Subscribe
Follow Us
With only one game remaining in the 2024 season, North Carolina made the decision to fire head football coach Mack Brown on Monday. Brown was at the end of his sixth season in his second stint with the Tar Heels, having previously coached in Chapel Hill from 1988-1997. The Tar Heels currently sit at 6-5 and are in 12th place in the ACC. Over his combined tenure, Brown amassed an overall record of 113-78 at North Carolina.
What makes this move particularly surprising is that Brown's firing is the first for any Power Four head coach this season. Typically, by this stage of the year, there’s already a long list of coaches who’ve been shown the door. However, with the current dynamics of college football—including the influence of NIL and the transfer portal—programs are often prioritizing stability over immediate changes.
Starting with the Tar Heels opening, this is now the best available head coaching job in college football—though there's likely many more pink slips to be handed out. That being said, we'll look at the Top 5 best available head coaching vacancies in the sport currently.
1. North Carolina Tar Heels
As of now, Mack Brown has just one game left to coach for the Tar Heels, barring the possibility of leading the team in whatever bowl game UNC qualifies for. Beyond that, the 73-year-old, who earlier this season even hinted at resigning after his team allowed 70 points against James Madison, is officially closing the door on his tenure in Chapel Hill.
But what makes this job the highest-ranked on our list, you ask? For starters, this is the first Power Four head coaching vacancy of the season—a rarity this late in the year. However, in today’s college football landscape, where programs are clinging to stability amid the chaos of NIL and the transfer portal, the timing feels reflective of the current era.
Beyond being a Power Four program, there’s immense potential at North Carolina for an up-and-coming coach to make a name for themselves. For one the state and surrounding areas offer a fertile recruiting ground, giving the right hire a chance to make an immediate impact in landing top prospects.
Add to that the current state of college football, which has seen parity reign supreme across the nation. Even the SEC—long considered the sport's gold standard—lacks a truly dominant team this year. The ACC, in particular, is wide open, with SMU making a statement in its first season by securing a spot in the conference championship game.
While North Carolina is undoubtedly a basketball school down to its bone marrow, the football program has the resources and opportunity to make noise. The Tar Heels have flirted with success in the past but have never fully broken through, with their last ACC title dating all the way back to 1980. This opening represents one of the most intriguing opportunities for a head coach to leave their mark on college football.
2. Fresno State Bulldogs
There’s immense opportunity with the Fresno State head coaching job. First and foremost, if it weren’t for Jeff Tedford resigning in July due to health concerns, this would still be his program. In his two seasons, Tedford led the Bulldogs to an 18-8 record and a bowl win. The reins were handed to his assistant, Tim Skipper, this season, but he hasn’t quite matched that success, sitting at 6-5 so far. However, he's probably not out of the running for the job.
Overall, this is one of the more successful programs in college football, having posted just six losing seasons since 1999 while notching 10 or more wins in six seasons. The Bulldogs are also four-time Mountain West champions, with their most recent title coming in 2022.
Perhaps the biggest upside of this job is that the Bulldogs are set to join the Pac-12 in 2026. Whoever steps in as the new head coach will have the chance to lead Fresno State into what many hope will again be a competitive power conference.
3. Florida Atlantic Owls
The South Florida region is never short on talent, where even the two- and three-star (or less) recruits can be valuable assets. For a program like Florida Atlantic, while they may have to settle for the leftovers that power conference programs pass on, there’s still plenty of talent available to build a competitive roster for a team like FAU, especially in the AAC.
Article Continues Below
Tom Herman recently got the axe after guiding the team to a dismal 2-9 season and an overall 6-16 record. The Owls have been scrambling to find a suitable replacement ever since Lane Kiffin departed for Ole Miss after the 2019 season. Kiffin’s tenure featured two 11-win seasons (and one five-win campaign), but since his departure, FAU hasn’t won more than five games. Willie Taggart followed Kiffin but couldn’t turn the program around either, going 15-18 in three seasons.
While this is still a relatively young football program, having only started in 2001, there’s potential here. For a coach looking for one last shot to redeem themselves—much like Kiffin once did—FAU could serve as the perfect launching pad. And if that coach can replicate Kiffin’s success, they might find themselves right in line for a power conference job shortly after.
4. East Carolina Pirates
The Pirates are just two years removed from an 8-5 season, but since the inception of the AAC, they’ve yet to compete for a conference title. Mike Houston’s tenure has officially come to an end after six seasons, with the coach being let go weeks ago following East Carolina’s rough 3-4 start to the season, which came on the heels of a 2-10 campaign the year prior.
There’s plenty of potential for the next coach, with solid recruiting grounds in the southeastern states surrounding the program. However, whoever takes the reins will inherit not only the challenge of rebuilding but also a passionate and dedicated fanbase that’s hungry for success.
With the new College Football Playoff format granting the best Group of Five champion an automatic bid, East Carolina has an added incentive to aim high. Winning an AAC title would mean more than just hardware—it could mean a shot on the national stage. But the hard times of the past decade, with just one bowl appearance, simply aren’t cutting it for a program with a fanbase that expects more. This, however, has been a program that has caused teams like North Carolina upsets, beating the Tar Heels in their last three meetings.
5. Temple Owls
Winning at Temple has never been easy, but the program has provided a platform for several head coaches to make a name for themselves and land bigger jobs. That hasn’t been the case in recent years, with Stan Drayton being fired earlier this season after posting a 9-25 record over three seasons. His predecessor, Rod Carey, had a similarly rough tenure, though he did manage one 8-5 season, not to mention the programs last bowl game.
However, the program’s history shows it can be a stepping stone for rising stars. Coaches like Geoff Collins, Matt Rhule, Steve Addazio, and Al Golden all found success at Temple before moving on to bigger opportunities. Who’s to say the next coach can’t follow in their footsteps?
The main challenge for Temple lies in its location. Philadelphia isn’t exactly a hotbed for college football enthusiasm compared to its other sports. Still, the recruiting base remains solid, with access to prospects in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and even Ohio. For the right coach, Temple could once again be a launchpad for success.
