Ranking how all the new college football coaches did in 2025

Jerry Mack made an immediate impact on Kennesaw State. The Owls have struggled over the last three seasons, with their first season in FBS play a 2-10 mess last year, forcing the school to remove the only coach the program had ever known, Brian Bohannon.

Mack flipped all of that around. Kennesaw State went 10-3 this season and won the Conference USA championship. The 8-win turnaround is one of the biggest in FBS history and put Mack among the finalists in various national Coach of the Year awards. It's quite the feat considering he hadn't been a head coach since 2017 (FCS's NC Central) and spent the last four years as a running backs coach with Tennessee and the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

The school is attempting to lock him into a long-term deal, but even that won't stop other schools from trying to snatch him up in the future.   

New Mexico has been pretty bad over the last decade — their last winning season was 2016, they've had five seasons with 10 or more losses, and they've been to two bowls since 2007. All that has changed under Jason Eck.

The Lobos are 9-3 on the season, a win total they have reached just three times since 1982. They won six straight to end the season, including wins over UNLV (who lost the Mountain West championship game) and San Diego State. The most significant moment ... possibly in program history ... was New Mexico's win at UCLA (their first ever win over a Big Ten team). Eck was rewarded with a raise and a contract extension and will be a name to watch in future coaching cycles.

With some of the better programs in the Mountain West leaving for the Pac-12 next season, New Mexico has set itself up to be a power in this league, provided Eck sticks around. 

Mullen kept the machine humming. The Rebels were already a burgeoning power in the Mountain West after Barry Odom's two seasons, but Mullen improved on the formula by modeling the roster after himself. He hit the portal hard and brought in guys from P4 schools who wanted more snaps or a second chance to prove themselves -- just as Mullen is doing. The plan worked. UNLV went 10-2 in the regular season and back in the Mountain West championship game (a loss to Boise State once again). The only problem is that Mullen's second chance splash suddenly makes him desirable for another shot at a power program, and he may not be long for Vegas. 

Wake Forest is one of the more difficult places to build a football program, but they can have success there if you have the right coach. Wake Forest feels like they have the right coach. How do I know? After Dickert's 8-4 season, the university rewarded him with an extension and a promise to invest more into the football program. Dave Clawson reached some great highs during his career and Dickert's inaugural season shows he can continue it. The Demon Deacons went into Charlottesville and gave Virginia its only ACC regular-season defeat. They toppled SMU and went into overtime before losing to Georgia Tech. In a turbulent ACC, Dickert is someone who can make Wake into a contender. 

Harrell has done an exceptional job with the Pirates in his one-and-a-half seasons. Unlike most first-year head coaches on this list, Harrell took over his program mid-season in 2024 and did so well (going 5-1) that he earned the full-time job. He kept the mojo going with an 8-4 mark this season -- the third 8-win season over the last four years for the Pirates. Their four losses were to Tulane (conference champ and College Football Playoff participant), BYU (just missed out on getting a playoff spot), NC State (7-point defeat in Raleigh) and a head-scratching blowout loss to UTSA late in the season. This seems to be a program in the right hands, with a guy who has spent much of his football career in North Carolina and knows the area well. 

A one-and-done coaching hire. If you remember, Charles Huff was in negotiations to stay at Marshall last year at this time, but left for Southern Miss right after he won the Thundering Herd a Sun Belt championship at in 2024. Huff took a Golden Eagles program that went 1-11 and transformed them into a 7-5 record this season, one of the top improvements in FBS. Southern Miss won 7 of their first 9 games before losing their final three, but it was good enough to get them to just their second bowl in the last six seasons.  Huff will leave to take over at Memphis.

Fresno State prides itself on being typically in the mix in the Mountain West Conference, and expects to be able to do the same in the Pac-12 next year. Entz looks like he is the man to lead them into their new conference. Entz's Bulldogs got off to a 5-1 start before settling on an 8-4 record. This was the kind of success Fresno State was looking for from Entz, who went 60-11 during five years at North Dakota State, where he led the Bison to two national championships. 

Understand what Mark Carney took over at Kent State:

1. Kent State went 1-23 during the two-season Kenni Burns era in Kent, Ohio, including 0-12 last season.

2. Burns was placed on leave and then ultimately fired in April, with Carney taking over on an interim basis.

3. Three of their first five games were at Texas Tech, at Florida State and at Oklahoma. Two of those teams are in the College Football Playoff.

4. Carney took that team to a 5-7 record, including 4-4 in MAC action.

Sure, the five wins were over one FCS team and FBS teams that went a combined 12-36 this season. Who cares? Five wins after losing 23 of 24 games over two seasons is an incredible achievement, especially since Carney didn't get the job until the spring. In October, he got the job for good. 

Simmons had a fantastic first season at Florida International. The Panthers went 7-5 -- their first winning season since 2018 -- and will play in their first bowl game since 2019. The Panthers won their final four games, including a win over Jacksonville State, which gave them their lone loss in Conference USA play. Simmons' offense really got rolling as the season went along, scoring at least 27 points in each of those final four games ... including two 56-point games. He has clearly installed a new culture that has created buzz in South Florida. 

This has been a very successful season for Keeler and the Owls, though everyone around the Temple program will feel they left a little on the table. After an overtime win over Tulsa in late October, Temple sat at 5-3 and a win away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2019. Four losses to end the season ended that dream, but the Owls sure look like they are trending upward.

The Owls not only won more than three games for the first time since that 2019 season, but they won their first road game since 2021. The offense looked electric until it faded over the last month of the season, and there's a culture being built under Keeler's leadership. This program is on the rise for the first time since Matt Rhule roamed the sidelines. 

Jacksonville State has been a remarkable success since making the jump to FBS three years ago. Rich Rodriguez used his three-year stint with the Gamecocks as a return to West Virginia, and Charles Kelly has grabbed the baton and kept running. Well, it started rough with a 2-3 record as the Gamecocks entered October, but a five-game winning streak -- including beating Kennesaw State -- turned the season around. Jacksonville State would lose the rematch with Kennesaw in the CUSA title game, but this program is on solid ground with Kelly. 

The Chippewas have their first winning season since 2021 and will play in their first bowl game since then. Mike Drinkall has built his career on the offensive side of the ball, but the Chippewas' defense showed up in 2025. After getting off to a brutal start to the season (giving up 45 and 63 points to Pittsburgh and Michigan, respectively), CMU calmed down. They gave up more than 20 points just three times the rest of the way and nothing higher than 28 points to Akron. That's growth (and playing a MAC schedule). It shows that Drinkall can make adjustments during the season and understand his roster's strengths and weaknesses. Central Michigan is on the rise. 

The Aggies had some fine moments this season and seem to be trending upwards as they move into the Pac-12 next season. After a 3-1 start to the season (with the one loss being at Texas A&M), Utah State was a bit uneven down the stretch, ending with a 6-6 record. But those losses weren't all that bad -- UNLV needed two overtimes to beat the Aggies, and they lost to Boise State by just a point (those two reached the Mountain West title game).

Mendenhall, who had a fantastic coaching career at BYU, has become a name to watch in the coaching carousel, which could make things uneasy in Logan. Mendenhall abruptly retired from Virginia in 2021, then came back to coach New Mexico for one season before bolting for Utah State. He is staying put, for now, and has been putting together a nice recruiting class. This was a season filled with hope for the future, and if Mendenhall stays, they could be a contender in the rebuilt Pac-12. 

Well, that was fun. Rogers led the Cougars to a 6-6 season in his first ... and only ... season in Pullman. Rogers left South Dakota State after a successful two-year stint for Washington State where it was thought he could lead the Cougars in the newly rebuilt Pac-12 that begins in 2026. While a 6-6 record doesn't look very stout, their losses were to Ole Miss, Virginia, James Madison, Washington, North Texas and Oregon State. That is two CFP teams, two others who played in conference championship games, your bitter rival in the Apple Cup, and Oregon State as part of a split with their lone fellow conference holdover. Obviously, what Rogers and his staff accomplished at Washington State was a success since Iowa State hired them to replace the departed Matt Campbell, but the Cougars will be out hunting for a new coach once again, their 5th since 2019.

Frank Reich understood the assignment. Reich was only a one-year stopgap to help his former Colts quarterback and Stanford legend/GM Andrew Luck transition to a new coach in 2026 while, ironically, bringing stability to the Cardinal program. He helped install a more pro-style offense which created a successful culture for a reeling program. Sure, Stanford only went 4-8 this season, but that's their most wins since 2019 and they beat Cal in The Big Game for the first time since 2020.

Again, this was a one-year deal so Stanford has hired Washington Commanders QB coach Tavita Pritchard to guide Stanford into the future. Thanks for everything, Coach Reich!

Tony Gibson inherited a tough situation at Marshall. The Thundering Herd went 10-3 and were Sun Belt champions last season, but saw a mass exodus of players following former head coach Charles Huff to Southern Miss. Gibson walked into a championship program but was building it from scratch. He had basically no one who did anything for that 2024 team returning, and got to play Georgia for his first game.

He did an okay job under the circumstances. He had to bring in a huge haul of transfers ... including 17 players from Power 4 programs ... and cobbled together a 5-7 record. They were 4-3 at one point before losing four of their final five. They beat Old Dominion and gave James Madison all it could handle. Gibson did a fine job considering where he started from one year ago. 

FAU has struggled to find anything close to the success the Owls had during the Lane Kiffin era. Since Kiffin left for Ole Miss in 2019, the Owls have had just one winning season and has been through three head coaches. The latest is Zach Kittley, who improved FAU's win total to 4-8 this season, but the team fell apart down the stretch. Their three American wins came against the bottom group of teams and the Owls lost five of their last six games. The former Texas Tech offensive coordinator certainly improved the offense, but it was inconsistent and not good enough to offset an awful defense. Kittley is young (he turns 35 before next season), so there's a learning curve, and hopefully, FAU will grow with him. 

Appalachian State was an elite FCS program and has quickly become a very good FBS program since making the move 12 years ago. So two straight losing seasons, a 5-7 record, and a 2-6 Sun Belt record this season is cause for concern in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers' lone two conference wins were over 1-11 Georgia State and a Marshall program that was gutted when their head coach left for Southern Miss. App State's other wins were over FCS Lindenwood, awful Charlotte, and a bad Oregon State team that traveled across the country.

Due to quite a few opt-outs, the Mountaineers did accept an invite to the Birmingham Bowl, so it not only gives the Neers another game to play but extra practices while Loggains attempts to infuse the roster with better talent. 

Bowling Green has been an average program for the last few years, and 2025 was more of the same ... though the record says otherwise. Eddie George's Falcons started the season with a tough slate, losing to Cincinnati, Louisville, and defending MAC champ Ohio .... but beating Liberty and a good Toledo squad. Then a five-game losing streak brought down the season -- two blowouts and three close defeats -- before smacking lowly UMass in the finale. It was a rebuilding season in Bowling Green, but there was progress despite the results on the scoreboard. George was a hit in his first year as the program set attendance records, and there is buzz around the program. But popularity (and Pudge the Cat) only goes so far if success doesn't come along with it. 

Mike Uremovich's team was a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde unit in 2025. The Cardinals were 4-1 at home on the season, but 0-7 away from Muncie. Ball State lost 5 of its last seven games, with only one loss this season not coming in a blowout. Uremovich knows the state of Indiana well from his time as Butler's head coach, so he knows he has his work cut out for him. The Cardinals have been stuck in this rut for the last few years, and 2025 was more of the same. If Uremovich can establish some consistency, then Ball State could finally break through. 

The beauty of Scott Abell's first season with Rice is in the eye of the beholder. Rice finished with a 5-7 mark and, due to bowl opt-outs, will play Texas State in the Armed Forces Bowl. Rice finished better than expected by the odds makers and preseason prognosticators, but they won just two conference games and struggled against good opponents. UTSA hung 61 points on the Owls, while North Texas (56) and South Florida (52) also put up video game numbers on Abell's bunch.

The triple-option offense is awkward for opponents to prepare for, but it is also difficult for Rice to get into shootouts with. Abell's next move is to fortify a defense so his offense is more effective. Adding better fits on the line and in the backfield will also make the triple-option more effective. 

This wasn't a great season for the Mountaineers. After a promising win over Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, West Virginia went on a five-game losing streak, with several losses coming in blowouts. They ended the streak in a stunning upset at ranked Houston before beating a bad Colorado squad. Losses to Arizona State and Texas Tech to end the season have begun Rodriguez's offseason early, and he's already pulling some good talent into Morgantown.

Still, this wasn't a successful season. The eight losses are the most for the program since 2013 and they aren't going bowling for just the second time in the last six years. The quarterback situation was a mess and injuries to running backs really slowed offensive production at times. With a full cycle of recruiting and his culture seeming to be taking hold, 2026 is a much better gauge of where the program is going.

Remember, in his first go-around with the 'Neers, Rodriguez went 3-8 in his first season in 2001 before going 58-18, winning four conference championships and reeling off six straight bowl appearances.

A lot has changed for Scott Frost and UCF since 2017. Remember that was the season UCF finished 13-0, topped by a Peach Bowl win over Auburn and a self-declaration of a national championship for the Knights. Frost moved on to his alma mater Nebraska while UCF hired Josh Heupel as their new head coach.

Well, Frost's time with the Cornhuskers was a disaster, and, after a successful three-year run, Heupel bolted for Tennessee. The biggest change is that UCF is now in the Big 12 and the schedule is much tougher than in their AAC days. Frost was rehired this season after Gus Malzahn (who, ironically, was the head coach of that 2017 Auburn team) left to go to Florida State but the magic hasn't rekindled. At least not yet.

After a 3-0 start that saw the Knights trounce North Carolina, reality set in. UCF lost 7 of its final 9 games -- all in Big 12 play -- and missed out on a bowl. Their two wins were over basement dwellers West Virginia and Oklahoma State and they were barely competitive against the best teams in the league. He's already making some assistant coaching changes and has leaned into the narrative that NIL and the transfer portal are to blame for college football's ills. While this is the start to a new ... albeit a nostalgic ... chapter for him and the Knights, that 2017 team becomes further and further away in the rear view mirror. 

Tulsa is still in a funk from the Kevin Wilson era. Tre Lamb's first Tulsa team went 4-8 overall, but just 1-7 in American play. Lamb's Golden Hurricane did get better as the season went along: They won two of their final three games and lost close games to Temple and UAB. Having said that, this isn't good enough for a program that over a decade ago was a perennial bowl team. The team plays hard for Lamb, which is a major plus and shows that with better talent, Tulsa could be on its way back up. 

Ugh. Well, Odom doubled their win total from a year ago from one to two. That's about the best spin I can put on an otherwise awful season. As you can tell, Odom inherited a mess left for him by Ryan Walters and had to navigate through a relatively brutal schedule that they were barely competitive with. They had to play Indiana, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, USC, Illinois, and Washington, among others. They have lost 18 straight Big Ten games (ironically, their last conference win was over Indiana in the 2023 finale) and Odom is already making changes to his offensive staff. The hope is that this roster ... which was made up of a lot of inexperienced players ... and his aggressive recruiting efforts will make the Boilermakers somewhat competitive next season. This year was a bust. 

Albin's first season in the Queen City was awful. The 49ers went just 1-11, went winless in American play, didn't beat an FBS opponent, and all of its losses were by 10 points or more. The Niners scored just 10 total points over their last three games of the season. You used to be able to preach that this Charlotte program was building from nothing, but it has been 13 years since the 49ers were birthed and it hasn't seen much success. And with that dreary backdrop, the 2025 season was still one of (if not THE) worst seasons ever. Albin has taken over broken programs before and turned them around, and that is why he was hired here. Everyone knew they weren't going to hit the ground running but this would be a process. Still, grading this season, this was bad. 

There were two main camps when it came to North Carolina hiring Bill Belichick one year ago: First were the people who thought that Belichick would bring his vast NFL knowledge to college and create a professional developmental program that would make the Tar Heels a team to reckon with in the new era of college football. The other camp was made up of people who thought this would fail spectacularly.

The other camp has a sizable lead.

The season started with a bang -- and an opening drive touchdown while Carolina legends Michael Jordan, Lawrence Taylor, Mia Hamm, Roy Williams, and others looked on with glee. Right after that, TCU completely mauled the weak Heels and ruined opening night. After two wins over vastly inferior opponents, the Heels would look overmatched for the next month or so, prompting calls to throw in the towel and end this experiment midseason. The heat was so high that both Belichick and the university had to release statements snuffing out rumors that both were looking to get out of this arrangement. From there, Carolina looked a bit better but not enough to salvage an ugly 4-8 season.

That doesn't even touch some of the off-field chaos surrounding the program. The spring and summer were spent dissecting Belichick's relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, and the power she held over him and within the Tar Heels program. There was buzz about his interactions (or lack of) with the players and parents and how serious he was taking his job.

As we stand one year later, Belichick says he's committed to building the football program and has a nice recruiting class locked in for 2026. There is some hope that he is just in the beginning stages of turning this thing around, but next year needs to show considerable progress, or this could get ugly. 

You may not know Sam Houston's football history, but the Bearkats have been highly successful and one of the top programs in the FCS. They won a national championship in 2020-2021 and were 10-3 last season, just their second in the FBS. K.C. Keeler left to become the head coach at Temple and Phil Longo was hired.

Thud.

The Kats followed up their 10-3 season with a dark 2-10 campaign, highlighted by wins over lowly Oregon State and Delaware. The defense allowed 55 or more points three times this season and attendance crashed. Fans want him gone, as he wasn't a very popular hire to begin with. To say that Longo's seat is hot is a massive understatement. 

Look, UMass is a very bad program and one of the toughest to have success at. The Minutemen haven't had a winning season since 2010 and have gone 10-64 since 2019. So Joe Harasymiak knew what he was getting into when he took this job last year. But, this was a bad, bad, baaaaaad season.

UMass finished 0-12, their first in the MAC. They lost to FCS Bryant on a last-second field goal. There were seven games in which UMass scored 10 or fewer points and they scored more than 20 points twice (11.1 ppg average). Only two of their losses were by one score. Obviously this amount of stink isn't all on Harasymiak ... as a 16-game losing streak and losing 22 of their last 24 games will attest ... but going winless for a season instills no confidence in the direction of the program. 

Here is one of the weirder stories this coaching cycle. Brian Smith took over the Bobcats program after Tim Albin surprisingly left for Charlotte last December. Smith did an okay job, leading the Bobcats to an 8-4 record (Ohio is coming off three straight 10+ win seasons), but just after the season ended, he was placed on leave and will have an assistant coach take over for the Bobcats for their bowl game. There was secrecy surrounding what the leave is for, who initiated it, and for how long it will be, before he was ultimately fired on December 17th for cause. Smith was an assistant with the Bobcats for three years before taking over as head coach before last season's Cure Bowl.