The 2021 college coaching carousel started early, spun furiously throughout November and early December, and ended with several of the sport's biggest names changing addresses.
Many wonder if the historic cycle of coaching changes will stand out in both volume and drama, or whether it will be a harbinger for future carousels. Several factors suggest the latter is more likely. The money is bigger than ever. Patience with coaches is incredibly thin (largely because the money is bigger than ever). The current climate of roster management, specifically the transfer portal, has accelerated some employment decisions.
Looking ahead to the 2022 carousel, the landscape suggests either a normal-ish cycle or another wild one. There are obvious hot spots, such as Nebraska and Florida State, and others where changes wouldn't come as a huge shock, such as UCLA, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and even Texas. But what made the past cycle so distinctive is the number of schools where no one expected changes, such as Florida, TCU and Washington.
Here's the first look at the coaching hot seat for the 2022 season, broken down by league. Like in previous years, I've listed several coaches who are retirement candidates, even if they face little to no job pressure.
ACC
Hot seat: Mike Norvell, Florida State; Dino Babers, Syracuse; Scott Satterfield, Louisville; Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech
Keep an eye on: Mack Brown, North Carolina