Get ready for what should be an explosive college football coaching carousel.

A year ago, just five Power 4 head coaching jobs opened, as schools prepared to spend upwards of $20.5 million on players following the finalization of the House v. NCAA settlement. Now, schools have a better sense of their budgets and may be less hesitant about paying a hefty buyout.

Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman previewed the 2025 hot seat. Now let’s take a look at the other side, highlighting 25 coaches many fans might not know about who could make big moves up with a good fall, be that a head coaching job or a Power 4 coordinator job.

For the sake of this exercise, we’re leaving out the well-known names from past carousels. That includes coaches like Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and others who are already at top-level P4 jobs. These are meant to be more under-the-radar names.

We’ve broken it up into three groups, with names listed in alphabetical order.

Power 4 assistants

Marcus Arroyo, Arizona State offensive coordinator: The coordinator-to-P4 head coach pool could be smaller in this next cycle, according to industry sources. Arroyo is coming off a Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff run that helped running back Cam Skattebo finish fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. Arroyo was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to college football’s top assistant coach, and the Sun Devils have a lot of weapons coming back in 2024. Arroyo also has head coaching experience, taking UNLV from 0-6 to 5-7 from 2020 to ’22.

Tim Banks, Tennessee defensive coordinator: Another 2024 Broyles Award finalist, Banks has been an FBS defensive coordinator since 2007, with previous stops at Illinois and Penn State. Last year’s Tennessee defense held 10 of 13 opponents under 20 points, and the Vols have finished top-three in the SEC in points per game allowed for two consecutive years.

Max Bullough, Notre Dame linebackers coach: The former Michigan State linebacker has risen quickly through the ranks and could become a defensive coordinator soon. People around Notre Dame have been impressed by his move from graduate assistant to linebackers coach in South Bend in two seasons since coming over from Alabama.

Shannon Dawson, Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator: Dawson’s 2024 offense led the nation with 43.9 points per game and helped quarterback Cam Ward become the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. Dawson has drawn head coach interest in recent years and likely will once again this winter.

Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech offensive coordinator: Georgia Tech paid up to keep Faulkner in last year’s cycle, after he helped produce the ACC’s top rushing offense again. That came after three years winning championships on Georgia’s staff. With quarterback Haynes King and running back Jamal Haynes back, the Yellow Jackets offense could be among the ACC’s best.

Collin Klein, Texas A&M offensive coordinator: Did you know Texas A&M led the SEC in scoring during conference games last year? The former Kansas State quarterback and assistant boosted his profile by moving into the SEC last year, and this year’s Aggies should have one of the best rushing attacks in the country.

Robert Livingston, Colorado defensive coordinator: In one year, Livingston improved Colorado’s scoring defense from 124th in the Football Bowl Subdivision to 42nd, and Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy. The 39-year-old Livingston, who came from a run with the Cincinnati Bengals, got NFL defensive coordinator and bigger P4 interest last cycle, and he’s spoken highly of in coaching circles.

Taylor Mouser, Iowa State offensive coordinator: The 34-year-old is in his second year as OC, rising up the chain under Matt Campbell since he was a graduate assistant in 2016. Despite personnel losses that include two receivers drafted in the first three rounds earlier this year, the Cyclones opened the 2025 season with a 24-21 win against Kansas State in Ireland, scoring or reaching the goal line on their final four drives of the game.

Kirby Moore, Missouri offensive coordinator: The brother of New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore, Kirby got a lot of Mountain West head coaching interest last year. The Tigers had two offensive players selected in the first two rounds of this spring’s NFL Draft, and expectations are high in 2025 with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula in the mix at quarterback.

Jeff Nixon, Syracuse offensive coordinator: The Orange led the nation in passing in Nixon’s first season, as quarterback Kyle McCord broke 24 program records and finished top-10 in Heisman voting. Nixon, a Penn State grad, also helped produce top-20 offenses at Baylor under Matt Rhule and spent time in the NFL in between.

Anthony Poindexter, Penn State co-defensive coordinator: Poindexter has passed on bigger jobs to stay at Penn State, and coaches who have worked alongside him rave about his ability to work with anyone. The Nittany Lions are my preseason No. 1 team, and the College Football Hall of Famer at Virginia could again get a look at his alma mater or Old Dominion if either of those jobs open.

Ra’Shaad Samples, Oregon running backs/assistant head coach: The 30-year-old Dallas native and son of a Texas high school coaching legend has risen quickly, from SMU to the Los Angeles Rams to Arizona State and now to Oregon, which should have a strong running game this year. Long known as an elite recruiter, Samples could be in the mix for coordinator or G5 head coaching jobs soon.

Scott Symons, SMU defensive coordinator: SMU stepped up to keep Symons away from other schools last winter. In his first year in 2023, SMU improved from 105th nationally in yards per play allowed all the way up to sixth. They stayed at sixth last year despite moving up to the ACC, and the Mustangs reached the CFP as Symons was a Broyles Award semifinalist. He should again get interest in the next cycle, and the Texas native could also be an internal promotion option if head coach Rhett Lashlee leaves.

Holmon Wiggins, Texas A&M co-offensive coordinator: Wiggins produced five top-15 picks as Alabama’s wide receivers coach, including 2020 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, and athletic directors speak highly of the California native.

Jim Zebrowski, Kansas offensive coordinator: Promoted from co-OC this offseason, Zebrowski has gotten MAC head coaching interest in recent years. He has developed QBs like Tyree Jackson, Jason Bean and Jalon Daniels, who completed 18 of 20 passes in the Jayhawks’ 31-7 win against Fresno State in Week 0. He also has head coaching experience at Division III Lakeland from 2003 to ’06, going 28-12 in four seasons and reaching the playoffs for the first time in program history.

Oregon’s coach Ra’Shaad Samples has risen quickly thanks in part to his strong track record as a recruiter. (Ben Lonergan / The Register-Guard / USA Today Network)Group of 5 head coaches

Again, we’re looking beyond well-known coaches who have reached CFP/NY6 games, such as Boise State’s Spencer Danielson and Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell.

Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana: The UL grad was pursued by Tulsa and Rice after winning 10 games in his third season but stayed put. With Walker Howard at quarterback, expectations are high this year in Lafayette, and Desormeaux could get attention for bigger jobs with another successful season.

Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky: Helton has been considered for the Purdue job multiple times and has been a model of consistency, winning eight or nine games five times in six years. Despite constantly losing players and coaches to bigger teams (including now-FAU head coach Zack Kittley and now-Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle), he keeps filling holes, and a Hilltopper has been selected in the first 100 picks of the NFL Draft for four consecutive years.

G.J. Kinne, Texas State: The Bobcats are joining the rebuilt Pac-12 next year in large part because Kinne has turned Texas State into a respectable football program, reaching the school’s first two bowl games in his two seasons. That came after a 12-2 season and No. 3 finish at Football Championship Subdivision program Incarnate Word. The Bobcats had a lot of pieces to replace this year, but if they get in the Sun Belt title mix, Kinne will get looks for bigger jobs.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane: Sumrall may be the hottest name in next year’s coaching cycle, especially in the SEC. The former Kentucky player and assistant is 32-9 in three years at Troy and Tulane, with two Sun Belt titles and a runner-up finish in the American, and the Green Wave are expected to be one of the Group of 5’s best teams again. Had Texas A&M hired Mark Stoops two cycles ago, there’s a chance Sumrall would be in Lexington right now. He’s a sharp mind who has navigated the player movement space as well as any G5 coach.

Bryant Vincent, Louisiana Monroe: Vincent nearly took resource-strapped ULM to a bowl game in his first season last year and has some around UAB wishing the Blazers had stuck with him after a 7-6 season as interim coach replacing Bill Clark. He passed on Jacksonville State last offseason, and he’s currently also serving as interim athletic director at ULM.

Group of 5 assistants

Skyler Cassity, North Texas defensive coordinator: In one year at Sam Houston, Cassity improved the Bearkats from 90th in yards per play allowed to 13th, and the team won 10 games in its second FBS season. The 2016 Auburn grad and Texas native took the UNT job over others in order to stay in Texas, and he takes over a Mean Green defense that has been troubled for years. If he executes a similar turnaround, P4 schools will come calling.

Drew Cronic, Navy offensive coordinator: Cronic left the Mercer head coaching job to come to Navy, where the offense improved from 119th in yards per play to 29th behind his Wing-T option look last year. He’s 75-23 as a head coach across three different jobs and could become a G5 head coach soon, if he wants.

Corey Dennis, UNLV offensive coordinator: Dennis, the son-in-law of Urban Meyer, worked up from intern to quarterbacks coach over nine years at Ohio State from 2015 to ’23, working closely with multiple first-round quarterbacks, including C.J. Stroud. He spent last year at Tulsa and now joins Dan Mullen in Las Vegas. With Dennis calling the plays, UNLV posted 539 yards of offense and 8.3 yards per play in a Week 0 win against Idaho State, including 307 yards on the ground.

Dean Kennedy, James Madison offensive coordinator: JMU head coach Bob Chesney is an obvious candidate for bigger jobs as well, but Kennedy has been praised for his work after coming with Chesney from Holy Cross. He also spent 2018 to ’20 on staff at Florida. With Alonza Barnett III and Matthew Sluka in the mix at quarterback this year, JMU is the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt.

Craig Stutzmann, San Jose State offensive coordinator: Spartans coach Ken Niumatalolo didn’t import a triple-option offense from Navy. He instead hired Stutzmann for his run-and-shoot background, and San Jose State finished fifth nationally in passing yards per game. Quarterback Walker Eget is back and should have another big season this year. The Hawaii native could be a name to watch for multiple Power 4 coordinator jobs, as well as the head job at his alma mater if it were to open.

(Top photo of Tulane coach Jon Sumrall: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)