As the landscape of college football continues to evolve with changes in NIL and conference expansion on the horizon, it’s the revolving door of coaching positions that should be a cause for concern. In just one month following Michigan’s national championship victory, we find ourselves facing a whole new set of challenges within the sport. The focus now shifts to the state of coaching in college football, as the sport undergoes yet another significant transformation since the title game.
While Jim Harbaugh’s flirtation with the NFL over the past few seasons was a source of exhaustion for Michigan fans and the entire sport, it was the moves made prior to Harbaugh’s departure for the Chargers that set the tone for a major shift in the coaching landscape. Nick Saban’s retirement, although anticipated in the coming years, caught everyone off guard when he announced his decision just three days after the national title game. The aftermath of his retirement unleashed pure chaos in a sport already grappling with numerous issues.
This morning, another head coach resigned to take a position coaching job at South Carolina, further impacting the current program. The repercussions of this move will undoubtedly be felt. In a recent conversation with Barrett Sallee on my weekly podcast, we delved into this topic and explored potential solutions for the future of college football.
The aftermath of Saban’s retirement created a fascinating scenario that is still worth discussing. Washington’s Kalen DeBoer stepped in to replace Saban at Alabama, resulting in the Huskies poaching Jedd Fisch from Arizona, which in turn led the Wildcats to hire Brent Brennan from San Jose State. Three different programs in different conferences experienced a seismic shakeup that will be analyzed and debated for years to come.
However, this was merely the beginning of the coaching carousel, serving as the opening act in this intense drama. It was Jeff Haftley’s departure from Boston College that truly emphasized the current state of affairs. It wasn’t the decision itself that raised eyebrows, but rather the timing of it. Just when we thought the coaching carousel had come to an end, Haftley left his position at Boston College to become the defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. In his place, Bill O’Brien left Ohio State after just three weeks as offensive coordinator to take over the program at Chestnut Hill.
“That was the flip that made head coaches around the country scratch their heads and wonder how this would impact the players, as well as the assistant coaches who believed they were preparing for spring practice,” one Power-4 head coach remarked. “Then the Chip Kelly news broke, and we reached a whole new level of unpredictability in our sport.”
Indeed, Chip Kelly’s decision to take control of his own destiny added another layer to the ongoing saga. Barely surviving the 2023 season as UCLA’s head coach, Kelly opted to accept the vacant offensive coordinator position at Ohio State, previously held by Bill O’Brien. Although the Bruins quickly found a replacement in former assistant DeShaun Foster, we were now witnessing the truly chaotic phase of this unfolding drama.
And guess who bears the brunt of these changes? It’s the players. When a head coach changes jobs or is fired, players are given thirty days to explore their options in the transfer portal. However, this timeframe is insufficient for players whose worlds were turned upside down in late January or early February. With most schools already in session, gaining admission through the transfer portal becomes a significant hurdle.
This is where we must redefine the calendar in college football. The February signing day period has become obsolete, with greater emphasis now placed on the portal and the December signing period. Players who find themselves abandoned by their coaches a month into offseason workouts are essentially trapped until the Spring portal period commences.
While players technically have the option to enter the portal within thirty days, most schools will wait until the Spring period. This means that players will go through off-season workouts and practice at one school while other schools quietly encourage them to stay put, maintaining contact until the Spring period opens. This timing issue must be addressed and resolved.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this recent coaching carousel, it’s that the landscape of college football is constantly changing. To mitigate the impact of such decisions, we need to develop a calendar that accounts for the rapid transformations we’ve witnessed over the past two months. If you think the past few months have been chaotic in college football, just wait until a head coach departs for another job after Spring practice.
That’s when the true chaos ensues.
According to the Source outkick.com