Blog Article

Brian Kelly Is Out at LSU—And the Coaching Carousel Just Got Absolutely Insane

Mark Haines on October 27, 2025

The coaching carousel just claimed its biggest name yet.

Brian Kelly is out at LSU. Fired. Done. Less than 24 hours after a humiliating 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M—after running into the locker room while students chanted “Fire Kelly,” after being forced to come back out and sing the alma mater with his players—LSU finally pulled the trigger. But this wasn’t a simple firing. This was a full-blown confrontation that spiraled out of control.

Here’s what happened.

The Dramatic Showdown That Ended It All

Sunday afternoon, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Ralph D. Russo.

Brian Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward meet. Woodward wants staff changes. Specifically, he wants Kelly to fire offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. LSU’s offense ranks dead last in the SEC in rushing. Something has to give. Kelly fires back. If we’re making staff changes, he says, I want to make different changes. Ones Woodward isn’t comfortable with.

Things get tense.

The conversation escalates. Kelly pushes back hard against his boss. Threats about negotiating Kelly’s $53 million buyout come up. But there’s a question: will the LSU Board of Supervisors even give Woodward the authority to do that?

By Sunday night, it’s over.

Kelly is out. A team meeting is called for 8 p.m. Associate head coach Frank Wilson is named interim head coach. Tight ends coach Alex Atkins will take over play-calling duties. And on Monday morning, LSU announces they’ve fired Sloan anyway. “When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge,” Woodward said in the release. “Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize.”

Translation: You didn’t win enough.

The Wildest Coaching Carousel Year in Recent Memory

But here’s the thing: Kelly isn’t the only one.

This has been one of the most chaotic coaching carousel seasons in years. Jobs are opening everywhere:

Penn State
LSU
Florida
Oklahoma State
Arkansas
Virginia Tech
UCLA
Stanford

And that’s just so far.

Florida State and Oklahoma could be next. Maybe others. The competition for top candidates is going to be insane. Top-tier schools like Florida, LSU, and Penn State are in their own tier—massive resources, elite NIL, phenomenal facilities. But even they’re going to have to pay up. Big time.

Agents are salivating.

Salaries are about to get wildly inflated. And how many of these coaches will actually complete their contracts without needing to be bought out? History says not many. But here’s the question nobody wants to ask: Who are these schools actually going to hire?

And that leads to an even more uncomfortable question for programs down the ladder.

If You’re Cal (Or Nevada, Or Louisiana Tech), What Do You Do?

Let’s talk about the schools further down the food chain for a second.

If you’re Cal, what do you do? Justin Wilcox has been there for nine years. No winning seasons since 2019. The program is stuck in mediocrity. Do you fire him and jump into this insane market where every coach’s price just tripled? Do you keep investing in a guy who hasn’t delivered? If you’re Nevada, do you pay the $2.7 million buyout for Jeff Choate and try to compete with Penn State and LSU for the same candidate pool? If you’re Louisiana Tech, do you cut ties with Sonny Cumbie and hope you can find someone better in a market that’s about to be picked clean?

The reality is brutal.

The top jobs are going to snap up the top candidates. Everyone else will be fighting over the scraps. Or they’re going to have to roll the dice on assistant coaches and hope they hit on the next Cignetti. Schools like Vanderbilt, Missouri, Tulane, North Texas, Memphis, Wake Forest, and Boise State have coaches who are prime poaching targets. And they won’t have the money to keep them if the big boys come calling.

It’s a bad year to be a mid-tier program with an up-and-coming coach.

So, Who Is LSU Going to Get That’s Better Than Brian Kelly?

Which brings us back to the biggest question of all.

Think about Kelly’s résumé for a second:

Two Division II national championships
Took Cincinnati to 11-1 and a top-4 finish
Took Notre Dame to two national championship games
Ten top-25 finishes at Notre Dame, half of them in the top 10
Won 10 games in each of his first two seasons at LSU with top-15 finishes
Won 9 games last year
On pace for 8 wins this year

That’s not a bad coach.

That’s an excellent coach who didn’t meet LSU’s sky-high expectations. So who’s the upgrade? The names being thrown around: Lane Kiffin, Marcus Freeman, Brent Key, Eli Drinkwitz, Jon Sumrall. Are those guys sure things? Are they going to be infinitely better than Kelly?

Nobody knows.

LSU is about to spend $100 million (or more) buying out Kelly and his staff, then funding a new coaching staff, to get someone who might be better. It’s a massive gamble. Here’s the reality: You’re going to spend probably $100M buying out your previous coaching staff and funding your new one to get someone that isn’t necessarily a sure thing. It’s not like Brian Kelly was going 4-8.

And here’s the kicker.

Unless LSU is bringing back Nick Saban, Chris Petersen, or Urban Meyer from retirement, there isn’t a candidate out there who’s a sure thing. Lane Kiffin is going to make a fortune – either from Ole Miss giving him a massive raise to stay, or from one of these desperate schools throwing ridiculous money at him. Brian Kelly won’t be out of work long. Neither will James Franklin, who Penn State moved on from. They’re outstanding coaches. The problem is they weren’t great enough for programs with championship-or-bust expectations.

And that’s the new reality of college football.

What’s Next?

The carousel is spinning.

Fast. More jobs will open. More coaches will get massive paydays. More schools will regret the contracts they’re about to hand out. In about four years, a lot of these fan bases are going to be asking: “Why did we give him that contract?!”

But right now?

It’s chaos. And LSU is right in the middle of it.

Stay tuned.

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WEEK 10 COACHES HOT SEAT RANKINGS

Mark Haines on October 27, 2025

The seats are getting hotter.

And the carousel is spinning faster than anyone expected. We’re barely past mid-season and the coaching changes are piling up. Brian Kelly is out at LSU. James Franklin got fired at Penn State two weeks ago. Florida, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Stanford—all looking for new head coaches.

This isn’t normal.

This is chaos. And for the coaches who are still employed? The pressure just went up. Because if a guy like Brian Kelly—with two national championships, a College Football Playoff appearance, and multiple 10-win seasons—can get fired, then nobody is safe.

So who’s next?

Here are our Week 10 Top 10 Coaches Hot Seat Rankings.

1. Mike Norvell (Florida State)

Mike Norvell’s seat isn’t just hot anymore.

It’s molten.

Florida State went from Top 10 to four-game losing streak to getting embarrassed by Stanford—a team nobody expected them to fail to beat. And now? Boosters are openly questioning whether Norvell is the guy. The administration says they’re backing him, but that’s what they always say before they’re not. The only thing keeping him in Tallahassee right now is a buyout so massive it would make your eyes water. But make no mistake: a full program assessment is coming, and nothing about this season suggests he’ll survive it.

2. Jonathan Smith (Michigan State)

Five straight losses.

Four straight losses to Michigan.

Jonathan Smith turned around Oregon State. It took time. It was a slow rebuild. But here’s the problem: today’s college football environment no longer tolerates slow rebuilds. The Spartans are 3-11 in Big Ten play under Smith, and fans aren’t willing to wait three, four, five years to see progress. And here’s the kicker: he wasn’t even hired by the current AD or president. That’s a death sentence in college football. When the people who didn’t hire you start questioning your decisions, your player development, and your ability to compete? It’s over. The patience that worked at Oregon State doesn’t exist at Michigan State. Not anymore.

3. Bill Belichick (North Carolina)

Bill Belichick’s reputation was supposed to be bulletproof.

Turns out, college football doesn’t care about your NFL résumé.

The Tar Heels are 2-4. They’re getting blown out. And the off-field issues keep piling up: a cornerbacks coach suspended for NCAA violations, reports of preferential treatment in recruiting, a scrapped documentary deal, and internal tensions that have leaked into the media. This was supposed to be the start of something special—Belichick bringing his genius to Chapel Hill. Instead, it’s dysfunction. On the field and off. And now? Exit strategy conversations are already happening. In October. Of his first season.

4. Jeff Choate (Nevada)

Year 2 at Nevada was supposed to show progress.

It hasn’t.

The Wolf Pack are still winless in conference play. They’re still one of the worst teams in FBS. The offense is broken. The losses are piling up. And fans are starting to ask the question every coach dreads: “Is this ever going to get better?” Choate went 3-10 in Year 1. He’s on pace to do worse in Year 2. But here’s the reality: local reporter Chris Murray put Choate’s hot seat at “0” on a scale of 0-10, explaining that “Choate’s buyout after this season is $2.7 million, which Nevada is not paying to change coaches.” The money is keeping him employed for now.

5. Hugh Freeze (Auburn)

Hugh Freeze finally won an SEC game.

Great. He’s 1-4 in the conference.

Auburn sits at 4-4 overall, and the win over Arkansas—while needed—doesn’t erase the reality: this program is underperforming. The quarterback play has been terrible. Game management has been questionable. And expectations? They’re not being met. Freeze was hired to bring Auburn back to relevance, and instead, they’re fighting to stay above .500. If they don’t win out, the talk of a coaching change is going to get loud. Fast.

6. Luke Fickell (Wisconsin)

Back-to-back shutouts.

By Iowa and Ohio State.

The first time Wisconsin has been shut out twice in a row since 1977. Luke Fickell’s tenure in Madison is collapsing in real time. The Badgers are 15–18 since he arrived. They’ve lost 10 straight games to Power Four opponents. The offense is nonexistent. And fans? They’re done. Chanting “Fire Fickell” in the stands. Waving shirts. Walking out. Athletic Director Chris McIntosh has publicly committed to keeping Fickell and investing more in NIL and program resources, saying “the results of this elevated support may not be immediate, but we are confident the direction will be positive and long-term.” But here’s the problem: fans aren’t buying it. Betting markets still have him as a top candidate to get fired. And unless something changes immediately, all the investment in the world won’t save him.

7. Justin Wilcox (California)

Justin Wilcox is stuck in mediocrity.

And mediocrity doesn’t keep you employed forever.

Cal hasn’t had a winning season since 2019. They’re below the required .490 winning percentage. And now, with a new chancellor emphasizing accountability and self-sustainability, Wilcox is facing a crossroads: improve immediately, or get replaced. The buyout? Nearly $11 million. That sounds like a lot until you remember Cal has some of the wealthiest alumni in college football. This program has enormous potential. If they want him gone, they’ll find the money. Recruiting is suffering. Fan support is fading. And if 2025 doesn’t show real improvement? He’s gone.

8. Derek Mason (Middle Tennessee)

Year 2 at Middle Tennessee has been abysmal.

4-14 overall. 2-9 in CUSA. Blowout losses. Embarrassing performances against teams they should be able to compete with. Derek Mason came in with a plan, but the results haven’t followed. Fans are running out of patience. Boosters are losing faith. And unless something miraculous happens, a coaching change is coming. Because at some point, you have to cut your losses and try something new.

9. Shane Beamer (South Carolina)

Shane Beamer entered 2025 with momentum.

Now he’s 3-5 and the wheels are coming off.

After a spectacular 9-4 season in 2024 that earned him SEC Coach of the Year and nearly landed the Gamecocks in the playoff, expectations were sky-high. Instead? South Carolina is dead last in SEC offensive output. The contract extension that seemed like a no-brainer six months ago now feels premature. Close losses. Underperformance. Disappointment. If this season doesn’t turn around fast, the goodwill from 2024 will evaporate. Because at some point, one great season stops being enough.

10. Sonny Cumbie (Louisiana Tech)

Sonny Cumbie started the season with the hottest seat in college football.

Clear #1. Everyone knew it.

Three straight losing seasons. 11-26 record coming in. The offense, his specialty, is getting worse every year. But then something happened: Louisiana Tech started winning games. They’re 4-3 now, competitive in Conference USA, and suddenly Cumbie’s seat has cooled. Not cold. But cooler. Here’s the problem: the offense is still struggling. The thing he was hired to fix? Still broken. And with road games at Delaware, Washington State, and Missouri State still on the schedule, plus a home date with Liberty, a bowl game isn’t guaranteed. If Louisiana Tech misses a bowl again, all that early-season progress won’t matter. Because in Year 4, you either show real improvement or the program shows you the door.

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The Mike Gundy Era Is Over (Whether Oklahoma State Admits It Or Not)

Mark Haines on September 23, 2025

Oklahoma State’s legendary coach has become a cautionary tale about staying too long at the party

Here’s what nobody wants to say out loud.

Mike Gundy is done. Not “struggling.” Not “going through a rough patch.” Not “needing time to adjust to the new landscape.” Done.

And the numbers don’t lie—even when the narrative tries to.

The Brutal Reality Check

Let me paint you a picture of just how far Oklahoma State has fallen.

172.3 passing yards per game. That’s it. That’s the offensive explosion Mike Gundy has engineered in 2025. For context, most high school teams throw for more than that. 0.3 passing touchdowns per game. You read that correctly. In three games, Oklahoma State has thrown ONE touchdown pass. Uno. A single aerial score. 426.7 yards allowed per game. The defense—if we can even call it that—is surrendering nearly 7 yards every time an opponent snaps the ball.

But here’s the number that should make every Oklahoma State administrator’s blood run cold.

When Legends Become Liabilities

Twenty years ago, Mike Gundy was the answer to Oklahoma State’s prayers.

He turned the Cowboys into a consistent winner. Eighteen straight winning seasons. Five major bowl appearances. 102 Big 12 wins—third in conference history. He made Oklahoma State a national presence. But success has an expiration date. And Gundy’s expired somewhere between his “I’m a man! I’m 40!” rant and losing to Tulsa at home for the first time since the Clinton administration.

The statistical evidence isn’t just bad—it’s historically catastrophic.

The $15 Million Question

Here’s where things get interesting (and expensive).

Oklahoma State owes Gundy $15 million if it fires him before 2027. That’s a lot of money for a school that’s already struggling with NIL funding and watching their coach publicly complain about Oregon’s “$40 million roster.” But you know what’s more expensive than $15 million? Irrelevance. Every game Gundy stays, every embarrassing loss, every empty seat in Boone Pickens Stadium—that’s the real cost.

That’s the price of watching a proud program become a punchline.

The Oregon Excuse Factory

Before Oklahoma State got boat-raced 69-3 by Oregon, Gundy spent his press conference whining about financial disadvantages.

He suggested teams like Oregon shouldn’t play teams with fewer resources. This is where we separate legends from losers. Great coaches find ways to win with what they have. Average coaches make excuses about what they don’t have. Guess which category Gundy has fallen into? Two weeks after complaining about Oregon’s spending, Tulsa—with a NIL budget smaller than most high school booster clubs—walked into Stillwater and won.

The excuses don’t work when you’re getting out-coached by teams that can’t even spell “NIL.”

The Statistical Smoking Gun

Let’s discuss what good coaching looks like versus what Oklahoma State is currently receiving.

Elite programs adapt. Oklahoma State’s passing game has gotten worse every year. Elite programs develop talent. The Cowboys have more transfers than touchdowns. Elite programs win games they should win. Oklahoma State can’t beat Tulsa at home. Elite programs prepare for the future. Gundy hired two coordinators who hadn’t called plays since 2021. This isn’t about NIL. This isn’t about the transfer portal. This isn’t about “the changing landscape of college football.”

This is about a coach who stopped evolving while the game passed him by.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Mike Gundy gave Oklahoma State twenty incredible years.

He deserves gratitude, respect, and a place in the school’s Hall of Fame. What he doesn’t deserve is another season to damage further the program he helped build. The fans know it—they booed at halftime against Tulsa and left early. The media knows it—even OSU’s own radio broadcast called it “the worst sore we’ve seen in a long time.” The administration knows it—they restructured his contract in December with a $1 million pay cut and modified buyout terms.

Everyone knows it except the man making $6.75 million to go 1-2 against teams like Tennessee-Martin, Oregon, and Tulsa.

The Way Forward

Oklahoma State has two choices.

Pay the $15 million and start rebuilding now. Watch their program become the laughingstock of the Big 12. The first option is expensive. The second option is fatal. Great organizations make difficult decisions before they become impossible ones. They cut ties with legends before legends become liabilities. Mike Gundy was the right coach for Oklahoma State for twenty years.

But the Mike Gundy Era is over.

The numbers don’t lie.

The results speak for themselves. And sometimes, the most brutal truth is that every great story has an ending. Mike Gundy’s story at Oklahoma State was beautiful.

But it’s time to write the final chapter.

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How the Florida Gators AD Showed Us What Real Leadership Looks Like

Mark Haines on April 9, 2025

In today’s reactive world, genuine leadership has become increasingly rare.

When Florida Gators men’s basketball coach Todd Golden faced serious misconduct allegations before the season, Athletic Director Scott Stricklin had a critical choice to make:

Take the easy path and suspend Golden immediately to protect the university’s reputation
Stand firm in the principles of due process and support his coach while the investigation unfolds
Bow to external pressure demanding immediate action
Risk his own career by refusing to rush to judgment
Trust that the truth would eventually emerge

Your ability to lead isn’t measured during times of prosperity, but in moments of intense pressure and scrutiny.
Most leaders crumble when faced with public outrage and cancel culture.
But the greatest leaders understand that true courage means standing by your principles when it would be easier not to.
This is exactly what Scott Stricklin did for Todd Golden and the Florida Gators.

Stricklin’s Bold Stance Against Cancel Culture

According to Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi, Stricklin’s approach was nothing short of revolutionary in our current climate.

The easy move would have been immediate suspension. After all, nobody predicted the Gators would become a national championship contender. The stakes seemed low, and the potential PR damage high.

But Stricklin chose a different path.

He allowed the investigation to proceed without prejudgment, keeping Golden in his position despite the serious nature of the allegations. This wasn’t just a basketball decision—it was a moral one.

The Athletic Director’s Powerful Explanation

Stricklin recently explained his decision-making process to Bianchi with remarkable clarity.

“Both morally and legally, it was the right thing to do,” Stricklin stated. “Anyone can make an allegation, but it doesn’t mean it’s true. He [Golden] has rights just like the people who make allegations have rights. And so there’s a process and we followed that process.”

This single sentence reveals everything you need to know about Stricklin’s character.

The Foundation of Trust That Made It Possible

Why was Stricklin able to stand firm when others would have folded?

It came down to a foundation of trust built over time:

Golden had consistently demonstrated honesty since their first meeting
Stricklin had developed a leadership philosophy built on investing in people
He understood that even successful individuals occasionally face challenges
He remembered Billy Donovan’s wisdom that great coaches overcome adversity without distraction

“Todd has been completely honest and truthful since I first met him and I had no reason to think that was any different in this situation,” Stricklin explained.

The Lesson Every Leader Should Take Away

The next time you’re faced with a crisis, remember Scott Stricklin.

Instead of reacting to public pressure, he stayed true to his principles and allowed due process to unfold. Rather than protecting his own reputation at all costs, he risked it by standing by his coach.

As Stricklin himself said, “You’re investing in people. And I have a lot of faith in our people.”

That’s what real leadership looks like.

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