When it comes to making a coaching change, sometimes you just know when it’s time. And for more programs, that time might have arrived this weekend.
The coaching carousel has already begun to spin, with openings at Florida State, Baylor, North Carolina State and Maryland. Could three more be next?
Sonny Dykes, TCU
Dykes has been frequently mentioned on this list. Hard to believe it was just four years ago that TCU reached the College Football Playoff championship game in Dykes’ debut season in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs (4-5) appear headed to their second sub-.500 finish since that unexpected title-game run.
Since starting 2-1, they have lost four of six against Power Four competition with the wins coming against a Baylor team a week before it fired coach Dave Aranda, and then struggling Kansas (more on the Jayhawks later). TCU's most recent loss might have been its most excruciating so far. The Frogs seemingly had a victory over No. 24 Arizona in their hands. But they failed to recover an onside pooch kick in the final moments, allowing Arizona to kick a 37-yard field goal with 39 seconds to play for a 29-28 win. “It’s been a frustrating year,” Dykes said after the game. “We’ve lost a lot of close games.”
How much will it cost to fire Dykes? Hard to say. TCU is a private school that does not disclose its coaches’ contract information, including its buyout costs. But the school’s most recent tax returns indicate Dykes made $6.3 million in 2024, and in April he signed a contract extension for an undisclosed length of time. So it’s fair to speculate that the well-heeled Horned Frogs boosters would have to pony up some serious cash to move on.
Matt Rhule, Nebraska
The Cornhuskers are in a free fall. They’ve lost four in a row to make their 5-0 start a distant memory and put heaps of heat on Rhule, who is 24-23 in his fourth season in Lincoln. After a 24-13 loss at Illinois on Friday night, Rhule fired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, saying in a statement that he is “angry,” “disappointed” and “frustrated with our results this season.” The danger for Rhule is this: If that doesn’t work, the next person to be fired is the head coach. And the road ahead isn’t easy. Nebraska faces Rutgers in a matchup of coaches on the hot seat, followed by games against No. 11 Ohio State and at No. 21 Iowa. Not exactly a stretch that exudes job security.
It’s worth remembering this isn’t a short-term dip for the Huskers. They’ve been stuck in neutral for years. It’s been a decade since their last eight-win season, and only once since joining the Big Ten have they won 10 games in a season (2012 under Bo Pelini).
But can Nebraska even afford to fire Rhule? His contract was extended through 2032 and is worth a total of $87 million — with 90 percent of it guaranteed. Huskers fans might be asking another question: Can they afford to not fire him?
Lance Leipold, Kansas
It’s not easy to put Leipold on this list, because he has been one of Kansas’ most successful coaches of the modern era. He’s No. 7 on the school’s career victories list with 30, and of the six ahead of him, only Mark Mangino had the job since 1997.
On the other hand, it’s fair to wonder if Kansas has hit its ceiling under him. Leipold has only had one winning season — a 9-4 finish in 2023 that ended with a No. 23 national ranking. He has gone 13-20 since with a pair of 5-7 finishes, and fell to 3-6 this year when UCF scored with three seconds left to win 33-32.
The 3-5 start this year includes wins over LIU, Middle Tennessee State and a Baylor team that turned around and fired Aranda. Firing Leipold before Dec. 1 would mean a buyout of roughly $18 million, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
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