2025 college football coaching carousel grades: Rich Rodriguez’s return to West Virginia earns perfect mark

Rich Rodriguez A+ You can go home again! One of the grandfathers of the zone read spread returns to his alma mater and a place he coached from 2001-2007. Rodriguez will bring a sense of nostalgia and possibility to a program that is dying for a sniff of the old days. Rodriguez, 61, is literally the embodiment of those old days. Barry Odom A Odom just came off the best two-year run at UNLV ever, 19 combined wins. If they beat Boise State two months ago, the Rebels are probably in the College Football Playoff. Odom has been trying like heck to get back into the Power Four. He’s there, barely, at Purdue. The program just came off being the first team finish  18th (and last) in a conference. Rival Indiana breaking through down the road can’t be a positive, either. Odom has the chops to turn the Boilers around in a hurry. Bill Belichick A- For name value, this was a home run. An eight-time Super Bowl champion was unemployed and North Carolina needed to stay relevant. Done. But something about this hire tells me Belichick isn’t all in. This looks a lot like Belichick being a short-time bridge coach before passing along the job to his son, Steve. That June 1 buyout reduction in Bill’s contract also bothers me. In this NIL age, you’re either all in … or not. There’s also a question whether Belichick can adjust to college football, a game he has never coached. Scott Frost B+ This hire was too easy. With UCF losing some of its mojo under Malzahn, the program reached into its past. Frost was the coach of the team that claimed that 2017 “national championship.” After a troubling stop at his alma mater (Nebraska), Frost still knows how to win. Right time, right place for both UCF and Frost. Jake Dickert B+ Great fit. Dickert adapted immediately at Washington State after being elevated to head coach following Nick Rolovich’s refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Then he had the career rug pulled out from under him when the Pac-12 collapsed. Dickert, 23-20 at Wazzu, knows how to do more with less at a program that continually punches up. Tim Albin B+ This looks like a lateral move for Albin, 33-19 at Ohio. It objectively is a lateral move. Albin won the MAC title and bolted for … Charlotte? Before Albin, who was the last MAC coach to win at least 10 three years in a row? Bobby Pruett at Marshall from 1997-1999. Yes, it’s been that long. The Biff Poggi Experiment didn’t work out at Charlotte. With Albin, the 49ers should become an AAC contender. Zach Kittley B How Tom Herman didn’t work out in Boca remains a mystery. His star has fallen so, so far. Kittley has an opposite career arc. The former Texas Tech coordinator had the Red Raiders in the top 10 in total offense, scoring offense and first downs. The Air Raid comes to South Florida. Dan Mullen B I’m sure Mullen has plenty in the tank, but I’m not sure he knows what he got himself into. The Mountain West isn’t what it used to be. Realignment has made the reassembled Pac-12 the best of the Group of Five conferences terms of CFP access. (At least beginning in 2026.) Traditionally, Mullen isn’t the most rabid recruiter; his first class was sixth in the MWC, per 247Sports. The school has poured a load of cash into its NIL bucket after losing quarterback Matthew Sluka. Mullen better get aggressive in recruiting — fast. Jimmy Rogers B The Cougars did as well as they could with suddenly limited resources. No Pac-12? No problem. Rogers comes from South Dakota State, where he was 27-3 in two seasons. Since 2005, Rogers has been nothing but a Jackrabbit as a player and coach. Now he enters the Pac-12 — or its latest iteration in 2026 — with a shot at the big time. Bet on the Cougars, who always seem to play up to the competition. Dowell Loggains B The veteran NFL offensive coordinator found his starter job. South Carolina’s offensive coordinator previously had college experience at Arkansas under Sam Pittman. LaNorris Sellers anyone? Mostly, this is a belief that App State will continue to embrace coaches who embrace App State as a starter job. See Scott Satterfield, Eli Drinkwitz and Shawn Clark (who left to become UCF offensive line coach). Matt Entz B Entz shocked the college football world when he left North Dakota State last year to take the linebackers job at USC. That one season in the big time was enough to inspire him to take the Fresno job. Interim Tim Skipper and Jeff Tedford left the program in good shape. Entz — two national championships in five years at NDSU — could become the next Chris Klieman (Kansas State), who won four national championships in five years at NDSU. Phil Longo B This veteran offensive mind has a chance to become the toast of Huntsville, Texas. Longo has Drake Maye, Sam Howell and AJ Brown on his résumé as offensive coordinator at North Carolina and Ole Miss. The program is in great shape. The Bearkats were 9-3 when K.C. Keeler announced he was headed to Temple. Longo was fired after less than one season at Wisconsin. Charles Huff B Huff joins a program with fewer resources than his old one at Marshall. The Eagles, though, get lucky. The former Penn State, Mississippi State and Alabama running backs coach left behind a Sun Belt title at Marshall. This is coaching from the ground up for Huff. It will be interesting to see if Southern Miss has any revenue sharing money available. Brian Smith B One piece of advice for the Bobcats’ new coach: Don’t screw it up. Ohio is coming off its first MAC title since 1968. Smith makes it an easy transition from Albin as the team’s offensive coordinator. The Bobcats have won 31 games the past three seasons. Smith has been there for all 31. Matt Drinkall B- Drinkall brings sizzle to CMU, and CMU definitely needs sizzle. The program continues to be under investigation regarding the Connor Stalions affair. Jim McElwain retired. Drinkall spent six years on the Army staff, the last two as offensive line coach. Offensive line is the essence of that program. Drinkall’s only head coaching experience is at Kansas Wesleyan six years ago. The MAC is definitely about hiring young coaches on the come. Drinkall, 42, is definitely that. Blake Harrell B- Harrell, the Pirates’ defensive coordinator, got the job after going 5-1 as the interim. The last ECU team to go 5-1 at any point was 2014. That team had Lincoln Riley as offensive coordinator. If Harrell is the defensive version of Riley, then the Pirates will become relevant again in the American. Mike Uremovich B- This grade is not so much about Uremovich — 56-56 in 10 combined seasons at St. Francis and Butler. It’s about Ball State holding on to Mike Neu for nine seasons despite only one winning season. This is a move up for Uremovich who just strung together three straight winning seasons for Butler since 1987-1989. Let’s hope the Ball State administration gives him enough to win in what is a typically wide open MAC. K.C. Keeler C+ Keeler, 65, could have finished his career at Sam Houston having gone 97-39 there in 11 seasons. At his age, it’s time to try the big time. Temple is a really tough job in a city of the Super Bowl champions that doesn’t pay much attention. When Stan Drayton took this job three years ago, we rated one of the worst hires in the cycle. Drayton went 9-25. Maybe it’s not all the coach’s fault. Tony Gibson C+ Huff got sideways with the Marshall administration and bolted for Southern Miss, arguably a worse job. The program that won the Sun Belt was in such disarray it refused to play in the Independence Bowl. Until the administration steps up, I’m not sure anyone can help the Herd. Gibson — a West Virginia native — comes home after successful five-year run as North Carolina State’s defensive coordinator. Willie Simmons C+ FIU got it right by not whiffing on Simmons a second time. The school passed over Simmons, then Florida A&M’s head coach, after the departure of Butch Davis in 2021. Simmons was 45-13 with the Rattlers, including a 2023 SWAC title. He spent last season as Duke’s running backs coach. Joe Harasymiak C+ Ten years ago, Harasymiak was the youngest Division I coach, 28, at Maine. Two years later, he had the Black Bears in the FCS playoffs. Since 2022, Harasymiak has been Rutgers’ defensive coordinator. The Scarlet Knights finished 17th (second to last) in the Big Ten in total defense last season. There are harder jobs than being an independent not named Notre Dame, but not many. Harasymiak and the Minutemen get a boost as UMass joins the MAC this season. Scott Abell C+ Rice continues to hang on as program that wants to prove it can still mix in academics with football. Mike Bloomgren tried for seven seasons and never had a winning record. Abell is Davidson’s all-time winningest coach with 47 wins in seven seasons. Steph Curry would be proud. Bronco Mendenhall C+ I’m among those who still believe Bronco still has some coaching magic in him. He won 99 games in 11 years at BYU. He made Virginia competitive before an abrupt resignation in 2021 to be closer to his family. I’m surprised he took the New Mexico job (for one season in 2024). At Utah State, Bronco can once again compete for championships. Charles Kelly C The journeyman career assistant follows Rich Rod at Jax State. At one timem Kelly was considered one of the best defensive coaches in the country. He has a pair of national championship rings from his time at Florida State and Alabama. At age 57, this is his first head coaching job. Jason Eck C There’s a reason Idaho dropped down from FBS a few years ago — so it could be competitive. Eck went 26-13 with the Vandals in the last three seasons, including an FCS playoff appearance. He’ll need every bit of that work ethic to turn around New Mexico, which has had two winning seasons since 2007. Jerry Mack C The school handled this transition badly. After a 1-8 start, Kennesaw announced Brian Bohannon had resigned. Bohannon quickly clapped back and said he was fired. This is a program still trying to find its FBS footing (2-10 in its first FBS season), Mack brings coaching experience from North Carolina Central, where he went 31-15 from 2014-2017. Tre Lamb C- Tulsa doesn’t have much money or interest as a private school in a state with giants Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. That caused Kevin Wilson to be fired after two season. His replacement, Lamb, was young (35) and apparently affordable. The former Tennessee Tech quarterback was 27-25 in five years as an FCS head coach. Since 2013, Tulsa is 31 games below .500.