best OCs in the country who will garner significant Power 4 interest.
The question is not if Dawson is capable of being a head coach, but rather if he’d leave Coral Gables, Fla., after helping the Hurricanes return to the top of the sport. While it might be an easy fit to peg him as a future American or Sun Belt coach, it’s more likely going to take a Power 4 opening to interest him.
The Tar Heels are much improved this season and not all of the credit goes to Bill Belichick. Petrino is an acquired taste, to put it mildly, for some administrators but there will always be an ambitious program who won’t mind taking a chance on him guiding a quick turnaround.
His head coach (Lane Kiffin) gets much of the headlines but Weis has been key to potent offenses at FAU, Ole Miss and now with the Tigers. He won’t mind waiting around for the right situation and it certainly will be easy to sell him as the next Will Stein at any number of Power 4 or Group of 6 jobs.
It’s a surprise the Hoosiers retained much of their staff after the national championship run but that speaks to how much it will take to pull guys like Shanahan away from Curt Cignetti. The former has done a fantastic job with new QB Josh Hoover (no turnovers so far in 2026) and will be top of mind for ADs hoping to take a bit of the magic Indiana has had recently.
If you have the Red Bull budget for him, Holgorsen is a proven head coach who has done an excellent job in Lincoln, Neb., on offense even without many highly sought-after players to work with. He won’t just jump at any job, but could be in the mix if the carousel gets particularly active.
His game plan against Notre Dame was a master class in delivering the Cougars the biggest win in school history and the only question is if he may want to stick around Provo, Utah, as Sitake’s eventual successor one day or if he will have to take a job elsewhere first.
The hard-nosed Haines will not lack for interviews this offseason and figures to be one of the top options for those looking to pluck the James Madison/Cignetti coaching tree of success.
There’s been a night-and-day difference for the Hurricanes defense since Hetherman’s arrival in South Florida and it won’t be long before he’s calling plays as a head coach. It remains to be seen if this is the cycle for him to finally become a head coach, but he’s more than ready to lead his own program.
It’s been four or five years now since Schumann has seen his name come up in the coaching carousel but each time he’s opted to stick around with Kirby Smart. He seems destined to be an SEC coach at some point in the future and the only question might be when that ultimately becomes the case.
Baker was nearly a head coach after last season but remained in Baton Rouge to run Kiffin’s defense. He’ll be in a similar spot this year and will likely be one of the top options for any number of Sun Belt, Conference USA and American openings.
After playing a big part in turning around North Texas’s defense last season, Cassidy has done the same with the Cowboys in improving their numbers across the board. He may still want another year as a Power 4 coordinator before leaving for a top job, but his track record will get him a look from a number of spots.
Lynn helped revive USC’s defense before leaving for his alma mater and linking up with Matt Campbell. He’s long been considered a rising star in the profession and could be a candidate to return to the NFL as a coordinator as well.
A former head coach, Hill has done the job he’s been asked to do at Michigan even if the overall team success hasn’t been there. He did a similarly good job at BYU and should be garnering plenty of interviews if he is looking to take another top job.
Shortsighted ADs will overlook Cronic since he’s at a service academy, but he’ll be a head coach again sooner rather than later. His offense can excite a fan base and any number of Group of 6 openings would be wise to seriously consider him.
It was notable that Billy Napier decided to give up play-calling when taking the job in Harrisonburg, Va., and Aiken has been excellent at handling things for one of the few undefeated teams in the country. Even if he doesn’t land a head coaching gig, a Power 4 coordinator spot may be in the cards this offseason.
Although most believe Kingsbury will opt to stay in the NFL, that doesn’t mean schools won’t inquire about the offensive mind who is working for Sean McVay this season.
Considered a rising star in the profession, the former Illinois quarterback has both NFL and college experience as an assistant and should be a head coach at either level soon enough.
Rees has been in the mix for several head coaching jobs in college in recent years, and this might be the cycle to land one. His work around some of the best coaches in the game have only enhanced a résumé that includes the ability to relate easily to players as a former Notre Dame signal-caller.
One of the first calls if his alma mater Boise State has an opening, Adams is widely praised in football circles as being on the cutting edge of developing the run game. He has extensive college experience as well.
The former All–Big Ten offensive lineman popped up when the Michigan job came open in the offseason and will continue to do so for similar Big Ten jobs. He may be in line for an NFL opportunity first, however.
It was a disappointment for Leonhard when he wasn’t named Wisconsin’s head coach after an interim stint, but he parlayed that into an excellent set of jobs in the pros. His name alone will garner an inquiry from any opening in the Midwest even if the former star player may stick around in the NFL.
An outside-the-box name, McCown has already interviewed for a few open NFL jobs. He’s no stranger to the collegiate level with his family ties.
The former Boise State corner has put in the hours to rise up the coaching ranks and will get plenty of interest for college openings if he wants to return to that level.
Another veteran assistant at both the college and now pro levels, Brown has an excellent reputation in the game and several Group of 6 schools should look at him.
There aren’t many assistants who would get the seal of approval from Saban, Pete Carroll and Mike Macdonald but Scott certainly does. He understands the college game well and will be a name to watch even without a coordinator title.
An ex–Big Ten quarterback, Kafka served as the Giants interim coach last year and will garner looks at both the NFL and college level.
We’ll see if the reset button being hit in Indianapolis will be enough to lure Manning back to the college game after many successful seasons in the Midwest.
It’s easy to admit the LSU job was a bad fit, but Kelly has won everywhere and should be open to landing another big job. The larger question for the newfound TV analyst is if there’s a job that interests him enough this cycle.
Fisher has been pretty open about wanting to get back in the game and it’s not like he would command a massive salary given that he’s still being paid by Texas A&M. There are some ADs who wouldn’t touch him for a major Power 4 job, but all it takes is one.
It’s been a few years since Holtz has coached in college but some in the industry believe he’s ready to get back after some time in the UFL. For several lower-level Group of 6 programs, it wouldn’t be the most exciting hire, but he would provide a steady hand.
Rivers was invited to interview for NFL jobs and should receive attention at the college level this cycle, too. That would certainly include NC State if open, where one of his sons has committed as a four-star QB.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 50 Names to Watch in 2026 College Football Coaching Carousel.
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