Maryland, Baylor, NC State Fire Coaches in 2026 — SkimNews
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- FBS hired 32 new head coaches in 2025, including 17 in the four power conferences, while hundreds more assistant coaches changed jobs.
- FBS logged coaching changes at 93 programs over the last three offseasons as schools wrestled with the challenging economics of NIL and revenue sharing.
- Maryland began the firing season on Oct. 21 by dismissing Mike Locksley halfway through his eighth season; Locksley was 39-54 overall, with back-to-back 4-8 seasons.
- Baylor dismissed Dave Aranda after seven seasons, a 40-40 overall record and 26-32 Big 12 mark, despite his 2021 Big 12 title.
- NC State dismissed Dave Doeren after 14 years in Raleigh, following a 31-28 loss at Stanford that left the Wolfpack 1-3 in ACC play.
- Philip Rivers has the most heat among NC State candidates; he has coached high school football for five years in Alabama, interviewed for the Buffalo Bills’ job in January, and has a son, Gunner, committed to NC State.
- Maryland enters the search with better NIL resources than a year ago, but still faces a difficult Big Ten job; Wake Forest’s Jake Dickert and Memphis’ Charles Huff are among the possibilities immediately raised.
Why it matters: The count is already substantial: 93 FBS programs changed coaches over three offseasons, following 32 new head-coaching hires in 2025 alone. Three Power Four searches are now open at Maryland, Baylor and NC State, with Maryland’s improved NIL resources standing against its 4-8 results and 39-54 record under Locksley.
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