33 coaches who could be next for big jobs
The college football coaching carousel isn't moving yet, but these are the coaches to watch for the next big job opening.
A few highlights:
Barry Odom, UNLV Rebels : He's unquestionably the top Group of 5 coach in this year's market. Odom has several factors working in his favor, including his continued success with the Rebels. After leading UNLV to the Mountain West championship game in his first season, Odom recorded two road wins against Big 12 opponents -- Houston and Kansas -- in the first three games. Odom, 47, came to UNLV from Arkansas, which could soon have an opening and likely would consider a former successful defensive coordinator. He also was far from a disaster as head coach at Missouri, going 25-25 with bowl-eligible teams in each of his final three seasons. Odom also should be on the radar at Baylor, as athletic director Mack Rhoades promoted him to head coach while at Missouri. Odom's background is on defense, but he has hired a notable group of offensive coordinators, including Josh Heupel and current OC Brennan Marion. (Of course, Odom's job at UNLV just got a lot harder as QB Matthew Sluka announced he won't be playing again this year due to "representations" that were not upheld.)
Alex Golesh, South Florida Bulls: Golesh has stabilized an underachieving South Florida program in his first head-coaching opportunity and could soon move up to a bigger job. The 40-year-old brings an appealing mix of exciting offense and pedal-down recruiting, and he has worked in different regions of the country. Golesh lacks a clear signature win at USF, but his teams competed with Alabama in each of his two seasons, and pushed Miami in the first half last week. He should also be helped by the blistering success of Heupel's offense, which he helped coordinate at both UCF and Tennessee before coming to South Florida. Golesh also spent time under Iowa State coach Matt Campbell and could be a fit both in the Southeast and Midwest.
Jamey Chadwell, Liberty Flames: Chadwell is no stranger to this type of list, and he comes off of a Fiesta Bowl appearance following the 2023 season. He's 17-1 since coming to Liberty from Coastal Carolina and 47-7 since the start of the 2020 season. Chadwell's offenses are annually among the most efficient and productive in the country. He's 115-58 overall as a head coach at five programs -- two FBS, one FCS, two Division II. The hesitancy on Chadwell, 47, continues to be his zero Power 4 experience, not even as a low-level assistant. He also makes more than $4 million annually at Liberty, so he has less incentive to leave for just any Power 4 opportunity. But the Tennessee native has coached all over the ACC and SEC footprint and could be an interesting choice for the right opening.
Jake Dickert, Washington State Cougars: There is a lot to like about Dickert's profile, which has kept improving this season. He already has been a Power 4 coach before the Pac-12 breakup, took over a very difficult situation in 2021, won the Apple Cup and made the first of two bowl games. Dickert guided Washington State through another difficult time last summer and has his team at 4-0 with another dramatic Apple Cup win in Seattle. His overall record of 19-16 doesn't jump out per se, but he owns two wins against Wisconsin, two against Washington and one against a top-15 Oregon State last fall. The 41-year-old spent time at top FCS programs North Dakota State and South Dakota State early in his career and understands how to build programs that lack endless resources.
Bob Chesney, James Madison Dukes: Chesney is somewhat similar to Sumrall. Both surely will be Power 4 coaches if they maintain their trajectories, but both are in their first seasons - and for Chesney, his first at an FBS program. Chesney, 47, already has a signature win from last week's historic 70-50 triumph against North Carolina. He went 44-21 at Holy Cross with three top-25 finishes, and was in the mix at Syracuse before coming to JMU. Chesney has strong ties to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, and he could soon be a strong candidate for ACC, Big Ten and certain Big 12 jobs.
Penn State Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki: The impact he has had on programs is profound and soon could vault him into leading his own team. Kotelnicki, 44, helped transform Kansas under coach Lance Leipold, as the Jayhawks ranked fifth nationally in yards per play and 18th in scoring during Kotelnicki's final two seasons as coordinator. Kansas seemingly misses him, too, as the team is 1-3 this fall. Penn State, which struggled mightily to generate explosive plays last season, is fifth nationally in yards per play and seventh in yards per game, after setting a team total offense record with 718 yards Saturday against Kent State. "He's going to be a hot name, with what he did at Buffalo and Kansas," an industry source said. Kotelnicki is a Minnesota native who has spent the bulk of his career in the Midwest and could be an interesting fit for Big Ten, ACC or certain Big 12 jobs.
Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson: The Hurricanes are firmly in the CFP mix thanks to an explosive offense -- No. 2 nationally in yards, No. 4 in scoring -- led by quarterback Cam Ward, a top Heisman Trophy candidate. There will be continued intrigue around Ward and the Canes, which should help Dawson, 47, on his fifth stint as an FBS coordinator. Dawson has had some mixed results but operates an exciting Air Raid-style scheme and comes from the Hal Mumme coaching tree. The Louisiana native might need to replicate the production after Ward departs -- "This year puts him on the radar for next year," an industry source said -- but could generate interest for jobs in the South and Southeast.
