After a busy stretch across the sport, the 2026 coaching carousel has finally started to move, and Maryland set the tone on Oct. 21.
That was the first firing of the cycle, but it has not been the last. Baylor and NC State have since joined the search party, turning the early part of this hiring season into a familiar scramble for replacements. CBS Sports is keeping tabs on every move in the 2026-27 cycle and evaluating each hire as it happens.
The broader backdrop explains why this could end up being a slower year than the chaos of 2025. Last season brought record turnover in the FBS, with 32 new head coaches hired, including 17 across the four power conferences, plus hundreds of assistant coaching changes.
Over the last three offseasons, 93 FBS programs have changed coaches. The question now is whether schools are finally hitting a cooling-off period while dealing with the financial reality of NIL and revenue sharing.
Baylor’s opening came after Dave Aranda’s seven-season run ended without enough momentum to survive the cycle. He did bring the Bears a Big 12 title in 2021, but his overall record settled at 40-40, including a 26-32 mark in the conference. A likely direction in Waco would be an offensive-minded hire with Texas ties, and three names stand out in the source: UTSA’s Jeff Traylor, Texas State’s GJ Kinne and USC’s Lincoln Riley.
Maryland moved first, parting ways with Mike Locksley midway through his eighth season. Locksley finished 39-54 at Maryland, and back-to-back 4-8 seasons led into the decisive 2026 campaign.
College Park figures to look at a wide range of candidates. Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert has already surfaced as a popular name in other searches, while Memphis’ Charles Huff - a Maryland native - fits as another immediate possibility.
The Terps do have stronger NIL resources than they did a year ago, though the job remains a tough one in the Big Ten.
NC State’s decision came after Dave Doeren’s 14-year run ended with a 31-28 loss at Stanford, a result that dropped the Wolfpack to 1-3 in the ACC. Doeren had a pattern that defined too many seasons in Raleigh: good enough to hang around seven to nine wins, but vulnerable to the one or two losses that spoiled something bigger. The recent slide over the last three years pushed the program toward change.
The most intriguing name tied to that opening is Philip Rivers. The former NC State quarterback has spent the last five years coaching high school football in Alabama, and he interviewed for the Buffalo Bills’ job in January.
His son, Gunner, is committed to NC State. Other candidates mentioned for the Wolfpack job include Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, UNLV’s Dan Mullen and Memphis’ Charles Huff.
In Other News...
Marylands Coaching Search Just Landed A Name Fans Can Dream On
A familiar name has entered the conversation around Marylands coaching search, and it is one that carries real weight because of both pedigree and local roots. Jason La Canfora, the NFL insider and Maryland native, publicly endorsed Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson as a top candidate for the job, a nod that immediately gives the search a different kind of buzz. Wilson has built a respected coaching rsum in the NFL, and the kind of rise he has made tends to put him on the radar for bigger opportunities.
For Maryland, the appeal is obvious: Wilson represents a blend of credibility, connection and upside that is hard to ignore in a search that needs the right long-term fit. The question is whether a coach with his standing in the pro game would be willing to step back into college football, even for a program that knows him well and could present the chance to lead at home. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Faces A Painful Week 9 Test After Its Season Unraveled
Marylands season has gone from bad to worse, and now the Terrapins have to try to steady themselves in the middle of a wreckage that includes the firing of head coach Mike Locksley and defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. The changes leave co-defensive coordinator Aazaar Abdul-Rahim in charge for the rest of the season, a difficult handoff in a year when little has gone as planned.
Illinois arrives at an awkward time for Maryland, carrying momentum from a winning streak that includes an upset of Oregon. For a team trying to regroup on the fly, the Week 9 matchup is less about a reset than a survival test, with the Terrapins still searching for something that can stop the unraveling from spreading any further. [Read more 🡒]
Marylands Backcourt Suddenly Looks Deep Enough To Change Everything
Buzz Williams spent the offseason rebuilding Marylands backcourt, and the early signs suggest he may have given the Terrapins a much different kind of flexibility than they had a year ago. Five guards arrived to deepen a group that already featured Andre Mills, who stepped into a bigger scoring role last season after Pharrel Paynes injury changed the rotation. The mix now includes a transfer in DJ Wagner, plus pieces such as Mike McNair Jr. and Bishop Boswell, giving Maryland a collection of guards with different strengths rather than a lineup that has to lean on the same few options every night.
What makes it interesting is how quickly the group has started to look functional in preseason exhibition games. Wagner is expected to handle the offense, while McNair brings shooting and Boswell supplies defense, all of which gives Williams more ways to shape lineups and cover for foul trouble or off nights. For a program that needed more dependable guard play, the bigger question now is not whether Maryland has added depth, but how much that depth can raise the ceiling once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]