CFB Coordinators: Next Head Coaches – Alabama, Ohio State
- Only six Power Four coaching changes occurred during college football's most recent carousel, and none of the openings went to sitting coordinators.
- With a number of coaches at big-name schools sitting on the hot seat, 2025 could provide more upward mobility for the strategic masterminds who oversee the sport.
- It's been a mixed bag recently for coordinators getting the call-up to run Power four programs.
The 2025 college football season could see several coordinators make the leap to head coaching roles. This article spotlights coaches like Ryan Grubb at Alabama and brian Hartline at Ohio State, who are poised for significant upward mobility. We dissect how coordinators,including Tim Banks at Tennessee,are positioning themselves for Power Four gigs. The piece examines the successes and pitfalls of coordinators turned head coaches, offering insights into the coaching carousel. News Directory 3 recognizes that the SEC and Big Ten’s offensive and defensive coordinators are ready for the next step. Discover what’s next for these rising stars.
College football coordinators to watch in 2025
Table of Contents
Only six Power Four coaching changes occurred during college football’s most recent carousel, and none of the openings went to sitting coordinators. In 2023, Michigan, mississippi State and Duke all hired or promoted coordinators to be their head coaches.
With a number of coaches at big-name schools sitting on the hot seat, 2025 could provide more upward mobility for the strategic masterminds who oversee the sport.
It’s been a mixed bag recently for coordinators getting the call-up to run Power four programs. Arizona State hit the jackpot when it hired Kenny Dillingham away from his offensive coordinator post at Oregon. Dillingham’s old boss at Oregon, Dan Lanning, also came to his job from a coordinator position at Georgia. Duke struck gold with defensive coordinator hires in Mike Elko from Texas A&M and Manny Diaz from Penn State.
Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is off to a tough start at Mississippi state, and ex-Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters made it just two seasons at Purdue before getting fired. The jury remains out on Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables at Oklahoma after three seasons, and Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry is facing a big Year 4 at Virginia Tech.
there’s not a 100% hit rate on any type of coaching hire, and coordinators are primed to continue getting cracks at Power Four gigs. As the 2025 season creeps nearer, here’s a closer look at five coordinators who could be positioned to get in the mix for big-time head coaching jobs.
College football coordinators to watch in 2025
Ryan Grubb, Alabama offensive coordinator: Grubb fought to be Kalen DeBoer’s successor at Washington after the two constructed a juggernaut offence in two seasons with the Huskies. UW went with Jedd Fisch instead,and Grubb stayed in town to be offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks for a season. Now, Grubb and DeBoer are reunited and working together at a fifth different school. If Ty Simpson emerges as one of the SEC’s best quarterbacks and the Crimson Tide’s offense takes off, grubb will quickly become a coaching darling and find himself in high demand. Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Bill O’Brien (Boston College) and Mike Locksley (Maryland) offer evidence that Alabama’s offensive coordinator job can be a springboard to Power Four head coaching opportunities.
Brian Hartline, Ohio State offensive coordinator: Hartline interviewed for the West Virginia vacancy that went to Rich Rodriguez, and his profile is set to continue rising in 2025. He’s already known as an elite recruiter and developer of receivers. Now, he’ll finally get to spread his wings as a play-caller following Chip Kelly’s departure for the NFL. Still just 38, Hartline has NFL playing experience and has worked under a pair of title-winning college coaches in Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. All the ingredients of a future head coach are there. If that’s the route the former Buckeyes wide out wants to pursue,he can afford to be selective.
Tim Banks, Tennessee defensive coordinator: Banks is entering his 14th consecutive season as a defensive or co-defensive coordinator in the Big Ten or SEC, and he keeps getting better with time. Tennessee ranked No. 6 nationally in total defense last season and rode that unit all the way to a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Vols ranked among the top-10 defensively in both third and fourth-down conversion percentage and gave up just 16.1 points per contest. Coordinating a defense juxtaposed with Josh Heupel’s high-flying, quick-strike offense can be an unflattering assignment. but Banks, 53, has handled it well, while making it clear that becoming a head coach is the “ultimate goal.”
What’s next
College football programs will be watching these coordinators closely as potential head coaching candidates for the 2025 season and beyond.