Power Ranking Every Open College Football Head Coaching Job

Sunday afternoon, the already busy 2015 college football coaching carousel got some new riders. Iowa State and Virginia Tech filled their vacancies by hiring Toledo's Matt Campbell and Memphis' Justin Fuente, respectively.

Meanwhile, Georgia made a surprising move by parting ways with 15-year head coach Mark Richt, and Rutgers made a not-so-surprising move by ending the tenure of Kyle Flood. Mike London resigned after six seasons at Virginia. Monday morning, Southern California took the interim tag off Clay Helton, per an official release, taking the most attractive job off the market.

That brings the number of vacancies to 14, and the fun and shuffling are just getting started. The new openings vary widely in quality, with eight Power Five jobs open and six Group of Five jobs vacant. How do they stack up?

We decided to take a look and rank the vacancies. Jobs were ranked in order of attractiveness, with factors such as tradition, resources, recruiting base and likely success rate considered.

14. Louisiana-Monroe

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Winning at Louisiana-Monroe will be difficult for any coach.

Since joining the FBS in 1994, Louisiana-Monroe has had its moments. The Warhawks upset Alabama in 2007 and defeated Arkansas and made the Independence Bowl in 2012. However, Todd Berry was fired three weeks ago because those moments were too few and far between.

The Warhawks finished the 2015 season 1-11, and Berry was 28-43 in his ULM tenure.

Being located in Louisiana offers recruiting opportunities, but there are far more attractive locations than Monroe, located in the north-central region of the state. In addition, the resources are meager. According to a USA Today salary survey, Berry's salary of $360,000 was the lowest among the 121 FBS programs that released salary data.

Winning here will be difficult for any coach.

13. North Texas

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Dan McCarney was only the latest coach to struggle at North Texas.

North Texas suffered through an ugly 2015 season. The Mean Green finished 1-11 and fired coach Dan McCarney midway through the year. It won't be an easy job, by any means, for his replacement.

However, UNT does have some advantages. Its location in the Dallas Metroplex gives it a natural recruiting base in talent-rich Texas, and the 30,850-seat Apogee Stadium is only four years old. Conference USA is a winnable league with the right talent, but the Mean Green will have to fight off more tradition-laden Texas schools to get it.

This appears to be a good job for a coordinator looking for his first head coaching position, but UNT shouldn't think it can get an established coach to come here.

12. Tulane

Brett Martel/Associated Press

Tulane can sell a sparkling new on-campus stadium to potential coaches.

In 1998, Tulane was one of college football's biggest surprises. Under Tommy Bowden's watch, the Green Wave went 12-0. Since then, however, life hasn't been easy in the Big Easy. Tulane has just three winning seasons in the last 17 years.

Curtis Johnson owns one of them, but his tenure ended after consecutive 3-9 campaigns.

Tulane does have its advantages. Yulman Stadium is a brand-new 30,000-seat on-campus facility that fits the program much better than the cavernous Superdome. Tulane also has an excellent academic reputation, and New Orleans is a fun city for anyone who enjoys nightlife and music.

Playing in the American Athletic Conference is a difficult task, but Tulane does have a solid recruiting base in the Gulf Coast region. As its recent history has shown, though, winning here is no easy task.

11. Toledo

David Richard/Associated Press

Matt Campbell is only the latest coach to leave Toledo for a better job.

It's rather appropriate that Toledo's football team is known as the Rockets, because the program has been a launching pad for head coaches. When Iowa State hired Matt Campbell on Sunday, it continued a long tradition of coaches' succeeding at Toledo and leaving for better opportunities.

Nick Saban spent one season at Toledo before becoming Bill Belichick's defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns. Gary Pinkel succeeded him and had a very successful 10-year run before heading to Missouri.

Tim Beckman didn't work out at Illinois, but he used his position at Toledo to take the Fighting Illini job. Campbell leaves a solid foundation and was 35-15 in four-plus seasons at Toledo with a pair of bowl games. The Rockets will go to a bowl game again this season, which included wins over Arkansas and Campbell's new employer, Iowa State

Resources are limited compared to a Power Five job, but Campbell and others have shown hungry young coaches that you can win, and win big, here.

10. Memphis

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Paxton Lynch and Justin Fuente breathed life into Memphis football.

Justin Fuente breathed life into Memphis football. Before Fuente arrived in 2012, the program was one of the worst in the FBS ranks. The Tigers had yet to produce a 10-win season and hadn't had a winning season since 2007.

Fuente changed all that. With a win in their bowl game, the Tigers can notch back-to-back 10-win seasons, and the program has gained the attention of the Memphis community. Of course, Fuente landed a much bigger job with Virginia Tech, and continuing the momentum will be a challenge for his replacement.

Memphis is in the best Group of Five league in the American Athletic Conference and placed No. 13 in the initial College Football Playoff Top 25 this season, thanks in large part to an upset of SEC neighbor Ole Miss. The program is on a roll, but keeping it going without Fuente (and potentially junior quarterback Paxton Lynch, a possible early NFL draft entrant) won't be easy.

9. Central Florida

Associated Press

Central Florida fell hard and fast at the end of the George O'Leary era.

What happened, Central Florida? Two years ago, the Knights were one of college football's most intriguing programs. Central Florida defeated Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl behind first-round NFL pick and current Jacksonville Jaguars starting quarterback Blake Bortles.

But the program has quickly fallen apart. The Knights went 0-12 this season, and veteran coach George O'Leary, who began the season as UCF's athletic director and head coach, ended it in neither of those roles.

However, there's reason for optimism. Central Florida is in the best non-Power Five league in the American Athletic Conference, and its location in talent-rich Florida is a natural advantage. The Knights also have an eight-year-old on-campus stadium in 45,000-seat Bright House Networks Stadium. There is a rebuilding job ahead, but the resources and location make this an attractive position.

8. Syracuse

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Syracuse has fallen on hard times in the Carrier Dome recently.

Scott Shafer promised to bring hard-nosed football to Syracuse, but after three seasons, the Orange's leadership decided it had seen enough. Shafer was fired with one game remaining in what was a 4-8 season. He led the Orange to a 7-6 record and a Texas Bowl win in his first campaign but was only 7-17 in his last two seasons.

Syracuse thrived under Paul Pasqualoni (who had a 107-59-1 record) but has struggled following his departure in 2004. The Orange have only three winning seasons in the last 11 years, with Shafer, Greg Robinson and Doug Marrone combining for a 49-85 record.

Syracuse is largely isolated from its new ACC brethren, save Boston College and Pitt, and plays in a cold-weather climate, sharing the Carrier Dome with the Syracuse men's basketball program. Success is possible, but this isn't the 1980s anymore.

7. Rutgers

Mike Groll/Associated Press

Kyle Flood's difficult Rutgers tenure ended Sunday.

Rutgers cleaned house Sunday afternoon. University officials fired football coach Kyle Flood as well as controversial athletic director Julie Hermann in the wake of a tumultuous 4-8 season that included multiple player arrests and Flood's three-game suspension for attempting to influence a player's academic eligibility.

Rutgers is the only FBS program in New Jersey, and it's located in one of the world's greatest media markets in the New York City area. However, college football is an afterthought in New York, and while Rutgers' recent move to the Big Ten improves the school's finances compared to its former Big East digs, playing in a division with Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State every year is hazardous to a coach's win-loss record.

The new coach will have to clean up a program culture that trended toward toxic under Flood. This is a Power Five job, but it's hardly an easy one.

6. Maryland

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Randy Edsall's Maryland successor won't have an easy time in the Big Ten East.

It was no surprise Maryland fired Randy Edsall last month. Edsall was 22-34 in four-and-a-half seasons at Maryland and went to bowl games in 2013 and 2014. But empty seats became a regular occurrence at Terrapin games, and the Terps are not an exciting team to watch.

Maryland has a solid recruiting base in the mid-Atlantic, and the program's financial situation is improving thanks to last year's move to the Big Ten. In addition, there are deep-pocketed donors, including Under Armour founder Kevin Plank, who will be ready to give support to the right coach.

However, competing in the Big Ten East against Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State will not be easy for any coach, which would certainly give potential candidates pause before accepting the opening.

5. Virginia

Joe Skipper/Associated Press

Safety Quin Blanding is a solid piece for the next Virginia coach.

After six seasons, Virginia and Mike London finally parted ways. London resigned after leading the Cavaliers to a 4-8 record this fall. He had only one winning season in his tenure and finished with a 27-46 record.

Virginia has talent, particularly on defense, and this is a good job for the right coach.

Virginia has a sterling academic reputation that is attractive to student-athletes and has a solid location near Washington, D.C., and in the mid-Atlantic region. The ACC Coastal Division is improving with North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami and Virginia Tech, but it isn't as tough as the Atlantic, which boasts Clemson and Florida State. There's reason to believe that UVA can land a good candidate to build on what London started.

4. Missouri

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

Gary Pinkel leaves a very solid base behind at Missouri.

Gary Pinkel did an excellent job with Missouri, one which might not be recognized nationally but should be. Pinkel was the fourth-longest-tenured coach in the FBS, winning 118 games and helping guide Missouri into the SEC.

The Tigers won a pair of SEC East titles under Pinkel, and while they slipped to 5-7 this season, whoever inherits Pinkel's office walks into a very solid situation. Missouri has a loyal fanbase and will have plenty of money to work with, thanks to the SEC's ever-expanding coffers and SEC Network.

It might be more difficult to recruit in the South than for some of its SEC brethren, but Pinkel has shown that you can win, and win big, at Missouri.

3. Miami

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Miami games at Sun Life Stadium often lack atmosphere.

There was a time when the college football world feared Miami. Under Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson, Butch Davis and Larry Coker, the Hurricanes had swagger and oozed with talent. The Orange Bowl was a creaky, intimidating environment for opponents, and the 'Canes won multiple national titles.

Those days are gone. Multiple NCAA probations have stripped Miami of its aura. The Orange Bowl has been torn down. Under Al Golden, no one feared Miami. An embarrassing 58-0 home loss to Clemson, the worst in program history, finally finished Golden off.

The Hurricanes won eight games this season, but the new coach will face challenges. Miami now shares Sun Life Stadium with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, and the stadium, situated between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, lacks atmosphere and enthusiasm. Empty seats have become a regular occurrence.

The new leader must create excitement among a small fanbase, which won't be easy. Miami has access to plenty of talent in its backyard, but it must fight off Florida State and Florida, among others, and prove that it can be an ACC power. There is potential here, but the job isn't what it once was.

2. South Carolina

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Steve Spurrier made South Carolina football relevant.

South Carolina has historically been a coaching graveyard, but Steve Spurrier changed that for the better. Under Spurrier's watch, the Gamecocks enjoyed a program-best three consecutive 11-win seasons and won an SEC East title for the first time in school history. Near the end of his tenure, recruiting and the talent level slipped, and Spurrier retired early in what became a 3-9 disaster.

However, that doesn't change the overall attractiveness of the position. South Carolina has a very loyal fanbase, and Williams-Brice Stadium is a loud, raucous place when the Gamecocks are winning. South Carolina recently built an indoor practice facility and is building a $50 million football operations facility as well. The new coach will have a solid recruiting base in the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida.

Whoever the new coach is must contend with Clemson, which has emerged as a national power under Dabo Swinney's watch. But the Gamecocks can return to glory quickly with the right recruits. This is an attractive position.

1. Georgia

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Georgia will have no shortage of great candidates to replace Mark Richt.

Georgia's decision to part ways with Mark Richt was simultaneously surprising and unsurprising. Richt was the sixth-longest-tenured coach in college football and would have been fourth in 2016 following the retirements of Frank Beamer and Gary Pinkel. He was 145-51, but Georgia had grown a bit stale under his watch.

He had two SEC titles but hadn't won the SEC East since 2012, finishing behind Missouri twice and Florida (with first-year coach Jim McElwain) this season. Given Georgia's high expectations and the relative weakness of the SEC East, that just wasn't good enough.

"Coach Richt and I met Sunday morning to discuss the status of our football program," Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in a statement, per Seth Emerson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "And we mutually agreed that he would step down as head coach and would have the opportunity to accept other duties and responsibilities at UGA following the bowl game."

Georgia has the ability to attract a high-level coach, and this is a top-shelf job. Sanford Stadium is a cathedral of college football, and the Bulldogs have a rabid fanbase.

In addition, Georgia is adding a new $30 million practice facility that is expected to open by 2017, which will be an excellent recruiting tool. USA Today's Dan Wolken says UGA must hire a proven winner.

The roster—led by standout tailback Nick Chubb (recovering from season-ending knee surgery) and defensive tackle Trent Thompson, 2015's top overall recruit per 247Sports—has plenty of talent, and Georgia's location near Atlanta gives it an excellent recruiting base. McGarity will have his pick for the position from plenty of great choices.