LSU parted ways with Brian Kelly after reaching a reduced buyout. The Tigers’ move brings the total number of FBS coaching changes to 12 for the 2025 season, the most ever recorded by late October.
What started as a slow build has become a full turnover season. We’re still weeks away from rivalry weekend.
Here are twelve coaches who could soon join college football’s most expensive unemployment line.
1. Luke Fickell — Wisconsin
Nobody expected Wisconsin to beat Oregon. But a 21-7 no-show didn’t help Fickell’s cause.
The Badgers have sleepwalked to 2-6. They’re showing none of the edge that once defined them. Running the table would only reach a pre-Christmas bowl game.
That isn’t happening.
If Fickell survives, it’ll be because Wisconsin doesn’t want to eat the buyout.
2. Mike Norvell — Florida State
Administrators don’t want to pay another huge check. But logic left the building long ago.
The Seminoles followed an undefeated 2023 regular season with a disastrous 2024. The shine from two seasons ago has completely vanished.
They opened this year by beating Alabama and jumping out to 3-0. Then they lost four straight games. Momentum turned to mayhem quickly. Patience in Tallahassee is wearing thin.
3. Bill O’Brien — Boston College
That’s seven straight losses now after falling to Louisville 38-24 this weekend.
The Eagles have gone from competitive to collapsing. The schedule offers no favors. Notre Dame, SMU, and Georgia Tech are still ahead.
It’s starting to feel like Bill O’Brien may not have to worry about working Thanksgiving.
4. Jeff Choate — Nevada
It’s bad enough to be 1-7. But the Wolf Pack have now lost six straight games and sit 4-17 under Choate.
The energy that marked his arrival has faded fast. Empty seats and familiar frustration have replaced it.
With a bye week on tap, the timing lines up perfectly for an administrative “evaluation.” It wouldn’t surprise anyone if a change came before Halloween candy goes stale.
5. Jeff Lebby — Mississippi State
The Bulldogs move the ball, then fall apart.
Fourth-quarter collapses have turned winnable games into heartbreakers. Even worse, Lebby is 0-12 in SEC play in his second season in Starkville.
6. Jonathan Smith — Michigan State
Smith is now 3-11 in Big Ten play. That includes 0-5 this season after another rivalry loss to Michigan.
The rebuild excuse only stretches so far when results don’t follow.
Attendance is still holding up but enthusiasm is waning. Frustrations are rising. The noise around East Lansing is getting louder. A move may be in the works.
7. Mark Stoops — Kentucky
The Wildcats are 2-5. The schedule isn’t doing Stoops any favors.
The next stretch looks daunting: at Auburn, home vs Florida, at Vanderbilt, and a season finale against rival Louisville.
It’s now 10 straight SEC losses dating back to last season. The program feels stuck in neutral. It’s hard to see how this team climbs to 6-6 and reaches a bowl game.
Stoops’ early success built equity. But that cushion is running out fast in Lexington.
8. Derek Mason — Middle Tennessee State
The Blue Raiders are 1-6 this season and 4-15 in Mason’s two years in Murfreesboro.
That’s not the progress the program envisioned when it hired the former Vanderbilt head coach to reset its identity.
The road ahead isn’t kind either. At Jacksonville State (Oct 29), FIU (Nov 8), at Western Kentucky (Nov 15), Sam Houston (Nov 22), and at New Mexico State (Nov 29).
If Mason can’t turn it around quickly, the administration may not wait until December to make its move.
9. Greg Schiano — Rutgers
Schiano’s second stint once promised stability.
Instead, he’s 14-36 in Big Ten play. The gap between Rutgers and the rest of the league feels wider than ever.
There have been rumblings about disappointing NIL opportunities. That’s a surprising setback given the school’s proximity to New York City. Now comes a crucial two-game stretch with Illinois and Maryland before closing out against Ohio State and Penn State.
It’s a massive $23 million buyout. But if the whispers about James Franklin’s allure in Piscataway ever gained traction, the price tag might suddenly seem worth it.
10. Scotty Walden — UTEP
UTEP takes on Kennesaw State on Tuesday. It feels like a must-win moment.
The Miners have struggled to establish consistency. They desperately need a few victories down the stretch to quiet the noise.
If Walden’s team can’t respond soon, this coaching staff might not get the chance to finish out the season.
11. Dave Doeren — NC State
Doeren is now in Year 13 at NC State. He has never won double-digit games.
His 91-69 record is solid but far from spectacular. In a season filled with coaching movement across the country, a change in Raleigh wouldn’t be shocking.
With a buyout hovering around $15 million, the Wolfpack may finally decide it’s time to take a big swing. They might look for a candidate who can bring new energy to a program that’s grown predictable.
12. Bill Belichick — North Carolina
The Tar Heels nearly snapped their skid with a close overtime loss to Virginia on Saturday. They showed signs of life after a rough stretch.
We’ll see if they can continue to show improvement when they travel to Syracuse on Halloween night.
For now, the novelty has worn off. The gruff NFL legend still looks out of place in the college grind.
Five More Names to Watch
• Major Applewhite — South Alabama
• Deion Sanders — Colorado
• Dell McGee — Georgia State
• Shane Beamer — South Carolina
• Thomas Hammock — Northern Illinois
