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Analysts rank college football's new head coaches for the 2026 season

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 2, 2026, 6:40 AM

Last updated Sep 2, 2026

Analysts rank college football's new head coaches for the 2026 season

Summary

The 2025-26 college football coaching cycle resulted in 17 new head coaching appointments across power conferences. Lane Kiffin headlines the group after his departure from Ole Miss to lead LSU, a move that places him at the top of early season projections. Pete Golding takes over at Ole Miss, while James Franklin transitions to Virginia Tech following his tenure at Penn State. Other notable additions include Kyle Whittingham at Michigan and Bob Chesney at UCLA. These coaches face varying expectations as they integrate new transfer players and navigate restructured conference schedules. Programs are looking for immediate improvement, with particular attention on how these leaders stabilize their rosters during their first year in these roles.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Lane Kiffin leads the new hire rankings after moving from Ole Miss to LSU.
•Pete Golding assumes head coaching duties at Ole Miss following success in the CFP.
•James Franklin enters his first season at Virginia Tech after coaching at Penn State.
•Kyle Whittingham joins Michigan following his 23-season tenure at Utah.
•Bob Chesney begins his tenure at UCLA after previous coaching stops at James Madison and Holy Cross.

Latest Updates

6:40 AMYahoo Sports — Ranking college football's new head coaches: Will Lane Kiffin, James Franklin, or someone else have best Year 1?

What they're saying

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There are several new faces coaching across college football this season. Let's see which new head coach could have the biggest first year.
— Yahoo Sports

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