The 2026-27 coaching cycle has officially begun with a bang, as Florida State University’s decision to fire Mike Norvell sent immediate shockwaves through the power conference landscape. This move follows Maryland’s October 21 termination, marking the start of a season that initially appeared sluggish due to the unprecedented turnover of 2025. With 32 new head coaches hired across the FBS last year, including 17 in the four power conferences, the market is now grappling with the difficult economics of the NIL and revenue-sharing era, leading to a cautious approach in this early phase of the carousel.
Maryland and Baylor departures signal a cooling period after 2025’s record-breaking churn
Baylor University’s parting of ways with Dave Aranda adds significant weight to the current wave of departures. Despite capturing a Big 12 title in 2021, Aranda’s seven-season tenure concluded with a 40-40 overall record and a sub-.500 conference mark of 26-32. Industry analysts suggest the Bears are likely to pivot toward an offensive-minded candidate with deep roots in the Texas high school pipeline. Top contenders emerging in Waco include UTSA’s Jeff Traylor, Texas State’s GJ Kinne, and potentially USC’s Lincoln Riley, whose presence would signal a major strategic shift for the program.
As CBS Sports tracks every move in this cycle, the focus remains on whether the industry has entered a genuine cooling period or if this is merely a false start before a second wave of changes. The departure of established figures like Aranda and Norvell indicates that schools are no longer willing to tolerate middling success in the high-stakes environment of modern college football. With hundreds of assistant coaches also in flux, the next few weeks will determine if the 2026 cycle mirrors the historic churn of 2025 or settles into a more stable equilibrium.
Source: CBS Sports
