The New Orleans Saints have the only head coaching position in the NFL and the FBS, and by all accounts the franchise is waiting for Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to become available.
That means it's safe to now re-rack our annual list ranking the tenures of active head coaching openings following a winter with 27 changes at the FBS level. The class of 2025 began with Rice's hiring of Davidson head coach Scott Abell on Nov. 26 and concluded (as of now, at least) with Washington State's hire of South Dakota State head coach Jimmy Rogers on Dec. 28.
a. Six head coaches were hired on Dec. 8, 2024, which I believe to be a record since this project began more than a decade ago. Which of the six -- Charlotte's Tim Albin, UCF's Scott Frost, Marshall's Tony Gibson, Southern Miss's Charles Huff, Tulsa's Tre Lamb, or Purdue's Barry Odom -- outlasts the others?
b. Speaking of Frost, he's one of three FBS head coaches in his second tenure at the same school. He joins fellow Class of 2025 hire Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia and Greg Schiano, who joined the Top 25 this year in his second run at Rutgers.
c. The most surprising Top 25 member has to be Justin Wilcox. The 48-year-old has the 18th-longest active FBS tenure, despite leading Cal to one bowl win in eight seasons.
d. Bret Bielema, who coached seven seasons at Wisconsin, five at Arkansas and spent three seasons in the NFL, is now the 37th-longest tenured FBS head coach after four seasons at Illinois.
e. The median FBS head coaching tenure? None other than Deion Sanders, whose Dec. 3, 2022 hire date puts him in the exact middle among his peers.
f. Other statistical notes: Dave Aranda (five seasons at Baylor) has been on the job longer than three-fourths of his peers; Billy Napier and Lincoln Riley (three seasons apiece at Florida and USC) have been in place longer than two-thirds of the profession. Jonathan Smith (one season at Michigan State) has been on the job longer than nearly 40 percent of FBS head coaches, and Scott Abel (Rice) out-ranks nearly 20 percent of the profession despite having not coached a game.
g. As always, shoutout to the journalist Patrick Stevens, who originated this project in 2013 and whom I shamelessly ripped it off from afterward.
1998
1. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa -- Dec. 2
2004
2. Kyle Whittingham, Utah -- Dec. 9
2005
3. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State -- Jan. 3
2006
4. Troy Calhoun, Air Force -- Dec. 22
2008
5. Dabo Swinney, Clemson -- Oct. 13
2012
6. Mark Stoops, Kentucky -- Nov. 27
7. Dave Doeren, NC State -- Dec. 1
2013
8. Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio) -- Dec. 3
9. Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan -- Dec. 11
10. Jeff Monken, Army -- Dec. 24
2014
11. James Franklin, Penn State -- Jan. 11
12. Pat Narduzzi, Pitt -- Dec. 26
2015
13. Matt Campbell, Iowa State -- Nov. 29
14. Jason Candle, Toledo -- Dec. 2
15. Kirby Smart, Georgia -- Dec. 6
16. Kalani Sitake, BYU -- Dec. 19
2017
17. PJ Fleck, Minnesota -- Jan. 6
18. Justin Wilcox, Cal -- Jan. 14
2018
19. Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky -- Nov. 27
20. Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green -- Nov. 28
21(t). Ryan Day, Ohio State -- Dec. 4
21(t). Mike Locksley, Maryland -- Dec. 4
23. Chris Klieman, Kansas State -- Dec. 10
2019
24. Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois -- Jan. 18
25. Greg Schiano, Rutgers -- Dec. 3
26. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss -- Dec. 7
27(t). Mike Norvell, Florida State -- Dec. 8
27(t). Sam Pittman, Arkansas -- Dec. 8
29(t). Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion -- Dec. 9
29(t). Jeff Traylor, UTSA -- Dec. 9
31. Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri -- Dec. 10
32. Ryan Silverfield, Memphis -- Dec. 11
2020
33. Dave Aranda, Baylor -- Jan. 16
34. Shane Beamer, South Carolina -- Dec. 6
35. Butch Jones, Arkansas State -- Dec. 12
36. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt -- Dec. 14
37. Bret Bielema, Illinois -- Dec. 19
2021
38. Steve Sarkisian, Texas -- Jan. 2
39. Josh Heupel, Tennessee -- Jan. 27
40. Lance Leipold, Kansas -- April 30
41. Clay Helton, Georgia Southern -- Nov. 2
42. Joey McGuire, Texas Tech -- Nov. 9
43. Jim Mora, UConn -- Nov. 11
44(t). Billy Napier, Florida -- Nov. 28
44(t). Lincoln Riley, USC -- Nov. 28
46. Rhett Lashlee, SMU -- Nov. 29
47(t). Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech -- Nov. 30
47(t). Sonny Dykes, TCU -- Nov. 30
47(t). Brian Kelly, LSU -- Nov. 30
47(t). Brent Pry, Virginia Tech -- Nov. 30
51. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame -- Dec. 3
52(t). Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana -- Dec. 5
52(t). Brent Venables, Oklahoma -- Dec. 5
54(t). Mario Cristobal, Miami -- Dec. 6
54(t). Jay Norvell, Colorado State -- Dec. 6
56. Joe Moorhead, Akron -- Dec. 9
57. Tony Elliott, Virginia -- Dec. 10
58. Dan Lanning, Oregon -- Dec. 11
2022
59. Timmy Chang, Hawai'i -- Jan. 22
60. Matt Rhule, Nebraska -- Nov. 26
61(t). Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State -- Nov. 27
61(t). Luke Fickell, Wisconsin -- Nov. 27
63. Hugh Freeze, Auburn -- Nov. 28
64. Brent Key, Georgia Tech -- Nov. 29
65. Trent Dilfer, UAB -- Nov. 30
66. GJ Kinne, Texas State -- Dec. 2
67. Deion Sanders, Colorado -- Dec. 3
68(t). Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina -- Dec. 4
68(t). Jamey Chadwell, Liberty -- Dec. 4
68(t). Alex Golesh, South Florida -- Dec. 4
71. Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati -- Dec. 5
72(t). Jeff Brohm, Louisville -- Dec. 8
72(t). Lance Taylor, Western Michigan -- Dec. 8
74. Troy Taylor, Stanford -- Dec. 10
75. Eric Morris, North Texas -- Dec. 13
76. Kenni Burns, Kent State -- Dec. 14
77. Brian Newberry, Navy -- Dec. 19
2023
78. David Braun, Northwestern -- July 14
79. Spencer Danielson, Boise State -- Nov. 12
80. Jonathan Smith, Michigan State -- Nov. 25
81. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State -- Nov. 26
82. Mike Elko, Texas A&M -- Nov. 27
83(t). Trent Bray, Oregon State -- Nov. 28
83(t). Fran Brown, Syracuse -- Nov. 28
85. Sean Lewis, San Diego State -- Nov. 29
86. Curt Cignetti, Indiana -- Nov. 30
87. Willie Fritz, Houston -- Dec. 3
88(t). Jeff Choate, Nevada -- Dec. 4
88(t). Scotty Walden, UTEP -- Dec. 4
90. Bryant Vincent, ULM -- Dec. 5
91(t). Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee -- Dec. 6
91(t). Jay Sawvel, Wyoming -- Dec. 6
93. Bob Chesney, James Madison -- Dec. 7
94. Jon Sumrall, Tulane -- Dec. 8
95. Manny Diaz, Duke -- Dec. 9
96. Gerad Parker, Troy -- Dec. 18
97. Tony Sanchez, New Mexico State -- Dec. 23
2024
98. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama -- Jan. 12
99. Jedd Fisch, Washington -- Jan. 14
100. Brent Brennan, Arizona -- Jan. 16
101. Major Applewhite, South Alabama -- Jan. 18
102(t). Pete Lembo, Buffalo -- Jan. 21
102(t). Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State -- Jan. 21
104. Sherrone Moore, Michigan -- Jan. 26
105. Bill O'Brien, Boston College -- Feb. 9
106. DeShaun Foster, UCLA -- Feb. 12
107. Dell McGee, Georgia State -- Feb. 23
108. Scott Abell, Rice -- Nov. 26
109. Blake Harrell, East Carolina -- Nov. 27
110(t). KC Keeler, Temple -- Dec. 1
110(t). Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State -- Dec. 1
112. Zach Kittley, Florida Atlantic -- Dec. 2
113(t). Matt Entz, Fresno State -- Dec. 4
113(t). Mike Uremovich, Ball State -- Dec. 4
115(t). Joe Harasymiak, UMass -- Dec. 6
115(t). Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State -- Dec. 6
117(t). Dowell Loggains, Appalachian State -- Dec. 7
117(t). Willie Simmons, Florida International -- Dec. 7
119(t). Tim Albin, Charlotte -- Dec. 8
119(t). Scott Frost, UCF -- Dec. 8
119(t). Tony Gibson, Marshall -- Dec. 8
119(t). Charles Huff, Southern Miss -- Dec. 8
119(t). Tre Lamb, Tulsa -- Dec. 8
119(t). Barry Odom, Purdue -- Dec. 8
125. Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan -- Dec. 9
126. Bill Belichick, North Carolina -- Dec. 11
127(t). Dan Mullen, UNLV -- Dec. 12
127(t). Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia -- Dec. 12
129. Jason Eck, New Mexico -- Dec. 14
130(t). Jake Dickert, Wake Forest, Dec. 18
130(t). Phil Longo, Sam Houston -- Dec. 18
132. Brian Smith, Ohio -- Dec. 18
133. Charles Kelly, Jacksonville State -- Dec. 21
134. Jimmy Rogers, Washington State -- Dec. 28