Tuesday, October 14, 2025

School soccer head coach openings: 2025 carousel tracker

By mid-October, there’s already 9 head coach openings in faculty soccer. Boosters and donors are opening their checkbooks, getting ready for what may very well be a wild teaching carousel season.

Maybe essentially the most stunning teaching change to this point was Penn State’s firing of James Franklin after the Nittany Lions misplaced three straight video games — first a nail-biter to Oregon, adopted by disastrous and disappointing defeats to UCLA and Northwestern. Simply final January, Penn State was taking part in within the semifinals of the School Soccer Playoff. Whereas Franklin by no means did, they’ve the sources to win huge, making the job an extremely excessive profile one that can entice a number of the finest candidates within the sport.

Elsewhere, Oklahoma State despatched longtime coach Mike Gundy packing, Arkansas bid farewell to Sam Pittman, and Virginia Tech severed ties with Brent Pry.

Right here’s each head teaching change in 2025 to this point:

James Franklin fired on Oct. 12

Franklin gained 69 p.c of his video games at Penn State. He gained a Rose Bowl, a Huge Ten title, and had a run to the School Soccer Playoff semifinals simply final season. However after beginning the season because the No. 2 crew within the AP Ballot — seen by many as a legit nationwide championship contender — dropping three straight video games proved to be an excessive amount of to abdomen for the oldsters with energy in Pleased Valley. Franklin misplaced rather a lot to the opposite marquee applications within the Huge Ten — particularly Michigan and Ohio State — and infrequently failed to fulfill the lofty expectations that followers of the Nittany Lions had. Nonetheless, he has a 128-60 report and 7 bowl wins as a head coach. If he desires to maintain teaching, he’ll have lots of choices.

Trent Dilfer fired on Oct. 12

A former NFL quarterback who rode the coattails of an all-time nice protection to a Tremendous Bowl win, Dilfer had by no means coached in faculty earlier than getting the UAB job in 2023 and his tenure went the best way lots of people predicted: a 9-21 report throughout three seasons with just a few episodes of him sticking his foot in his mouth. UAB most likely needs it had simply caught with Bryant Vincent, who went 7-6 with a bowl win because the interim coach in 2022.

Trent Bray fired on Oct. 12

After an 0-7 begin this season, which adopted a 5-7 report in 2024, the Beavers made the choice to maneuver on from Bray, who performed at Oregon State and had beforehand served as defensive coordinator underneath former head coach Jonathan Smith. The 2 years for the reason that dissolution of the outdated Pac-12 has not been type to Oregon State soccer.

Sam Pittman fired on Sept. 28

The Razorbacks fired Pittman after an 0-3 begin, capped off by a blowout residence loss to Notre Dame. The interim coach is Bobby Petrino — who you would possibly bear in mind was the pinnacle coach at Arkansas from 2008 to 2011 till he was fired following an incident during which he was concerned in a motorbike crash whereas driving with a former Razorbacks volleyball participant who he had employed to his employees. Whether or not Arkansas sticks with Petrino for a second time stays to be seen.

Mike Gundy fired on Sept. 23

A 3-time Huge 12 Coach of the Yr, Gundy’s 21-year tenure because the Cowboys’ head coach ended following a 19-12 loss at residence to Tulsa. He discovered himself on the recent seat after posting a 3-9 report final season. Issues in Stillwater haven’t gotten significantly better since his dismissal.

Brent Pry fired on Sept. 17

In a bit greater than three seasons on the job, Pry went 16-24 along with his tenure starting and ending with losses to Previous Dominion. The Hokies are nonetheless chasing what this system was once underneath longtime head coach Frank Beamer, however have had issue discovering constant success with the 2 coaches they’ve fired since. What may entice candidates was the announcement that got here just a few weeks after Pry’s firing — a $229 million funding into Virginia Tech’s athletic division.

DeShaun Foster fired on Sept. 17

UCLA pulled the plug on Foster’s teaching tenure three video games into this season, throughout which the Bruins went 0-3 with two losses to Mountain West applications. For the reason that change, with Tim Skipper because the interim head coach and Jerry Neuheisel calling the offense, the Bruins have notched spectacular victories over Penn State and Michigan State. Skipper had an honest run because the interim coach at Fresno State and will coach his option to the full-time gig if the Bruins hold profitable.

Kenni Burns fired on April 15

Kent State fired its former head coach within the spring for a number of violations of his contract, together with how he used a private bank card. For the reason that flip of the century, Kent State has had simply 4 seasons during which they’ve posted .500 or higher data.

Troy Taylor fired on March 25

Former Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck is now the final supervisor of this system and employed Frank Reich to teach the crew on an interim foundation this season. Taylor was dismissed within the spring following a report that he was investigated for mistreating staffers. Now within the ACC and working within the period of income sharing and NIL, the Stanford gig looks like a tough one. Quite a bit has modified on this sport for the reason that Cardinal’s glory days with Luck and Christian McCaffrey.

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