Last year's coaching carousel was one for the ages, with over 30 FBS jobs changing hands, including 17 at the Power 4 level.
Every coaching change offers a chance to inject optimism into a program, and that was certainly the case for several of those Power 4 openings.
However, that positivity only lasts so long once the season kicks off, and we're already seeing some new hires flaming out just a month into the campaign.
Here are our grades at this point in the season for all Power 4 hires.
Big Ten
Bob Chesney, UCLA: A-plus
Chesney is the unquestioned leader of the 2026 class of new coaching hires. After leading UCLA to a perfect 4-0 start, he's now 136-52 in 17 years as a head coach across five programs. Remember that next time a coach claims they need a few years to get things sorted at a new location.
Matt Campbell, Penn State: D
The first month of the Campbell era at Penn State is about as messy as the coaching search was. The Nittany Lions have stumbled to 0-2 in Big Ten play and have been outscored 51-16 in their last six quarters. While the schedule is still very friendly going forward, Campbell and the 23 players he brought over from Iowa State look lost against the heightened competition in the Big Ten.
Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State: D
Michigan State might be getting exactly what they paid for, considering it hired a coach who went 3-24 in Big Ten play in his last three non-COVID seasons. Although multiple injuries have limited Fitzgerald's chances of success in his first year in East Lansing, the administration probably expected the Spartans to average more than eight points per game in conference play through two contests.
Kyle Whittingham, Michigan: F
Hiring Whittingham couldn't be going much worse for Michigan on many fronts. Along with Jason Beck, Whittingham was supposed to bring offense and discipline to Ann Arbor. Instead, the Wolverines are the second-worst team in the entire Power 4 in total yardage per game, quarterback Bryce Underwood has underwhelmed, and the team ranks 110th in penalties. The last time Michigan started 0-2 in conference play was 2014, the season Brady Hoke was fired as head coach. Five-year contract be damned, if Whittingham can't fix things on the fly, he'll likely suffer the same fate.
SEC
Will Stein, Kentucky: A-plus
Stein started his tenure claiming Kentucky would win "because of me," and he's fully backed it up with road wins over South Carolina and Texas A&M. Anytime you're on a list with Bear Bryant, you're doing something right.
Will Stein is the first coach to win 4 of his first 5 games @UKFootball since Bear Bryant in 1946.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) October 4, 2026
Jon Sumrall, Florida: A
Sumrall would've received a resounding A-plus if we dropped this list last week, but we can't unsee the absolute no-show Florida just put in at Missouri. That loss aside, Sumrall is clearly the guy to bring the Gators back to national prominence, with an electric offense to boot.
Pete Golding, Ole Miss: A-minus
Golding's a unique name on this list since he took over Ole Miss in last year's playoff after Lane Kiffin's exit. This season, he delivered one of the biggest wins in Ole Miss history by taking down Kiffin and LSU at home, but the Rebels laid an egg on the road at Florida the next week. Getting your team up to play following an emotional win is one of the toughest jobs in college coaching, so we'll keep Golding at an A-minus until we see that growth.
Lane Kiffin, LSU: B-plus
Kiffin initially looked like an A-plus after LSU throttled Clemson 51-10 in the opener. However, Dabo Swinney's team has since struggled, taking some of the shine off that victory. Add in Kiffin's loss in his return to Ole Miss, and B-plus feels fair.
Alex Golesh, Auburn: C-plus
Golesh hasn't made the same kind of splash as Stein or Sumrall, primarily because of an ineffective offense - stop me if you've heard that before regarding Auburn. His background on that side of the ball suggests he could fix that, but the Tigers' upcoming game against Georgia after a bye week doesn't exactly breed optimism. Until we see clear strides in the attack, Golesh's hire won't hit anything above a C-plus.
Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas: D
Arkansas has been run off the field in its three games against Power conference competition this year, and there's a real possibility it goes winless in SEC play and finishes the year 2-10 overall. The Razorbacks roster just doesn't have the talent to compete with most of the SEC, though Silverfield may not have known the extent of those issues when he took the job. On the bright side, the five-year, $33.5-million contract he signed should soften the blow of losing weekly.
ACC
James Franklin, Virginia Tech: B-plus
Is it fair to change a grade because a field goal missed the upright by a foot? Maybe not. However, Franklin's Virginia Tech blew a 14-point lead and lost at home to Pitt, making a B-plus an acceptable grade at this juncture. Still, the ex-Penn State coach has injected much-needed life into the Hokies and brought star quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer with him to Blacksburg.
Tavita Pritchard, Stanford: C-minus
While some might say Pritchard has already met expectations after a home win over Georgia Tech two weeks ago, getting outscored 92-10 in two ACC road games doesn't leave us feeling great about Stanford's trajectory. With the Cardinal's final four games of the season expected to be a challenge, home wins over Elon and NC State will be vital to ensuring a four-win campaign for Pritchard in Year 1.
Tosh Lupoi, Cal: D
Lupoi's first month has arguably been the most disappointing of any new head coach. Cal's trajectory was soaring after he kept star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in the fold, but a disastrous offensive coordinator hire has completely deflated the team. The Golden Bears fired head coach Justin Wilcox despite winning six games in each of his last three seasons, and given how things are trending, it's tough to project Cal to reach that mark in Lupoi's debut campaign.
Big 12
Eric Morris, Oklahoma State: A
By the end of the year, the Tulsa loss won't account for 25% of the grade, and this will likely be an A-plus. Oklahoma State's win over Oregon immediately flipped the narrative around Morris after the Week 1 disappointment, and the electric offense has been one of the nation's best since. If Drew Mestemaker's last three games become the norm, the Cowboys might just be a playoff team.
Morgan Scalley, Utah: A
Scalley was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach after Whittingham's departure, and he has Utah sitting 4-0 with an impressive average scoring margin of 26.7 points. Meanwhile, Whittingham has Michigan off to its worst start since 2014, and people are already calling for his job. Safe to say the Utes are pleased with the coaching transition.
Collin Klein, Kansas State: B
Klein is undoubtedly an elite offensive coach. The Texas A&M offense has fallen off a cliff since his departure, while Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson already has 1,201 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns. However, Klein's defensive coordinator hire has been slightly underwhelming, with the unit ranking 68th nationally against the run.
Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State: B
After more than 50 players departed when Campbell left for Penn State, Rogers was essentially left to rebuild Iowa State's program from scratch. Though many predicted in the offseason that the Cyclones would be the worst Power conference team this year, their early-season performance has proven that their demise was greatly exaggerated. Iowa State will still have a tough time earning a bowl game this year, but Rogers has shown he can keep the program relevant in the Big 12.
