The coaching changes are happening quickly around college football. Jobs are getting filled. Contracts are getting signed. Others remain in the air. Here’s the latest on where things stand.

Head coaching search intel (As of 6 p.m. ET, Dec. 3)

Penn State: It’s obviously not going well. There was a belief around Penn State this week that BYU head coach Kalani Sitake would be the guy, only for him to stay at BYU after the school stepped up to commit resources to football in a way that it hadn’t done before (and to a level Sitake perhaps didn’t think it would after trying for years). Then Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm on Wednesday decided to stick with the Cardinals, per sources briefed on the talks. Brohm and Louisville have been working on a contract extension for weeks, and Brohm had spoken with Penn State multiple times.

So where does it go now? It’s hard to say. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has deep Ohio ties and has brought unprecedented success to the Cyclones. Former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been involved, with support from the Pegula family, owners of the Buffalo Bills and big Penn State donors. There remains some internal push for interim head coach Terry Smith, who helped flip quarterback Peyton Falzone to the Nittany Lions on signing day. Would Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley come back to college football? He’s worked with Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft before, but he also might be in line to become an NFL head coach, and the NFL calendar makes a move to college difficult. On Wednesday evening, Penn State had the 150th-ranked recruiting class on 247Sports with two commits, ranked behind McNeese and West Georgia.

Tulane: It’s one of the top Group of 6 jobs, and the Green Wave will be playing for a Playoff spot on Friday with one of the best-resourced rosters at their level — on a budget around $5 million this year, per sources. LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker was viewed as a top candidate long before Jon Sumrall even left. Baker is a former Tulane player, but he could stay in Baton Rouge with Lane Kiffin, too. Other names to watch include Southern Miss head coach Charles Huff, Kennesaw State head coach Jerry Mack, current pass game coordinator Will Hall and former Florida head coach Billy Napier. Former LSU coach Ed Orgeron is also interested.

James Madison: Every coach in James Madison’s history has a winning record, and the Dukes are expected to spread a wide net. They’ve found big success hiring an FCS head coach three times in a row (Mike Houston, Curt Cignetti, Bob Chesney all won more than 70 percent of their games), but now this is a program with a real shot at the College Football Playoff in its fourth FBS season. Names to watch early include Napier, Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton, Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines (a former JMU assistant), FIU head coach Willie Simmons, Navy offensive coordinator (and former Mercer head coach) Drew Cronic, Miami defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, current defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, Kennesaw State’s Jerry Mack, BYU defensive coordinator Jay Hill, Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill, New Hampshire head coach Ricky Santos, current Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs and Penn State co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter.

Memphis: The resources here are very strong, with good facilities, a higher roster budget than Tulane and sustained success for a decade now. Names to watch include Charles Huff, Jerry Mack (a Memphis native), Blake Baker, Tyson Helton and perhaps UNLV head coach Dan Mullen, among others.

UAB: The finalists as of late Tuesday were believed to be Missouri State head coach Ryan Beard, Presbyterian head coach Steve Englehart and current interim head coach Alex Mortensen, but this search has taken several unexpected turns and could have more in store. As of Wednesday, Beard appears less likely to be the choice.

Coastal Carolina: The resources here have improved dramatically in recent years, including a new indoor facility opening this year. Some names to watch include Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell, West Georgia head coach Joel Taylor (who has spent most of his career in South Carolina) and Cronic, among others.

UConn: This search has been very quiet, but Lehigh head coach Kevin Cahill is believed to be at least one name the mix. He has led Lehigh to a 12-0 season and a No. 4 ranking in the FCS this year. Interim head coach and Broyles Award nominee Gordon Sammis could be the internal option for continuity. Four years ago, the hire of Jim Mora came out of left field, so this search could go in many different directions.

Michigan State paying low for Pat Fitzgerald

Michigan State’s last two coaching contracts haven’t ended well, but the Spartans may have gotten a relative bargain this time around. After handing Mel Tucker a $9.5 million annual salary on a 10-year guaranteed deal, then firing him for cause (he’s suing for wrongful termination), and then owing Jonathan Smith a $33 million buyout (subject to offset by his next job) after two seasons, the program is getting Pat Fitzgerald at a much lower price.

Fitzgerald’s $5 million starting salary on a five-year deal will be the lowest of the Big Ten’s 16 public schools, according to the term sheet. It includes a $500,000 annual raise and is heavy on incentives, however. That includes cumulative bonuses of $500,000 each for six, seven and eight regular season wins, meaning an 8-4 season would make that pay $6.5 million. Fitzgerald can also trigger a one-year extension each time he wins at least seven games within the first three years.

The buyout owed to Fitzgerald if he’s fired without cause is 72.5 percent of the remaining deal, subject to offset from another job. The buyout for Fitzgerald to leave begins at $6.5 million through 2026.

Michigan State on Tuesday also announced a new $1 billion athletics fundraising initiative, with $250 million already raised.

Kirk Ferentz coming back to Iowa

The 70-year-old Ferentz confirmed Wednesday that the longest tenured head coach in the FBS will be back for a 28th season.

“I don’t envision stopping in the near future,” said Ferentz, who added that he’s in good health and has the support of his wife to keep coaching. He became the Big Ten’s winningest coach earlier this year, passing Woody Hayes, and Iowa has posted at least eight wins in 10 consecutive non-pandemic-altered seasons (the Hawkeyes went 6-2 in 2020).

Boston College plans to invest more for Bill O’Brien

BC athletic director Blake James on Tuesday confirmed that O’Brien would return as head coach after a disappointing 2-10 season, but with more resources. That includes the addition of Auburn assistant general manager Kenyatta Watson as BC’s new general manager and an increased commitment to revenue-sharing.

“While our athletics program participated in revenue sharing this past year, effective immediately, it will increase its commitment to the maximum permissible level, putting it in line with our Autonomy Four conference peers,” James said in a letter to fans. “The university is committed to supporting football with the resources necessary to compete while maintaining its longstanding academic and ethical standards.”