There’s been a flurry of midseason head coach job openings unlike anything college football has seen in recent memory. Downtrodden programs have canned coaches past their expiration date and coaches on the north side of 70 have finally hung it up, while others have either stepped down or were fired for various off-the-field reasons. It’s early November and with four games to go for most teams, there are already vacancies galore in the FBS, ranging from arguably the worst program in college football to arguably the most prestigious. We rank the job attractiveness of the 10 schools who have a job to fill.
10. North Texas
The Mean Green aren’t totally bereft of money and resources. Even considering all the superior FBS programs in Texas, there’s no state with a deeper high school talent pool. And Dan McCarney was still the fourth-highest paid head coach in Conference USA before he was fired, so the school is willing to shell out. The issue — and it’s a glaring one — is how far UNT has to go to even compete in C-USA. We’re not saying it’s impossible (they won nine games just two years ago), but if losing 66-7 at home to FCS Portland State isn’t indicative of how steep a climb this is, we don’t know what is.
9. Hawaii
As long as you’re OK living on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, is there any place better to work and live than Hawaii? Probably not. It’s just that the climate of the athletic department couldn’t be further than that of the actual state, where a lack of funds has led to talk of the football program shutting down. Assuming the program survives, recruiting is still tough and travel is taxing. Plus, Hawaii has been shut out three times this season and its offense and defense both rank near the bottom of the FBS, so regardless of everything else, there’s a long way to go on the field.
8. UCF
Yes, this season has been horrible, though some of it can be chalked up to lameduck George O’Leary being torn between two jobs (and eventually winding up with neither of them). But he also built one of the best Group of Five programs during his time in Orlando. Recruiting is still fertile (despite being low on the Florida totem pole), they have a brand new stadium, and won the Fiesta Bowl two years ago. There’s a lot to like here, but as an AAC school, UCF isn’t exactly a “destination” job and trying to turn around a potentially winless team is not enviable.
7. Illinois
Illinois feels like it could be a good job. Big Ten money, pretty solid recruiting ground and big-market proximity all work in its favor. The resources are in place for the right coach to succeed, though he still has to be someone who can convince recruits to come to Champaign instead of a metropolis like Chicago or football mecca like South Bend. It would still require ridiculous savvy to keep pace in the Big Ten and wring the most out of the presumed middle-tier talent.
6. Minnesota
Despite the brutal winters the Twin Cities are a great place to live, where the citizens’ love and support for their sports teams is on par with any city in the country. Even though they share real estate with the four major pro sports, the Gophers don’t lack for fan enthusiasm. Big Ten money and big-market location are both pluses, as is six-year-old TCF Bank Stadium. Jerry Kill (and Glen Mason before him) proved Minnesota could hang as long as a charismatic coach was in place to push the right buttons. It’s still not a destination job for a coach who’s been around the block, but a young and hungry Power 5 coordinator or Group of Five head coach could succeed there.
5. Maryland
There’s a lot working in Maryland’s favor. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank seeks to make Maryland the “Oregon of the East,” creating in College Park what Nike CEO Phil Knight did in Eugene, and a $155 million renovation plan for a new Cole Field House and indoor football facility is a superb start. D.C.-area recruits would be much more enticed to stay local and Virginia prep talent might choose to cross state lines, opting for the Big Ten and its inherent exposure. Big Ten Network money doesn’t hurt, either. It’s just that the Terps play in a brutal division, where Ohio State and Michigan State figure to be dominant for a long time, while Michigan and Penn State are not too far behind. Whoever takes the job must start from Square One with an arduous road ahead, but will have plenty at his disposal.
4. Virginia Tech
Perhaps the biggest knock on this job is that whoever gets it must follow in the footsteps of a legend. Ironically, it’s 100-percent Frank Beamer’s doing that Virginia Tech is a marquee job in the first place. This is truly the program Beamer built, turning Blacksburg from an anonymous town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a college football destination. No venue rocks like Lane Stadium on gameday, where premier talent has been flocking for the better part of three decades. The ACC Coastal is usually wide open and the coach will have talent at his disposal. That said, you’re following Frank Beamer. If the Hokies fail to be ranked or go to a bowl this season it will have been a first in both those departments since 1992. There’s a lot to live up to and patience might wear thin, but this is a program built to succeed.
3. South Carolina
South Carolina is clearly willing to shell out, as Steve Spurrier was the 15th-highest paid coach in the country this year ($4 million). His successor won’t command that much but certainly won’t starve. This is an SEC job, which inherently carries money, fan support and resources with it. Unfortunately the Gamecocks were perennial also-rans before Spurrier came to town. The next head coach will have to compete hard for in-state talent with Clemson, and elsewhere with the rest of the ruthless SEC. Columbia is one of the hardest spots in the SEC to succeed, but success in the SEC can be borderline intoxicating for coaches looking to make their mark.
2. Miami (FL)
Let’s get Miami’s negatives out of the way now: The Hurricanes play in a soulless off-campus stadium in front of pretty much no one. Fair-weather fans in Miami is not a new development and many won’t stick with Miami through adversity (though the distance from Coral Gables to Miami Gardens might have something to do with that). Miami still sits on the most fertile recruiting ground in the country, where they’re only splitting face-time with two other major programs. Even Al Golden spun out a relatively robust amount of high draft picks. Boosters are ready to throw money at the program, which has been waiting for years for a Butch Davis-type to return the Hurricanes to glory. Be it Davis himself or someone else, “The U” still has plenty of swag left in it for whoever’s up next. Just beware flyovers if things go south.
1. USC
The Trojans’ recent hiring missteps aside, USC is still one of the best jobs in the country. That it is searching for a permanent head coach for the third time this decade is somewhat unbelievable. But here we are. You know the drill by now: prime Los Angeles location, historic stadium, money for days, strong local and national recruiting footprint, fan (and celebrity) support, storied history, national exposure, great NFL pipeline, etc. Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian were clearly not fit to carry the burden of such expectations for various reasons, but someone out there is and would be fortunate to land with the Trojans.
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