The 2025 coaching carousel didn’t bring the same chaos as recent years—no mass exodus from College Football Playoff teams, no last-minute poachings during bowl prep— well, at least at head coaching positions. But, that doesn’t mean it was boring.
In fact, this cycle gave us one of the most shocking hires in the history of the sport, some notable reunions, and a bunch of quietly strong pickups that could reshape programs for years to come.
Here's a look at our predictions for every coach in their first year at their new team.
Appalachian State – Dowell Loggains
Loggains brings years of NFL experience and just wrapped up a solid run at South Carolina as offensive coordinator. This will be his first head coaching gig, and he’s stepping into a program that has high standards—even after a tough 2024.
App State has talent, but there are certainly questions — particularly in the secondary, which was atrocious last season. App State opens up the season with Charlotte. They'll play a road game at Boise State, host Oregon State, and have to travel to James Madison.
Record Prediction: 7-5
Ball State – Mike Uremovich
An Indiana native through and through, Uremovich has been successful at Butler and now gets his shot in the MAC. He’s paired back up with longtime friend and defensive coordinator Jeff Knowles. Ball State has a ways to go before they're competitive in the MAC. They'll play Purdue, Auburn, and UConn out of conference, and they'll have to play Ohio, at Toledo, and at Miami (OH) as some of the notable conference matchups.
Record Prediction: 5-7
Bowling Green – Eddie George
George made steady progress at Tennessee State and even took them to the FCS playoffs. Now the former Heisman winner gets a chance to run a MAC program that’s been all over the map in recent years. Eddie George will keep things rolling there, but it will take a little bit of time, especially with teams like with teams like Ohio, Cincinnati, and Louisville on the schedule.
Record Prediction: 7-5
Central Michigan – Matt Drinkall
Drinkall worked wonders at the NAIA level and more recently at Army. He’s bringing a physical, run-heavy style to a CMU program that badly needs a turnaround, and that style fits perfectly with Central Michigan and the talent base that the Chippewas will be recruiting.
Record Prediction: 5-7
Charlotte – Tim Albin
Fresh off winning the MAC title with Ohio, Albin makes the leap to Charlotte. He’s a proven winner and might be just the guy to build a foundation for a still-young 49ers program. I love what Albin brings to the table at Charlotte and, honestly, he has a chance to use this job as a building block for a bigger position in just a few years. With a non-conference that includes Georgia, Army, USF, and UNC, though, it might take another year before getting a big record jump.
Record Prediction: 5-7
East Carolina – Blake Harrell
Harrell took over midseason as interim and immediately sparked ECU’s offense. After leading them to bowl eligibility, the school quickly made him the full-time head coach. East Carolina has historically been a very good Group of 5 program and we'd expect them to get back to that, but bowl eligibility feels like the goal for this season.
Record Prediction: 6-6
FIU – Willie Simmons
Simmons dominated the FCS ranks with stops at Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M. His Florida ties and experience building programs from the ground up made him a natural fit at FIU. After going 4-8 in 2024, they'll take a slight step forward in 2025.
Record Prediction: 5-7
Florida Atlantic – Zach Kittley
At 33, Kittley is the youngest FBS head coach—and maybe one of the most exciting. His offenses have been explosive everywhere he’s been. Now it’s his show in Boca Raton. However, they'll play in the competitive AAC and that will take some time.
Record Prediction: 3-9
Fresno State – Matt Entz
Entz dominated the FCS at North Dakota State, winning two national titles. After a brief stint at USC, he’s now leading a Fresno State team that’s looking for its next identity. Entz will immediately lift Fresno State, but winning in the MWC is probably still a little too lofty.
Record Prediction: 8-4
Jacksonville State – Charles Kelly
Kelly knows Jacksonville State from his days there in the '90s and brings a loaded resume of coaching under the likes of Nick Saban and Deion Sanders. It’s his first head job—and a great opportunity. Jacksonville State won Conference-USA last season, and nothing's stopping the Gamecocks from doing it again in 2025.
Record Prediction: 10-2
Kennesaw State – Jerry Mack
Mack has spent most of his coaching life in the southeast and had early head coaching success at North Carolina Central. Kennesaw is still new to the FBS level, but he knows how to build.
Record Prediction: 2-10
Marshall – Tony Gibson
A West Virginia native with years of experience coaching in the state, Gibson takes over after Charles Huff’s departure. He’s known for his defensive chops and finally gets his shot to run the show. Marshall is still set up to compete and be one of the best teams in the Sun Belt in 2025.
Record Prediction: 9-3
North Carolina – Bill Belichick
Still hard to believe, right? The NFL’s six-time Super Bowl-winning coach is now leading a college team. UNC is hoping Belichick can turn potential into consistent ACC contention. It all starts with TCU on September 1. Outside of Clemson, UNC actually has a very favorable ACC schedule with games against Cal, Virginia, Stanford, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Duke, and NC State. They could easily go 6-2 in the ACC and that might be good enough for a chance to get to Charlotte. However, they're still going to have to take major steps forward.
Record Prediction: 9-3
Ohio – Brian Smith
Smith was part of Ohio’s offensive success the last few seasons and was already in place before Tim Albin left. The Bobcats stayed in-house, hoping to maintain the program’s momentum.
Record Prediction: 10-2
Purdue – Barry Odom
Odom used his time at UNLV to rebuild his reputation and now takes over a Big Ten job. He's going to have a time with that schedule, though.
Record Prediction: 4-8
Rice – Scott Abell
Known for his triple-option offense at Davidson, Abell is a different kind of hire for Rice. If it works, his scheme could give AAC defenses serious headaches.
Record Prediction: 3-9
Sam Houston – Phil Longo
Longo’s known for lighting up scoreboards, and now he gets his first head coaching gig at a program he previously helped as OC. Don’t be surprised if Sam Houston starts slinging it. However, that schedule doesn't present itself as one that they'll be able to match that 9-3 record from last year.
Record Prediction: 8-4
Southern Miss – Charles Huff
Huff left Marshall after a Sun Belt title to take over a Southern Miss program that’s hit rock bottom. He’s got a big rebuild ahead but has proven he can win.
Record Prediction: 2-10
Temple – K.C. Keeler
Keeler has won FCS championships at two different schools and holds the record for most playoff wins at that level. Now he gets a crack at reviving Temple.
Record Prediction: 4-8
Tulsa – Tre Lamb
Lamb is only 35 but has already turned around multiple struggling programs. Tulsa gives him a bigger platform to work his magic.
Record Prediction: 3-9
UCF – Scott Frost
Back where it all started. Frost went 13-0 at UCF before flopping at Nebraska. Can he recapture the old magic now that UCF is in the Big 12?
Record Prediction: 5-7
UMass – Joe Harasymiak
Harasymiak made a name for himself at Maine and later as a defensive coordinator at Rutgers. He’s a Northeast guy through and through—and UMass could use someone who gets the region.
Record Prediction: 3-9
UNLV – Dan Mullen
Mullen returns to the sidelines after his stint with ESPN. He’s had success in the SEC and could be a home run hire for a UNLV program on the rise. The Rebels start off with a big-time matchup against Sam Houston State and then play UCLA the next week. Still, we think they'll be one of the contenders for the Group of 5's spot in the College Football Playoff.
Record Prediction: 10-2
Utah State – Bronco Mendenhall
Mendenhall is back and this time he’s got Utah State, a program that’s soon moving to the new Pac-12. His experience out west makes this a solid fit.
Record Prediction: 5-7
Wake Forest – Jake Dickert
Dickert steadied Washington State during a rocky time and now takes over a very different kind of challenge at Wake Forest. He’ll need to learn ACC territory quickly.
Record Prediction: 4-8
Washington State – Jimmy Rogers
After winning back-to-back FCS national titles at South Dakota State, Rogers is stepping up to the big leagues. The Cougars are betting on a winner.
Record Prediction: 8-4
West Virginia – Rich Rodriguez
Rodriguez is back in Morgantown and hoping to rekindle the magic from the early 2000s. He just wrapped up a solid run at Jacksonville State and is ready for one more go. BYU, Arizona State, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas Tech are all on the conference schedule and Pitt is in the non-conference, but something tells us West Virginia will get to bowl eligibility.
Record Prediction: 6-6