Greg McElroy ranks every open job in college football this season

It’s been a historic year in the coaching landscape. It’s not even November yet, and there are eight head coach openings at Power Four programs. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Greg McElroy revealed his rankings of the head coach openings across the country.

Three of the programs that fired their head coaches this fall began the season ranked in the AP Top 25. While the others may not have been expected to compete for postseason hardware, none of the dismissed coaches envisioned themselves without a job before Halloween.

With a head start on some of the other schools that will part ways with their respective head coaches this offseason, the following schools will look to make standout hires. Look below to see which job opening McElroy finds most enticing.

1. LSU Tigers

On Sunday, LSU sent shockwaves throughout college football when it fired head coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers jumpstarted their season with a win over defending ACC champion Clemson. Alas, LSU has lost three of its last four games, and the school ultimately decided to make a change.

McElroy believes there’s no better job opening currently on the market. In fairness, LSU has excellent funding and plenty of talent already on its roster. Additionally, the program has track record of success. The three head coaches who came before Kelly at LSU each won a national title.

2. Florida Gators

Not even a win over Mississippi State could change Billy Napier‘s fate. The school fired him after Week 8 and is desperate to return to its former heights. Earlier this month, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said the school has never been more invested in its football program. McElroy believes Florida is luring enough to pull in a coach that could help the school achieve its goals.

“If you ask a lot of people in the world, they believe it’s a top five job in terms of resources, recruiting territory, and the right coach can—and has—won a national championship,” McElroy said. “This is a place that has a really good young roster. And, while things weren’t great for Billy Napier, it’s a desirable job because the of personnel that are already there.”

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State entered the 2025 campaign with sky-high expectations. The Nittany Lions made their first College Football Playoff appearance last season and even advanced to the semifinals. However, things quickly spiraled this season after Penn State suffered a loss against Oregon in Week 5.

The team lost its next two games and Penn State fired longtime head coach James Franklin. McElroy thinks Penn State could reach great heights under new leadership, but is concerned the program will be handicapped by its renovations to Beaver Stadium that are expected to cost at least $700 million.

4. Virginia Tech Hokies

It only took three games this season for Virginia Tech to cut the Brent Pry experiment short. He was in his fourth season at the helm of the program and was yet to lead the Hokies to more than seven wins in a single season. Nonetheless, McElroy is confident another coach could thrive in Blacksburg due to the talent around the school.

“This is a really desirable job because of the access to talent, especially if you look at some of the talent that comes out of the DMV area, some of the talent that comes from comes from the state of Virginia, and the access to talent in either direction, into the Carolinas and things like that. This job’s desirability is kind of surging,” McElroy said.

5. Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas is a loaded gun, but it needs someone who knows how to pull the trigger. The school boasts excellent NIL support, a large fanbase and is set up well for the future as a member of the SEC. Now, it needs a leader.

McElroy’s greatest concern for Arkansas lies in its recruiting. With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, Arkansas’ recruiting presence in those schools’ backyards isn’t nearly as strong as it once was. The right coach could revive this presence, but it won’t be easy.

6. UCLA Bruins

UCLA has no shortage of talent to recruit from on the West Coach. However, it needs a solid recruiting pitch to land those prospects. Some coaches may be hesitant to sign with a school that is forced to travel thousands of miles each season for conference play. Despite UCLA’s cons, McElroy has faith the school will land a stellar hire.

“They’re going to get a quality candidate. I really believe that,” McElroy said. “By all accounts, they can spend more so than what you might have originally thought. Their pockets are deeper than you realize.”

7. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Before being fired, Mike Gundy had been Oklahoma State’s head coach since 2005. Potential replacements could be intimidated trying to follow up such a legacy. Worse, Oklahoma State must deal with its SEC neighbor, Oklahoma, fighting for its recruits.

Nevertheless, Oklahoma State’s next coach will have the advantage of being in the Big 12, where, lately, competition hasn’t been as stiff as in the SEC or Big Ten. Oklahoma State’s opening could be attractive to a coach looking to have immediate success, like Arizona State‘s Kenny Dillingham did.

8. Stanford Cardinal

Stanford’s Frank Reich accepted an offer to coach Stanford this season with the understanding he was a temporary fit. He’s done a solid job, leading Stanford to three wins thus far this season. Former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck is leading the job search for Stanford’s next head coach, but McElroy is worried the Cardinal could face some significant hurdles.

“Stanford, remarkably difficult job,” McElroy said. “The high academic standards, the cross country travel to and from ACC programs, and a somewhat challenging situation when it comes to getting guys into school, makes it a little bit tougher to sell some of the candidates that might have other opportunities elsewhere.”

Non Power-Four openings ranked:
9. Colorado State
10. Oregon State
11. UAB
12. Kent State