The job of a college football head coach has never been less focused on coaching football. In that sense, assistant coaches and coordinator hires have never been more important.
On Sunday, Michigan fired offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who came to Ann Arbor with coach Kyle Whittingham from Utah. Last season, he coordinated a top-10 offense. This year, he is owed more than $10 million for less than one year of work, believed to 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 second season. The level of patience is going down. With the pressures facing coaching staffs in 2026, bad hires cost a program more than ever.
Here are 10 of the worst coordinator hires of the past five years, including a few that tanked College Football Playoff teams just this season.
Dino Babers, OC | Arizona | 2024
Babers was hailed as a strong hire for first-year coach Brent Brennan. He was coming off 10 years as a head coach, including several solid offenses at Syracuse. Babers was hired to maintain after a historic 10-win season. Instead, his offense completely collapsed.
Arizona went 4-8 in Babers' lone season as offensive coordinator, sandwiched between a 10-win and nine-win season. Quarterback Noah Fifita dropped from 72% to 60% completion, 8.6 to 6.9 yards per attempt and doubled his highest interception mark.
Really, the greatest indictment of Babers' tenure? Watching Fifita's production in every other season of his career.
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Todd Grantham, DC | Oklahoma State | 2025
Before the 2025 season, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told CBS Sports that he essentially couldn't get his top assistant choices. That sure looked to be the case during an unbelievably embarrassing 1-11 campaign, in which Grantham was fired after only four games despite a fully guaranteed three-year contract.
In two games against Power Four teams, Grantham's unit gave up a combined 114 points against No. 6 Oregon and Baylor. The 69-3 loss against Oregon was one of the worst performances in Oklahoma State history, if not the worst. Firing Grantham was one of interim coach Doug Meacham's very first moves.
Alex Grinch, DC | USC | 2022
Grinch actually wasn't a terrible hire at Oklahoma in 2019, taking the defense from terrible to solid after transitioning from Mike Stoops. However, Riley should have noticed the regression and made a change when he took the heralded job at USC.
Instead, Grinch led some of the most stunningly terrible defenses in America with the Trojans. USC ranked No. 119 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 multiple years as run game coordinator with the Tar Heels before Belichick took over.
Instead, Kitchens led a wildly unorganized unit. The Tar Heels started their season by being held to a combined 23 points against UCF and TCU, and it barely got any 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 hard to fully evaluate Littrell, who was a sensational offensive mind at North Carolina and North Texas. The Sooners dealt with major injuries, had a lemon in quarterback Jackson Arnold, and were a disaster on the offensive line -- an issue that persists under the current regime.
But for his seven games in the job, Oklahoma was absolutely horrendous, recording their worst offense through seven games since 1961. A Red River embarrassment was the final straw, losing 34-3 against Texas with a backup quarterback.
Drew Mehringer, OC | Oregon | 2026
Oregon coach Dan Lanning has pressed essentially every right button as a head coach, but elevating Mehringer was a disaster. The former co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach was asked to replace Will Stein, and instead tanked one of the most talented offenses in America.
The Ducks returned almost everyone, and subsequently fell from No. 5 to 49 in FEI offense. They managed to turn 426 yards of offense into 10 points against Illinois in a stunning 21-10 defeat.
Even in the games since Mehringer was fired, the improvements are obvious. Oregon has scored 75 points over the past 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 tried to get the band back together in 2026. That included hiring offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who had not called plays at the college level since 2020 at Auburn.
Naturally, it's led to one of the most disorganized offenses in America. The Tigers rank No. 115 in total offense and No. 127 in yards per play, the fourth-worst Power Four unit in the country. The performance marks a full-yard-per-play regression compared to last year's disappointing unit and puts Swinney on the hottest of 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 absolutely tanked Sellers' stock and nearly got coach Shane Beamer fired.
Sellers, previously regarded as a first-round pick, regressed in every category as Shula tried to turn him into a pocket passer. His efficiency suffered the most, falling from 66% completion to 61%. South Carolina is well on its way to two eight-win seasons in three years -- with a 4-8 under Shula sandwiched in between.
Tony White, DC, Florida State | 2025
What sets White apart on this list is the sheer magnitude of the move at the time. White was a major up-and-comer as a defensive coordinator at Syracuse and Nebraska, leading the Huskers to a top-20 defense in 2024. He signed a contract that averaged $1.6 million over three years.
There were some early returns at Florida State, but they were incredibly short-lived. Florida State fell to No. 122 in total defense in White's second season, as coach Mike Norvell was ultimately fired. In the last three games of Norvell's tenure, they gave up a combined 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 receiver coaches in the country, and enticed stars KC Concepcion and Mario Craver to College Station just last year. But one year into his tenure as playcaller, it's clear that Wiggins is not ready to lead an offense.
The Aggies fell from No. 21 to No. 119 in yards per play despite returning many key contributors, including quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed has been the biggest loser by far of the coordinator switch, regressing from a productive dual-threat into a total liability. Reed is sitting at eight touchdowns to eight interceptions, and Texas A&M is likely headed from the College Football Playoff to missing a bowl game.
The defense hasn't been great either, but Texas A&M's offense is generationally bad.
