Franklin, Bray, and Dilfer — College Football’s Coaching Carousel Heats Up
College football's midseason chaos has reached new heights in 2025. Within the span of days, three programs — Penn State, Oregon State, and UAB — parted ways with their head coaches. Each dismissal came under different circumstances, yet all point to the same harsh truth of modern college football: the expectation to win now is unforgiving.
Penn State Ends the James Franklin Era
After 12 seasons, Penn State fired head coach James Franklin, a move that sent shockwaves through the Big Ten and the national landscape. Franklin delivered consistency, including a Big Ten title in 2016, but his inability to consistently beat Ohio State and Michigan became the defining mark against him.
The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 2 in the preseason, thanks in large part to media hype and playoff expansion optimism. But Franklin's teams repeatedly fell short in marquee matchups. As Ovi Muniz has pointed out before, Penn State was "lucky to be in the playoff picture only because of expansion." The firing triggered immediate fallout, with several high-profile 2027 recruits decommitting, illustrating how quickly stability can unravel once a program makes a leadership change.
Oregon State's Trent Bray Let Go After 0–7 Start
Out west, Oregon State fired alum Trent Bray after the Beavers stumbled to an 0–7 start, their worst opening stretch since 1991. Promoted in 2023 after Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State, Bray finished his OSU tenure with a 5–14 record.
Athletic Director Scott Barnes emphasized that the program needed new direction, calling results "unacceptable." The decision was compounded by earlier staff turnover, including the firing of special teams coach Jamie Christian. Robb Akey, a former Idaho head coach, has stepped in as interim. While Bray's firing comes with a $4+ million buyout covered by donors, the bigger cost is the lost momentum for a program still trying to establish itself in a fractured Pac-12 landscape.
UAB Cuts Ties With Trent Dilfer
In the Group of Five ranks, UAB dismissed Trent Dilfer after a third straight loss dropped the Blazers to 2–4. Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl champion, had been a bold but risky hire — coming straight from high school coaching to the college ranks. Over two-plus seasons, his record stood at 9–21, far from the standard Athletic Director Mark Ingram said UAB expects.
Offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen, son of longtime NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, will take over as interim. For UAB, the move is as much about resetting recruiting and credibility as it is about wins and losses.
The Bigger Picture: Media, Pressure, and the Playoff Era
What unites these stories is the relentless pressure to meet expectations in a sport where perception often outpaces reality. Penn State rode a preseason No. 2 ranking they hadn't earned on the field — fueled by media hype more than results. Oregon State gambled on a program legend but quickly learned that sentiment doesn't equal success. UAB took a flashy swing on an NFL name, only to discover that the college game is an entirely different grind.
The expanded College Football Playoff raises stakes for everyone. More access means more pressure to prove you belong. Programs that once had patience for rebuilding now make midseason changes after a string of losses. Stability is fleeting, and recruiting classes are fragile.
Conclusion
The firings of Franklin, Bray, and Dilfer mark a turning point in this college football season. Each case highlights different flaws — inability to beat rivals, program stagnation, or failed experiments — but the result is the same: a seat on the coaching carousel.
As fans and recruits alike watch the landscape shift, one truth remains constant: in college football, yesterday's promise rarely buys tomorrow's patience.