Stock Watch for 2025 College Football Coaches Heading Into Week 4

Because of the expectations placed on head coaches in college football, "too early" is a qualifier that can expire quickly.

Just ask DeShaun Foster and Brent Pry.

Only three full weekends into the 2025 campaign, UCLA and Virginia Tech already made changes, and more will inevitably follow suit. Additionally, some other coaches―even if they're not necessarily on a hot seat―are simply navigating a tough opening to the season.

Conversely, a few coaches have bolstered their own resumes. They might be headed for a promotion after the season ends.

These choices are subjective but largely are based on what has happened so far in 2025, also factoring in recent history.

Obviously Down: Billy Napier and Mike Gundy

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Mike Gundy

In the interest of respecting your intelligence, let's rip through two familiar situations that hardly need an explanation.

Florida? Oof.

Billy Napier entered the season on a "not-warm-today-but-it-can-change-rapidly" kind of hot seat. After a stunning loss to South Florida and poor showing in a setback at LSU, Napier has swiftly returned to a sizzling spot.

The optimist sees an upcoming slate of Miami, Texas and Texas A&M as chances for Napier to stack a couple of marquee wins. The pessimist, however, is probably looking at a three-game stretch that determines if Napier is still leading the Gators when the calendar flips to November.

Mike Gundy is facing a similar challenge at Oklahoma State, which is hoping to rebound from a rough 2024.

But that Week 2 loss, a 69-3 dismantling at Oregon, didn't provide much reassurance about the Pokes' direction. They didn't play particularly win in the season-opening win over FCS school UT Martin, either.

Oklahoma State hosts Tulsa in Week 4 before entering Big 12 action, where a fraying rope for Gundy―a program icon―may ultimately break.

Stock Up: Brent Key, Georgia Tech

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If you haven't already leapt abord the bandwagon, time is running out. Georgia Tech has a very obvious path to the College Football Playoff.

You read that correctly.

Thanks to a last-second win over Clemson, Brent Key's Yellow Jackets are 3-0. More importantly, though, they've defeated what―on paper―should be their toughest ACC opponent of the season.

Seriously, this remaining slate can hardly be more favorable. None of Miami, Florida State, SMU and Louisville are on Tech's docket.

As if that's not enough, Georgia Tech is now a remarkable 7-1 against ranked ACC competition since Key became the interim coach in 2022.

There's no doubt that other programs will come calling if the Jackets take advantage of this schedule. The real question is whether Key, an alum of the school, would even truly consider walking away from a program on the rise.

Stock Down: Deion Sanders, Colorado

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Colorado surged to 9-4 last season with Heisman Trophy-winning two-way star Travis Hunter and a solid quarterback in Shedeur Sanders.

Now, without them, the real test has begun for Deion Sanders.

So far, not great. Colorado fell at home to Georgia Tech, rotated three quarterbacks in a win over Delaware and lost to Houston by 16 points. The offensive line has been a serious problem in front of that QB carousel, and CU's run defense has given up 200-plus yards in both matchups with FBS opponents.

The transfer portal can be a positive piece of a strong program. Colorado, clearly, has found success with bringing in players from elsewhere.

But that all-in approach from Sanders is highly volatile.

The danger of putting such a low emphasis on recruiting high schoolers and developing a sturdy foundation is starting to show.

Stock Up: Alex Golesh, South Florida

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The upset machine ran out of steam last weekend as Miami put up nearly 600 yards in a rout of South Florida. That is undeniably true.

Alex Golesh, nevertheless, is squarely on the national radar now.

Formerly the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, he took control of USF in 2023. The program had finished a combined 4-29 from 2020-22, but Golesh has overseen two seven-win seasons and opened 2025 with a pair of Top 25 victories.

As much as USF would like to keep him, Golesh is probably about to receive power-conference offers. Part of that reason is he's coached all over the country―Illinois, Iowa State, Central Florida, UT and USF―while rising the ladder. He understands how to recruit in Big Ten and Big 12 country, along with the SEC.

Put simply: No coach has raised his proverbial stock more than Golesh in the earliest stage of the 2025 campaign.

Stock Down: David Braun, Northwestern

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Few jobs are as challenging as Northwestern.

Don't mistake that for suggesting it's not an attractive job. Northwestern has a terrific location, gorgeous facilities, a prominent Big Ten affiliation and a brand-new stadium set to open in 2026.

Still, the obstacles are large. The university has plenty of money, but a high-level NIL budget is not a top priority. Elite academic standards at NU always thin the pool of possible recruits and transfers, as well.

That's the long version of saying David Braun, a genuinely good leader, is fighting an uphill battle for sustainability in Evanston.

Unfortunately, the trend is going the wrong way.

Northwestern went 8-5 in 2023―his year as the interim boss―but dipped to 4-8 last season. Now, the Wildcats are 1-2 with an ugly loss at Tulane and a difficult slate remaining. It's unlikely NU surpasses its record from 2024.

As that swanky stadium opens in 2026 with a new president hire looming at NU, a busy time of transition may extend to the sideline, too.

Stock Up: Clark Lea, Vanderbilt

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Perhaps it's only fitting that as Northwestern is reeling a bit, Vanderbilt has seemingly found its footing in 2025.

This is another top academic institution with a lower priority on NIL spending. That reality has never been a surprise for fifth-year coach Clark Lea―a Vandy alum―yet he's done an admirable job navigating the hurdle.

Following the team's winless 2020 season, Lea took the reins. Vandy struggled early in his tenure (of course) but climbed to 7-6 last year, highlighted by an upset of top-ranked Alabama. Last weekend's upset of No. 11 South Carolina has placed the Commodores on a path to a potential 5-0 start this year, too.

Let's be real: The next two months of the season are gauntlet. Six of Vandy's last seven opponents are currently ranked.

But if the 'Dores compete, Lea's stock isn't done ascending.