Previewing College Football’s Coaching Carousel After Black Sunday Firings

Texas A&M poaching Duke’s Mike Elko could have a domino effect on the coaching market.

The dust has settled on the top end of the college football head coaching carousel. There are always surprises and twists and turns, but the biggest piece is off the board now that Texas A&M has formally announced the hiring of Mike Elko. With that done, here’s how the rest of the chips could fall as we dig through the aftermath of Black Sunday.

Boise State

The Broncos have made it to the Mountain West championship game for the second straight year after a midseason coaching change, but this time it was to head coach Andy Avalos rather than a coordinator. Interim head coach Spencer Danielson, 35, is in play to keep the job long-term after winning both of his games in charge and leading Boise back to the conference championship game against UNLV. Other names include Bronco Mendenhall, Matt Wells and Texas assistant coach Jeff Choate.

Duke

Duke’s search is in the early stages as it was not clear that Elko was going to take the Texas A&M job officially until late Sunday night even as reports surfaced late Sunday afternoon that Elko was the top target. Duke’s most recent coaching search that ended with Elko included poking at NFL candidates including Jason Garrett. James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti could be an intriguing option given his ties in the Carolinas from time spent at Elon and NC State. Florida State offensive coordinator Alex Atkins would also be a name on the rise the Blue Devils could consider who has familiarity with the league.

James Madison coach Curt Cignetti could be a fit in Durham after leading the Dukes to a 19–4 record in their first two seasons in the FBS.  :: David Yeazell/USA TODAY Sports

Houston

Houston has reached out to UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor. Traylor’s name phased out of the Texas A&M search right around Thanksgiving. UTSA’s administration is working to give him additional resources, according to the San Antonio Express-News. 

UH brass has also kicked tires on Tulane’s Willie Fritz. Despite Tulane’s reputation as a school where sports are not the primary focus, Green Wave administrators are willing to put up a fight to keep a coach who has proven he can win big at a place that historically hasn’t. Fritz has also said he will not engage with another school until after his team’s conference championship game. Former TCU head coach Gary Patterson has also been linked to the Houston job.

The fact that Houston’s job is even open is something of a surprise given that when asked by Paper City if he was looking forward to another season with Dana Holgorsen in charge, mega booster Tilman Fertitta replied, “Of course.” In the estimation of industry sources, the fact that Holgorsen is out of the job means either Fertitta had a change of heart (as the school’s most prominent athletic booster) or he was outflanked by administrators who found the money for Holgorsen’s $15 million buyout from other donors.

Indiana

The Hoosiers signaled a level of seriousness in the marketplace by firing Tom Allen with a $20 million-plus buyout that the school negotiated down to two payments of $7.75 million. The next test for IU brass will be showing that level of seriousness in allocation of resources, especially NIL, which an industry source notes is a necessary area of improvement if Indiana is to attract a young and hungry coaching option.

Marshall’s Charles Huff and South Alabama’s Kane Wommack are early names to note. A source also noted IU has also reached out to former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst.

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Louisiana-Monroe

Few schools are as under-resourced as ULM, which enters the coaching market needing to attract a coach who knows the area well and can figure out a way to entice players without much in the way of NIL dollars to offer.

Middle Tennessee St.

Rick Stockstill was the fourth-longest tenured active coach in the FBS, but things had gotten stale in Murfreesboro. The school is 30 minutes outside of Nashville, and will attract coaches familiar with the metro area. 

Former Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, now in the USFL, could make the move to college. Fisher had been a rumored option for USC in the past, and spent a year as an advisor at Tennessee State where he worked with his former All-Pro running back Eddie George. George, who is currently head coach at TSU, could also be an option for the Blue Raiders. Former Charlotte and Austin Peay head coach Will Healy, currently an offensive analyst at UCF, is another name to note.

New Mexico

Industry sources say the Lobos are looking for someone with head coach experience. It’s a job that could appeal to a coach who doesn’t want to play high-stakes NIL games that are necessary at a big Power 5 program.

Oregon State

There is a notion that if the Pac-12 still existed in some form involving more than just two teams, Oregon State could have plausibly kept head coach Jonathan Smith from leaving for Michigan State. In reality, however, the Beavers lost their former QB and their second-most successful head coach in the last 50 years to a mid-tier Big Ten job despite efforts to keep him in a dire time of need. Now could be the time to stick with interim Kefense Hynson.

San Diego State

The Aztecs have moved beyond the initial phase of their search. Names to note include Colorado offensive coordinator Sean Lewis and Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White.

Lewis left his head coaching position at Kent State to join Deion Sanders in Colorado, but his playcalling duties were taken away during a roller coaster of a first season in Boulder :: David Zalubowski/AP

Syracuse

A source tells Sports Illustrated that Georgia cornerbacks coach Fran Brown has emerged as the top candidate for the Orange. As recently as 48 hours ago, sources were saying Syracuse intended to conduct in-person interviews early this week, with Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney and Toledo coach Jason Candle in the mix. But over the course of Monday, the search began to focus in on Brown, a Northeast native.

UTEP

Industry sources say UTEP will lean toward someone who can bring an offensive identity to the program with Texas ties. Building excitement in the community is a must. It’s the profile of a young coach who is willing to bring energy to the challenge of building a winner in El Paso. Early names to note include Arizona State wide receivers coach Ra’Shaad Samples and Austin Peay head coach Scottie Walden.