When the calendar flips from November to December, the coaching carousel typically begins whirling around college football.

By mid-/late-November, a few programs have moved on from a head coach. The most notable firings this year—along with Michigan State's midseason dismissal of Mel Tucker—included Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher and Indiana's Tom Allen, among other Power Five jobs.

Those openings have led to Oregon State's Jonathan Smith heading to MSU, Duke's Mike Elko returning to A&M and James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti making the P5 leap to IU.

The carousel isn't done spinning, but we're ready to take a breath and highlight some of the best moves so far. These rankings are subjective, but they consider each coach's history, style/system and fit, along with the context of each school's needs.

Honorable Mentions

Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee: Previously the head coach at Vanderbilt, Mason spent the last two seasons as a defensive coordinator at Auburn and Oklahoma State. He'll bring a fresh approach to MTSU, which had offensive-minded Rick Stockstill at the helm for nearly two decades.

Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico: After a superb 11-year run at BYU, Mendenhall headed to Virginia in 2016. He spent six seasons in Charlottesville, helping UVA become a consistent bowl contender. However, he resigned after the 2021 season to take a break and reassess his future. Mendenhall is now tasked with rebuilding a program that hasn't cracked two conference wins or four overall wins since 2016.

Scotty Walden, UTEP: Walden briefly served as the interim head coach at Southern Miss in 2020 before accepting the Austin Peay job. He posted a 26-14 record with the Governors, leading them to a 9-3 record with a conference title and FCS playoffs berth in 2023. On paper, Walden will bring a substantially more dynamic offensive approach to UTEP.

5. Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Good, smart, sensible hire. Mike Elko understands the situation and expectations that he's inheriting at Texas A&M.

But it's all about results from here.

Texas A&M, for better or worse, has championship-level aspirations—especially from outside the program. That's resulted in the program amassing a vast amount of resources (good!) but thin patience—which is also something that led to the non-hire of Kentucky's Mark Stoops, according to Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde.

Elko, who served as A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018-21, is a logical replacement. He elevated what had been an average-at-best defense prior to his arrival and made the Aggies a top-35 unit during each of his last three seasons in College Station. Elko did the same at Duke, turning a disastrous group into a top-45 defense within two years.

Elko is an experienced, productive coach who is respected in Texas and the Southeast, and one year at Notre Dame helps his Midwest ties, too.

But it's all about results now.

4. Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Since leaving his assistant job at Alabama in 2010, Curt Cignetti has been a winner at three different spots.

He tallied a 53-17 mark at Division II program Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2011-16. After that, Cignetti oversaw two FCS playoff berths for Elon. He left for conference foe James Madison in 2019, racking up 52 wins in 61 games with an FCS runner-up, two more semifinal trips and a stellar 19-4 record in JMU's first two FBS seasons.

Indiana sure could use some of that success.

As the Big Ten approaches its nationwide era—Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington join the league in 2024—the Hoosiers are bracing for heightened competition. Cignetti, a well-regarded offensive coach, is worth the risk.

Quick bonus? Cignetti has already endeared himself to IU faithful, shouting the cherished "Purdue sucks" taunt inside Assembly Hall. Oh, and "so does Michigan and Ohio State."

Here for it.

3. Willie Fritz, Houston

Already a Hall of Famer at the junior college level, Willie Fritz finally has a Power Five stop on an impressive journey.

He's also the winningest coach at Division II school Central Missouri, led then-FCS program Sam Houston to two national runner-up finishes, won a Sun Belt title at Georgia Southern and won an AAC crown with Tulane—where he secured an epic Cotton Bowl victory over USC.

And now: Houston.

Fritz brings a run-first mentality to the Cougars, who generally leaned on a pass-focused Air Raid under Dana Holgorsen. Fritz will likely also be more willing to make dramatic scheme adjustments based on personnel, which seemed to hamper the end of Holgo's tenure.

Recruiting at a higher level will be critical for UH's future, but Fritz has a strong reputation in Texas. That's an excellent place to start.

2. Sean Lewis, San Diego State

When you think of recent San Diego State coaches, the common theme is defense. Brady Hoke's strength slanted toward that side of the ball, and Rocky Long helped popularize the 3-3-5 system.

Sean Lewis brings a major change in philosophy.

The former Kent State head coach served as Colorado's offensive coordinator in 2023. A discipline of Dino Babers' coaching tree, he'll immediately spread SDSU to a potentially uncomfortable level.

The Aztecs haven't had a quarterback throw for 3,000 yards since 2013. For comparison, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders—despite having a porous offensive line in front of him—threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns to only three interceptions under Lewis this season.

Lewis is a refreshing hire for SDSU, which has five double-digit wins in the last decade but needs a jolt.

1. Jonathan Smith, Michigan State

Not only did the Big Ten alter Oregon State's future via realignment, but one of its schools swiped the Beavers' coach.

In a different world, perhaps Jonathan Smith does not leave for Michigan State. After all, he's a former Oregon State quarterback who has ignited his alma mater. In the three seasons prior to his arrival, the Beavs mustered a 7-29 record with a 3-24 mark in Pac-12 play.

Smith went 2-10 and 5-7 before a 2-5 record in the shortened 2020 season. Then, the rebuild turned a corner.

Following a 7-6 year in 2021, OSU went 10-3, stunned rival Oregon and only lost to Top 15 opponents. This year, the Beavers slipped to eight wins yet competed well in a stacked Pac-12. Oregon State averaged at least six yards per play in each of those seasons.

Smith's offensive acumen will be a welcomed boost at MSU, which had the nation's lowest-scoring P5 unit in 2023.