2025-26 Coaching Change Thread

[Mvemjsunpx]

Samford fired Chris Hatcher today after Samford's 1-9 start, so the era of the Hatch Attack in Birmingham has come to an end. Hatcher went 62-59 with the Bulldogs and had 3 playoff appearances and 1 conference title. The Bulldogs won the SoCon and went to the quarterfinals in 2022. Defensive coordinator Scot Sloan was named the interim coach.

https://samfordsports.com/news/2025/11/ ... eason.aspx


I also missed that Southern fired Terrence Graves a few weeks ago. Graves was 3-0 in the Bayou Classic (1 of those as the interim coach at Grambling), so a mid-season firing seems odd there. Former Alcorn coach Fred McNair (Steve's brother) was made the interim coach.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Changes

Cal Poly - Paul Wulff -------->
Hampton - Trent Boykin -------->
Penn - Ray Priore -------->
Portland St. - Bruce Barnum -------->
Samford - Chris Hatcher --------> Scot Sloan -------->
Southern - Terrence Graves --------> Fred McNair --------> Marshall Faulk
Weber St. - Mickey Mental --------> Brent Myers -------->






Italic - denotes interim coach (offseason-only interims won't be included)

[kalm]

Changes

Samford - Chris Hatcher --------> Scot Sloan -------->
Southern - Terrence Graves --------> Fred McNair -------->






Italic - denotes interim coach (offseason-only interims won't be included)

Mickey Mental is out at Weber.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Mickey Mental is out at Weber.

Thanks.

Mental went just 13-20 in not quite 3 seasons in Ogden, a big drop from Weber's success under predecessor Jay Hill. Longtime assistant Brent Myers will be the interim coach.

https://weberstatesports.com/news/2025/ ... hip-change

[Mvemjsunpx]

I guess there was a limit as to how many games Barnum could lose. He went 39-75 in 11 seasons with the Viks and didn't have a winning season after his inaugural one.

https://goviks.com/news/2025/11/22/port ... hange.aspx

[Mvemjsunpx]

Boykin went 7-17 in 2 seasons with the Pirates.

https://hamptonpirates.com/news/2025/11 ... tball.aspx

[JALMOND]

I guess there was a limit as to how many games Barnum could lose. He went 39-75 in 11 seasons with the Viks and didn't have a winning season after his inaugural one.

https://goviks.com/news/2025/11/22/port ... hange.aspx

That first season told it all. Burton couldn't coach and Barnum couldn't recruit.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Surprised at this one. This was easily Cal Poly's most competitive team since pre-COVID.

https://gopoly.com/news/2025/11/23/cal- ... leadership

[Mvemjsunpx]

Ray Priore is "stepping down" as the head coach at Penn after 10 seasons as the head coach that followed 28 years as a Quaker assistant. He went 58-42 during his head-coaching stint in Philadelphia with Ivy League titles in his first two seasons.

https://pennathletics.com/news/2025/11/ ... -penn.aspx

[canyoncat]

Surprised at this one. This was easily Cal Poly's most competitive team since pre-COVID.

https://gopoly.com/news/2025/11/23/cal- ... leadership

I don't get this one as well. Wulff is a good coach and had Cal Poly going in the right direction. Maybe not fast enough??

[Gil Dobie]

Tim Polasek has signed a longterm extension to remain at North Dakota State, the program announced Tuesday.

No figures were included in the announcement, but multiple outlets said the deal will keep him under contract through 2033 and comes with additional money for the Bison coaching staff and the program.

[kalm]

Surprised at this one. This was easily Cal Poly's most competitive team since pre-COVID.

https://gopoly.com/news/2025/11/23/cal- ... leadership

I don't get this one as well. Wulff is a good coach and had Cal Poly going in the right direction. Maybe not fast enough??

And he and Baldwin had actually developed a passing game. Tough place to win.

[kalm]

Tim Polasek has signed a longterm extension to remain at North Dakota State, the program announced Tuesday.

No figures were included in the announcement, but multiple outlets said the deal will keep him under contract through 2033 and comes with additional money for the Bison coaching staff and the program.

Assistants salaries are huge.

[bonarae]

Southern U trying to become the fourth HBCU ever (and third in a year) for an ex-NFL star's HC gig.

https://www.wafb.com/2025/11/26/souther ... ead-coach/

[Gil Dobie]

Tim Polasek has signed a longterm extension to remain at North Dakota State, the program announced Tuesday.

No figures were included in the announcement, but multiple outlets said the deal will keep him under contract through 2033 and comes with additional money for the Bison coaching staff and the program.

Assistants salaries are huge.

Some are wondering if this is a sign of a FBS move in the near future.

[UNI88]

Assistants salaries are huge.

Some are wondering if this is a sign of a FBS move in the near future.

[Gil Dobie]

Some are wondering if this is a sign of a FBS move in the near future.

The Mountain West could be adding several teams in the near future with the new Pac conference formation.

[UNI88]

Some are wondering if this is a sign of a FBS move in the near future.

That would be a good home for the bizumbs and I'm guessing bunnies, griz and cats as well.

Would the fawks and yotes be invited? What would the reaction be if they weren't?

[Gil Dobie]

That would be a good home for the bizumbs and I'm guessing bunnies, griz and cats as well.

Would the fawks and yotes be invited? What would the reaction be if they weren't?

SacSt is looking for a FBS conference too, so UCD might want to follow. Not sure if the Fawks want follow again with the hockey expenses. Unsure with the yotes.

[kalm]

That would be a good home for the bizumbs and I'm guessing bunnies, griz and cats as well.

Would the fawks and yotes be invited? What would the reaction be if they weren't?

SacSt is looking for a FBS conference too, so UCD might want to follow. Not sure if the Fawks want follow again with the hockey expenses. Unsure with the yotes.

I wonder if the MW offered NDSU membership in the recent past but they declined? Still scratching my head over Texas State joining.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Like many HBCUs lately, the Southern Jaguars are going the former-NFL-star route by making College & NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk their new head coach. Faulk's only coaching experience, however, was as Colorado's RBs coach under Deion this season.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 557114007/

[Caribbean Hen]

If North Dakota state, South Dakota State, Montana and Montana State move up to FBS the gate will be swinging wide for somebody to step in and take over

Might it be the Ivies ?

The new and improved Patriot league ?

Certainly not the Big Sky especially if Sac St and UC Davis jump ship as well

[SuperHornet]

Like many HBCUs lately, the Southern Jaguars are going the former-NFL-star route by making College & NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk their new head coach. Faulk's only coaching experience, however, was as Colorado's RBs coach under Deion this season.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/n ... 557114007/

I'm REALLY ticked off about this. I've never liked Southern due to the way they always seem to steal games from Grambling. But getting that jerk Faulk is like piling on. I'm still ticked off about that stunt he pulled back in '91 with San Diego State. In a 55-34 rout of UOP (with me in the stands fresh into my first ship, the old USS Halsey (CG-23)), Faulk ran for a then-NCAA record rushing total and 7 bloody touchdowns on my next-to-hometown defense from UOP. Yes, I hold grudges. I still hold a grudge against Jerry Kramer for that messed up quarterback sneak during the Ice Bowl, and that happened before I was born....