CFB coaching carousel: Tracking every FBS vacancy

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2 years ago

November 27, 2023

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Nov 27, 2023, 01:40 PM ET

As sure as autumn fades into winter, as the college football season winds down, the coaching carousel starts to crank up.

The biggest early name to lose his job was Jimbo Fisher, who was fired at Texas A&M during his sixth season leading the Aggies. Since then, several Power 5 jobs have opened including at Houston, which is moving on from Dana Holgorsen, and Indiana, which fired Tom Allen.

As the list continues to grow, we’ll track all the comings and goings of head coaches and prominent coordinators, along with insights and intel on searches for replacements and who might be on the hot seat.

Holgorson out after five years at Houston

Houston dismissed coach Dana Holgorsen, who had three losing seasons in his five years as the Cougars’ head coach.

Houston went 4-8 in its inaugural Big 12 season, which included a loss at Rice early in the season and three straight losses to end the year. The Cougars finished 2-7 in the Big 12, with their wins coming in overtime against Baylor and on a last-second 49-yard touchdown against West Virginia.

The Cougars owe Holgorsen nearly $14.8 million in buyout money, but his contract includes a mitigation clause that could lower the amount if Holgorsen gets another job.

More: Holgorsen had 31-28 record with Cougs

Indiana moves on from Allen

Indiana fired football coach Tom Allen a day after the Hoosiers completed their third consecutive losing season.

Allen, who had led Indiana since 2017 after spending a season as the team’s defensive coordinator, finished 33-49 as Hoosiers coach. Indiana dropped its final three games, including Saturday’s rivalry contest at Purdue, to finish 3-9. It had gone 9-26 overall and 3-23 in Big Ten play since the 2020 season, when it was 6-2 in the COVID-shortened season.

More: Allen in line for $15.5 million buyout

Duke has big shoes to fill with Elko gone

Mike Elko, who engineered an impressive turnaround at Duke, has left to be head coach at Mississippi State, leaving the Blue Devils searching for a successor who can build off Elko’s momentum.

Duke was 16-9 in two years under Elko after going 3-9 the year before he arrived.

More: JMU’s Cignetti a candidate to watch

Oregon State needs to replace Smith

With Jonathan Smith leaving his alma mater for Michigan State, Oregon State will be looking for a new coach amid an uncertain future regarding the school’s conference affiliation.

Smith, a former Beavers quarterback, was 34-35 in six seasons at OSU, but 18-7 since the start of the 2022 campaign.

More: Bronco Mendenhall a candidate to watch

Babers out at Syracuse after eight seasons

Syracuse fired football coach Dino Babers on Nov. 19, ending his tenure at the university with a 41-55 record over the past eight seasons.

Syracuse tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile was named interim coach.

Under Babers, the Orange lost six of its past seven games, marking the second consecutive year that featured a precipitous slide to end the season. Last year, Syracuse lost six of its last seven games. His ACC record is 20-45.

More: Babers has just two winning seasons at Syracuse

Middle Tennessee fires longtime coach Stockstill

Middle Tennessee fired longtime coach Rick Stockstill following the team’s third losing season in the past five years.

Stockstill had led Middle Tennessee since December 2005 and was 113-111 in 18 seasons with the program, but the Blue Raiders went 4-8 in 2023.

More: Stockstill was fourth-longest-tenured coach in FBS

Dimel fired by UTEP

UTEP fired coach Dana Dimel after a 3-9 season.

Dimel, 61, went 20-49 in six seasons with the Miners, including a New Mexico Bowl appearance in 2021, UTEP’s first since 2014. UTEP went 2-6 in Conference USA play this season.

More: Dimel out after six seasons at UTEP

Gonzales out at New Mexico

New Mexico fired head coach Danny Gonzales on Nov. 25 after a four-year stint in which he went 11-32 at his alma mater.

The school announced the move in the wake of a 4-8 season, which was his highest win total in Gonzales’ tenure.

More: Lobos haven’t played bowl game since 2016

San Diego State’s Hoke set to retire

Hoke, who is in his second stint as San Diego State‘s head coach, announced he will retire at the end of the season. Hoke took over before the 2020 season after having led the program from 2009 to ’10. He has a combined 39-31 record over those two stints and has twice been named Mountain West coach of the year.

SDSU will finish this season with its first losing record — both overall and in Mountain West play — since 2009. In 2021, Hoke led the Aztecs to a school-record 12 wins.

More: SDSU’s Hoke to retire at end of season

Boise State fires Avalos after 22-14 record

Boise State fired football coach Andy Avalos on Nov. 12, with the Broncos at 5-5 and in danger of the program’s first losing season since 1997.

Avalos went 22-14 in three seasons at Boise State, including a 10-4 record that resulted in him being named 2022 Mountain West coach of the year. At no point during Avalos’ two-plus seasons was Boise State ranked in the Associated Press poll; the Broncos’ 19-year streak of being ranked ended during his first season in 2021.

Defensive coordinator and longtime Boise State assistant Spencer Danielson is serving as the interim coach.

More: Avalos out as Boise State can’t match past success

Penn State fires OC Yurcich

Penn State fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on Nov. 12, a day after the unit struggled in a high-profile loss for the second time this season.

The Nittany Lions scored only 15 points and managed just 238 yards of offense (74 through the air) in a 24-15 loss to Michigan. Penn State’s offense also struggled in a 20-12 loss to Ohio State on Oct. 21, finishing with 240 yards and not reaching the end zone until the game’s final minute.

Yurcich, 48, has been the team’s offensive playcaller and quarterbacks coach since 2021.

More: Franklin hears boos: ‘Not good enough’ | Yurcich fired

Grinch gone as USC’s defensive woes continue

After USC surrendered 101 total points in two games, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was relieved of his duties, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley announced Nov. 5.

Grinch, who was Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021 before leaving for USC alongside Riley, led a unit that allowed an average of 34.5 points per game this season and was in the bottom 30 in the country in nearly every statistical category, including 120th in rushing defense and 107th against the pass.

More: USC defensive coordinator Grinch let go

Brian Ferentz won’t return as Iowa’s OC

Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of longtime coach Kirk Ferentz whose contract amid the offense’s historic struggles drew national attention, will not return for the 2024 season.

Brian Ferentz, a former offensive lineman at Iowa, has served as the team’s offensive coordinator since 2017 and has been on his father’s staff since 2012. In February, Iowa announced contract amendments for him that included an unusual points-per-game provision — the team would need to average 25 points per game during the 2023 season and win at least seven games for Ferentz’s two-year rolling contract to be reactivated beyond June 30, 2024. The Hawkeyes have fallen well short of that average.

More: Iowa falls short in ‘Drive for 325’ | Brian Ferentz out

FILLED JOBS

A&M hires Duke’s Elko to replace Fisher

Duke coach Mike Elko is leaving the Blue Devils to become head coach at Texas A&M.

Elko is a former Texas A&M defensive coordinator who left there two years ago to take the Duke head-coaching job. Since Elko’s departure after the 2021 season, A&M’s performance has dipped on the field. The Aggies went 12-12 the past two years, which is why the school paid a record $76 million buyout to fire coach Jimbo Fisher.

Elko immediately showed his chops as a head coach, authoring one of the sport’s biggest turnarounds in the 2022 season. Duke went 9-4 in Elko’s first season after he inherited a team that had gone 3-9 the year before. The team went 7-5 this season after losing quarterback Riley Leonard to injury in Week 4.

Fisher was 45-25 in six seasons at Texas A&M.

More: Elko leaves Duke after two seasons
Fisher fired, gets record buyout | AD: Aggies stuck in neutral

Oklahoma OC Lebby in for Arnett at Mississippi State

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby will be the new coach at Mississippi State, the school announced Nov. 26.

Lebby has been the offensive coordinator at OU, Ole Miss and UCF, with high-tempo and prolific offenses his hallmark. Since 2019, he’s been coordinator of an offense that has scored 50 or more points 14 times, leading all active offensive coordinators.

Lebby replaces Zach Arnett, who fired Nov. 13 before completing his first season. Arnett, the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator for three seasons, was promoted to head coach this past December after the sudden death of Mike Leach.

More: Lebby agrees to five-year deal
Mississippi State fires Arnett after 11 games

Michigan State hires Oregon State’s Smith

Michigan State hired Oregon State football coach Jonathan Smith for the same role Nov. 25, hours after both teams ended their regular seasons.

Smith, 44, completed the regular season as No. 16 Oregon State fell to rival Oregon 31-7 on the road, dropping to 8-4 on the season. The former Beavers quarterback finishes 34-35 in six seasons at his alma mater, but 18-7 since the start of the 2022 campaign.

The Spartans fired Mel Tucker for cause Sept. 27 as he was under university investigation for a sexual misconduct complaint brought by Brenda Tracy, a sexual assault awareness speaker.

More: MSU fires Tucker for bringing ‘ridicule’ to program

Northwestern promotes interim coach Braun

Interim coach David Braun, hired in January as defensive coordinator by former coach Pat Fitzgerald, was promoted to the permanent head-coaching role. Entering Week 12, Braun had led Northwestern to five wins, more than the team’s combined win total from the past two seasons (4). He is the first Northwestern coach to win five games in his first season since Walter McCornack in 1903.

The school named Braun interim coach July 14, four days after it fired Fitzgerald in the wake of hazing allegations against the program. Fitzgerald went 110-101 over 17 seasons at Northwestern.

More: Committee liked Braun’s approach | Hazing ‘clearly not a secret‘

Sports

Suit accusing BYU QB Retzlaff of rape dismissed

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59 mins ago

June 30, 2025

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Suit accusing BYU QB Retzlaff of rape dismissed

Kyle Bonagura
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Kyle Bonagura

ESPN Staff Writer
- Covers college football.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Attended Washington State University.

Jun 30, 2025, 12:23 PM ET

A civil lawsuit accusing BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff of rape has been dismissed, according to court records.

The parties jointly agreed to dismiss with prejudice, ending the case which was filed last month. None of the parties was immediately available for comment.

Retzlaff now plans to transfer from BYU as he faces a possible seven-game suspension for violating the school’s honor code by admitting to premarital sex during the legal proceedings, sources told ESPN. He has begun informing staff and teammates of his intention to leave, sources said.

Retzlaff had been working out with the squad and participating in summer workouts and practices. The team is on break until July 7.

The BYU staff has been ramping up the preparation of the three backup quarterbacks — McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet and Bear Bachmeier — in anticipation that Retzlaff might not be available.

The woman alleged Retzlaff raped, strangled and bit her in November 2023. In a response to that lawsuit filed Friday, a lawyer representing Retzlaff denied those allegations but said Retzlaff had consensual sex with the woman.

The response indicated Retzlaff and the woman traded lighthearted text messages for months after the encounter and characterized the lawsuit as an extortion attempt based on the idea that Retzlaff developed into an NFL prospect roughly a year later.

The lawsuit described the encounter much differently.

Both the complaint and the response agree that Retzlaff and the woman connected through social media, which led to her visiting Retzlaff’s apartment to play video games on or around Nov. 22, 2023. The woman arrived with a friend, and friends and teammates of Retzlaff also were present.

Later that evening, the woman’s friend left, after which Retzlaff and the woman started watching a movie and began to kiss, the lawsuit states. While “Retzlaff began escalating the situation,” the suit says, “Jane Doe A.G. tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying ‘wait.’ She did not want to do anything sexual with him.”

The lawsuit says the woman told Retzlaff “no” and “wait, stop,” but he continued to force himself on her. After she tried to get up out of the bed, the lawsuit alleges, in graphic detail, that Retzlaff put his hands around her neck and proceeded to rape her.

A few days later, the woman visited a hospital, where a rape kit was performed and pictures of her injuries were taken. The lawsuit says she was connected with Provo, Utah, police but did not initially share Retzlaff’s name.

No criminal charges have been filed against Retzlaff.

After the lawsuit was filed, BYU issued a statement, saying: “The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.”

Retzlaff is not the first high-profile BYU athlete who faced a lengthy suspension for an honor code violation related to premarital sex. In 2011, basketball player Brandon Davies was dismissed from the team — which at the time was 27-2 and ranked No. 3 in the country — and suspended from school. He was reinstated that fall. In 1999, running back Reno Mahe was suspended from school and forced to leave the football team. He transferred to a junior college and later reenrolled at BYU.

Retzlaff, who has graduated from BYU, is expected to enter his name in the transfer portal in the coming days. He started 13 games for the Cougars in 2024, his first year as the starter, leading the team to an 11-2 record. He passed for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.

Sports

Pac-12 welcomes Texas St. ahead of ’26 relaunch

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59 mins ago

June 30, 2025

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Pac-12 welcomes Texas St. ahead of '26 relaunch

Kyle BonaguraJun 30, 2025, 01:00 PM ET
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- Covers college football.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Attended Washington State University.

Texas State has officially joined the Pac-12, the conference announced Monday, becoming the league’s ninth member ahead of its relaunch in 2026.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today’s landscape with student-athletes in mind.”

Texas State’s board of regents voted to authorize a $5 million buyout to the Sun Belt Conference early Monday. The Bobcats will remain in the Sun Belt through the 2025-26 season before joining the Pac-12 in all sports for the 2026-27 school year.

The Pac-12 needed to reach eight football-playing schools to meet the NCAA minimum for an FBS conference prior to the 2026 season.

The conference’s board of directors, which includes representatives from all current and future members, voted unanimously to admit Texas State following the university’s formal application. Texas State joins Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State and Washington State as members of the rebuilt league.

Texas State president Kelly Damphousse called the move “a historic moment” for the university.

“Joining the Pac-12 is more than an athletic move — it is a declaration of our rising national profile, our commitment to excellence, and our readiness to compete and collaborate with some of the most respected institutions in the country,” Damphousse said.

Athletic director Don Coryell echoed that sentiment, calling the opportunity “a new era” for Texas State, which has been in the Sun Belt since 2013 after making its FBS debut with one season in the WAC in 2012.

“This historic moment belongs to our coaches, staff, student-athletes, fans, alumni and students,” Coryell said. “As the Pac-12’s flagship school in Texas, we proudly embrace the opportunity and responsibility that comes with it.”

The long-awaited announcement comes on the heels of the Pac-12’s announcement last week that it had finalized a five-year agreement with CBS for a portion of the conference’s football and men’s basketball media rights, including both sports’ championship game. Additional media partners are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Texas State is located in San Marcos, which is only about 35 miles south of the University of Texas in Austin. Texas State has more than 40,000 students, with one of the 25 largest undergraduate enrollments among public universities in the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sports

Alabama lands top 3 OLB Griffin for 2026 class

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59 mins ago

June 30, 2025

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Alabama lands top 3 OLB Griffin for 2026 class

Eli LedermanJun 29, 2025, 03:05 PM ET
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Alabama’s 2026 recruiting class landed another significant late-June recruiting boost Saturday when four-star defender Xavier Griffin, ESPN’s No. 3 outside linebacker, announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide over Florida State, Ohio State and Texas.

Griffin, a versatile, 6-foot-4, 205-pound prospect from Gainesville, Georgia, is the No. 30 overall recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300. A former longtime USC commit, Griffin took official visits with each of his finalists in June. He now stands as the top-ranked prospect among 14 commits in Alabama’s incoming class, joining days after the program secured top 300 pledges from running back Ezavier Crowell (No. 31 overall) and tight end Mack Sutter (No. 138) on Thursday night.

Griffin told ESPN that the Crimson Tide’s pedigree and vision laid out by Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and outside linebackers coach Christian Robinson were driving factors in his decision.

“Growing up, just seeing them, all the draft picks and stuff that they’ve had — all the guys they’ve put in the league — it speaks for itself,” Griffin said. “They have history and they’re really clear about what they’re trying to build with this new staff.”

A physical defender capable of dropping into coverage, Griffin has cemented his status as one the nation’s top linebackers at Gainesville (Georgia) High School, where he’s recorded 97 total tackles and 21 sacks across his sophomore and junior seasons.

He initially committed to USC last July and remained one of the Trojans’ top prospects over next 10 months before Griffin pulled his pledge from the program on May 14. Sources told ESPN at the time that Griffin’s decommitment stemmed from his intention to schedule official visits with programs this spring, bucking against USC’s policy against committed players taking official trips to other campuses.

Upon reopening his recruitment, Griffin locked in official visits with Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Texas for this month, closing with a trip to the Crimson Tide from June 20-22. Despite his lengthy USC pledge, Griffin told ESPN that no program recruited him more actively than Alabama across the past two years, led by Robinson, the program’s second-year assistant.

“He’s been one of the most consistent with me throughout my whole process,” Griffin said. “He’s just a really, really good guy.”

The highest-ranked of seven ESPN 300 pledges bound for Alabama in 2026, Griffin now leads an increasingly talented Crimson Tide defensive class forming in the current cycle.

Alongside Griffin, Alabama holds commitments from top-10 cornerbacks Jorden Edmonds (No. 38 overall) and Zyan Gibson (No. 65) in 2026. Defensive end Jamarion Matthews, Griffin’s teammate at Gainesville High School and ESPN’s No. 92 overall recruit, has been pledged to the Crimson Tide since February, and Alabama’s latest defensive class could get even deeper over the next month as priority targets including top-60 prospects Jireh Edwards, Anthony Jones and Nolan Wilson approach the final stages of their recruiting processes.