Clik here to view.
Let’s keep track as the coaching carousel spins or whatever.
Below, brief notes on each FBS head coaching change, along with an INSTA GRADE. The difference: let’s also grade the firing part as well. Why should only hirings get graded? Onward.
Bowling Green
Mike Jinks firing grade: A. At some MAC schools, you might as well just stick with whoever you have. But BGSU had won pretty consistently under four straight coaches before its former AD reportedly Googled his way to a poor fit, both geographically and experience-wise.
Central Michigan
John Bonamego firing grade: B. CMU wasn’t supposed to be good this year, and he led three solid seasons before this one, but — well — this was the worst season in program history. Considering how hard it is to hire well in the MAC, I think I would’ve given him a chance to prove this year was a fluke, but I get it.
Charlotte
Brad Lambert firing grade: A. It was time for the program architect to move on. A startup jumping to FBS is never easy, but this job should have plenty of interest as it enters year 7.
Colorado
Mike MacIntyre firing grade: C+. Building 10-win teams at San Jose State and Colorado is hard ... but what’s he done over the last decade if you take out those two years? CU’s good year didn’t feel especially sustainable, considering how senior-heavy that team was. The 2018 Buffs fattened up with a deceptive 5-0 record, then lost six straight.
Kansas
David Beaty firing grade: B+. KU improved on the field during the first-time head coach’s four years, but not that much. More importantly, things don’t look that much better going forward than they did when he showed up.
Les Miles hiring grade: C+ for now, because the expectations matter greatly. Is Miles’ primary task to stabilize the program and set it up for a young innovator? In a weird way, Miles’ beloved gritball might be an underdog tactic in the wide-open Big 12 (see: some of Kansas State’s best recent teams), but he needs to show he’s willing to evolve his Schembechler-ian tendencies.
Louisville
Bobby Petrino firing grade: A+! Lamar Jackson evidently covered up even more warts than we realized, the program was crumbling all around Petrino, and there’s an ideal replacement who won’t necessarily be available next time around.
Maryland
D.J. Durkin firing grade:Far more serious things than football to consider here, so not playing around with grades on this one.
North Carolina
Larry Fedora firing grade: B. He had really rough roster situations for the last two years and led UNC’s best season this millennium, but winning five games in two years against mediocre schedules ain’t getting it done.
Texas State
Everett Withers firing grade: B. Wins had yet to arrive, with only seven wins in his three years at a school that joined FBS in 2012, and Withers’ personality wasn’t a great fit, but at least recruiting was going well. Withers clearly never should’ve left JMU for this job.
UMass
Mark Whipple firing grade: A. Five years with nothing better than 4-8 is an easy call. Amid significant roster turnover, this sets up as a fresh rebuild.