Ranking five best college football head-coaching openings

The college football coaching carousel is already in full swing.

Following the conclusion of Week 7, Trent Bray (Oregon State), Trent Dilfer (UAB) and James Franklin (Penn State) joined a growing list of head coach firings midway through the 2025 season.

As prospective candidates begin surveying their options, which current openings are the most attractive? Below, we rank the top five from most to least desirable.

1. Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 0-2 in SEC)

What happened: The Razorbacks fired former head coach Sam Pittman five games into his sixth season after posting a 32-34 record, including 3-0 in bowl games. The program named offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who previously served as head coach from 2008-2011, as interim head coach.

Why it's attractive: Rather than being a deterrent, the SEC's strength could make Arkansas the best available opening. With the program's last double-digit win season coming in 2011, the next head coach could produce a 10-win season and be hailed as a hero. Most coaches want to compete against the best, and Arkansas would provide them with a chance to do so weekly.

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-5, 0-3 in Big 12)

What happened: Following a 1-2 start, Oklahoma State fired longtime head coach Mike Gundy. The Cowboys are 4-14 since the start of the 2024 season. Among power conference programs, only Purdue (3-15) has a worse record during that span.

Why it's attractive: With Texas and Oklahoma out of the picture, the Big 12 has become college football's most unpredictable power conference. Whoever gets the job will certainly have a full plate in front of them, but Oklahoma State is only two seasons removed from its last 10-win campaign. As quickly as the team fell, it could just as rapidly ascend.

3. Virginia Tech Hokies (2-5, 1-2 in ACC)

What happened: The Brent Pry era ended after 40 games, with the final straw being a 45-26 home loss to Old Dominion (4-2, 1-1 in Sun Belt). The Hokies have had one winning season since 2020.

Why it's attractive: The strong 2025 starts of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Virginia Cavaliers underscore what's possible in the ACC when a program finds the right head coach. Georgia Tech, which finished no better than 7-6 from 2018-24, is 6-0 in Brent Key's first season. Virginia, two seasons removed from a 3-9 finish, is 5-1 in Year 4 under Tony Elliott.

The Hokies have a proud football tradition, and they could be next in line from the conference to rise from the ashes.

4. Penn State Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3 in Big Ten)

What happened: James Franklin's failure to win big games snowballed after an overtime home loss to Oregon. The Nittany Lions couldn't recover, losing to UCLA and Northwestern, which dropped them to 3-3 and eliminated them from College Football Playoff contention.

Why it's attractive: Penn State has way too much talent to be a .500 team. While Franklin's firing could prompt a mass exodus via the transfer portal, the Nittany Lions likely won't be completely devoid of talent. The program is one of the top brands in the Big Ten, and the next full-time coach shouldn't have to try hard to lure recruits. However, after fans (justifiably) grew dissatisfied with Franklin, who led the team to a program-record 13 wins in 2024 and left Happy Valley with a .698 win percentage, his successor must win immediately. This adds substantial pressure that doesn't exist in other locales.

5. Stanford Cardinal (2-4, 1-2 in ACC)

What happened: In March, the team fired head coach Troy Taylor after a scathing ESPN report detailed a toxic environment propagated by the former Sacramento State head coach, who finished his run at Stanford with a 6-18 record in two seasons. The team's general manager, Andrew Luck, hired his former Indianapolis Colts head coach, Frank Reich, as interim HC six days later.

Why it's attractive: Less than a year into his run as general manager, we don't know what long-lasting impact Luck, who starred as Stanford quarterback from 2009-11, will have, but his presence at least gives the program a glimmer of hope. Reich's replacement must make significant inroads in the transfer portal and recruiting trail. Per On3, the Cardinal ranked No. 67 out of 70 teams in the site's 2025 transfer portal team rankings. Stanford also ranks No. 8 in the ACC (No. 32 overall) in 2026 high-school recruiting rankings, per 247Sports.

Other openings: Oregon State Beavers, UAB Blazers, UCLA Bruins