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...
NC State Just Got The Recruiting Jolt Fans Feared After Doeren
Dave Doerens firing has already started to ripple through NC States 2027 recruiting class, and the first real sign of turbulence came quickly. Three-star offensive tackle Conner Rutherford backed out of his pledge, a notable hit because he was the fourth-highest-ranked commitment in a class that still sits at 18 verbal pledges, ranked 43rd nationally and 10th in the ACC.
For the Wolfpack, the bigger issue is what happens next. Coaching changes almost always put a class on shaky ground, and this one is no exception, with more decommitments possible as recruits reassess the situation. The speculation around who takes over, including chatter about Philip Rivers, only adds another layer of uncertainty for a class that suddenly looks far less settled than it did just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Coaching Search Just Took A Very Different Turn
NC States coaching search has already moved into unusual territory after the school parted ways with Dave Doeren and is facing an estimated $10 million buyout. With the opening now on the board, the conversation around the job has shifted well beyond the usual list of sitting assistants and coordinators, and Baylors parallel search has only added to the sense that both programs are weighing a different kind of hire as they try to reset.
One idea circulating around the Wolfpacks opening is Philip Rivers, the former NC State star whose name carries obvious weight in Raleigh even without any college head-coaching background. The logic behind a move like that is less about traditional coaching pedigree and more about the modern realities of roster building and fan engagement, where a familiar face can potentially help a school generate the kind of support that matters as much as anything on the field. [Read more 🡒]
CBS Just Gave NC State Fans A Fresh Respect Debate
Matt Norlanders annual Top 101 from CBS Sports has already handed NC State fans a fresh talking point, because the Wolfpack landed at No. 72, a spot that sits well below where several other projection systems see them. With a new coach making the roster harder to read, Norlander acknowledged the uncertainty around this group and pointed to some of the key players in the mix, but his placement still stands out next to the broader industry view.
The gap is what makes this worth watching, especially since CBSs own preseason bracketology has NC State safely in the NCAA tournament field as a 12-seed. When one outlet is projecting the Pack as a March team and another is slotting them much lower than most analytics models, it turns the early season into a built-in respect test, and it also sharpens the contrast with North Carolinas standing in the same conversation. [Read more 🡒]