2021 FBS Coaches: High Turnover, Short Tenures

**College Football’s Spinning Carousel: Half of 2021 Coaching Class Already Gone**

**DECEMBER 4, 2023 –** The high-stakes world of NCAA Division I college football is once again proving to be a brutal arena for head coaches, with a stunning number from the promising Class of 2021 already exiting their posts less than three years after their initial hires. Of the twenty-five head coaches who took the reins of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) programs in January 2021, brimming with optimism and ambitious visions, a remarkable twelve—nearly half—have departed the schools that brought them in.

This rapid turnover, occurring before many coaches could even complete three full seasons, underscores an increasingly short leash in a sport driven by immediate results, escalating financial pressures, and the volatile nature of the transfer portal. The 2023 regular season, which concluded on December 2nd, has already seen more departures, with additional changes expected as the coaching carousel spins into full gear.

A 2019 D1.ticker study pegged the average FBS head coach tenure at approximately 3.81 years. However, the Class of 2021 is falling significantly short of even that relatively brief benchmark, with many not even making it through two complete campaigns.

Among the prominent departures from that January 2021 group is Bryan Harsin, whose tenure at Auburn ended abruptly with his firing in October 2022 after a tumultuous 9-12 record. Another notable name, Kalen DeBoer, initially hired by Fresno State in January 2021, didn’t face a dismissal but quickly elevated his career, departing for the University of Washington in December 2021, where he has since led the Huskies to a perfect 2023 regular season and a College Football Playoff berth.

Other coaches from the 2021 class who have since moved on include Willie Taggart, fired by Florida Atlantic in November 2022, and Marcus Arroyo, dismissed by UNLV in the same month. More recently, Andy Avalos was fired by Boise State in November 2023, while Curt Cignetti, who led James Madison to significant success, accepted the head coaching position at Indiana in early December 2023. Jon Sumrall, after two stellar seasons at Troy, also recently departed for Tulane in December 2023. These shifts highlight that departures aren’t solely due to firings; successful coaches are also quickly poached by larger programs, adding to the constant churn.

This incessant cycle of coaching changes casts a long shadow over college football programs. For players, it means constant adaptation to new offensive and defensive schemes, unfamiliar coaching staffs, and shifting team cultures. This instability is a significant factor contributing to the explosion of the NCAA transfer portal, as athletes seek consistency or a better fit elsewhere. Assistant coaches and their families also face a perpetual state of uncertainty, often packing their bags every few years in search of stable employment.

Beyond the human element, institutions bear substantial financial burdens from buyouts for dismissed coaches and their staffs, followed by the significant investment required to attract and hire new leadership. The pressure from booster clubs, NIL collectives, and an insatiable fan base for immediate success has intensified, making long-term vision and patience increasingly rare commodities.

As the sport continues to evolve with ever-higher stakes and demands, the Class of 2021 stands as a stark reminder of college football’s relentless, win-now culture, where the path from hopeful hire to unexpected exit can be astonishingly short.