playAdam RittenbergOct 21, 2026, 06:19 AM ETCloseCollege football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsNot long ago, a coach’s first season at a major college program would kick off amid measured expectations, with the focus on laying the groundwork for the future.Those days are over. As Curt Cignetti showed at Indiana in 2024, first-year coaches can change everything about a program. The Hoosiers made the CFP in Cignetti’s first season, won the national championship in his second and have not looked back.An active coaching cycle in late 2025 placed a brighter and wider spotlight on the first-year bosses around the sport, taking over at programs such as LSU, Michigan, Penn State, Florida, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Utah and UCLA.
The first half of the season has brought bumps for several high-profile new coaches — Michigan’s Kyle Whittingham and Penn State’s Matt Campbell faced each other last week, both searching for their first Big Ten win — while their replacements (Utah’s Morgan Scalley and Iowa State’s Jimmy Rogers) have held up nicely.The biggest first-year splashes have come in somewhat surprising spots like UCLA and Kentucky, which recorded historic wins in the first half and remain in the playoff discussion. Some first-year coaches have ridden the wave of emotion, like LSU’s Lane Kiffin and Florida’s Jon Sumrall, while the two new coaches in the Bay Area, Cal’s Tosh Lupoi and Stanford’s Tavita Pritchard, have taken their lumps so far in Year 1.As teams reach the halfway point, let’s evaluate how all the first-year coaches are performing in the Power 4.Bob Chesney, UCLA Bruins (6-0)What has gone right: Just about everything. Chesney conquered the offseason, convincing just about anyone that things would be different in Westwood. Then, he delivered on the field.
The Bruins have won with offense, scoring a combined 151 points in wins against Cal, Purdue and Maryland. They have leaned on their defense to fluster Oregon, collecting seven takeaways in UCLA’s first win at Autzen Stadium since 2004, and holding Wisconsin to seven points and 66 passing yards last week. Running back Wayne Knight and other players who followed Chesney from James Madison to UCLA have hit, as have other Bruins transfers such as linebacker Sammy Omosigho (Oklahoma) and safety Ta’Shawn James (Iowa State).What’s not working yet: The Bruins have been occasionally vulnerable against the pass, allowing 425 yards and three touchdowns to Purdue before tightening up in recent weeks. UCLA is third nationally in turnover margin (plus-1.67 per game) but has seen an uptick in its giveaways, committing seven in the past two weeks.
The team also must overcome the season-ending injury to starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava and continue to build out reliable options in the passing game for backup Ty Dieffenbach.Midseason review: UCLA has waited decades for a coach like Chesney, a natural in the L.A. media spotlight who has quickly reshaped the culture around the program. The Bruins’ belief has shown up repeatedly, as they are winning games in different ways, relying on every part of their roster and continuing to buy into Chesney and his messaging. The Iamaleava injury is a significant blow and the Bruins will need some things to go their way down the stretch to continue the success, but things have certainly shifted for the better in Westwood.Morgan Scalley, Utah Utes (6-0)What has gone right: The Utes lost notable players and assistant coaches to Michigan when Kyle Whittingham left but haven’t flinched. A top-5 offense in 2025 has a different coordinator and a brand-new starting line but ranks No. 8 nationally in scoring (40.2 PPG), No. 18 in rushing (220.2 YPG) and No. 16 in yards per play (6.8).
Devon Dampier and Wayshawn Parker form one of the nation’s top offensive backfields, and wide receiver transfer Braden Pegan has been a strong addition. Utah ranks No. 12 nationally both in points allowed (14.8) and rushing yards allowed (88.7 YPG). The Utes also have come out fast, outscoring its opponents 75-3 in the first quarter.What’s not working yet: There’s not much to nitpick about the first half of Scalley’s first season as head coach, but last week’s narrow win against Colorado generated some potential red flags. Utah had three consecutive drives go inside Colorado 10-yard line but none reached the end zone, as the Utes kicked two field goals and Dampier threw one of his two interceptions.
The Utes’ defensive pressure numbers aren’t spectacular, and they’re converting only half of their fourth-down attempts. Utah ranks 75th nationally against the pass (214.5 YPG).Midseason review: Scalley didn’t face as many hurdles as other first-year coaches, having spent his entire career at Utah and preparing for years to lead the program. But his choices on the offensive staff are paying off, as coordinator Kevin McGiven is clicking with Dampier and backup Byrd Ficklin, and line coach Jordan Gross has a revamped group performing well. The defense has some room to grow, especially with the competition level getting much tougher, beginning this week with No. 14 Houston and with remaining games against No. 2 BYU and No. 25 Arizona.Will Stein, Kentucky Wildcats (6-1)What has gone right: Stein has translated the strong offseason vibes into immediate success, as Kentucky already has three SEC road wins and is tied with Georgia for the league lead at 4-1.
His go-for-the-win decisions against both South Carolina and LSU are exactly what first-year coaches are supposed to do, and he hit on both. Kentucky is winning with key portal additions such as quarterback Kenny Minchey (Notre Dame), running back CJ Baxter (Texas) and offensive tackle Lance Heard (Tennessee), holdovers such as running back Jason Patterson and freshmen like wide receiver Kenny Darby. The offensive line is on the upswing again, and UK’s defense rose up in last week’s 21-13 win at Oklahoma.What’s not working yet: The defense has been takeaway-reliant, tying for third nationally with 16 in seven games. But Kentucky has been vulnerable when not creating turnovers, especially against the pass, where it ranks 116th nationally in yards allowed (249.7 YPG).
The Wildcats really struggle to get off the field on third down, ranking 130th in the FBS (47.1%), and their third-down offense also has been bad, ranking 136th (29.1%). Kentucky’s winning ways might be tough to sustain if the team doesn’t improve on the money downs.Midseason review: At SEC media day, Stein said that he would be the reason big wins would come to Kentucky, and he has backed up the bluster in the first half. The 37-year-old Stein is young, innovative and genuinely excited about leading the program he grew up rooting for. Kentucky has shown no fear in its SEC games and will pose challenges down the stretch, especially if it can continue making strides defensively.
In a taxing league where several teams have flopped on the road, Kentucky has wins against Texas A&M, South Carolina and Oklahoma. Stein’s confidence is permeating through the program in Year 1.Pete Golding, Ole Miss Rebels (5-1)What has gone right: The Rebels haven’t backslid with Golding as their coach, especially on offense, where quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is completing 67.6% of his passes with multiple touchdown strikes in all but one game. Ole Miss handled the circus of former coach Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford and came out on top, averaging 5.8 yards per play against a talented LSU defense. The Rebels also are seeing strides with their own defense, holding Missouri to three points last week and limiting Jamal Roberts to 39 net yards on 20 carries.
Ole Miss ranks No. 13 nationally in passing offense (290.7 YPG), and leads the nation in red zone touchdown percentage, crossing the goal line on 21 of 24 trips.What’s not working yet: The offense isn’t as explosive, dropping from No. 3 nationally in explosive plays last season (1
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