Coaching carousel 2025-26

[arthurdawg]

I have often wondered why, what routinely goes on in college football coaching searches; is not considered tortious interference which is the act of improperly inducing someone to breach their contract with another party?

Hard to prove? And if you start slinging those lawsuits about... Nobody is coming your way.

 

[Cruiser]

It is funny how a guy who gets run out of town in one place is welcomed as some type of savior in another town. Case in point of the week- Penn St. runs Franklin out of town as a guy who can't win any big games, and Virginia Tech backs up the Brinks truck and welcomes the hope that he brings. Once these guys make it in the system, they can kick around for quite some time even as they mostly fail at what they were hired to do. It's a good gig if you can get it.

I would, respectfully; disagree that someone like Franklin(or others) that reach the top 10/20 positions in their chosen career are "failures". Not everyone comes in first or is the rare individual like Coach Saban; I think there are only 3(?) active coaches that have won a Championship. Is making millions a year as a coach a "failure" in the eyes of your peers, friends or family? Is being a top 20 (but not top 5)salesman on a team of 100's a "failure".
Maybe we should have a little perspective?
JMHO

 

[Cruiser]

Hard to prove? And if you start slinging those lawsuits about... Nobody is coming your way.

Probably not hard to prove through discovery; but angering the "dealmakers" is a slippery slope, for sure.

 

[BamaNation]

Norvell retained at FSU.

Rational thinking returns to college football … that and thinking about accumulating the $54mil they owe him if he’s terminated.

FSU to retain embattled Norvell for 2026 season

Florida State football coach Mike Norvell, who is 7-16 -- and 3-13 in ACC play -- over the last two seasons, will return for a seventh season with the Seminoles.

www.espn.com

 

[Joefus]

Norvell retained at FSU.

Rational thinking returns to college football … that and accumulating the $54mil they owe him if he’s terminated.

FSU to retain embattled Norvell for 2026 season

Florida State football coach Mike Norvell, who is 7-16 -- and 3-13 in ACC play -- over the last two seasons, will return for a seventh season with the Seminoles.

www.espn.com

Man we are gonna have to open with them having a new offensive coordinator and half the team pulled from the portal again aren’t we? The back half of their schedule owes us for that game tape haha

 

[The Ols]

I would, respectfully; disagree that someone like Franklin(or others) that reach the top 10/20 positions in their chosen career are "failures". Not everyone comes in first or is the rare individual like Coach Saban; I think there are only 3(?) active coaches that have won a Championship. Is making millions a year as a coach a "failure" in the eyes of your peers, friends or family? Is being a top 20 (but not top 5)salesman on a team of 100's a "failure".
Maybe we should have a little perspective?
JMHO

Franklin has a tremendously failing record against top 10 teams…he’s paid a tremendous amount of money to beat top 10 teams…he hasn’t…if you don’t do what you get paid to do…

 

[Bama9001]

You think he’s just supposed to what, tighten a bolt somewhere and fix it? Maybe draw a new play in the dirt that will work? The running game has been struggling for years. Go get in Saban’s face if you want to get to the root of the problem. He let this happen. It’s not going to magically turn around in one season.

Dude fixed the passing game.
Dude’s defense just held a team to 34 yards.
His “fixed” running game won’t put 170 on folks, it will be in the 110-150 range and be efficient with the carries given.

If it's good enough for you, that's fine. Congrats. The committee specifically called out the running game so it wasn't OK with them. I'll just let you work on it from here.

 

[teamplayer]

I would, respectfully; disagree that someone like Franklin(or others) that reach the top 10/20 positions in their chosen career are "failures". Not everyone comes in first or is the rare individual like Coach Saban; I think there are only 3(?) active coaches that have won a Championship. Is making millions a year as a coach a "failure" in the eyes of your peers, friends or family? Is being a top 20 (but not top 5)salesman on a team of 100's a "failure".
Maybe we should have a little perspective?
JMHO

I didn't say I think of them as failures. In fact, I clearly said it was a good gig if you could get it. However, coaches are hired to win championships, and they mostly fail at that and get run out of town only to be highly paid and welcomed as a savior by the next group of suckers. It's very funny to me.

 

[AlexanderFan]

Cal fires Wilcox after 48-55 mark in nine seasons

California has fired football coach Justin Wilcox after compiling a 48-55 record in his nine seasons with the Golden Bears.

www.espn.com

Good news is you found the Heisman trophy front runner; bad news is he took more money and left you to get fired.

Good news is you found the best true freshmen quarterback in college football; better news is you’re fired before he leaves you for more money.

 

[arthurdawg]

Good luck finding someone better Cal... Or even better, move to FCS and you'll finally win some!

 

[lowend]

I guess the good thing for Kiffin in the NIL era is that as he ruins whatever credibility he's built back up on his redemption tour through FAU & Ole Miss, he can just pay the players to come play for him.

Wetzel: Lane Kiffin's decision is coming Saturday. He better win Friday

As the drama at Ole Miss drags on, there's a game to play Friday. And the pressure on Kiffin to win will be overwhelming.

www.espn.com

 

[BamaNation]

Franklin has a tremendously failing record against top 10 teams…he’s paid a tremendous amount of money to beat top 10 teams…he hasn’t…if you don’t do what you get paid to do…

Per the internets... James Frankin vs ranked:

• Overall vs. ranked opponents: 16-36
• Penn State vs. top-25 opponents: 15-28
• Penn State vs. top-10 opponents: 4-21

 

[arthurdawg]

Per the internets... James Frankin vs ranked:

• Overall vs. ranked opponents: 16-36
• Penn State vs. top-25 opponents: 15-28
• Penn State vs. top-10 opponents: 4-21

Sark is trying to match him...

 

[lowend]

Okla. State hires UNT's Morris to revive program

Eric Morris, who has led North Texas to a 10-1 record this season while averaging 503.3 yards per game, has been hired as the next coach at Oklahoma State.

www.espn.com

 

[Rocky Mtn Bob]

On paper Morris looks like a good move for Oklahoma State. Can't do much worse than 1-10.

 

[CB4]

I think dominoes start falling once Kiffin makes an announcement. If he stays (which I find unlikely) then LSU and Florida have to start looking for “another date to the prom”. If Kiffin takes LSU then Ole Miss joins the carousel.

We pretty much know Auburn has been on Sumrall for a while. So does Florida or Ole Miss jump into the Sumrall sweepstakes? IMO Florida fans aren’t going to be happy with “another rising P4 guy” after Sunbelt Billy, which puts AD Scott Stricklin between a “a rock and hard place”. Same holds true for LSU if Kiffin stays at Ole Miss or heads to Gainesville.

It’s going to get interesting.

 

[CB72]

I think dominoes start falling once Kiffin makes an announcement. If he stays (which I find unlikely) then LSU and Florida have to start looking for “another date to the prom”. If Kiffin takes LSU then Ole Miss joins the carousel.

We pretty much know Auburn has been on Sumrall for a while. So does Florida or Ole Miss jump into the Sumrall sweepstakes? IMO Florida fans aren’t going to be happy with “another rising P4 guy” after Sunbelt Billy, which puts AD Scott Stricklin between a “a rock and hard place”. Same holds true for LSU if Kiffin stays at Ole Miss or heads to Gainesville.

It’s going to get interesting.

They can offer Urban. He was there the other day.

 

[countrytider]

But why does anyone think this leopard ever changed his spots?

I'm sorry, folks, I've NEVER gotten the Kiffin love or the idea he's some sort of offensive guru.

Alabama Offensive PPG
2010: 35.7 (Shark Porn)
2011: 34.8 (Shark Porn)
2012: 38.7 (Nussmeier)
2013: 38.2 (Nussmeier)
2014: 36.9 (Kiffin)
2015: 35.1 (Kiffin)
2016: 38.8 (Kiffin mostly)
2017: 37.1 (Dabol)
2018: 45.6 (Locksley) - third among all teams
2019: 47.2 (Sark)
2020: 48.5 (Sark)
2021: 39.9 (O'Brien) - 6th among all teams
2022: 41.1 (O'Brien) - 4th

Now....SOMEBODY show me the so-called "offensive genius" here, please.....and how it's Kiffin......

SURE, the 2016 number is the highest, but remember a few things:
a) the ranking was 16th overall in 2016, but the much lower number in 2011 was 20th, so it's not THAT much
b) those are not OFFENSIVE PPG, they are TEAM PPG and thus include TDs scored by the defense and special teams.
c) the 2017 team (with fewer NOTs) was actually 15th overall and thus higher.

And I think we all remember that the 2016 team scored FIFTEEN NOTs in 15 games, which would drive down the points numbers on the OFFENSE. That defense was so good that Alabama would have been bowl eligible had their offense not gained a single yard all season. (of course you'd have to account for fatigue so it wouldn't work that way).

yes, I know the objection: "but the offensive misses a time on the field if the defense scores." True.

But again - how does that turn Kiffin into an OFFENSIVE genius?

If you go by dry stats, Bill O'Brien is a better OC than Kiffin is, and everyone wanted him gone. O'Brien ranks better both compared to all teams AND by ppg. Sure, O'Brien had a better QB, but I'm not sure how that makes Kiffin some sort of guru, either. Most teams nowadays have pretty good QBs.

I just have never seen anything that suggests this guy is the next Bill Walsh as an OC, and his character flaws give me considerable pause of ever wanting him to coach at the University of Alabama.


ETA: before it even becomes necessary to say, NO, Bill O'Brien is not a better OC than Kiffin. But Kiffin is also not the light years better that his reputation among fans suggests, either.

I’m sorry but Kiffin is an offensive genius. Saban brought him in to modernize the offense and he did just that.

You mention Bill Obrien’s two years WITH Bryce Young.

Kiffin took Blake Sims, Jake Coker, and a Freshman Jalen Hurts and won 3 SEC titles in a row, 1 NC and played for another.

He’s done very well as a HC post Saban as well, hence the bidding war for his services.

To act like he’s not that good is ridiculous. I guess all these programs dying to hire him just don’t realize he’s “not that good”.

He was the better choice for HC for the Alabama job but I know too many rich boosters got their feelings hurt and we will never hire him.

 

[countrytider]

Actually we do… just not as publicly available due to the reasons why. He wasn’t and will never be as long as the powers that be are still in charge with CNS in as some sorta advisor. He has burned way too many bridges here that it’s crazy that he still thinks he has a shot here. The Joey freshwater saga is the more milder issues he had here to give you an example of what was going on.

You guys kill me with this. Always talking about “all the stuff that went on”…..like it’s top secret insider information, but yet it never comes to light. It’s been almost ten years since Kiffin was at Bama.

If it was that bad that we refuse to ever hire him as coach even when we had the opportunity then it would be public knowledge by now.

We settled for DeBoer, and as of right now our playoff hopes hinge on going into JH Stadium and coming out with a win. If not, then DeBoer will be going into year 3 with a very warm seat and rightfully so.

 

[countrytider]

You think he’s just supposed to what, tighten a bolt somewhere and fix it? Maybe draw a new play in the dirt that will work? The running game has been struggling for years. Go get in Saban’s face if you want to get to the root of the problem. He let this happen. It’s not going to magically turn around in one season.

Dude fixed the passing game.
Dude’s defense just held a team to 34 yards.
His “fixed” running game won’t put 170 on folks, it will be in the 110-150 range and be efficient with the carries given.

Dude you’ve beat the blame Saban drum to death.

IF we lose the IB, and miss a 12 team playoff again, at what point does some of the blame start to lie at DeBoer’s feet?

Maybe if we miss next year?

Good grief.

You act as if DeBoer inherited what Saban did in 07 and it’s not even a comparison.

Btw, Saban played for the SEC title in year two, and won the NC in year 3 with an inherited situation that doesn’t even compare to what he left DeBoer. It’s ridiculous.