Cover 3 College Football Podcast

Episode: Full Coaching Carousel Breakdown By Conference + Superlatives

Hosts: Chip Patterson, Tom Fornelli, Danny Kanell, Bud Elliott
Date: December 9, 2025

Overview

This episode features an in-depth, conference-by-conference breakdown of the 2025 college football coaching carousel, including analysis of major hires, coaching trends, and what these changes mean for the programs involved. The hosts conclude with a superlative round, naming their favorite hires, those set up for instant success, most surprising moves, and the coach most likely headed for a buyout.

Big Ten Coaching Changes

Penn State: Matt Campbell In, James Franklin Out

• Search lasted 54 days; Campbell from Iowa State, long considered a natural fit.
• Tom Fornelli: “Sometimes bad process can lead to a good result. And I think that is what happened here with Penn State.” (02:01)
• Danny Kanell: Praises Campbell for “developing talent, identifying the talent and then… producing NFL talent out of it,” but notes Campbell hasn’t managed pressure at a power like Penn State (03:09).
• Bud Elliott: Raises concerns about Campbell’s lack of experience recruiting and managing "five-star" athletes with big personalities. “How do you relate to the guys who sometimes are kind of a diva?” (03:39)
• Hosts agree: Campbell is a strong hire, but needs elite recruiting support and experience with high-level talent.

Michigan State: Pat Fitzgerald Returns

• Fitzgerald, after legal battles, is back after being fired at Northwestern.
• Tom Fornelli: “This is one of the more polarizing hires… I tend to skew more towards the love it side… He’s going to find a far easier time recruiting [at Michigan State].” (07:31, 07:57)
• Bud Elliott: Worries about Fitzgerald’s recent losing seasons and says, “…those hires he made were really poor when he lost important guys and obviously he's got to hire well there.” (08:51)

UCLA: Bob Chesney Makes the Leap

• Chesney jumps from Holy Cross to James Madison then to UCLA in short order.
• Bud Elliott: Questions how Chesney will manage at a Power 5, particularly with financial and staff constraints. “If you pay an analyst $100,000 at UCLA… how far away from your stadium does he have to live to feel good and his family is happy? Probably like an hour and 40.” (11:08)
• Tom Fornelli: Sees Chesney as an energetic, proven winner but reiterates that "...UCLA is a whole nother ball game." (11:55)
• Chesney will finish this season with JMU in the playoff before starting at UCLA.

SEC Coaching Carousel

LSU: Lane Kiffin Era Begins

• After dramatic speculation, Kiffin leaves Ole Miss for LSU.
• Bud Elliott: “He’s already accomplished a lot there… He’s obviously bringing in some, some nice coaches so far. I want to see him continue to fill out this coaching staff and then next he’s going to have to find a quarterback in the transfer portal.” (17:08)
• Tom Fornelli: Emphasizes the shift from being an underdog to facing championship-or-bust expectations at LSU. Questions whether Kiffin can recruit at the very top, stacking high school recruiting classes. (17:53)

Florida: John Sumrall Takes the Helm

• Comes off a conference championship and CFP run at Tulane.
• Tom Fornelli: “He’s been a head coach for four years. He’s won or been in a conference championship each of those four years… He has shown he knows how to quickly build a program.” (20:30)
• Bud Elliott: Praises Sumrall for being “excellent coach for the money… For the money, I would rather have John Sumrall than Lane Kiffin.” (21:39)
• Coordinator hires include Buster Faulkner (offense) and Brad White (defense) (22:43).

Ole Miss: Pete Golding Promoted

• Steps up from defensive coordinator after Kiffin's departure.
• Tom Fornelli: “Did they really want to go for an extended coaching search… or did it just make more sense to promote somebody still part of that program?” (24:33)
• Bud Elliott: Points out Golding is “their best recruiter on staff,” and that a shift back to high school recruiting may suit his strengths. (25:59)

Auburn: Alex Golesh In for Hugh Freeze

• Golesh brings tempo, offensive innovation, and a strong recruiting presence.
• Bud Elliott: “Getting Hugh Freeze all the way out of there is probably the biggest upgrade… Golesh did a really good job recruiting high school… They are one of the still, like, extreme tempo teams.” (27:00)
• Tom Fornelli: “You're hoping that Golesh… can help you score points, which you haven't been able to do for the last two years.” (28:18)

Arkansas & Kentucky: Surprise Moves

• Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield (from Memphis) called a head-scratcher by hosts.
  • Tom Fornelli: “If he couldn’t do it with those advantages at Memphis, I wonder how he’s going to do it at Arkansas.” (29:44)
• Kentucky: Will Stein (from Oregon, still coaching playoff) is praised as a young, ambitious hire.

Big 12 Coaching Carousel

Oklahoma State: Eric Morris In

• Known for offensive firepower and adaptability.
• Tom Fornelli: Highlights Morris’ willingness to modernize and use the transfer portal, unlike outgoing Mike Gundy. (32:16)

Kansas State: Colin Klein Returns Home

• Former KSU QB and A&M offensive coordinator.
• Bud Elliott: “If Kansas State had not acted this year, I don't know if they could have gotten him next year.” (33:53)

Iowa State: Jimmy Rogers Steps In

• Rogers, FCS success and a strong but short stint at Washington State.
• Tom Fornelli: “Serial winner… You’re hoping he can bring that kind of toughness with him to Iowa State to keep things rolling…” (35:07)

ACC & Pac-12/American Coaching Moves

Virginia Tech: James Franklin Rebounds Quickly

• Franklin, dismissed at Penn State, lands at VT.
• Tom Fornelli: “Virginia Tech's going to look a lot like the Virginia Tech program that fans have longed for since the days of Frank Beamer…” (37:37)
• Bud Elliott: “I expect Franklin to immediately get… Tech back to the top half of the conference.” (38:15)

Cal: Tosh Lupoi Returns

• Former Oregon DC and Cal alum.
• Bud Elliott: “Tosh Lupoi is an excellent recruiter… that's a nice piece to have for the next two years to get you off on the right foot.” (39:12)

Stanford: Tavita Pritchard Hired

• Longtime friend of GM Andrew Luck; limited head coaching experience.
• Tom Fornelli: “They do know the recipe [for winning at Stanford]. Will they be able to replicate it? We’ll see.” (40:36)
• Bud Elliott: Notes academic constraints and creative NIL approaches are crucial to future Stanford success. (40:57)

Superlatives

Each host gives their picks for:

• Favorite hire
• Most set up for instant success
• Most surprising hire
• Destined for a buyout

Bud Elliott (42:11)

• Favorite: James Franklin to Virginia Tech
• Instant Success: John Sumrall (Florida)
• Most Surprising: Will Hall to Tulane
• Buyout: Pat Fitzgerald (Michigan State): “I need to be convinced that he didn’t totally lose it…”

Tom Fornelli (42:43)

• Favorite: Matt Campbell (Penn State)
• Instant Success: Lane Kiffin (LSU)
• Most Surprising: Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas)
• Buyout: Lane Kiffin (LSU): “Who are the guys who get the giant buyouts? The guys who are given the giant buyouts, and that is Lane Kiffin.” (43:57)

Chip Patterson (43:57)

• Favorite: Pat Fitzgerald (Michigan State)
• Instant Success: James Franklin (Virginia Tech)
• Most Surprising: Bob Chesney (UCLA)
• Buyout: Ryan Silverfield (Arkansas): “…in the next five years, four of them being bowl seasons for the Razorbacks… if you’re not making bowl games, well, then…”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Penn State’s search drama: “…the job that was open for 54 days… the process was awful. Clearly that it took this long to go through it...” (01:44 – Tom Fornelli)
• On Lane Kiffin at LSU: “At lsu, you're hired to win national championships. And even if you win national championships, they still might fire you…” (17:53 – Tom Fornelli)
• On coordinators as the identity of head coaches: “I had to think that the defensive coordinator is going to be kind of the extension of the head coach.” (23:32 – Chip Patterson)
• On hobbies under fire in the SEC: “Hobbies are under fire in the SEC. I don't know why we're out on hobbies, but, you know, in the sec they do say it just means more.” (29:13 – Chip Patterson)

Key Timestamps

| MM:SS | Segment | |-------|--------------------------------------| | 00:48 | Big Ten: Penn State, Campbell Hire | | 07:31 | Michigan State: Pat Fitzgerald | | 10:19 | UCLA: Bob Chesney Analysis | | 16:08 | SEC: Kiffin to LSU, Sumrall to UF | | 24:33 | Ole Miss: Pete Golding Promotion | | 27:00 | Auburn: Alex Golesh Hired | | 29:44 | Arkansas (Silverfield) & Kentucky | | 32:16 | Big 12 Starts: Eric Morris (OK State)| | 33:53 | Kansas State: Colin Klein | | 35:07 | Iowa State: Jimmy Rogers | | 37:12 | ACC: James Franklin to Va Tech | | 39:12 | Cal: Tosh Lupoi | | 40:36 | Stanford: Tavita Pritchard | | 42:10 | Superlatives Segment |

Tone Notes

• Insightful, candid, and conversational, with hosts engaging in friendly debate.
• Humor and sarcasm used to make points, as in critiques of coaching searches and program “vibes.”
• Willingness to own up to personal predictions and biases, e.g., “I think I’m pretty smart…” (42:43 – Tom Fornelli).

Summary Takeaways

• The 2025 coaching carousel featured marquee names landing at new homes, many with immediate playoff aspirations or program overhauls in mind.
• Fit, resource flexibility, and recruiting (especially under the NIL/portal era) are recurring themes in assessing hires.
• The hosts urge caution with programs chasing instant results versus longer-term stability, especially in high-pressure environments like LSU or Penn State.
• Several bluebloods (LSU, Florida, Michigan State, Penn State) are banking on high-profile hires to restore old glory—with instant success expected in many cases.