College football Year 2 coaching grades: Bill Belichick earns 'B,' Jake Dickert gets 'A+'

Jake Dickert has Wake Forest in the top 15, Bill Belichick is finding his footing at North Carolina, and several others are fighting for bowl bids Oct 29, 2026 at 1:54 pm ET • 6 min read The 2024 coaching cycle was a strange one. Programs were reluctant to pull the trigger on hot-seat coaches, leaving a few big openings waiting for another year. As a result, only five Power Four jobs changed hands. Out of the malaise, there were a few really interesting swings. Jake Dickert at Wake Forest ended up being the hire of the cycle. There were a few interesting hits at the Group of Six level, including New Mexico's Jason Eck emerging as one of the breakout stars of the cycle. On Wednesday, Sam Houston's Phil Longo was the first member of the post-2024 coaching cycle fired. He posted a 3-17 record in less than two seasons, earning one of two Fs on our list. Here's how we grade all 25 second-year college football coaches. Bill Belichick, North CarolinaLike many coaches, Belichick's transition to college football was a rocky one. The staff underestimated the speed and breadth of roster building during their first portal window, ultimately leaving them with a lackluster roster and a disappointing 4-8 season. But since then, Belichick has adjusted. Even with defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi both sidelined with off-field issues, the Tar Heels have built a competitive squad. North Carolina is 4-3, with their two ACC losses coming by a combined nine points. As one of the youngest rosters in the country, even more is possible in 2027. Grade: B Jake Dickert, Wake ForestDickert did a solid job at Washington State, but his hiring at Wake Forest didn't exactly make headlines. Two years into the job, he has established himself as one of the rising stars in college football. At one of the least-resourced programs in the Power Four, Dickert has reached a 15-5 start and a No. 14 ranking in the AP Top 25. The only loss came in a tight game against Miami, while the Demon Deacons have won their last three games by an average of 37.3 points per game. A road trip to No. 19 SMU on Nov. 14 could decide an ACC title game berth. Grade: A+ Scott Frost, UCFLike Belichick, Frost was slow to realize the speed of modern college football during his first portal cycle after returning to college from a stint with the Los Angeles Rams. The Knights nearly reached a bowl game, but lacked the depth to contend against Big 12 opponents. Frost told CBS Sports that he believed the Knights were better "everywhere" in 2026. After a thrilling upset of No. 2 BYU last week, he's absolutely right. Despite facing plenty of injuries, the Knights are jumping all over Big 12 teams, including putting scores in both No. 20 Houston and No. 18 Oklahoma State UCF has five straight games against unranked teams to end the year. Don't be surprised if the Knights push towards eight wins. Grade: B Barry Odom, PurdueOdom took over a miserable situation at Purdue and struggled to find success in Year 1. This year, though, he has the Boilermakers back in contention. Purdue gave Wake Forest a double-overtime scare and played UCLA within 14 points on the road. The former Missouri and UNLV coach has an interesting next few weeks with struggling Penn State and Maryland teams on the docket. They close with conference contenders Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana. If the Boilermakers can find an upset and make a bowl game, it would be a wild success. Grade C+ Rich Rodriguez, West VirginiaYear 1 of the RichRod Era (Part 2) featured an awesome revenge win against Pittsburgh… and not much else. After shuffling the roster a second straight year, Rodriguez has found some serious motion on offense. The Mountaineers boast the Power Four's best rushing offense at more than 261 yards per game and 26 rushing touchdowns. They've been highly competitive in every game and have a few shots to derail Big 12 hopefuls. They need to beat Kansas to make a bowl game, though. His next job? Fix the defense. Grade: B Group of SixThe AmericanTim Albin, Charlotte: Albin was a promising hire following a successful run at Ohio, but his 49ers tenure has been a total disaster with a 2-17 record. Grade: FZach Kittley, FAU: After an up-and-down first season, Kittley has the Owls playing well with a 4-2 start. The hard part of the schedule is coming up, but there's room to rise. Grade: BScott Abell, Rice: Year 1 was promising, reaching a bowl game and upsetting a solid UConn squad. This year, they've lost three one-score games in a 1-6 start. Grade: C+K.C. Keeler, Temple: The Owls struggled to maintain the promise of their first season, including three one-score losses. Grade: C+Tre Lamb, Tulsa: This is one of the toughest jobs in the FBS, and the Golden Hurricanes are competing every week. Reaching a bowl game would be a tremendous step. Grade: B+Conference USAWillie Simmons, FIU: Simmons found immediate success with the Panthers and led the program to its first winning season since 2018. The longtime HBCU coach has been a great fit in Miami. Grade: B+Charles Kelly, Jacksonville State: The Gamecocks took a chance on a longtime assistant coach, and Kelly has delivered consistent success. Jax State is 10-1 in CUSA play and in prime position to contend. Grade: AJerry Mack, Kennesaw State: The Owls haven't been able to restock after losing the core of their conference champion team to the transfer portal -- but Mack led Kennesaw State to a dang conference title. Grade: APhil Longo, Sam Houston: Longo was the first fired member of the 2024 coaching cycle after a miserable 3-17 record in Huntsville. Grade: FMACMike Uremovich, Ball State: The Uremovich era hasn't been much different than the end of the Mike Neu era to this point, with a two-touchdown loss to Kent State standing out as a particular disappointment. Grade: CEddie George, Bowling Green: The Falcons are 6-13 under George, including a disappointing 2-6 start with a loss to FCS Tarleton. Grade: CMatt Drinkall, Central Michigan: Drinkall has maintained the steadiness of the Jim McElwain era, reaching a bowl game in Year 1. There's time to get Year 2 back on track. Grade: BMark Carney, Kent State: Carney first arrived as an interim coach, but quickly turned things around at one of the toughest jobs in the sport. If he can maintain his .500 mark in MAC play, Carney will join Sean Lewis as the only coach in the last 15 years to do so in consecutive seasons. Grade: AJoe Harasymiak, UMass: In Year 2, UMass has emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises in the sport. A three-game MAC losing streak puts a slight damper, but reaching a bowl game would be a huge step. Grade: B+Mountain WestJason Eck, New Mexico: Is it ridiculous to say Eck has done the best coaching job in America over the past two years? He's 15-5 in two seasons with one of the best defenses in college football. Eck is a rising superstar. Grade: A+Dan Mullen, UNLV: Mullen was hired to continue the momentum of the Barry Odom era, and has mostly done so. His real test comes against New Mexico on Nov. 14. Grade: BPac-12Matt Entz, Fresno State: The Bulldogs are back to competing at a conference championship level under Entz, recording a 13-7 mark in two seasons. One-score losses to Boise State and San Diego State will keep them out of the title game, but Entz has a bright future. Grade: B+Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State: Mendenhall's fourth coaching job has been his most lackluster. He did reach a bowl game last season, but the Aggies are now 2-5 and near the bottom of the Pac-12. Grade: CSun BeltDowell Loggains, Appalachian State: After a lackluster first season, the Mountaineers moved to 5-2 following a stunning overtime upset against James Madison. Win out and the Loggains era will finally have legs. Grade: BTony Gibson, Marshall: Following Charles Huff wasn't easy, but there hasn't been much to write home about yet in Huntington. Grade: C