2026 college football coaching carousel grades: Marks for Kyle Whittingham, Lane Kiffin and all 33 FBS hires
We have marks for all 33 FBS coaching hires made ahead of the 2026 college football season
By
Richard Johnson
Feb 13, 2026
at
11:37 am ET
•
8 min read
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The 2025 coaching carousel formally opened in March when Troy Taylor was fired from Stanford and went on to be one of the longest in recent memory.
In total, 33 jobs changed hands via retirement, firing or coaches leaving for other positions. There wasn’t a Bill Belichick-level surprise, but this cycle did see major blueblood jobs change hands in a way that didn’t happen in 2024.
Below are grades for a wild cycle that appears to be over — though, as always, you never know when a surprise might happen.
Michigan — Kyle Whittingham
Previous school: Utah
It wasn’t exactly a stunner that Kyle Whittingham stepped down at Utah — he had been on retirement watch annually as he got older — but it was surprising that he ended up back in the game at Michigan. His identity should play well with the Wolverines, and the offense run by Jason Beck is tailor-made for Bryce Underwood. Grade: A
Missouri State — Casey Woods
Previous school: SMU (offensive coordinator)
Woods was targeted for several open jobs this cycle, and now he takes over a Missouri State program that made a bowl game in its first year in FBS. The transition can be difficult, but handing it off is even tougher — especially when someone hasn’t been a head coach before. Grade: C
Washington State — Kirby Moore
Previous school: Missouri (offensive coordinator)
A regional fit makes sense for Washington State, but few jobs have shifted in scope and stature more than the Cougars in recent years as the Pac-12 moves toward a proto–Mountain West structure. The job is midtier in the revamped league and a tough ask for a first-timer. Grade: C
Coastal Carolina — Ryan Beard
Previous school: Missouri State
Coastal Carolina is struggling with its identity as a program after the Jamey Chadwell era. Tim Beck had success in his first season before taking a step back. Beard knows how to do more with less after his run at Missouri State. Grade: B
Southern Miss — Blake Anderson
Previous school: Southern Miss (offensive coordinator)
Anderson knows Hattiesburg, and this is his second stint. What must be considered, however, is not his on-field prowess but the off-field scandal that led to his firing for cause from Utah State. Anderson was let go in Logan right before the 2024 season after an internal investigation found he violated Title IX policy. Following the arrest of a player for alleged domestic violence, Anderson did not immediately report the incident to the school and contacted the alleged victim and her roommate. He has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the school. Grade: F
Toledo — Mike Jacobs
Previous school: Mercer (FCS)
Group of Six teams must think outside the box, and hiring one of the hottest FCS coaches is the type of move MAC schools should pursue. Jacobs’ Mercer teams won consecutive conference championships and he’s a solid bet to keep the Rockets rolling in Jason Candle’s absence. Grade: B+
Tulane — Will Hall
Previous school: Tulane (offensive assistant)
Tulane boasts one of the the Group of Six’s best jobs. So after consecutive coaches left for greener pastures, it’s understandable the Green Wave opted for a safe hire familiar with the region and school — this is Hall’s second stint in New Orleans. However, his first turn as a head coach did not go well at Southern Miss. Tulane is banking that with more resources he can succeed, but that remains to be seen. Grade: C
UConn — Jason Candle
Previous school: Toledo
Candle was a perennial candidate to leave Toledo — nearly doing so for the Miami offensive coordinator job a few years ago — so it’s something of a coup that UConn was able to land him after its best stretch of football in more than a decade under Jim Mora. Candle will bring offensive prowess, but the Huskies must rebuild with this year’s offensive stars gone. Grade: B
Memphis — Charles Huff
Previous school: Southern Miss
Huff took Marshall to 10 wins and quickly dug Southern Miss out of a hole, but Memphis is a different test. It sits at or near the top of the American in resources and should challenge annually for the Playoff via the Group of 6 spot. Expectations are high, but Huff has shown the ability to do more with less. Grade: B+
Penn State — Matt Campbell
Previous school: Iowa State
It seemed Campbell might have been stuck in Ames. Forays with the NFL and Florida State went nowhere. After a circuitous process, he ends up at Penn State, a place that seems amenable to his no-frills style and developmental success. The question is whether he’ll run into the same glass ceiling James Franklin did, potentially with less NFL-ready talent. Grade: B
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Cal — Tosh Lupoi
Previous school: Oregon (defensive coordinator)
Lupoi knows the program, which helps given Cal’s fiscal limitations. He also has renowned recruiting prowess on the West Coast — two major boxes checked for the Golden Bears. The other: holding onto quarterback Jaron-Keave Sagapolutele. Grade: B+
James Madison: Billy Napier
Previous school: Florida
Can a tiger change his stripes? That will be the question for Napier at JMU, particularly regarding how much of the reins he’ll cede to offensive coordinator Cam Aiken. The Dukes have succeeded with two head coaches in their FBS era. If they can sustain it with a third, this becomes the destination job in the Group of Six. Grade: B-
UAB: Alex Mortensen
Previous school: UAB (offensive coordinator)
Hiring the interim coach carries significant risk, and this move raised eyebrows across the industry, with many doubtful about the administration in Birmingham. Mortensen is young and takes over for Trent Dilfer, who never gained traction. Grade: D
South Florida — Brian Hartline
Previous school: Ohio State (offensive coordinator)
We know Hartline can recruit, but can he lead a program? Now that he’s away from the Ohio State apparatus, we’ll find out. He remains close to the region he’s recruited best — South Florida — and with an upwardly mobile USF program, the resources should be there to replace the pieces that left with Alex Golesh. Grade: C
North Texas — Neal Brown
Previous school: Texas (assistant to the head coach)
Brown had success at Troy but struggled at West Virginia to elevate the Mountaineers. UNT caught lightning in a bottle with Eric Morris and quarterback Drew Mestamaker. Can Brown find his version? Grade: C
Kentucky — Will Stein
Previous school: Oregon (offensive coordinator)
A bright young coaching mind with Kentucky ties, Stein is an intriguing hire in the post–Mark Stoops era. Stoops’ consistency defined the Wildcats for so long. Now there’s carte blanche for Stein to put his stamp on the program. Grade: B
Michigan State — Pat Fitzgerald
Previous school: Northwestern (2006-22)
Fitzgerald made waves at Northwestern by leading the Wildcats to two first-place finishes in the Big Ten West, but struggled during the final two years of his tenure with a 4-20 combined record. It remains unclear whether Fitzgerald’s late-era swoon in Evanston was due to limited resources or if the game passed him by. For years, Fitzgerald maximized rosters with talent deficiencies. With more investment promised, the answer should come quickly. Grade: B-
UCLA — Bob Chesney
Previous school: James Madison
In the race to find the next Curt Cignetti, the Bruins made a compelling move by hiring Chesney away from James Madison. He followed Cignetti and reloaded the program, guiding the Dukes to the College Football Playoff. UCLA lacks the resources of crosstown rival USC, but Chesney has a proven developmental track record the Bruins need. Grade: A
Ole Miss — Pete Golding
Previous school: Ole Miss (defensive coordinator)
By default, it had to be Golding, and early returns suggest he’s the right man for the job. There’s no telling what this will look like after transfer movement and staff changes, but it’s officially Golding’s program. Grade: B
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LSU — Lane Kiffin
Previous school: Ole Miss
You’d be forgiven for forgetting Kiffin was hired to coach football amid the drama and social media circus surrounding the search. Given his track record with employers, this marriage may not end well. But considering his success on the field and in the transfer portal, combined with LSU’s resources, it’s hard to doubt it will work — until it doesn’t. Grade: B+
Florida — Jon Sumrall
Previous school: Tulane
Florida may have hoped for a different outcome, but Sumrall knows the SEC, and his initial staff appears geared to challenge the conference’s standard-bearer and chief rival, Georgia. Grade: B+
Auburn — Alex Golesh
Previous school: South Florida
Armed with quarterback Byrum Brown, Golesh arrives with expectations of an exciting offense on the Plains. Pairing with incumbent defensive coordinator DJ Durkin should help the first-time SEC head coach adjust to the step up. Grade: B
Arkansas — Ryan Silverfield
Previous school: Memphis
Silverfield arrives as Arkansas tries to define its place in the SEC. With baseball and men’s basketball siphoning resources, can the Razorbacks compete? At Memphis, Silverfield clearly held a financial advantage. That certainty no longer exists. Grade: B
Stanford: Tavita Pritchard
Previous job: Washington Commanders (quarterbacks coach)
How much autonomy Pritchard will have in a football program that clearly belongs to Andrew Luck remains to be seen. He’s an intriguing young coach, but Stanford represents one of the most aggressive versions of the sport’s evolving model, where the head coach isn’t always the central authority. Grade: C
Oregon State needed someone familiar with the region during its athletic reset. Shephard brings passion, which is half the battle given OSU’s current position. On the field, a primary focus must be fixing a struggling special teams unit. Grade: B
Colorado State — Jim Mora
Previous school: UConn
Mora was once viewed as a fish out of water in the college game, but the former UConn coach found success in East Hartford. Now he takes over a Rams program long considered an emerging force out West. It’s up to Mora to unlock that dormant potential. Grade: B
Oklahoma State — Eric Morris
Previous school: North Texas
The Cowboys arguably had the weakest roster in the Power Four last year, but Morris brings quarterback Drew Mestamaker and others with him. Improvement should be immediate, and promised resources to build around him add optimism. Grade: A
Virginia Tech — James Franklin
Previous school: Penn State
The Hokies sought modernization and hired a coach capable of dragging them into the sport’s current era. Franklin’s personality should resonate in Blacksburg, and with Brent Pry back as defensive coordinator, he’ll have support navigating Virginia Tech’s internal landscape in the new ACC. Grade: A
Kent State — Mark Carney
Previous school: Kent State (offensive coordinator)
By default, promoting Carney from interim is a success. Few programs have struggled historically as much as Kent State, and five wins in 2025 exceeded the combined total from 2023-24. Grade: B
