The 2025 college football coaching carousel wasn’t just busy - it was seismic. Several programs headed to the College Football Playoff are already bracing for major changes at the top, with head coaches set to switch sidelines once the postseason dust settles. And in a twist that’s becoming more common, some of these coaches will finish what they started before moving on, while others are already handing the reins to interim staff.
Let’s start with one of the biggest moves: Lane Kiffin is heading to LSU. After revitalizing Ole Miss and guiding the Rebels to a playoff berth, Kiffin won’t be sticking around to coach them through the postseason.
That’s LSU’s call - and Ole Miss’ reality. The Rebels will enter the CFP without the coach who led them there, a tough pill for any team to swallow in the most crucial stretch of the season.
Florida, meanwhile, is turning the page with Jon Sumrall, who’s coming over from Tulane. Unlike Kiffin’s situation, Sumrall will stay with the Green Wave through their playoff run before making the move to Gainesville. It’s a move that shows respect for what he built at Tulane - and it gives his players one last ride with the coach who helped get them to this stage.
Then there’s Bob Chesney, one of the more intriguing names in this year’s coaching shuffle. After leading James Madison to a historic season, Chesney has been tapped as the new head coach at UCLA. But before he heads west, he’s not done in Harrisonburg just yet.
**Yes, Bob Chesney is coaching James Madison in the College Football Playoff. ** That’s been agreed upon by both schools, and it means the No.
12 Dukes will take the field against No. 5 Oregon in the first round with their leader still at the helm.
It’s a massive moment for the program - their first trip to the expanded playoff - and they’ll go into it with the same coach who’s been steering the ship all season.
Chesney’s move to UCLA is a big one. He’s signed a five-year deal worth $33.75 million, a significant investment from a Bruins program looking to reestablish itself in the national conversation.
If Chesney fulfills the length of that deal - or extends it - he’ll become one of the longest-tenured head coaches at UCLA in recent memory. Only Chip Kelly (2018-2023) and Jim Mora Jr. (2012-2017) have reached the six-year mark since 2007.
UCLA made the hire official on December 6, 2025, and introduced Chesney publicly just a few days later on December 9. The move signals a fresh chapter for the Bruins, but for now, Chesney’s focus is still on James Madison and a playoff matchup that could define his legacy at the school.
The coaching carousel always spins fast this time of year, but this season, it’s been especially wild. With playoff implications, program-defining hires, and coaches juggling dual responsibilities, it’s a reminder that in college football, the action off the field can be just as dramatic as what happens on it.