Ranking college football's new head coaches: Will Lane Kiffin, James Franklin, or someone else have best Year 1?

The 2025-26 college football coaching carousel was one of the most dramatic we've seen in some time. At the power-conference level, it was headlined by Lane Kiffin becoming one of the sport's biggest villains when he left Ole Miss for LSU in the middle of a College Football Playoff season.

Last year also saw James Franklin go from being Penn State's second-winningest coach in school history to a new face at Virginia Tech. Michigan then landed longtime Utah veteran Kyle Whittingham in a late-cycle hire.

1. Lane Kiffin, LSU 

You are probably rolling your eyes, but Kiffin has earned this spot. The Tigers' roster is one of the most talented in the nation, featuring big-time transfer portal additions in quarterback Sam Leavitt, EDGE rusher Princewell Umanmielen and receiver Eugene Wilson III.

At Ole Miss, he won 55 games with much less talent pound-for-pound, including double-digit-win seasons in four of his six seasons there. The Tigers also benefit from a favorable schedule, getting Clemson, Texas A&M, Alabama and Texas all at home. If Kiffin makes it out of the Sept. 19 road trip to Ole Miss alive, LSU should be in for its first-ever CFP berth.

2. Pete Golding, Ole Miss

Pete Golding did one thing Ole Miss never did under Lane Kiffin: win a CFP Playoff game, and he made it look easy. The Rebels took down Tulane, SEC giant Georgia and just barely lost to Miami in the semifinals.

3. Bob Chesney, UCLA

Chesney won big at all three of his previous stops in James Madison Holy Cross and Ascension, featuring a combined eight postseason appearances. 

The Bruins haven't reached double-digit wins since Jim Mora in 2014. With quarterback Nico Iamaleava running the Bruins' offense and a number of big-time JMU transfers coming with Chesney, UCLA is in for a quick turnaround.

4. James Franklin, Virginia Tech

James Franklin won 104 games at Penn State and took the Nittany Lions to the CFP semis just two years ago. But his 4-21 record against Top-10 AP opponents wasn't good enough in Happy Valley.

Blacksburg is the perfect place for Franklin to rebuild his coaching reputation. Virginia Tech as a program has just a 10-57 all-time record against Top-10 teams. With the Hokies, Franklin can build his program without the pressure to win everything right away.

5. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan

The Wolverines have had a tumultuous offseason, to say the least. Head coach Sherrone Moore was fired in December after an investigation revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel is stepping down after the subsequent athletic department probe stemming from the Moore firing.  

If Michigan wants fans to forget about all of that by winning football games, Whittingham is your guy. He built Utah into a consistent powerhouse, with a 177-88 record over 23 seasons, including three conference champions. He inherits a talented Michigan roster, and aside from drawing non-conference Oklahoma in Week 2 and getting both Oregon and Ohio State on the road, Michigan should do well.  

6. Matt Campbell, Penn State

Some may think Campbell should be higher on the list. But with just a single double-digit-win season with the Cyclones across his 10 seasons there, there's plenty of reason to doubt his viability in the Big Ten.

The good news for the Nittany Lions in his Year One is that Penn State doesn't have to play Ohio State or Oregon this season but does go to Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 17.

7. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State 

Eric Morris could surprise some people in the Big 12 this year. Coming over from North Texas, he brought most of his Mean Green players from his 11-5 squad last season. The group is led by star quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who threw for 4,379 yards with 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. 

The Cowboys could put Oregon on upset alert early, hosting Dan Lanning in Week 2 at home. In an always-chaotic Big 12 conference race, the Cowboys play notable conference opponents in Houston, Kansas State, Texas Tech and Arizona State. 

8. Jon Sumrall, Florida

New Florida head coach Jon Sumrall has gotten plenty of buzz this offseason, and he looks to revitalize a Gator fanbase desperate to win again.  

Florida's schedule is quite stiff, featuring games against Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas, Georgia and Oklahoma. But at four Troy and Tulane, Sumrall had just one season below double-digit wins, going 9-5 at Tulane in 2024.

For a program that is 29-34 over the last five seasons, it's hard to not see the Gators improve from that. Not to mention retaining running back Jaden Baugh and hiring Georgia Tech offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner were both huge for his first season. 

9. Alex Golesh, Auburn

Similar to Sumrall's situation in Gainesville, Alex Golesh comes to Auburn after a strong stint at South Florida. Across his three seasons, Golesh finished 23-15, with a 9-3 finish last year. His USF Bulls even went on the road and upset a then-ranked Florida in 2025.

Auburn hasn't had a winning season since Gus Malzahn's last season with the Tigers in 2020, so things should improve in Year One. The Tigers do have to play non-conference Baylor in Week 1 and draw Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama this year.

10. Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State

Jimmy Rogers looks to replace Matt Campbell in Aimes, and he comes to the Cyclones after head coaching stints at South Dakota State and Washington State. 

During his first season with the Jackrabbits in 2023, he led the program to a DI National Championship. SDSU made it to the semifinals a year later. During his lone season at Washington State last season, he went 6-6 with a win in the Potato Bowl. 

But Rogers might need a season to rebuild in his first season. Iowa State lost over 40 players thanks to the Campbell departure, and he brings over a ton of guys from Washington State.  

11. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas

It's been over two decades since Arkansas last played for an SEC Championship. No one is truly projecting the Razorbacks to be a legitimate SEC contender in Ryan Silverfield's first season in Fayetteville. But the Hogs should at least improve. At Memphis, Silverfield compiled a 50-24 overall record, including a pair of back-to-back double-digit-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Arkansas hasn't done that since Bobby Petrino's last two seasons there in 2010 and 2011. Silverfield leading Arkansas to a bowl game after a 2-10 season last year would be a great improvement. That might be easier said than done, however, as the Razorbacks have to play Georgia, Texas A&M, Tennessee, South Carolina, Texas and LSU this season.

12. Collin Klein, Kansas State

It's incredibly cool that Kansas State has one of its former quarterbacks in Collin Klein as its head coach. At just 36 years old, it wasn't too long ago that he suited up for the Wildcats, as his last season came in 2012.

Klein has been a fixture in Manhattan across two coaching staffs, joining his former head coach Bill Snyder in 2017 and staying on for now-retired K-State head coach Chris Klieman's staff through 2025. The Wildcats have gone 67-46 with Klein on staff, and his familiarity with what it takes to win there should help.

We'll have to wait and see if he learned enough from his predecessors to make some noise in the Big 12 this year.

13. Tosh Lupoi, Cal 

Cal moved on from longtime head coach Justin Wilcox this offseason, and has hired Bears alumnus Tosh Lupoi as his replacement. Although this is his first head coaching gig, he has a strong coaching background, as he was on-staff with Nick Saban at Alabama from 2014-2018, and served as Oregon's defensive coordinator since 2022. 

The Bears get a relatively manageable ACC slate this season, but have to play UNLV, SMU and NC State on the road. 

14. Will Stein, Kentucky

Speaking of former Ducks assistant coaches, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning lost both his coordinators this year, as Stein was the Ducks' OC since 2023. Stein made headlines at SEC Media Days in July when he said Kentucky can win on the big stage "because of him."   

We'll see how he does in Lexington in Year One, as Kentucky has a new head coach for the first time since 2013. His first season might not be pretty, as his team will play Alabama, Texas A&M, South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Florida. 

15. Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State

If Michigan State wants to win big again like it did under former longtime coach Mark Dantonio, it might need a coach better than someone like Fitzgerald, who went 110-101 at Northwestern.

Fitzgerald was fired from Northwestern in 2023 amid hazing allegations within the locker room, and his wrongful termination suit against the school was settled last fall.

16. Tavita Pritchard, Stanford

Stanford is looking for consistency that hasn't been in Palo Alto since the first half of David Shaw's career there. Stanford general manager Andrew Luck has hired his former teammate, Tavita Pritchard, to get the Cardinal back on track. 

Pritchard does not have any previous head coaching experience, but he served as a longtime Stanford assistant from 2011-2022 before spending the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders.  Hiring someone who wants to build a winning culture at Stanford could turn things around. It might not be pretty in year one though, as his team will face Miami, Duke, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Louisville and SMU in the ACC. 

17. Morgan Scalley, Utah 

It's hard to come in and start fresh after the consistent success that Kyle Whittingham brought to Salt Lake City for so long. But that's what former longtime Utes staffer Morgan Scalley is tasked with in 2026. 

He played at Utah from 2001-2004, and joined Whitingham's staff as a graduate assistant in 2007. He was on staff through the entirety of Whittingham's tenure, so hopefully he learned a thing or two across his nearly two decades.

MORE: Five storylines for 2026, starting with Lane Kiffin