Coaching Carousel Continues Ahead Of 2026 College Football Playoff

The stakes continue to rise along with the coaching changes as college football teams push towards conference titles, bowl games and the 2026 College Football Playoff. Rivalry games are most anticipated as November begins, and so is the upcoming College Football Playoff rankings with the first of six releases Tuesday, Nov. 4. Selection day for the 12 team College Football Playoff is Sunday, Dec. 7, but until then some of the biggest games of the season are still ahead.

So are the anticipated changes and rumors of coaches expected to take over some of the biggest brands and top programs following the recent firings of head coaches DeShawn Foster at UCLA, James Franklin at Penn State, Billy Napier at Florida and Brian Kelly at Louisiana State (LSU). Franklin was 101-42 at Penn State since 2014 with six double-digit win seasons. That included last season when the Nittany Lions made the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff with Penn State winning big in their quarterfinal home game. But a 6-6 record in bowl games and 4-21 record vs. AP top-10 teams including the home loss to Oregon this season followed by the unexplainable loss at winless UCLA as a 25-point favorite had fans furious in State College. Buyouts have reached record levels, including nearly $50 million for Franklin, and so has the number of mid-season dismissals with 12 FBS head coaches fired before November this season.

Other notable coaches who were let go with programs opting for change include Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, who at 21 years was the second longest-tenured coach in college football behind Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz. Gundy was 170-90 at Oklahoma State and led the Cowboys to nine AP top-20 finishes between 2008 and 2021. But the program hit bottom the past two seasons, going 0-9 in Big 12 play last season and 0-5 so far in 2025 with a 1-7 overall record. 

College Coaching Carousel, Changes And Creating Continuity

Arkansas removed Sam Pittman as head coach, and he helped end the Razorbacks 20-game SEC losing streak in 2020 and then won nine games in 2021. The Hogs slipped to 4-8 two seasons ago (1-7 SEC), 7-6 last season (3-5 SEC) and 2-6 this season including 0-5 in SEC play. Former NFL QB Trent Dilfer went 9-21 in three seasons at Birmingham before getting fired in mid-October. Brent Prye was let go at Virginia Tech following an 0-3 start to the season for the first time since 1987, and an overall record of 16-24 in four seasons coaching the Hokies. The Mountain West has a head coach opening after Jay Norvell couldn’t turn around the Colorado State program like he had at Nevada. Norvell went 18-26 in four seasons at Fort Collins. 

For a full look at how these firings and hirings are shaking up the landscape, the college football news section at BetOnline covers coaching changes, program updates, and betting implications across every major conference.

Stability and continuity have been foundational elements at programs like Iowa and Clemson, where Kirk Ferentz has coached the Hawkeyes for 27 years, and Dabo Swinney 17 years as the Tigers foundational coach and leader. But Clemson now has four losses for the third straight season after they began the 2025 season ranked in the top-5 of the AP Poll. Culture, development and a consistent internal standard have driven those programs along with others like Wisconsin, where Luke Fickell is on the hot seat in his third season as head coach in Madison. Fickell has a 15-18 record including 2-5 this season and winless in the Big Ten after the Badgers failed to make a bowl game last season for the first time in 22 years. But a $25 million buyout has the Wisconsin athletic director supporting his chosen coaching hire and Wisconsin’s financial commitment. 

College football has always moved fast, but the speed of the sport is moving like Formula One racers down the Las Vegas Strip for November’s big event in Las Vegas, which will host the College Football Playoff championship at Allegiant Stadium in 2027. The transfer portal and NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) era turned roster construction into year-by-year free agency. But roster turnover, faster expectations and demands on coaches to win and reward the institutions and conferences with immediate payoffs is driving greater expectations, shifts and changes in leadership and coaches. 

Odds To Be The Next Penn State Head Coach 

Two Big Ten coaches who were generating interest for new programs just signed lucrative extensions to stay put. Curt Cignetti remains at Indiana, who is undefeated at 8-0 into November and up to No. 2 in the AP College Football Poll following the program’s remarkable rise under Cignetti last year to make the College Football Playoff. Matt Rhule just signed a restructured contract extension through 2032 to remain at Nebraska after the former Penn State player under legendary coach Joe Paterno was a leading candidate to become Penn State’s next head coach. 

So here are coaching candidates and current odds from BetOnline to be the next head coach at Penn State. Betting lines and college football odds refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on futures, props and live betting.  

Penn State

• +140: Brian Hartline 
• +225: Joe Brady
• +300: Eli Drinkwitz
• +500: Jeff Brohm
• +700: Urban Meyer
• +900: Mike Elko, Brian Kelly
• +1000: Matt Campbell
• +1200: Manny Diaz, Brent Key
• +1400: Dan Mullen
• +2000: Curt Cignetti
• +3300: Lane Kiffin, Dabo Swinney
• +5000: Jon Gruden

Other Potential Coaching Vacancies

Along with the current 12 college football programs that have already removed their head coach this season, other notable programs that could be making changes for 2026 include: Florida State, Auburn, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Maryland, who is 37-44 under bumbling Mike Lockley. Even Colorado with coach Prime would have an opening if Deion Sanders were to leave for another offer or step away for health reasons. Stanford will have an opening as Frank Reich was brought on as interim head coach this year for one season to help current Stanford GM Andrew Luck, the former Cardinal star and No. 1 overall pick of the Indianapolis Colts where Reich was the head coach in Luck’s final NFL season.

Kentucky has a big buyout and lump sum owed if they move on from Mark Stoops, who has coached the Wildcats since 2013 but currently sit 0-5 in the SEC. Mississippi State is 0-4 in SEC play (4-4 overall). North Texas, South Florida, Memphis, Tulane, SMU, Southern Miss, James Madison and Western Kentucky could have head coach openings as their current coaches become targets of higher-profile and bigger programs. Other programs with coaches on the hot seat include Nevada, Cal, Arizona, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, South Alabama and potentially South Carolina, even after Shane Beamer led the Gamecocks to 9 wins in 2024 and SEC Coach of the Year honors. 

Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick won’t be a college coach of the year, but could he be one and done or under more pressure next year at North Carolina? Bill O’Brien is feeling more heat in his second season at Boston College.  

Missouri could have an opening with current head coach Eliah Drinkwitz rumored at other college football programs including Florida. Will Ole Miss have a head coaching vacancy? Lane Kiffin, who has had winning tenures as head coach at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic and now Ole Miss, (51-19 including 29-17 in SEC), will be a top target at Florida along with Florida State as that job opening becomes available.  

You can bet on it.