While the NFL has largely been wary of hiring college coaches as head coaches, several have made successful jumps — Jim Harbaugh, Chip Kelly, and Pete Carroll, to name a few — and there will be more in the future. Which current coaches on the collegiate stage warrant the NFL’s attention heading toward the 2025 hiring cycle?
College Coaches Who Could Move to the NFL
The college-to-pro coaching pipeline has largely run dry in recent years. Since 2000, eight of the 12 coaches who made the move have not survived past their third season. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few college coaches worth a serious look.
Here are five names NFL franchises could — and in some cases, should — consider as potential head coach replacements.
Kirby Smart, HC, Georgia
Kirby Smart’s NFL experience may be limited to a year as a safeties coach on Nick Saban’s Miami Dolphins staff in 2006, but he’s firmly entrenched in college football royalty.
Since joining Georgia in 2016, Smart has amassed an 81-15 record, delivered two national titles (2021 and 2022), and seen his Bulldogs ranked no lower than seventh since his debut season.
His success earned a hefty 10-year, $112.5 million extension, making him the highest-paid coach in college football. If he ever wanted to leap to the NFL, there’s no doubt he’d have plenty of suitors.
MORE: Top 10 Highest-Paid College Football Head Coaches in 2024
Yet, Smart’s frustrations with the shifting landscape of college football — particularly NIL deals and the transfer portal — hint at the mounting challenges he faces in the college ranks.
After Georgia’s 60-point blowout over Florida State in the Orange Bowl, Smart was vocal about the impact of opt-outs and transfers on bowl games, lamenting that “college football has got to decide what they want,” adding, “It’s really unfortunate for [Florida State’s] kids … that didn’t have their full arsenal. It affected the game 100%.”
Matt Campbell, HC, Iowa State
The Iowa State Cyclones’ Matt Campbell has been mentioned in recent NFL hiring cycles (Detroit Lions courted him a few years ago), and for good reason.
Campbell took over a program that had only eight bowl appearances in the 38 years before his arrival and earned six bowl berths (with a seventh right around the corner) in his nine-year tenure.
In 2020, Iowa State finished first in the Big 12 in the regular season for the first time in 119 years.
Despite routinely ranking in the middle of the pack recruiting-wise, Campbell has done more with less than his conference counterparts and deserves a call from the NFL.
Lincoln Riley, HC, USC
A few years back, several NFL teams came knocking on Lincoln Riley’s door. But instead of jumping to the pros, he left the Oklahoma Sooners for the USC Trojans, landing a massive 10-year, $110 million contract.
The Dallas Cowboys considered him in 2020 before hiring Mike McCarthy, and the Philadelphia Eagles had him on their radar the following year before choosing Nick Sirianni.
Riley has coached three QBs — Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams — who became No. 1 overall picks, plus Jalen Hurts. His USC teams have underperformed, particularly without Williams in 2024, but there is no denying Riley’s ability to generate points and develop QBs.
Ryan Day, HC, Ohio State
In seven years with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Ryan Day has produced a gaudy 63-9 record, losing no more than two games in any given season. The program has won two Big Ten titles (2019-2020) and made the College Football Playoffs three times (2020, 2021, and 2023).
The only question is, how effective would Day be in the NFL, where the talent level on the other side of the field is equal?
Deion Sanders, HC, Colorado
If franchises want to sell tickets, there’s no better way than hiring Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and selecting his son, QB Shedeur Sanders, with a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Would that be the correct decision? Absolutely not, but boy, would that be fun.
Sanders told Dan Patrick during the 2023 season that Shedeur and Shilo would enter the next draft cycle: “They’re going to come out at the same time … next year.”
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Not having his sons leading their respective sides of the ball, compounded by a severe lack of recruiting and the imminent departure of two-way superstar Travis Hunter, points to Sanders leaving Boulder, Colo., following the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.
If the Buffaloes meet or exceed expectations — which they have so far at 6-2 overall and 4-1 in conference play — the NFL could pick up the phone. Now, Sanders has said he doesn’t want to coach in the NFL on multiple occasions. But perhaps a big enough contract — and the potential to coach his son at the professional level — could change his mind.
Projected and Current NFL Head Coach Openings
NFL head coach openings won’t become official until the offseason, with franchises giving their interim choices “a chance” to earn the full-time job. However, there’s an average of seven HC positions open every year in the NFL, so we’ve projected several vacated roles based on overall performance and the current direction of the franchise.
New York Jets
Robert Saleh’s tenure with the New York Jets ended on Oct. 8, making him the first NFL head coach fired in 2024. Saleh wrapped up his time in New York with a 20-36 record, unable to post a winning season over 3+ years despite leading a top-tier defense.
Initially hired in 2021 after a successful run as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Saleh faced the challenge of developing No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson, whose struggles at quarterback undermined the team’s efforts.
The Jets’ 2023 acquisition of former MVP Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers was meant to turn things around, pairing elite defensive talent with a proven leader under center. But that hope was short-lived; Rodgers tore his Achilles on his fourth snap in New York, derailing the Jets’ season.
His return in 2024 set the stage for a critical year, but the team’s performance fell short once again, leading to Saleh’s departure. Following his exit, the Jets appointed DC Jeff Ulbrich as interim head coach, hoping he can steady the ship and possibly make the playoffs.
New Orleans Saints
After a promising 2-0 start with 91 points scored, the New Orleans Saints spiraled into a seven-game losing streak, which led to head coach Dennis Allen’s dismissal. The breaking point came in Week 9 when New Orleans suffered its worst loss of the season to the struggling Carolina Panthers.
Even with QB Derek Carr back from an oblique injury, the Saints fell short, allowing the Panthers to snap a five-game skid, even with formerly benched QB Bryce Young running the offense.
Allen departs New Orleans with an 18-25 record across his 3+ seasons, leaving the franchise searching for a new direction with little cap space and an aging roster.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in a tough spot, sitting at 3-5 and third in the NFC East, with Dak Prescott reportedly sidelined for multiple weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Head coach Mike McCarthy, with a record of 75-45 in over four seasons, faces scrutiny not only for the team’s current struggles but also for a 1-3 playoff record, including last season’s 48-32 Wild Card loss to his former team, the Packers.
MORE: 2024 College Football Power Rankings
Despite McCarthy’s contract expiring after this season, owner Jerry Jones remains steadfast in his support. “I’m good with Mike,” Jones told reporters after Week 8’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. “I know how hard he works. I like his football mind. I know how good he works. He’s got, in my mind, an outstanding coaching record.
“He’s really good with the players. They think highly of him. He’s got a lot of fire in his belly. So, I’m just giving you this, I like the positives I see. And, by the way, frankly, some of the best coaches I’ve been around, I got to see them when times were bad.”
Jacksonville Jaguars
Had the Jacksonville Jaguars lost both games in London early in the year, Doug Pederson would likely be out the door. But after a narrow win over the New England Patriots, Pederson held onto his role. Still, the Jaguars’ offense remains stagnant, and Trevor Lawrence’s lack of development has only intensified following his hefty pay increase.
Pederson led Jacksonville to its first back-to-back winning seasons since the early 2000s, but the time is ticking on his tenure.
Las Vegas Raiders
Head coach Antonio Pierce has scrambled to round out his offensive staff with veteran minds, but the spark he brought to the Raiders last season has faded.
With Andy Ried, Sean Payton, and Jim Harbaugh in the division, ownership — which now includes Tom Brady — likely wants a name brand at the helm. Queue the Bill Belichick rumors.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.