The 2025 college football season will feature plenty of fresh faces on the sidelines, with programs across the country hoping their latest coaching hires will set them up for long-term success. While some hires have been met with skepticism, others have already generated excitement based on the track records of the coaches stepping into new roles.
Here’s a look at the five best head coaching hires for 2025, ranked based on immediate impact, long-term potential, and overall fit with their new programs.
The 5 best coaching hires of the 2025 college football offseason
1. Barry Odom – Purdue
Barry Odom’s coaching career has been a roller coaster, but his recent success at UNLV — nearly leading the Rebels to a College Football Playoff berth — proved he’s learned from past challenges.
After a 25-25 tenure at Missouri, Odom turned around the Rebels, leading them to back-to-back Mountain West Championship appearances. Now, he gets a second chance at a Big Ten program with Purdue, where expectations are high but realistic.
Purdue has struggled in the past two seasons, going just 5-19, but Odom brings defensive stability and a newfound confidence as a head coach. His ability to recruit in the Midwest and adapt to changing rosters makes this a hire that could pay off in a big way. If he can establish consistency and develop Purdue into a solid defensive team, the Boilermakers might become a sleeper team in the Big Ten sooner rather than later.
2. Rich Rodriguez – West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez’s return to West Virginia is a homecoming that Mountaineers fans have been dreaming about for years. After his departure for Michigan in 2007 led to a messy divorce, Rodriguez bounced around at Arizona and Jacksonville State, proving he still has what it takes to build a winning program.
At Jacksonville State, he went 27-10, showing that his offensive mind is still as sharp as ever. Now, he returns to a program where he went 60-26 in his first stint. The expectations will be high, but if Rodriguez can recapture the magic from his first tenure, this hire could easily be the best of the 2025 cycle.
3. Bill Belichick – North Carolina
Perhaps the most fascinating coaching hire of the offseason, Bill Belichick’s arrival at North Carolina is unprecedented. The six-time Super Bowl champion has never coached at the college level, making this one of the biggest experiments in recent college football history.
While Belichick is undoubtedly one of the greatest football minds ever, questions remain about how he will adapt to recruiting, NIL deals, and the overall differences between the NFL and college, as well as his age and ability to adapt to today's game. That said, his mere presence in Chapel Hill elevates the Tar Heels' profile, and if he can successfully transition his defensive philosophies to the college game, North Carolina could quickly become a contender in the ACC.
4. Bronco Mendenhall – Utah State
Bronco Mendenhall has a reputation for turning programs around, and Utah State is hoping he can work his magic once again. Mendenhall led BYU to four double-digit win seasons and later helped Virginia reach the ACC Championship Game. His brief stop at New Mexico in 2024 showed he still has the ability to maximize a roster, and now he returns to Utah, where his deep ties make him a perfect fit.
With Utah State set to move to the new-look Pac-12 in 2026, the Aggies needed a coach with experience building programs into consistent winners. Mendenhall fits that mold perfectly, making this a fantastic hire for both short- and long-term success.
5. Jake Dickert – Wake Forest
Replacing a coach like Dave Clawson is never easy, but Wake Forest made a solid choice by hiring Jake Dickert. After stepping in as the interim coach at Washington State in 2021, Dickert proved he could handle adversity, leading the Cougars to a respectable 23-20 record over three-plus seasons, including last season where the Cougars finished the year 8-5 overall.
Wake Forest is a unique challenge, given its academic restrictions and recruiting difficulties, but Dickert’s experience at Washington State—another program with limited resources—makes him a strong fit.