College Football Coaching Carousel Should Largely Revolve Around NIL Strategies And Vision

Although the college football season is still in full swing, the coaching carousel is quickly picking up speed. Major programs such as Penn State, LSU, and the University of Florida are in the market for new head football coaches, as are several other FBS programs. Such openings and the hires made to fill them are sure to create ripple effects across the sport.

In any school's search for new leadership, traditional considerations such as recruiting, scheme, and staff will and should continue to carry significant weight. However, with participating universities as of July 1 of this year being permitted to directly pay up to $20.5 million to their student athletes (and many major programs devoting a significant portion of that fund to football players), choosing a coach with a compelling strategy and vision for NIL moving forward will be essential for any school seeking success on this new playing field.

Athletic directors and others playing a part in any coaching search should include NIL-related questions and factors in their consideration of new coaching candidates. As an example, how does any potential new coach plan to approach contract negotiations with their current or perspective student athletes? Are there particular contract terms they will insist on including or excluding from any such contract? To the extent a school and potential coach do not align on such points, determining that during the vetting process will be important. Further, how does the candidate plan to staff their front office? Do they plan to designate a particular staff member to handle NIL negotiations?

Many NFL front offices divide responsibilities within their general manager's office between those responsible for scouting/evaluation and those focused on the salary cap. College programs may consider a set up similar to that moving forward. Either way, a new coach's vision for such questions will dictate how their rosters are built. As any recruiting enthusiast knows, bringing in and keeping elite talent is critical to college football success.

Similarly, schools should also be prepared to address NIL-related questions from coaching candidates as part of their search. One of the most important considerations will be what percentage of the school's revenue sharing cap it plans to allocate to football. Any coach will want to know the payment pool they will have to work with at any university they are considering going to. Further, what is the school's plans or views relating to securing third-party NIL deals for its athletes?

To the extent a school will and can be active in searching for and finding additional compensation sources, it can supplement the funds the coach would otherwise have available to recruit and retain players. As discussed previously, budgets for support staff focused on finding and negotiating with athletes will also be an essential consideration for any coach.

In all, for any university looking for a new football coach this offseason, the landscape has shifted considerably since they made their previous hire. For the first time, college football programs are now directly negotiating and contracting with athletes in much the same way as professional teams. Some schools may have a clear and definitive plan for how they want to handle this new normal that a new coach will need to accept and buy into. Many others will be seeking a plan and vision from their new coach as to how this process will and should work.

Either way, for any major football program seeking a new coaching staff, knowing the right NIL-related questions to ask and topics to broach with potential new coaches will be as pivotal to their future success.

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