HERO Sports Updates Tracker Highlighting Massive FCS Coaching Turnover

HERO Sports updated its FCS head-coaching tracker in a Feb. 17 site update to Sam Herder’s Feb. 6 piece, cataloging hires, departures and interim situations as programs set rosters and staff for the 2026 season. Herder’s tracker notes that last offseason produced 23 FCS head-coaching changes, down from 30 in 2024 and 28 in 2023, underscoring persistent churn across the subdivision.

Midseason snapshots capture the scale. An Opta Analyst / FCS Football Facebook post on Dec. 14, 2025 stated, “Fifteen FCS programs have had a head coaching opening to date, with eight new hires,” a mid-December tally that preceded the wave of late-December appointments captured in TheAnalyst dispatches.

Individual program movement tracked by HERO Sports and TheAnalyst illustrates staff reshuffles and upward mobility. Portland State listed Bruce Barnum as having been “Relieved of his coaching duties” on 11/22, and HeroSports lists Chris Fisk as Portland State’s new hire; TheAnalyst gives Fisk a Dec. 12 hire date and a Central Washington record of 48-22 from 2019-25 with at least a share of three conference titles. Hampton’s Trent Boykin departed on 11/23 in what HeroSports described as a “Leadership change,” with Van Malone (Kansas State DBs/assistant HC) listed as the new hire. Cal Poly’s Paul Wulff left on 11/23 in a “Change in leadership,” and HeroSports lists Tim Skipper, identified as a UCLA interim HC, as Cal Poly’s replacement. Penn noted Ryan Priore “Stepping down from his position” on 11/24, with HeroSports listing Rick Santos, New Hampshire’s head coach, as the incoming coach.

Sacramento State illustrates how rapid movement can create conflicting reports. Brennan Marion left Sac State on 12/4 to “Accepted the Colorado OC position,” and TheAnalyst records Marion’s 5-7 2025 season before the move. HeroSports lists Alonzo Carter (Arizona RBs/assistant HC) as Sac State’s new hire, while TheAnalyst reports Ashley Ingram was hired Dec. 30 after going 16-6 in two seasons at Division II Carson-Newman. The conflict between an Alonzo Carter listing and an Ashley Ingram listing requires verification with Sac State’s athletic department; TheAnalyst also notes Sacramento State’s Big Sky roots and transition to FBS in 2026.

Weber State and the UAC-Pioneer carousel further spotlight turnover and upward movement. TheAnalyst lists Mickey Mental’s Nov. 10 departure from Weber State after a 3-7 2025 campaign and 13-20 record across three seasons, and it records Eric Kjar’s Dec. 16 hire from Utah high school ranks with a 112-10 record and six state championships at Corner Canyon and a 69-29 record at Jordan High. In the United Athletic Conference, Joel Taylor left West Georgia on Dec. 11 after an 8-3 2025 season and 12-10 across two seasons to take Mercer, and Steve Englehart departed Presbyterian on Dec. 17 after a 10-2 2025 season and 21-25 overall to become West Georgia’s coach; Presbyterian then hired Matt Rahl on Dec. 29, noting Rahl’s 2024-25 stint as Presbyterian’s offensive line coach and 24 years as an assistant.

Beyond FCS walls, CollegeFootballPoll captured FCS-to-FBS movement that reshapes the coaching market: Jason Eck’s move from Idaho to New Mexico was announced Dec. 14, with Eck credited with a 10-4 2024 season and a 26-13 record in three seasons at Idaho, while CollegeFootballPoll also reported Bronco Mendenhall leaving New Mexico to become Utah State’s coach on Dec. 6. ESPN excerpts point to coordinator hires with FCS roots, naming Travis Johansen moving to Rutgers and other staff upward mobility that feeds FBS staffing cycles.

The tracker update, the Dec. 14 Opta snapshot, and TheAnalyst’s hiring and record details together map a busy off season. Key verification items remain on the reporter’s list: Sacramento State’s official hire, Portland State’s Fisk hire date, the Bucknell header that lacks details in HeroSports, and example entries like Tom Perkovich that appear without context. Confirming those school releases will finalize the running list that Herder pledged to “track the head coaching changes heading into the 2026 season below.”