More than ever, the coach at the front of the helm matters in building and maintaining a winning program.
Ahead of the 2025 season, few coaches were perceived as on the ‘hot seat.’ As the calendar proved, that was wrong.
Through the vast disappointments and surprises, many big names have been on the move. From program builders to program betrayers, here are grades for the unprecedented coaching carousel.
Lane Kiffin, LSU: A+
There is no grander name on the move than Lane Kiffin. For starters, Kiffin’s name has been featured in the coaching carousel for months now. After Saturday’s “Egg Bowl” featuring Ole Miss and its rival Mississippi State, Kiffin hit the runway for good. This time, being met by an abundance of outraged Rebel fans.
Kiffin is no stranger to leaving programs and joining a new one. This time, however, he landed the best job available, capitalizing on LSU’s vacancy and joining a long list of successful past coaches. It’s no secret that Baton Rouge holds true to a golden coaching lineage; here comes the hopeful next best.
Despite all the drama and upset college football fanatics, LSU was destined to land a major name, and this is a perfect fit for both parties. Kiffin will likely carry some luggage with him once the season concludes, but for a win-now scenario in the wild SEC, this is a banger of a hire.
Jon Sumrall, Florida: A
Whether Florida fans hate Scott Stricklin or just don’t watch college football, this is a great hire. When the announcement was made, there were far too many upset Gator fans, but let’s take a deep breath and analyze the numbers.
Over his four years of coaching, two at Troy and two at Tulane, Sumrall tallied a 42-11 record. He has dominated the Group of 5 and has made legitimate cases for contending teams.
Not to mention, Sumrall has attracted a wide range of talent throughout his short tenure and has been phenomenal when it comes to developing talent. Florida got rid of Billy Napier for the simple reason that he couldn’t win, and Sumrall can surely change that broken stigma in Gainesville.
Pat Fitzgerald, MSU: B-
Tom Izzo made it loud and clear that he was displeased with the firing of Jonathan Smith. The Spartans turned the page relatively quickly by hiring Pat Fitzgerald, who previously coached at Northwestern.
This hire could go either way, in being a great one or a horrible one — only time will tell. As of right now, Fitzgerald has proven a couple of things. One, he is reliable, having marked a 17-year tenure with the Wildcats. Two, he can win in the Big Ten.
Yet, the biggest question has yet to be answered. Is he capable of winning in the modern transfer portal era? This is a big deal for any rebuilding program like Michigan State seeking to regain relevance not only nationally but also within its own conference.
It’s an intriguingly risky hire.
Pete Golding, Ole Miss: C+
The drama surrounding Ole Miss following Kiffin’s departure has been substantial as the Rebels now enter uncharted territory with the rapidly approaching playoffs.
Luckily, and unluckily, Ole Miss has its guy. Pete Golding, the former defensive coordinator under Kiffin, is now “permanently” in charge of the team. Say what you want about his track record and his time at Alabama, but this can turn out to be very good both for now and the future.
The Rebels clearly wanted to move past the drama and chose to stay in-house with the quick hiring of Golding. This not only helps ease the outside noise, but it also brings focus towards the goal of the national championship. What follows over the next few years, both on the recruiting trail and within the portal, will determine Ole Miss’s future success.
Alex Golesh, Auburn: B+
The hiring of former USF coach Alex Golesh has the potential to be one of the best on this list. Similar to many of the other guys on this list, it’s somewhat of a risky hire given a non-extensive winning background.
Nonetheless, Golesh is a player’s coach and has shown that this year in USF’s impressive 9-3 season. He has a notable SEC past as an offensive coordinator at Tennessee and won’t be afraid to do whatever it takes to win.
He is from Russia and was born with energy. It seemed that Auburn was lacking that sort of life with Hugh Freeze, and that is what it's getting in Golesh. It appears to be a good fit on paper.
Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas: C-
This hiring was certainly head-scratching. After reportedly nearing a deal with Golesh, the Razorbacks were set to have a home run hire. Now, they are set to replace Sam Pittman with an arguably even worse coach.
The fit is just not there. Silverfield does not in any way fit the mold of what Arkansas should be in search of. The program is in desperate need of a winning foundation. The team hasn’t had any bit of consistency for years, and Silverfield doesn’t fix that.
In his time with Memphis, he held a solid win percentage with a 50-24 record, but this year, he did not live up to expectations in a far weaker American Conference. He very well could have been on the hot seat in just a year or two if the Tigers continued to slip, now he has a tall task of fixing a messy Arkansas team.
The Razorbacks need a program builder, and that is not what they are receiving here.
James Franklin, Virginia Tech: A++
On the other side of the spectrum, James Franklin is one heck of a program builder, and he is destined to bring prosperity back to Blacksburg.
This home run hire addressed exactly what the Hokies were missing. Franklin has already made substantial moves on the recruiting trail as numerous former Penn State recruits have already flipped to Virginia Tech.
Franklin is going to have a sure opportunity to compete on a yearly basis in the ACC. The Hokies are thanking Penn State right now, which is still without a head coach.
Bob Chesney, UCLA: A-
UCLA’s firing of DeShaun Foster was much anticipated following an abysmal start. The emergence of Tom Skipper as the interim head coach gave leeway into the possible scenario where UCLA could fully turn its season around and complete the fairytale.
That didn’t happen, and the Bruins finished with just three wins. It was time to wipe the deck and start anew. Now, they have found their guy, and it's a great hire.
Look no further than what Curt Cignetti has done at Indiana. Like Cignetti, Chesney will come from James Madison. He, too, was extremely successful, going 20-5 over two seasons with the Dukes, who are currently lined up to reach the College Football Playoff.
Overall, it’s a very nice fit.