The college football coaching carousel starts — and in some cases stops — spinning before the NFL version starts spinning at full speen.
One of the many vacancies in the Power Four conferences has already been filled, by a coach who had already been fired elsewhere.
Via Pete Thamel of ESPN.com, Virginia Tech is [finalizing a deal](https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/46991951/sources-virginia-tech-finalizing-deal-hire-james-franklin) to hire former Penn State coach James Franklin. The move is expected to carve significantly into Franklin’s $49 million Nittany Lions buyout.
It’s unclear whether any current NFL head coaches would have been interested in the position after the current season. It’s possible that backchannels were activated as to one or more potential candidates. It’s possible that other schools with current vacancies are working those same backchannels.
Regardless, the availability of multiple big-time (and potentially big-money) college jobs could have ramifications for the NFL, with current or soon-to-be former head coaches (and perhaps some assistant coaches) eyeballing those opportunities.
The challenge for every NFL franchise and major university when firing the current coach is who will the replacement be? Sometimes, the termination is made with a clear plan in mind. Sometimes, it’s far more important to move on from the person who currently has the job.
Regardless, the NFL’s coaching carousel (which already has created two in-season vacancies), will be cranking up the calliope in less than seven weeks.