The 2026 NFL coaching carousel is officially underway. "Black Monday," as it's called, saw at least four head coaches vacate their positions — and the search is on for their replacements.
Typically, NFL teams will search within the league for those successors, but it's not unheard of for a candidate from a lower level of the game to get an opportunity to make the jump to the pros. In fact, just about every coach in the NFL has some sort of college football experience under their belt. It's crucial to understand the game at the developmental level, and sometimes college strategies pay off in the big leagues.
That's especially true in this carousel, when there's a dearth of candidates who 1) have a proven track record as a play-caller and 2) isn't a retread. In that vacuum, could one of these three names float toward the top of teams' lists?
These 3 college coaches could jump to the NFL next
While it's unlikely any high-profile college coaches are going to get NFL nods this cycle, you cannot rule out any getting looks next time or within the near-ish future.
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
Freeman shot down any speculation of his departure from South Bend for the NFL when he released a brief statement via social media on Dec. 29. "2026... run it back. Go Irish," he wrote on X.
2026…run it back
— Marcus Freeman (@Marcus_Freeman1) December 29, 2025
Go Irish ☘️
ESPN insider Adam Schefter confirmed that several NFL teams were interested in his services, but after Notre Dame was controversially excluded from the College Football Playoff, Freeman apparently feels there's unfinished business (for now). That doesn't mean Freeman is spurning the NFL forever: He's still leading one of the highest-profile programs in the country, and rather successfully too. He's 43-11 over four full seasons, and as long as he doesn't crash and burn in 2026, he'll be back on NFL shortlists this time next year.
Brian Kelly, (formerly) LSU
Kelly can't seem to get a college job right now, so why would any NFL team in their right mind hire him? Well, maybe not for a head coaching gig, but he could entice one to bring him in as a coordinator or some sort of assistant. Let's not forget that entering the 2025 campaign, Kelly owned the third-best winning percentage among active college coaches (.729).
Dan Lanning, Oregon
Here's where things could get interesting. Lanning is probably the hottest college head coach under 40 years old since Lincoln Riley's tenure at Oklahoma. He's led the Ducks to a bowl game in all four years he's been at the helm (with a 4-1 record) and his 48-7 record overall is among the best in the sport in that span. He's also had two quarterbacks selected in the draft (Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel) with current signal caller Dante Moore projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in April. He knows how to acquire and work with talent, and that could translate at the next level.
We've seen guys like Kliff Kingsbury make the NFL jump with mixed success, and if Lanning manages to lead Oregon to its first-ever national title this year, he could be looking for new frontier to conquer. Maybe not this cycle, but certainly in the next few years if he keeps this kind of production up.