The college football coaching carousel is constantly in motion, and the 2024 cycle was no exception. This offseason gave us a whopping 30 coaching changes, including 13 inside the Power Four conferences.

Earlier in the season, we did a stock watch for all the first-year head coaches in the country. As the season is winding down, it's time to check in and see how these coaches are doing in their respective first seasons.

We'll include 2025 recruiting-class snapshots for the power conferences.

Note: Northwestern's David Braun is excluded since he coached the entire 2023 season as interim HC before being made permanent for 2024.

AAC, C-USA and MAC

AAC

Jon Sumrall, Tulane

Stock: Up

The Green Wave had a pair of tricky non-conference opponents, going on the road to play Kansas State and Oklahoma, and they started the season 1-2.

But Tulane has had a great first season under Sumrall, sitting at 9-2 with a regular-season game left against Memphis. And with the Green Wave's 35-0 shutout victory over Navy on Saturday, Tulane will play in the AAC title game, presumably against undefeated Army. That puts the Green Wave back in the AAC title game for a third straight season, so Sumrall's tenure is off to a flying start.

C-USA

Scotty Walden, UTEP

Stock: Down

Scotty Walden found success at his former stop, Austin Peay, going 26-14 over four seasons. But it looks like it'll take Walden time to build in El Paso. The Miners are 2-8 on the season and could easily finish 2-10 with remaining games against No. 7 Tennessee and New Mexico State.

It'll be a third straight losing season for the Miners in Walden's first season.

Tony Sanchez, New Mexico State

Stock: Down

Speaking of New Mexico State, the Aggies won't make a bowl game for the first time in two seasons. Former NMSU receivers coach Tony Sanchez, who took over for Jerry Kill after he stepped down for health reasons, is 2-8.

New Mexico State's lone wins on the season came against Southeast Missouri and Louisiana Tech. ESPN's FPI has the Aggies as underdogs in both of its remaining games against Middle Tennessee and UTEP.

Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee

Stock: Down

Former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason has made a return to the state of Tennessee as the head coach of the Blue Raiders. MTSU is having a rough year, sitting at 3-7.

The Blue Raiders defense is also ranked 116th in the country, allowing 34 points per game. It might take some time for Mason's defense—as well as the MTSU program overall—to improve.

MAC

Pete Lembo, Buffalo

Stock: Up

Despite a 38-0 loss to Missouri in Week 2, Pete Lembo has the Buffalo Bulls in great shape. Buffalo is 6-4 and will make a bowl game for the first time in two seasons. Lembo's signature win came in an upset over Northern Illinois earlier in the season. Although the Huskies were 12.5-point home favorites and coming off of an upset victory over Notre Dame, Buffalo took NIU to overtime and won 23-20.

Buffalo won't make the MAC title game, but the Bulls could finish with an eight-win regular season with remaining games against Eastern Michigan and Kent State. That would give the Bulls their best finish since getting 10 wins under Lance Leipold in 2018.

Mountain West

Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State

Stock: Steady

Ken Niumatalolo's stock was up earlier in the season, as SJSU was 3-1 and tied for first in the Mountain West through the first four weeks. But with losses to Colorado State, Fresno State, and Boise State and sitting at 6-4, we'll put Niumatatolo's stock at steady for Year 1.

The Spartans also have a stud at receiver in Nick Nash, who will likely be a Biletnikoff finalist this season. Nash is currently leading the nation in receiving yards, accounting for 1,282 yards and an FBS-leading 14 touchdowns on the season.

Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico

Stock: Steady

Bronco Mendenhall's stock in the earlier edition of this piece was down, but we'll go with steady for now. Despite starting 0-4 on the season, the Lobos have won five out of their last seven games.

If New Mexico can win at Hawai'i at the end of the regular season, the Lobos will be bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. If Mendenhall can do that, it'll represent a solid start for him at New Mexico.

Jay Sawvell, Wyoming

Stock: Down

Replacing a legendary head coach like Craig Bohl, who retired last year after 10 seasons with the Cowboys, can't be easy. Things definitely haven't been smooth for Sawvell, whose team is 2-8 on the season. It seems likely the Cowboys will finish 2-10, as Wyoming has remaining games against No. 12 Boise State and at No. 25 Washington State.

Jeff Choate, Nevada

Stock: Down

Jeff Choate had success at the FCS level before arriving at Nevada. He led Montana State to consecutive playoff appearances in 2018-19 and then was on Steve Sarkisian's defensive staff at Texas from 2021-23.

But it looks like building the program Choate wants will take a bit of time, as Nevada is just 3-8 on the season. The Wolfpack has remaining games against Air Force and UNLV.

Spencer Danielson, Boise State

Stock: Up

The Broncos entered 2024 as a playoff contender, and Boise State is still very much in the playoff hunt. Despite losing 36-34 to Oregon earlier this season, Boise State hasn't lost since and is on track to make it to the Mountain West title game. A win there would give Boise State a playoff bid as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions.

Oh, and having a Heisman candidate on your team certainly helps. Running back Ashton Jeanty leads the nation with 1,893 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. During Boise State's 42-21 win over San Jose State, Jeanty set a new single-season school record for rushing yards.

Sean Lewis, San Diego State

Stock: Down

The Aztecs have had to play a pretty tough schedule, drawing Oregon State, Cal, Central Michigan and Washington State. So it's not too surprising that the Aztecs are just 3-7 with remaining games against Utah State and Air Force to close out the regular season. SDSU will miss a bowl game for a second straight season.

Sun Belt

Bryant Vincent, UL Monroe

Stock: Steady

Louisiana-Monroe is a tough place to win. In fact, the Warhawks have had a losing season during each of the last five years.

But new head coach Bryant Vincent has UL-Monroe in a good spot at 5-5. The Warhawks have two games left against Arkansas State and Louisiana. If UL-Monroe can snap its four-game losing streak and win one of those, the Warhawks have a chance to go to a bowl game for the first time since 2012.

Bob Chesney, James Madison

Stock: Up

Bob Chesney's start at JMU deserves a high stock, thanks to the Dukes' upset win at North Carolina earlier in the season. Since then, James Madison is 8-2, with losses coming against UL-Monroe and Georgia Southern. JMU is tied with the Eagles at second in the Sun Belt East division. So if Georgia Southern stumbles late in the season, the Dukes could have a chance to make it to the Sun Belt title game.

Gerad Parker, Troy

Stock: Down

The Trojans will miss a bowl game for the first time in two seasons, sitting at 3-7 on the year. If Troy can't win its last two games against Louisiana and Southern Miss, it'll be the worst season at Troy since finishing 4-8 in 2015.

Dell McGee, Georgia State

Stock: Down

Dell McGee's stock was actually up earlier in the season, as the Panthers started off 2-1 with a loss to Georgia Tech in Week 1.

Since then, though, Georgia State has had a rough go of it. In fact, since that 2-1 start, the Panthers have lost their last seven straight games. It's not like the games aren't competitive, however. In fact, four of those games were one-score losses.

We'll see if McGee can improve in Year 2.

Major Applewhite, South Alabama

Stock: Steady

Major Applewhite is coaching his first season at South Alabama, but he's been a head coach before. He previously was the head coach at Houston from 2016-18, where he went 15-11 with three straight bowl losses.

So far at South Alabama, Applewhite's first season has been a bit of a mixed bag. After starting 2-2, the Jaguars dropped their next two games against LSU and Arkansas State. They have won three out of their last four, however, losing a close 34-30 contest to Georgia State earlier this month. If South Alabama can get a win over Southern Miss or Texas State, Applewhite will lead the Jaguars to a third straight bowl game.

ACC

Bill O'Brien, Boston College

Stock: Steady

Boston College had a hot start to the season, but the Eagles have cooled off over time. Bill O'Brien upset then-No. 10 Florida State 28-13, spoiling the Noles' home opener in Week 1, then hung tough with Missouri on the road, losing by six.

But Boston College has lost four out of its last five games and is sitting at 5-5 on the season. The Eagles' last two games come against UNC and Pitt. A win in one of those would give BC back-to-back bowl game appearances.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 49th overall, 12th in the ACC

Fran Brown, Syracuse

Stock: Up

Syracuse is having a pretty solid year under Fran Brown. Brown, a New Jersey native, was Georgia's defensive backs coach from 2022-23, and he's known as a great recruiter. He went viral last week when he told reporters he doesn't shower after a loss because "he doesn't deserve soap."

He also has the Orange at 7-3 so far this season, with remaining games against UConn and Miami. If Syracuse reaches eight or more wins, it'll give the Orange their best season since 2018.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 35th overall, sixth in the ACC

Manny Diaz, Duke

Stock: Up

Manny Diaz's return as a head coach got off to a great 4-0 start. The Blue Devils haven't exactly slowed down since then, sitting at 7-3 with two games left. Duke's three losses came against Georgia Tech, SMU and Miami—the latter two teams are sitting atop the ACC standings.

Although the defense has dropped off a bit from the start of the season, giving up 22 points per game, eight or nine wins will be a great year for Diaz.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 31st overall, fifth in the ACC and includes 4-stars like edge rushers Bryce Davis and Bariate Kara and tight end Bradley Gompers.

Big Ten, Part 1

Deshaun Foster, UCLA

Stock: Down

UCLA hasn't had the best first season under Deshaun Foster. The Bruins opened the season 1-5 with five straight losses to Indiana, LSU, Oregon, Penn State and Minnesota. But the Bruins rebounded with three straight wins before falling 31-19 at Washington. The Bruins could potentially miss out on a bowl game for the first time in two seasons.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 34th overall, 11th in the Big Ten. Includes 4-star QB Madden Iamaleava (yes, the younger brother of Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava) and edge-rusher Epi Sitanilei.

Sherrone Moore, Michigan

Stock: Steady

Sitting at 5-5 one season removed from winning a national title isn't terrible for Michigan under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore. Not to mention three of those losses came against current playoff teams in Texas, Oregon and Indiana. The Wolverines can also throw a major wrench in Ohio State's plans with an upset over the Buckeyes at the end of this month.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 11th overall, third in the Big Ten. Includes 5-star OT Andrew Babalola, 4-star cornerback Ivan Taylor.

Jedd Fisch, Washington

Stock: Steady

Washington's season has been a bit up and down, but already reaching six wins isn't too shabby. This Husky team has been wildly inconsistent though, beating teams like Michigan and USC but losing to the likes of Rutgers and Iowa. It looks like Fisch has found something in quarterback Demond Williams Jr. The true freshman led three second-half scoring drives on Friday night to help Washington beat UCLA 31-19. We'll see if the Huskies can give Oregon a scare to close out the regular season on Nov. 30.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 22nd overall, seventh in the Big Ten. Includes six 4-star prospects, including Washington's No. 1 overall ranked recruit in linebacker Zaydrius Rainey-Sale.

The Big Ten, Part 2

Jonathan Smith, Michigan State

Stock: Down

Despite starting the season 3-1, Sparty has fallen to 4-6 on the season. Granted, MSU's schedule has been particularly tough, featuring games against Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and Indiana. The Spartans have the opportunity to close out with wins over Purdue and Rutgers.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 57th overall, 16th in the Big Ten. Includes 4-star OL Derrick Simmons.

Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Stock: Up

Indiana fans are having an absolute dream season under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti. After having just three winning seasons in the past two decades, Cignetti has led the Hoosiers to 10-0 for the first time in program history. The Hoosiers are also still in the mix for a playoff bid and a Big Ten title, and they're ranked fifth in the country.

Over the weekend, Indiana announced Cignetti received a new contract, paying him $8 million a year. The biggest test for Indiana comes next week when it goes on the road to play No. 2 Ohio State.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: 40th overall, 13th in the Big Ten including a 4-star safety Byron Baldwin.

Pac-12, Big 12

Trent Bray, Oregon State

Stock: Down

I put Trent Bray's stock as steady at the beginning of the season, thanks to the Beavers' 3-1 start. But since then, Oregon State has massively regressed, losing five straight games to now stand at 4-6. With remaining games against No. 18 Washington State and No. 12 Boise State, the Beavers will likely miss a bowl game for the first time in three seasons.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: 70th overall, second in the Pac-12 behind Washington State.

Big 12

Willie Fritz, Houston

Stock: Down

Willie Fritz arrived at Houston with some high expectations thanks to how successful he was at Tulane. But unfortunately for the Cougars, it looks like it'll take some time for Fritz to build this program.

Houston is currently 4-6 with remaining games against Baylor and No. 14 BYU left. It looks like the Cougars will miss out on a bowl game for a second straight season.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: 43rd overall, sixth in the Big 12. Includes two 4-star commits in offensive tackle Demetris Dean and defensive lineman Travis Buhake.

Brent Brennan, Arizona

Stock: Down

The Wildcats have fallen off pretty far following the 10-3 season they enjoyed a year ago. With games remaining against TCU and Arizona State, the Wildcats are 4-6 on the season. Arizona has lost five out of its last six games, snapping the five-game losing streak against Houston on Friday night.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 48th overall, seventh in the Big 12. Includes zero 4-star commitments currently.

SEC

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

Stock: Up

It's been a roller-coaster of a season for Alabama fans under first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer. The season looked Alabama-as-usual through the first four weeks, including the Tide's 41-34 win over Georgia. But just a week later, Alabama fell to unranked Vanderbilt on the road, marking the first time the Tide lost to Vandy since 1984. Following Alabama's 24-17 loss to Tennessee, it felt like the sky was falling in Tuscaloosa.

But how quickly things have changed. Following a 34-0 win over Missouri and a 42-13 win over LSU, Alabama is back in the playoff hunt, currently sitting at 10th in the country. If the Tide makes a playoff, it's a great start for DeBoer, despite an up-and-down year.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked fourth nationally, and third in the SEC. Includes four 5-star prospects, including quarterback Keelon Russell, offensive tackle Ty Haywood, interior lineman Michael Carroll and cornerback Dijon Lee.

Mike Elko, Texas A&M

Stock: Up

Although the Aggies list to Notre Dame at home in Week 1 and got crushed by South Carolina 44-20 two weeks ago, they're still alive in the races for both the SEC title game and College Football Playoff. The Aggies are tied atop the standings with Texas, which will play at College Station during Rivalry Week. It's a great first season for Elko and Co. so far.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: 10th nationally, seventh in the SEC. Features 17 4-star prospects.

Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State

Stock: Down

It's been a lost season for Mississippi State, to say the least. After winning Week 1 against Eastern Kentucky, the Bulldogs have lost eight of their last nine games, falling to 2-8 on the year. With remaining games against No. 23 Missouri and at No. 11 Ole Miss, it looks like this will be the worst season in Starkville since the Bulldogs finished 3-9 in 2006.

2025 recruiting class snapshot: Ranked 29th overall, 13th in the SEC including four 4-stars.