This College Football coaching carousel is unprecedented in terms of sheer numbers, the magnitude of the jobs and the guaranteed money payouts being given to guys not to coach. The dollar figures are so staggering that the state government in Louisiana wants to be involved.
Virginia Tech Got Their Man
One big gig is off the board with James Franklin signing on with Virginia Tech. Now 11 jobs remain open. Eventually, there will be more than these current vacancies. When coaches bolt for other jobs, like Ole Miss, there will be unexpected openings down the road. There are also decisions still need to be made at Florida State, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Michigan State and elsewhere.
For now, these 11 gigs need to be filled…and the right fits are available. In alphabetical order, here are the first five along with the best fits for those jobs, both Power Four and Group of Six schools.
The First Five
Alabama-Birmingham and Collin Klein, currently the Offensive Coordinator at Texas A&M. Klein is an up-and-comer, and the Colorado native is also a favorite to land the Colorado State job. He’s never been a head coach, but he’s earned a promotion. The Kansas State grad would also be in play if/when that job opens up, but for now, a American Athletic Conference gig would be a great first step.
Arkansas and Eric Morris, currently the head coach at North Texas. A former player under Mike Leach, Morris knows offense, and offense sells tickets. Who knows how well his system would work in the powerful (and defensive minded) SEC, but given the prospects for a dynamic offense and the booster money available (think Walmart cash) they could buy him a nice roster…and the hogs could be off and running.
Auburn and Jon Sumrall, currently the HC at Tulane. The school missed the boat when they didn’t hire Deion Sanders during the last hiring cycle. Remember, AFLAC HQ is right down the road. Could have had Shedeur and Travis Hunter, too. They can’t make the same kind of mistake again, with neighbors Georgia and Alabama both rolling. Sumrall knows the region, and has a good thing going at Tulane, doing more with less. Could he do even more with more?
Colorado State and Tim Skipper, current UCLA interim HC and a former CSU assistant under Jim McElwain. Skipper was in Fort Collins before the school’s new football facilities were finished, but CSU did well those years under McElwain. Anyone can see the potential there. Unless UCLA decides to keep him – which isn’t likely – he would be smart to move to Fort Collins (where former UCLA commit Justin Lewis suddenly and mysteriously committed to the Rams) and bring some additional ex-Bruins with him via the Transfer Portal. The chances for immediate playing time and a quick turnaround are very really in FoCo.
Florida and Jon Gruden. Now that the former NFL coach has made the rounds (and good money) being a promoter, he can get back into coaching. It will take a big name with a thick skin to rebuild the Gators program. Gruden is the right guy for this gig, assuming he understands how to recruit with NIL dollars. Given his success as a promotor and social media guy, he should fit in quite nicely.
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