With the Fresno State Bulldogs and Utah State Aggies entering the year with interim head coaches, the 2024-25 carousel technically began before the campaign even kicked off, but it really got underway following several firings in the waning weeks of the regular season.
With 12 head coach positions currently open, which ones make for the best potential destinations for prospective candidates?
Top College Football Head Coach Openings for 2024-2025
1) Fresno State Bulldogs
In July, Jeff Tedford resigned as the Bulldogs’ head coach due to health concerns. Assistant Tim Skipper stepped into the interim role for the 2024 season, resulting in a 5-5 record thus far. With Fresno moving to the Pac-12 in 2026, the program will want stability at head coach.
The Bulldogs offer a strong recruiting pipeline in California and have received consistent fan support due to on-field success. A promotion to the Power Five will be alluring for prospective head coaches, especially with the school’s already high standing in the Mountain West.
Potential Replacements: Tim Skipper, Ryan Grubb, Brennan Marion, and Kirby Moore
2) East Carolina Pirates
The East Carolina Pirates fired head coach Mike Houston on Oct. 20 after a Week 8 loss to the Army Black Knights dropped the program to 3-4 on the year. After taking the school to back-to-back bowls in 2021 and 2022, Houston went 5-14 to finish his tenure.
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The Pirates have the fan support, tradition, and financial backing to attract a bigger fish than most, but they need to hit on their next hire, as they have just five winning seasons since 2010.
Potential Replacements: Chris Marve, Fontel Mines, Des Kitchings, Kerwin Bell, and Skip Holtz
3) Florida Atlantic Owls
On Nov. 18, the Florida Atlantic Owls fired Tom Herman, who failed to point the arrow forward with the program (6-16 record). Special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford will finish the season as the interim head coach, but the Florida-based program remains a hot landing spot for rising candidates.
The Owls have been chasing the high Lane Kiffin left them on but have failed to do so with Willie Taggart and Herman, who had success at previous stops.
Potential Replacements: Charlie Weis Jr., Kirby Moore, Shannon Dawson, Jonathan Patke, and Kendal Briles
4) Ball State Cardinals
With just one winning season in Mike Neu’s nine years at the helm, the Ball State Cardinals finally gave him the boot on Nov. 16. The MAC is a rather steady beast, with most of its programs able to compete for the title in any given year. And without divisions, one-year turnarounds are easier to accomplish. Still, a lack of resources could limit the Cardinals’ potential coaching pool.
Potential Replacements: Bryant Haines, Eddie Faulkner, Jason Eck, Tyler Stockton, and Deland McCullough
5) Southern Miss Eagles
Following a Week 8 loss, the Southern Miss Eagles fell to 1-6 this season, prompting leadership to move on from Will Hall. The financials are on the upswing, the recruiting landscape in Mississippi is solid, and the recent move to the Sun Belt should continue to pay off as time moves on.
However, the Eagles haven’t offered a consistent product for years, putting pressure on the next hire to hit the ground running.
Potential Replacements: Bill Clark, Brent Vigen, Derrick Nix, Todd Hartley, and Tyrone Nix
6) Utah State Aggies
After school officials determined Blake Anderson “violated both his employment agreement and university policy” in regard to a Title IX investigation, the Utah State Aggies fired him in July.
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They will join Fresno State in the Pac-12 in 2026 but don’t have the recruiting base or national notoriety that the Bulldogs do. Still, Utah State is a consistent winner and has renovated its stadium and facilities within the last decade.
Potential Replacements: Brennan Marion, Jason Eck, Kevin McGiven, Jay Hill, and Brent Vigen
7) Central Michigan Chippewas
The Central Michigan Chippewas announced that head coach Jim McElwain would retire at the end of the 2024 season, opening the door for a fresh face at the top. The program has rattled off three straight losing seasons and is in need of a new direction, especially with the NCAA investigating McElwain for his role in the Connor Stalions fiasco last year.
In 2022, McElwain signed a five-year contract that paid him just over $1 million in 2024, which should be enough to attract a head coach worth his salt.
Potential Replacements: Mike Uremovich, Deland McCullough, Brian Brohm, Tony Annese, and Tim Lester
8) Rice Owls
Academics and a lack of overall support make the Rice Owls’ head coach position a more difficult sell than you’d think from a Texas-based program. Mike Bloomgren went 24-52 in his seven years leading the team and vastly underperformed with a veteran-laden roster this year, resulting in his Oct. 27 sacking.
Potential Replacements: Garrett Riley, Jordan Davis, Warren Ruggiero, Nick Rolovich, and Drew Mehringer
9) Charlotte 49ers
While the Charlotte 49ers have the coveting location and foundation, their recent lack of success and financial hurdles drop the opening toward the bottom of the list. Head coach Biff Poggi was fired on Nov. 18 after going 6-16 over the last two years. TEs coach Tim Brewster will oversee the on-field product for the remainder of the season.
Potential Replacements: Clay Hendrix, Tony White, Mike Minter, Pep Hamilton, and Tony Gibson
10) Temple Owls
Under Stan Daryton’s watch, the Temple Owls went 9-25 and only won four games in the AAC. Despite semi-recent success with Geoff Collins and Matt Rhule, the Owls’ roster is one of the worst in the conference, and it’s difficult to win fans over from the pro sports scene in Philadelphia.
Potential Replacements: D.J. Eliot, Mark Ferrante, Kevin M. McBride, Elijah Robinson, and Jeff Nixon
11) UMass Minutemen
The UMass Minutemen will officially join the MAC next year and have the funds to pay a quality head coach. Don Brown drove the program to a paltry 6-28 record in his second stint in Hadley, and only two of those wins came against FBS opponents.
Unfortunately, the northeast isn’t exactly a recruiting hotbed, and McGuirk Stadium is the smallest in the MAC with a capacity of 17,000.
Potential Replacements: Sammy McCorkle, Ricky Santos, Will Lawing, Joe Harasymiak, and Liam Coen
12) Kennesaw State Owls
The Kennesaw State Owls surprisingly dismissed Brian Bohannon on Nov. 10, when it appeared he made every move to set the program up for success in Year 2 of its FBS debut. More than that, Bohannon was the Owls’ first and only head coach up to this point.
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Experience winning at the FCS level. Talent littered throughout the roster. Located just outside Atlanta. What isn’t there to like? Well, the lack of FBS resources, which could limit the scope of the Owls’ coaching search.
Potential Replacements: Tre Lamb, Joey King, Chris Weinke, Drew Cronic, and Buster Faulkner
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