Former head coaches (including current coordinators) who could become head coaches again

In this latest installment of the On3 coaches series, we seek to identify former head coaches who are possibilities to again lead FBS programs at some point in the near future. These eight have come up in discussions with those in the coaching world about potential new coaches in the next cycle.

Five former Power 5 head coaches were hired this past cycle: Clay Helton at Georgia Southern, Jerry Kill at New Mexico State, Mike MacIntyre at FIU, Jim Mora at UConn and Jeff Tedford at Fresno State.

The coaches are listed alphabetically.

(Earlier this month, we looked at 25 assistants who figure to get head-coaching consideration. Next Monday, we will look at current Group of 5 and FCS head coaches who could be hot commodities in the next cycle.)

Justin Fuente

Past as a head coach: 69-54 in 10 seasons as head coach: 26-23 in four seasons at Memphis (2012-15) and 43-31 in six seasons at Virginia Tech (2016-21)
Current role: Out of football
The buzz: Fuente’s lackluster recruiting and his reluctance to part ways with one or two assistants ultimately proved his undoing at Virginia Tech. He had nine- and 10-win seasons at Memphis and Virginia Tech; the difference is that the big winning came at the end of his Memphis tenure and the beginning of his time with the Hokies. Fuente, 46, likely will get another chance – if he wants it – at a Group of 5 school, but getting another shot at the Power 5 level seems unlikely.

Tom Herman

Past as a head coach: 54-22 in six seasons as head coach: 22-4 in two seasons at Houston (2015-16) and 32-18 in four seasons at Texas (2017-20)
Current role: CBS Sports analyst (including CBS Sports Network)
The buzz: Herman, 47, flamed out in a big way at Texas, but he never has had a losing record in his six years as a head coach. Houston is headed to the Big 12, and Herman laid at least a bit of that groundwork in his two years with the Cougars. He was the offensive coordinator for the 2014 Ohio State team that won the national title (with a third-team quarterback, at that), and his offensive acumen rarely has been questioned. He also oversaw productive offenses at Rice and Iowa State. Herman spent last season as an offensive analyst with the NFL’s Chicago Bears, but the Bears’ staff was let go at the end of the season. Herman’s personality can be, well, an acquired taste, but his offensive skills and history of winning could appeal to some athletic directors.

Derek Mason

Past as a head coach: 27-55 in seven seasons at Vanderbilt (2014-20)
Current role: Oklahoma State defensive coordinator
The buzz: Mason, 52, did good work last season as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, then left for a more stable coaching environment at Oklahoma State. He took Vandy to two bowls in his time there; given how tough it is to win with the Commodores, that could carry some weight with some athletic directors. His defensive coaching acumen is a big positive. He also has spent time in the Pac-12 and in the NFL, so he shouldn’t be pigeonholed as fitting in a certain region. Mason is taking over a unit that was in the top five in total defense and yards-per-play defense in 2021, so the Cowboys’ defensive performance this season is important for his head-coaching future.

Dan Mullen

Past as a head coach: 103-61 in 13 seasons as head coach; 69-46 in nine seasons at Mississippi State (2009-17) and 34-15 in four seasons at Florida (2018-21).
Current role: Studio analyst for ESPN
The buzz: No one questions Mullen’s ability to develop an offense or as a play-caller. He had Mississippi State(!) ranked first in the nation for four weeks in 2014; Mullen also took Florida to three consecutive New Year’s Six bowls. But his recruiting ability (his recruiting intensity, really) has been questioned, and that’s a fair criticism. Still, as he has shown, he knows what it takes to put a good team on the field. While Mullen, 50, had been an assistant at Florida under Urban Meyer on two national-title teams and should’ve understood the expectations, he seemed a bit overwhelmed at times with the Gators. Mullen (and others) have succeeded at Power 5 programs where just getting to major bowls is a big deal; annually being in the hunt for a national title seems out of reach for him. He can win at a good clip at a “lesser” Power 5 school and at Group of 5 programs.

Todd Monken

Past as a head coach: 13-25 in three seasons at Southern Miss (2013-15)
Current role: Georgia offensive coordinator
The buzz: Monken, 56, won one game in his first season at Southern Miss and nine in his third, then spent the next four seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator (he also spent four seasons, from 2007-10, as an NFL receivers coach) before heading to Georgia after the 2019 season. His work at Georgia has been overshadowed by the Bulldogs’ defense, but he deserves credit for turning Stetson Bennett into a title-winning quarterback. He has a varied coaching background – for instance, he worked for offense-minded Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State and now works for defense-minded Kirby Smart at Georgia – and his NFL experience is appealing. His age, though, might be held against him. (His cousin, Army coach Jeff Monken, also could be a head-coaching candidate this cycle.)

Bill O’Brien

Past as a head coach: 15-9 in two seasons at Penn State (2012-13); 52-48 in six-plus season with NFL’s Houston Texans (2014-20)
Current role: Alabama offensive coordinator
The buzz: O’Brien, 52, is in his second season with the Tide, and he figures to be in the mix for jobs at the Power 5 and NFL levels this cycle. He spent the first 14 years of his coaching career at the college level before heading to the NFL for the first time. O’Brien then did yeoman work at Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal/Joe Paterno firing before returning to the NFL and guiding the Texans to four playoff appearances. O’Brien can rub some people the wrong way with his personality, but being an OC for Saban tends to eliminate some of the negatives associated with coaches. It’s a bit surprising that O’Brien is back in Tuscaloosa for a second season; it would be even more surprising if he is back for a third year with the Tide.

Barry Odom

Past as a head coach: 25-25 in four seasons at Missouri (2016-19)
Current role: Arkansas defensive coordinator
The buzz: Odom, 45, was a popular choice to replace the retiring Gary Pinkel at his alma mater following the 2015 season. But after a promising 2018 season, in which the Tigers were ranked before finishing 8-5, things went south in 2019 and he was fired. Odom quickly was hired by Sam Pittman at Arkansas and has done a great job rebuilding the Razorbacks’ defense. The Hogs surrendered 450.7 yards per game and 6.54 yards per play in 2019. In Odom’s first season in 2020, the yards-per-play average dropped almost a full yard, to 5.65. Last season, the Hogs allowed 367.6 yards per game (seventh in the SEC) and 5.4 yards per play (fifth in the SEC) without elite-level talent. While a lot of ADs prefer offense-minded head coaches, Odom could make a few short lists this cycle if the Arkansas defense again plays well.

Matt Rhule

Past as a head coach: 47-43 in seven seasons as a college head coach: 28-23 in four seasons at Temple (2013-16) and 19-20 in three seasons at Baylor (2017-19).
Current role: Carolina Panthers coach
The buzz: Rhule has had two five-win seasons with Carolina, and there were rumblings he was going to be fired at the end of the 2021 season. Instead, he still is with the Panthers, though he has overhauled his coaching staff. But forget his struggles with the Panthers: His work at Temple (two 10-win seasons, just the second and third in school history) and at Baylor (the Bears won 11 games in his final season there) makes him an attractive candidate for some athletic directors. He coached at Baylor in the aftermath of the ugly sexual assault scandal that cost Art Briles his job; Baylor won one game in his first season, then went to the Sugar Bowl following his third season. His rebuilding work in college is notable, and his NFL experience certainly would be considered a plus, as well. If he were to lose his Panthers job, there will be college suitors.

(On3 senior reporter Matt Zenitz contributed to this report.)