The job of a college football head coach has never been more focused on coaching the game. In this sense, hiring assistant coaches and coordinators has never been more important.
Sunday, Michigan fired offensive coordinator Jason Beckcame to Ann Arbor with coach Kyle Whittingham from Utah. Last season, he coordinated a top-10 offense. This year, he’s owed more than $10 million for less than a year on the job, which would be the largest buyout ever for an assistant coach.
However, Michigan is not alone. Oregon also fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer in his first season. Oklahoma canned Ben Arbuckle midway through his sophomore season. The level of patience decreases. With the pressures facing coaching staffs in 2026, bad hires will cost a program more than ever.
Here are 10 of the worst coordinator hires over the past five years, including a few that have dominated College Football Playoff teams this season.
Dino Babers, OC | Arizona | 2024
Babers was hailed as a solid hire for first-year coach Brent Brennan. He had just completed 10 years as head coach, including several solid offenses at Syracuse. Babers was hired to maintain after a historic 10-win season. Instead, his attack completely collapsed.
Arizona went 4-8 in Babers’ only season as offensive coordinator, sandwiched between a 10- and nine-win season. Quarterback Noah Fifita went from 72% to 60% completion, from 8.6 to 6.9 yards per attempt and doubled his career-high interception mark.
Really, the greatest indictment of Babers’ tenure? Watch Fifita’s production in all other seasons of her career.
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Todd Grantham, D.C. | Oklahoma State | 2025
Ahead of the 2025 season, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told CBS Sports that he essentially can’t get his top assistant picks. That certainly seemed to be the case during an incredibly embarrassing 1-11 campaign, in which Grantham was fired after just four games despite having a fully guaranteed three-year contract.
In two games against Power Four teams, Grantham’s unit has given up a total of 114 points against Oregon and No. 6 Baylor. The 69-3 loss to Oregon was one of, if not the worst performances in Oklahoma State history. Grantham’s firing was one of interim coach Doug Meacham’s first moves.
Alex Grinch, DC | USC | 2022
Grinch actually wasn’t a bad hire at Oklahoma in 2019, taking the defense from terrible to solid after the transition from Mike Stoops. However, Riley should have noticed the regression and made a change when he accepted the advertised position at USC.
Instead, Grinch led some of America’s most terrible defenses with the Trojans. USC ranked 119th in total defense, allowing 432.8 yards per game. They allowed 6.3 yards per play against Power Four competition before Riley finally pulled the plug.
Freddie Kitchens, OC | North Carolina | 2025
Kitchens seemed like a no-brainer for Bill Belichick at North Carolina. The former Cleveland Browns head coach called plays at the NFL level and spent several years as game coordinator with the Tar Heels before Belichick took over.
Instead, the kitchens ran an extremely disorganized unit. The Tar Heels started their season being held to a combined 23 points against UCF and TCU, and it hasn’t gotten much better. UNC went 2-1 in games where they scored at least 20 points. They just…only scored 20 points against three Power Four opponents.
Seth Littrell, OC | Oklahoma | 2024
It’s difficult to fully evaluate Littrell, who was a sensational offensive mind at North Carolina and North Texas. The Sooners suffered major injuries, had a lemon in quarterback Jackson Arnold and were a disaster on the offensive line – a problem that persists under the current regime.
But for his seven games at the position, Oklahoma was absolutely horrible, recording its worst offense in seven games since 1961. An embarrassment at Red River was the final straw, losing 34-3 to Texas with a backup quarterback.
Drew Mehringer, OC | Oregon | 2026
Oregon coach Dan Lanning has pushed virtually all the right buttons as head coach, but raising Mehringer has been a disaster. The former co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach was brought in to replace Will Stein and instead managed one of the most talented offenses in America.
The Ducks fired almost everyone and subsequently fell from No. 5 to 49th in FEI offense. They managed to turn 426 yards of offense into 10 points against Illinois in a stunning 21-10 loss.
Even in games since Mehringer’s firing, the improvements are evident. Oregon has scored 75 points in the last two games against ranked opponents, including a 41-28 win over No. 12 Ohio State.
Chad Morris, OC | Clemson | 2026
Like so many times before, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney attempted to put the group together in 2026. That included hiring offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who hadn’t called plays at the college level since 2020 at Auburn.
Naturally, this led to one of the most disorganized offenses in America. The Tigers rank 115th in total offense and 127th in yards per play, the fourth-worst Power Four unit in the country. The performance marks a regression of one yard per play from last year’s disappointing unit and puts Swinney in the hottest seats.
Mike Shula, OC, South Carolina | 2025
The former Alabama head coach and NFL offensive coordinator was brought to South Carolina in hopes of helping quarterback LaNorris Sellers take the next step. Instead, Shula completely destroyed Sellers’ stock and nearly got coach Shane Beamer fired.
Sellers, previously considered a first-round pick, regressed across the board as Shula tried to turn him into a pocket passer. It was his efficiency that suffered the most, dropping from 66% completion to 61%. South Carolina is on track for two eight-win seasons in three years — with a 4-8 mark under Shula in between.
Tony White, DC, Florida State | 2025
What sets White apart on this list is the scale of the movement at the time. White was a promising player as defensive coordinator at Syracuse and Nebraska, leading the Huskers to a top-20 defense in 2024. He signed a contract worth an average of $1.6 million over three years.
There were some early returns to Florida State, but they were incredibly short-lived. Florida State fell to 122nd in total defense in White’s second season as coach Mike Norvell was eventually fired. Over the last three games of Norvell’s tenure, they have conceded a total of 113 points.
When Rick Stockstill was named interim coach, he quickly fired White.
Holman Wiggins, OC | Texas A&M | 2026
Wiggins has been one of the most respected wide receivers coaches in the country and lured stars KC Concepcion and Mario Craver to College Station last year. But a year into his tenure as point guard, it’s clear Wiggins isn’t ready to run the offense.
The Aggies fell from No. 21 to No. 119 in yards per play despite the return of many key contributors, including quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed was by far the biggest loser of the coordinator change, going from a productive dual threat to a total liability. Reed sits at eight touchdowns to eight interceptions, and Texas A&M is likely headed to the College Football Playoff to miss a bowl game.
The defense hasn’t been great either, but Texas A&M’s offense is generationally bad.
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