Coaching Carousel Chaos: A Decade's Worth of Change Hits College Football
A stunning reality has set in for college football fans as another round of coaching changes reshapes the landscape of American sports. Twelve programs have already made their move to replace outgoing head coaches, with several more expected in the coming weeks.
Kent State Golden Flashes took a bold step by promoting Mark Carney from offensive coordinator to head coach after Kenni Burns' tumultuous departure. The move came as Burns was let go for violating his contract multiple times. It's not the first time Kent State has made an unconventional move, but it marks another chapter in the program's search for stability.
Meanwhile, LSU Tigers announced a coaching change following a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M Aggies. Brian Kelly left the program after three seasons, marking a rare departure from his role as head coach and 34-14 overall record with a respectable 19-10 mark in SEC play. Frank Wilson, currently an associate head coach/running backs coach, will take over on an interim basis.
College football programs are no longer immune to the pressures of roster management, leading to an increased number of coaching changes at the helm of these institutions. Colorado State Rams' Jay Norvell was let go after a 2-5 start, with Tyson Summers stepping in as interim head coach.
Another program to feel the effects is Florida Gators, who made headlines when Billy Napier's tenure ended following a victory over Mississippi State Bulldogs before a bye week. Napier left the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns after the 2021 season and finishes with 22-23 overall record including 12-16 in SEC play.
Coaching carousel chaos hit UAB Blazers after three consecutive blowout losses, prompting Trent Dilfer's dismissal just weeks into his tenure. Alex Mortensen took over as interim head coach, despite having little to no experience in college football coaching.
Penn State Nittany Lions will soon be without James Franklin, who left the Vanderbilt Commodores for Penn State before the 2014 season and led the program to a 104-45 overall record including 64-36 in Big Ten play. Terry Smith, currently an associate head coach/CBs coach, was promoted to interim head coach.
Other programs facing changes include Oregon State Beavers and Arkansas Razorbacks. The former's Trent Bray lost his job after an 0-7 start this season. Robb Akey, who was a special assistant to the head coach, took over as interim head coach, while Bobby Petrino stepped in at Arkansas following Sam Pittman's ouster.
Lastly, Oklahoma State Cowboys fired Mike Gundy just days after he led the team to a loss against Tulsa Golden Hurricane, marking the end of his 22-year tenure as head coach. Doug Meacham, who was hired as the offensive coordinator before the 2025 season, will take over on an interim basis.
Virginia Tech Hokies opened their season with three consecutive losses, prompting Brent Pry's departure as head coach. Philip Montgomery, currently the offensive coordinator, stepped in as interim head coach, while UCLA Bruins made a change when DeShaun Foster was let go after struggling to win a single conference game this season. Tim Skipper took over on an interim basis.
In one final move, Stanford Cardinal fired Troy Taylor, who left the program following allegations of mistreatment towards staff members. Frank Reich, the former head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2023, will take over as interim head coach in a rare coaching stint.
A stunning reality has set in for college football fans as another round of coaching changes reshapes the landscape of American sports. Twelve programs have already made their move to replace outgoing head coaches, with several more expected in the coming weeks.
Kent State Golden Flashes took a bold step by promoting Mark Carney from offensive coordinator to head coach after Kenni Burns' tumultuous departure. The move came as Burns was let go for violating his contract multiple times. It's not the first time Kent State has made an unconventional move, but it marks another chapter in the program's search for stability.
Meanwhile, LSU Tigers announced a coaching change following a 49-25 loss to Texas A&M Aggies. Brian Kelly left the program after three seasons, marking a rare departure from his role as head coach and 34-14 overall record with a respectable 19-10 mark in SEC play. Frank Wilson, currently an associate head coach/running backs coach, will take over on an interim basis.
College football programs are no longer immune to the pressures of roster management, leading to an increased number of coaching changes at the helm of these institutions. Colorado State Rams' Jay Norvell was let go after a 2-5 start, with Tyson Summers stepping in as interim head coach.
Another program to feel the effects is Florida Gators, who made headlines when Billy Napier's tenure ended following a victory over Mississippi State Bulldogs before a bye week. Napier left the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns after the 2021 season and finishes with 22-23 overall record including 12-16 in SEC play.
Coaching carousel chaos hit UAB Blazers after three consecutive blowout losses, prompting Trent Dilfer's dismissal just weeks into his tenure. Alex Mortensen took over as interim head coach, despite having little to no experience in college football coaching.
Penn State Nittany Lions will soon be without James Franklin, who left the Vanderbilt Commodores for Penn State before the 2014 season and led the program to a 104-45 overall record including 64-36 in Big Ten play. Terry Smith, currently an associate head coach/CBs coach, was promoted to interim head coach.
Other programs facing changes include Oregon State Beavers and Arkansas Razorbacks. The former's Trent Bray lost his job after an 0-7 start this season. Robb Akey, who was a special assistant to the head coach, took over as interim head coach, while Bobby Petrino stepped in at Arkansas following Sam Pittman's ouster.
Lastly, Oklahoma State Cowboys fired Mike Gundy just days after he led the team to a loss against Tulsa Golden Hurricane, marking the end of his 22-year tenure as head coach. Doug Meacham, who was hired as the offensive coordinator before the 2025 season, will take over on an interim basis.
Virginia Tech Hokies opened their season with three consecutive losses, prompting Brent Pry's departure as head coach. Philip Montgomery, currently the offensive coordinator, stepped in as interim head coach, while UCLA Bruins made a change when DeShaun Foster was let go after struggling to win a single conference game this season. Tim Skipper took over on an interim basis.
In one final move, Stanford Cardinal fired Troy Taylor, who left the program following allegations of mistreatment towards staff members. Frank Reich, the former head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2023, will take over as interim head coach in a rare coaching stint.
? it's like they're trying to change their minds more often than their jerseys 
anywayz, i think its kinda crazy how some programs are promoting from within, like kent state promoting mark carney 
. but also, whats up with the coaches getting fired left and right 
? 12 coaching changes already this season? that's just a lot! maybe its time for these schools to focus on finding stability over winning championships 
...like Kent State's decision to promote Mark Carney, it shows they're not afraid to think outside the box and give someone a shot at proving themselves 
...and I feel for Brian Kelly leaving LSU, his record is pretty impressive but sometimes you gotta know when to cut ties 
...the coaching carousel is wild right now 
On a serious note, it's crazy how much change can happen in just one season. Can't even keep a coach for three years anymore 
. It's like they're all trying to shake off the last coach and start fresh. What's the point of having a coaching staff if everyone is just gonna leave after a year or two? 
! I mean, have you seen the number of changes happening right now? 
It's like a big ol' diagram with lots of interconnected lines 
. Some programs are staying the course, while others... well, not so much 
. Who knows what the future holds? Maybe we'll see some stability in the coming weeks? 
while others leave to take new jobs elsewhere 
. It's like the whole industry is trying to shake things up.
. I'm all for innovation, but sometimes you gotta wonder if it's all just a big game of musical chairs 
.
. Brian Kelly's departure from LSU is no surprise, but Jay Norvell's ouster at Colorado State? That one stings a bit 
. And what about Billy Napier? He was only there for like two seasons and already outta there 
. It'll be interesting to see how all these changes play out over the season 
.
. It's crazy to think that just last year, we were hearing about new hires and promotions, but not exactly the same story this season. On one hand, I get it - roster management is tough and you gotta make moves to stay competitive 
. Like Kent State promoting Mark Carney to head coach after Kenni Burns' departure... talk about a bold move 
! And I feel bad for guys who got let go without much warning 
, like Brent Pry at Virginia Tech.
? Or is there something more to it?
Like, Kenni Burns at Kent State was let go after like 2 years and now they're promoting Mark Carney from OC to HC. It's wild 
just saw that Oklahoma State Cowboys lost their head coach Mike Gundy like 2 days ago and now Doug Meacham is taking over 
22 years of his career down the drain and it's all because he lost to Tulsa Golden Hurricane 
what a waste of talent