College Football Teams That Have the Most Coaching Turnover in the Last Decade
Of the 128 FBS programs, how many do you think have kept the same head coach for the last 10 years?
How about 14? That amounts to only 11 percent of the field.
On average, FBS teams have had 2.65 head coaches during the last 10 years. At one end of the spectrum there are the programs with absolute continuity, while on the other are 19 teams (15 percent) that have switched leaders four-plus times.
The furthest extreme belongs to Arkansas State, the only program to have welcomed five new head coaches since 2006.
Before recognizing the highest-turnover schools, we’ll take a quick look at coaching changes by conference.
Turnover by Conference
1 of 20
Take a look at the average number of coaches each FBS league has employed over the last decade.
| MAC | 3.07 |
| American Athletic | 2.92 |
| Mountain West | 2.75 |
| Sun Belt | 2.75 |
| ACC | 2.71 |
| Pac-12 | 2.58 |
| Big Ten | 2.5 |
| Conference USA | 2.5 |
| SEC | 2.5 |
| Big 12 | 2.2 |
Of the Power Five teams, the Big 12 is the safest bet to keep a long-term gig. Only Kansas has had four coaches since 2006, while Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and TCU have all stuck with the same guy for at least the last 10 years.
The toughest Power league to keep a job in is the ACC. Boston College, Louisville, North Carolina and Pitt have all had four coaches since 2006, while Virginia Tech is the only school with no changes.
Though the Pac-12 finishes in the middle of the field, it is the only FBS conference not to have a member on the four-plus list.
Arkansas State
2 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Steve Roberts (2002-10), Hugh Freeze (2011), Gus Malzahn (2012), Bryan Harsin (2013) and Blake Anderson (2014-present)
Record since 2006: 60-52
Arkansas State has employed more head coaches than any other school in the last decade because it’s sent guys on to bigger and better things.
Three of the program's four previous coaches currently have head jobs at bigger FBS schools. Hugh Freeze has been at Ole Miss since 2010, Gus Malzahn has been at Auburn since 2013 and Bryan Harsin has been at Boise State since last season.
Arkansas
3 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Houston Nutt (1998-2007), Bobby Petrino (2008-11), John Smith (2012) and Bret Bielema (2013-present).
Record since 2006: 66-49
What earns Arkansas a spot on this list is the sudden dismissal of Bobby Petrino. He was ousted in April of 2011 for hiring his then-mistress and not coming clean on the details of a motorcycle accident.
This led to the last-minute hiring of John Smith, who lasted a single 4-8 campaign before Bret Bielema was hired away from Wisconsin.
Army
4 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Bobby Ross (2004-06), Stan Brock (2007-08), Rich Ellerson (2009-13) and Jeff Monken (2014-present)
Record since 2006: 33-76
Army has only posted a winning record once in the last decade, in 2010 when it went 7-6 in Rich Ellerson’s second year. It was enough to buy him three additional seasons, a stretch which produced an 8-28 record.
Jeff Monken took over last season and went 4-8, the third-best finish for the Black Knights since 2005.
Boston College
5 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Tom O’Brien (1997-2006), Jeff Jagodzinski (2007-08), Frank Spaziani (2009-12) and Steve Addazio (2013-present)
Record since 2006: 65-52
Boston College posted 12 consecutive winning seasons from 1999-2010 before slipping to a 6-18 record from 2011-12. The drop cost Frank Spaziani his job and ushered in the Steve Addazio era, 14-12 after two seasons.
Tom O’Brien left Boston College for N.C. State in 2007, while Jeff Jagodzinski was dismissed in January of 2009 after interviewing for the New York Jets head job.
Central Michigan
6 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Brian Kelly (2004-06), Butch Jones (2007-09), Dan Enos (2010-14) and John Bonamego (2015)
Record since 2006: 64-53
Like Arkansas State, Central Michigan has served as a stepping stone for coaches like Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly and Tennessee’s Butch Jones, both of whom also stopped at Cincinnati.
Dan Enos left the Chippewas after five lackluster seasons, leading to the hiring of John Bonamego in February. Bonamego played at Central Michigan in the '80s and most recently coached special teams with the Detroit Lions.
Cincinnati
7 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Mark Dantonio (2004-06), Brian Kelly (2007-09), Butch Jones (2010-12) and Tommy Tuberville (2013-present)
Record since 2006: 83-34
No team on this list has a better win-loss record or a more impressive honor roll of ex-coaches than does Cincinnati.
The Bearcats have only suffered a single losing season since 2006, a 4-8 blemish in 2010, also Butch Jones’ first year at the helm.
Other than that, Cincinnati has enjoyed five double-digit win seasons, four AP Top 25 finishes and a 4-4 mark in bowl play.
Colorado State
8 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Sonny Lubick (1993-2007), Steve Fairchild (2008-11), Jim McElwain (2012-14) and Mike Bobo (2015)
Record since 2006: 45-67
The 15-year Sonny Lubick era ended during the last decade at Colorado State, a run that included three WAC crowns and three Mountain West championships.
Lubick was replaced by Steve Fairchild, who went 16-33 in four seasons before being replaced by former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain.
With McElwain off to Florida, the Rams turn to another SEC assistant, this time Mike Bobo, who is fresh off eight years as the offensive coordinator at Georgia.
Houston
9 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Art Briles (2003-07), Kevin Sumlin (2008-11), Tony Levine (2012-14) and Tom Herman (2015)
Record since 2006: 75-43
Another hot spot for coaches looking to make a step in the right direction, Houston was a key stop for both Baylor’s Art Briles and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin.
Tony Levine went 21-17 in his three seasons at the helm, but that wasn’t enough to keep him from being replaced by Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman for 2015.
Kansas
10 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Mark Mangino (2002-09), Turner Gill (2010-11), Charlie Weis (2012-14) and David Beaty (2015)
Record since 2006: 43-67
If you count the eight games last season when Clint Bowen served as the interim, Kansas has technically had five head coaches in the last decade.
The Jayhawks haven’t posted a winning record since going 8-5 in 2008, the second to last year of the Mark Mangino era and just a season after their magical 12-1 finish.
Next up to try his luck is David Beaty, coming off three seasons as an offensive assistant at Texas A&M.
Louisiana Tech
11 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Jack Bicknell (1999-2006), Derek Dooley (2007-09), Sonny Dykes (2010-12) and Skip Holtz (2013-present)
Record since 2006: 55-58
Two of the last three head coaches at Louisiana Tech have left for a bigger role elsewhere. Derek Dooley bolted for the Tennessee job, which fizzled out after the 2012 season, and Sonny Dykes is going into his third year at Cal.
Jack Bicknell is currently an assistant offensive line coach with the Miami Dolphins.
Miami (Ohio)
12 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Shane Montgomery (2005-08), Michael Haywood (2009-10), Don Treadwell (2011-13) and Chuck Martin (2014-present)
Record since 2006: 31-80
The only coach to post a winning record at Miami (Ohio) since 2006 is Michael Haywood, who engineered a 10-4 campaign in 2010.
Haywood left for the head job at Pitt in December of 2010 but was fired in January of 2011 because of an arrest on domestic violence charges.
The charges were dropped in February of 2012 after Haywood completed the terms of a pre-trial diversion program, including counseling and community service.
The RedHawks are another program that has technically had five head coaches since 2006. Mike Bath coached seven games as the interim in 2013 after Don Treadwell was fired after an 0-5 start.
Michigan
13 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Lloyd Carr (1995-2007), Rich Rodriguez (2008-10), Brady Hoke (2011-14) and Jim Harbaugh (2015)
Record since 2006: 66-48
Before parting ways with Lloyd Carr after the 2007 season, Michigan hadn’t suffered a sub-.500 finish since going 4-6 in 1967.
Since then, they’ve slipped under .500 three times in seven tries.
That sets the stage for Jim Harbaugh, who went 9-15 in his first two seasons at Stanford (2007-08) before improving to a 20-6 mark in his final two campaigns.
Northern Illinois
14 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Joe Novak (1996-2007), Jerry Kill (2008-10), Dave Doeren (2011-12) and Rod Carey (2013-present)
Record since 2006: 79-42
Another solid starter job, Northern Illinois provided important stepping stones for Minnesota’s Jerry Kill and N.C. State’s Dave Doeren.
The Huskies have pumped out double-digit-win seasons consecutively since 2010, meaning Rod Carey might be the next former Northern Illinois head coach to take over at a Power program.
If you're wondering where he might land, he played center at Indiana in the early '90s.
North Carolina
15 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: John Bunting (2001-06), Butch Davis (2007-10), Everett Withers (2011) and Larry Fedora (2012-present)
Record since 2006: 59-55
North Carolina lands on the list by virtue of employing Everett Withers as an interim for a single season in 2011.
Withers replaced Butch Davis, who was fired in July of 2011 amid NCAA allegations. He led the Tar Heels to a 7-5 finish, despite getting the job just weeks before the season got underway.
Withers went on to serve as the defensive coordinator at Ohio State from 2012-13 and was named the head coach at FCS James Madison in 2014.
Pittsburgh
16 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Dave Wannstedt (2005-10), Todd Graham (2011), Paul Chryst (2012-14) and Pat Narduzzi (2015)
Record since 2006: 63-52
Pitt’s one misstep in hiring in the last decade was bringing in Todd Graham, who left for the Arizona State job less than a year after inking his deal with the Panthers.
Prior to that was the short-lived employment of Michael Haywood, which lasted for just over two weeks.
Paul Chryst took over for Graham in 2012, leading the team to a 19-19 mark in three seasons, enough to earn him the head job at his alma mater Wisconsin.
Next up is Pat Narduzzi, coming off eight seasons as the defensive coordinator at Michigan State.
Southern Miss
17 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Jeff Bower (1991-2007), Larry Fedora (2008-11), Ellis Johnson (2012) and Todd Monken (2013-present)
Record since 2006: 54-62
After keeping the same head coach for 17 years, Southern Miss has had three in the last seven seasons.
What really hurt was the one-year Ellis Johnson era, a dismal 0-12 campaign that looked even worse in light of the 12-2 finish just a year earlier in 2011.
The Golden Eagles have won just four football games in the last three seasons, the worst stretch in the 103-year history of the program.
Tennessee
18 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Phillip Fulmer (1993-2008), Lane Kiffin (2009), Derek Dooley (2010-12) and Butch Jones (2013-present)
Record since 2006: 58-56
Before Phillip Fulmer dropped to 5-7 in 2005 and 2008, Tennessee hadn’t suffered a losing season since going 5-8 in 1988. Before that, you have to go all the way back to a 5-6 mark in 1980.
Since 2008, the Vols have only finished above .500 twice in six tries, posting 7-6 marks in both 2009 and 2014.
Besides poor results, what’s hampered Tennessee’s turnover rate is the single-season Lane Kiffin era. Kiffin, like Todd Graham at Pitt, left a new job only months after taking it.
Tulsa
19 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Steve Kragthorpe (2003-06), Todd Graham (2007-10), Bill Blankenship (2011-14) and Philip Montgomery (2015)
Record since 2006: 68-49
After posting winning records seven of eight seasons since 2005, Tulsa has won just five games since 2013. This ushers in the Philip Montgomery era, starting up after his nine seasons as an offensive assistant/coordinator under Art Briles at Baylor.
Steve Kragthorpe’s 17-9 mark at Tulsa was good enough to earn him the Louisville job (2007-09), and Todd Graham’s 36-17 record got him posted at Pitt (2011) and Arizona State (2012-present).
Vanderbilt
20 of 20
Head coaches since 2006: Bobby Johnson (2002-09), Robbie Caldwell (2010), James Franklin (2011-13) and Derek Mason (2014)
Record since 2006: 47-65
Vanderbilt makes the list for similar reasons as Arkansas and North Carolina: the unexpected exit of a head coach just before the start of a season.
In the Commodores' case it was Bobby Johnson, who after eight years at the helm opted to retire in July of 2010 for “personal reasons.”
Vanderbilt named Robbie Caldwell the interim, a label they later removed. He was ousted after a 2-10 campaign.
Johnson was recently named Archie Manning’s replacement on the College Football Playoff selection committee.
Historical data courtesy of Sports Reference-College Football.
.jpg?w=480 "PATRIOTS-VRABEL")
