Predicting the 2025 coaching cycle: Lane Kiffin makes unexpected move, Florida gets bold, and Penn State breaks hearts in the SEC
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This year’s college football coaching cycle is expected to be one of the wildest ever.
Several high profile jobs, such as LSU, Florida, Auburn, and Penn State, have already opened.
Numerous other jobs are expected to open by the end of the season (either because the school decides to make a move or because of the impact of the coaching carousel).
A few prominent head coaches, such as Curt Cignetti at Indiana and Matt Rhule at Nebraska, recently signed extensions, making it less likely that they take one of these open jobs.
Predicting how the 2025 college football coaching cycle will play out
It’s still too early to have a solid idea of which coaches will be on the move. We’ll have a better idea in a couple of weeks of how this year’s coaching cycle will play out.
Still, it’s always fun to take a guess at how things could play out (and then look back and see how right or wrong we were).
Here’s my best guess at who will fill this year’s major job openings (as well as who could fill openings that come open as a result of a coach leaving for another job).
LSU Tigers — James Franklin, former Penn State head coach: I know James Franklin isn’t the most popular guy in college football, but I still think he’s a pretty good coach. LSU probably had its sights set higher than Franklin when they fired Brian Kelly, but the nonsense going in Baton Rouge in the aftermath of firing Kelly has made the job a little less attractive.
Penn State Nittany Lions — Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Commodores head coach: If Vanderbilt doesn’t make the College Football Playoff this season in quarterback Diego Pavia’s last year, will they ever? I wouldn’t be surprised if Lea stays, but he may not be able to pass up the Penn State job if it’s offered.
Vanderbilt Commodores — Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky head coach: I don’t know where Vanderbilt would turn if Lea leaves. But former Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator Tyson Helton could be an intriguing option. Helton’s been the head coach at WKU since 2019.
Auburn Tigers — Jon Sumrall, Tulane Green Wave head coach: Jon Sumrall played college football at Kentucky, but his wife Ginny went to school at Auburn. The Tigers may take some big swings, but Sumrall, for now, feels like the most likely hire.
Florida Gators — Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans head coach: Hey, let’s get crazy. I don’t think the USC experiment is going quite as Lincoln Riley thought it would when he left Oklahoma a few years ago. Riley, though, could do well at Florida. I think he’s a better coach than Billy Napier — he’s certainly a better quarterback developer. If the Gators can’t land Lane Kiffin, Riley wouldn’t be a bad consolation prize.
New York Giants — Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels head coach: Speaking of Kiffin, I don’t think it would be a surprise to see him make the jump to the NFL. Kiffin has previous NFL experience as the head coach of the Raiders nearly 20 years ago. I could see Kiffin making this move to get away from NIL/transfer headaches in college football. This move would also reunite Kiffin with former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Ole Miss Rebels — Alex Golesh, USF Bulls head coach: I don’t think Alex Golesh is in a hurry to leave USF, but he would be a great option to take over for Kiffin in Oxford. Golesh runs an explosive offense, and he’s developing into one of the most intriguing (and enlightening) personalities in the sport.
Oklahoma State — Jon Gruden, former NFL head coach: Oklahoma State is in a spot where they need to create some buzz (much like North Carolina a year ago). Gruden badly wants to get back into coaching, but I don’t think an SEC team is going to take a chance on him.
Arkansas Razorbacks — Ryan Silverfield, Memphis Tigers head coach: Going from Memphis to Arkansas feels like a natural transition for Ryan Silverfield to make. He doesn’t have any SEC experience, but he’s 50-23 since taking over at Memphis ahead of the 2020 season.
Virginia Tech Hokes — Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks head coach: Time seems to be running out on Shane Beamer at South Carolina. The Gamecocks are 3-6 this season after coming into the season with a ton of hype following last season’s nine win campaign. Returning to Virginia Tech, where his father Frank is a legend, could be a good exit strategy for Beamer.
South Carolina Gamecocks — Eric Morris, North Texas Mean Green head coach: I don’t really have a good feel for who could potentially replace Beamer at South Carolina. There would likely be a wide variance of candidates.
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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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