Coaching Carousel Hits 13 FBS Openings

The 2025 college football coaching carousel has exploded into a double‑digit wave of FBS vacancies, with Auburn’s dismissal of Hugh Freeze after a 10-3 loss to Kentucky making it the 13th opening and the fourth SEC job available alongside Arkansas, Florida and LSU. High‑profile departures include Brian Kelly at LSU, Billy Napier at Florida and James Franklin at Penn State, and the rash of firings has spread across conferences at programs such as Oregon State, UCLA, UAB, Oklahoma State, Colorado State and Virginia Tech. LSU is widely viewed as an A‑list Power‑5 opportunity, increasing urgency to get that hire right. Recruiting implications and candidate lists are being rapidly evaluated by outlets including AL.com, 247Sports and ESPN as the carousel accelerates. On the field, polls shifted: USC re‑entered the USA TODAY US LBM Coaches Poll at No. 21 after beating Nebraska, while Cincinnati slipped to No. 25 following a 45-14 loss at Utah despite a 7-2 record.