College football coaching carousel: A look at who has been hired and fired this offseason
The college football coaching carousel is never quiet, even following seasons in which we think there might not be much movement. Inevitably, someone unexpected makes a move that starts other dominoes tumbling.
In this day and age, the spinning usually begins even before the regular season concludes, and the pace often picks up before bowl games. A couple of changes in the Big Ten due more to off-field matters than wins and losses got things off to an even earlier start in 2023.
The list of openings grew as vacancies were filled, but eventually all the hires were made this offseason. A look at the new coaches across the Bowl Subdivision:
Job filled
Northwestern
Who's out: The Wildcats fired Pat Fitzgerald before the season after details of hazing allegations were made public by former players. Fitzgerald, the school's winningest coach, had a 110-101 record.
Who's hired: After Fitzgerald's departure, David Braun was made interim coach. Braun was give the job permanently as the team finished 7-5.
Michigan State
Who's out: The vacancy at Michigan State was created by the firing of Mel Tucker, who departed in the middle of his fourth season amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Who's hired: Jonathan Smith was lured from Oregon State to take over rebuilding the Spartans. Smith was successful in doing a similar job in his six seasons with the Beavers.
Mississippi State
Who's out:Zach Arnett didn't last one season as Mike Leach's replacement. He was fired with the team 5-6.
Who's hired: The Bulldogs selected Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who previously served in the same role at Mississippi under Lane Kiffin.
Texas A&M
Who's out:Jimbo Fisher arrived to much fanfare but he went 45-25 and was owed $77 million when the school cut ties with him.
Who's hired: The Aggies turned to a familiar face with the hiring of Duke coach Mike Elko, who was previously the school's defensive coordinator before a successful, two-year stint with the Blue Devils.
San Diego State
Who's out: Brady Hoke's second tenure was highlighted by a 12-2 mark and Mountain West title game appearance in 2021, but the Aztecs were just 27-20 in four seasons.
Who's in: After one season as offensive coordinator at Colorado, Sean Lewis is moving on to take over the Aztecs. Lewis was previously the head coach of Kent State for five season, posting a 24-31 record.
Syracuse
Who's out: Dino Babers won 10 games in 2018, but overall was 41-55 during his tenure and slumped too many times late in the season to warrant returning.
Who's in: The Orange turned to Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown as the replacement for Babers. Brown, considered one of the nation's top recruiters, is in his second year with Bulldogs.
Oregon State
Who's out: Jonathan Smith didn't have a gaudy record (34-35) but in his six seasons with the Beavers, Smith did one of the best rebuilding jobs in the country.
Who's in: The Beavers didn't look far for Smith's replacement, hiring defensive coordinator Trent Bray. The 41 year old had been on the staff since 2018.
Duke
Who's out: After two successful seasons culminating in bowl berths, Mike Elko left the Blue Devils for the vacancy at Texas A&M.
Who’s in: The Blue Devils turned to the well-traveled Manny Diaz, most recently the defensive coordinator at Penn State, to try and sustain their winning ways. He’s familiar with the ACC, though his three-year head coaching stint at Miami was a mixed bag with a 21-15 overall record. There’s no disputing his defensive acumen; the Nittany Lions led the nation in total defense and were third in fewest points allowed at the conclusion of the regular season, but bringing that caliber of talent to Duke could be a challenge.
Indiana
Who's out:Tom Allen took the Hoosiers to bowls in 2019 and 2020 but was just 33-48 in seven seasons.
Who's in: Curt Cignetti led the transition of James Madison from Championship Subdivision power to 11 wins in 2023. He now will be tasked with making the Hoosiers relevant in the Big Ten.
Houston
Who's out:Dana Holgorsen's first season in the Big 12 was a disappointment and he was let got after going 31-28 in five campaigns.
Who’s in: The Cougars again went with experience hiring Willie Fritz from Tulane. His tenure with the Green Wave might fairly be compared to Mike Elko’s level of success at Duke, another school with high academic standards but relatively little football history. His overall record in New Orleans was 54-47, but his last two campaigns were especially notable with a 23-4 mark, an AAC title and a Cotton Bowl victory.
Tulane
Who’s out: After engineering an impressive turnaround with the Green Wave, Willie Fritz accepted the challenge of making Houston a contender in its new Big 12 home.
Who's in: Jon Sumrall did a remarkable job turning around Troy, going 23-4 and winning Sun Belt titles in both his seasons with the Trojans. He defensive background and previous three seasons as an assistant with the Green Wave make him a good fit to replace Fritz and should keep the program among the best in the American Athletic.
Boise State
Who's out:Andy Avalos didn't make it to the end of his third season after a 22-14 that included an appearance in the Mountain West title game in 2022.
Who's in: You can't ace an on-the-job interview better than Spencer Danielson did. The interim coach won all three of his games after replacing Avalos, leading the Broncos to the Mountain West title. Danielson has bene on the staff since 2017 and served various roles until becoming defensive coordinator. The success of interim coaches taking over permanently is mixed, but if he can continue the enthusiasm gained in his short tenure then prospects are good.
James Madison
Who's out: Curt Cignetti compiled a 52-9 record in five seasons with the Dukes but opted to leave for Indiana after taking the school to its first bowl game.
Who's in: The Dukes are following the same blueprint as their hire of Cignetti by grabbing an impressive FCS coach. The difference between Cignetti and Bob Chesney of Holy Cross is that the latter doesn't have to lead the transition to FBC. Chesney can build upon Cignetti's foundation after rebuilding the Crusaders into a perennial playoff contender. He could also bring his quarterback Matt Sluka, who is in the transfer portal.
Troy
Who’s out: With the Trojans winning consecutive Sun Belt titles, coach Jon Sumrall was an attractive option to bigger schools and he ended up leaving for Tulane.
Who's in: Troy changed directions from Sumrall's defensive background to hiring Notre Dame offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, who played at Kentucky with Sumrall and his predecessor Neal Brown. The Trojans are well-positioned to carry on being one of the league's top programs.
Nevada
Who's out: The Wolf Pack let go Ken Wilson. a longtime assistant under Chris Ault, after two seasons with consecutive records of 2-10.
Who's in: The previous coaching search that led to the hiring of Wilson also had Jeff Choate as a finalist. This time around, Choate, a linebackers coach at Texas, got the job. Previously the head coach at Montana State, he was also a longtime assistant at Boise State and Washington. Choate will be tasked with rebuilding a program that has potential but needs a commitment of resources to meet expectations.
Middle Tennessee
Who’s out: Rick Stockstill had a solid 18-year run in Murfreesboro, an eternity in this era of the sport, which included 10 bowl trips. But this year’s 4-8 finish prompted school officials to seek a new start.
Who's in: The Blue Raiders found someone with ties to Tennessee, hiring former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason. Most recently a defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State and Auburn, Mason was Vanderbilt's coach from 2014-2020. The Commodores posted a 27-55 record during his tenure and went to bowl games in 2016 and 2018.
Wyoming
Who’s out: Craig Bohl announced he will retire following the Cowboys’ appearance in the Arizona Bowl on Dec. 28. His 10-year tenure in Laramie, the longest in program history, included six bowl appearances and a 60-60 overall record. Prior to Wyoming, Bohl led North Dakota State to three consecutive FCS titles from 2011-13.
Who’s in: Jay Sawvel, Bohl’s defensive coordinator for the past four seasons, was immediately named the new head coach. An alum of Division III power Mount Union, Sawvel has had previous stints as DC at Minnesota and Wake Forest.
New Mexico
Who's out: A former assistant with the Lobos, Danny Gonzales lasted four seasons and managed just an 11-32 record even with improvement in 2023.
Who’s in: After a two-year break from coaching, Bronco Mendenhall returns to the sidelines In Albuquerque. Mendenhall has a 135-81 record over his 17-year head coaching career, with an 11-year run at Brigham Young and six seasons at Virginia. He is familiar with the Lobos’ program, having served as defensive coordinator on Rocky Long’s staff from 1998-2002.
Texas-El Paso
Who's out: Dana Dimel posted a 20-49 record in six seasons with one bowl appearance.
Who's in: The Miners dipped into the FCS pool with the hiring of Austin Peay's Scotty Walden, The 34 year old is a Texan native and will try to use those roots to rebuild a program that hasn't been consistent in winning enough games to reach the postseason.
Louisiana-Monroe
Who's out: Terry Bowden lasted three years, showing improvement through the first two campaigns before slipping to 2-10 and 0-8 in the conference this year.
Who's in: Bryant Vincent arrives after serving as offensive coordinator at New Mexico. He previously spent the 2022 season as the interim coach at Alabama-Birmingham and led the Blazers to a 7-6 record. His offensive acumen could help at a place where winning is difficult and the Sun Belt has markedly improved with recent additions to the league.
