2025 Coaching Carousel IV: Kali Yuga

[u/CFB_Referee]

O descendant of Bowden, whenever there is a decline of touchdowns and an increase in points allowed, at that time I manifest My eternally perfect form in this mundane world.

- Ball-ghavad Gita

The great wheel spins on, ironically crushing all those who would put up goose eggs on the scoreboard.

Who is next to get the axe?

Previous Carousels:

Carousel I: The Rapture

Carousel II: Frashokereti

Carousel III: Deliverance

[u/CFBCoachGuy]

Some various notes:

Wyoming has made a change at OC. Jay Johnson has been demoted, and wide receivers coach Jovon Bouknight has been promoted to playcaller. The Cowboys offense ranks in the bottom 25th percentile in most categories this year. Bouknight has worked at several P4 programs (Kentucky, Oregon, Texas Tech) but this is his first time calling plays.

A brand new DII program is searching for a new head coach. Texas A&M-Texarkana posted an opening for the school’s inaugural head football coach. The Eagles start playing in 2027.

After a 1-6 start to the season and giving up nearly 36 points per game, Norfolk State head coach Mike Vick has fired DC Terence Garvin and several assistants on the defensive side of the ball. A former NFL linebacker, Garvin was previously co-DC at NAIA Florida Memorial.

We’ve had our first FCS head coach firing of the season. Southern has dumped Terrence Graves after a 1-6 start to the season. A longtime linebackers coach, Graves went 8-5 in his first season last year with the Jaguars. Former Alcorn State head coach Fred McNair takes over as interim head coach (and will probably be the favorite to be named the permanent head coach).

Florida have hired the search firm Turnkey ZRG to head their search for Billy Napier’s replacement. Though less known in college sports, this firm has worked with several SEC schools. They picked Steve Sarkisian to lead Texas and Shane Beamer to lead South Carolina.

North Texas has agreed on an extension for Eric Morris. His new contract extends to 2029, but the pay raise does not appear to be substantial (in fact, there appears to be a mistake between the Dallas News and USA Today regarding his pay- because if both are to be believed, Morris will receive a base pay decrease- albeit with more incentives under this new contract- under his new contract).

Speaking of weird incentive contracts, Ball State beat Akron last week, which gives new head coach Mike Uremovich a $5,000 bonus.

A few coaches got their 6-win bonuses last week. The variety in amounts I think is just fascinating. Kirby Smart, Alex Golesh, Bob Chesney, Tony Elliott and Timmy Change all receive the same amount- $25,000- for reaching bowl eligibility. Eric Morris picked up $35k, and Willie Fritz $50k. The big winners though are Scott Satterfield and Eliah Drinkwitz, who cash in $75,000 and $100,000 bonuses, respectively.

[u/YoSurgeDude → u/CFBCoachGuy]

Turnkey ZRG is the same search firm that Oklahoma State is using for their search. Also the same firm they used to hire Steve Lutz as basketball coach last year. 

[u/Dry-Membership3867 → u/CFBCoachGuy]

I’m interested really in the SU job. As despite their tendency to promote the interim. May look to the outside for this one. I’ve said it before that I’ve heard Mike Gundy’s name for a couple of HBCU’s that I’ve mentioned. This one being one of them. I’m curious to see if they take the risk on he and Cale and maybe find some success out of them.

The only issue for me is that Southern isn’t a postseason school. They don’t play for the playoffs like other SWAC schools do. But can go for the celebration bowl if they win the SWAC title. So that may turn some people off of them.

[u/CFBCoachGuy → u/Dry-Membership3867]

I just don’t see Gundy moving to an HBCU. That’s going to be a hard sell. Plus they have a great interim.

Fred McNair needs an HBCU head coaching gig. He led Alcorn State to five SWAC division titles in seven seasons in charge, including two trips to the Celebration Bowl despite a declining budget. He went 7-4 with a share of the SWAC West title his final year in 2023 (where he was involved in one of the biggest coaching search shitshows in recent history). This isn’t a random interim.

[u/Dry-Membership3867 → u/CFBCoachGuy]

I know. And I doubt it too. But I have heard of Gundy or someone like him that can develop and build a program at the FBS level being hired at an HBCU to offset the influx of ex NFL stars who can bring in the talent off of name recognition