Welcome back to Split Zone Duo RELAUNCH WEEK 2026. This week only (through Sunday), you can become a paid subscriber and take 30% off your first year of an annual subscription at this link. This episode is free for everyone, and if you like it, we’ve got more like it behind the paywall.
Alex and Richard conduct the second annual Coach Firing/Retirement/Departure Confidence Draft, assigning point values to 27 FBS coaches based on how likely they are to leave their jobs after the 2026 season, either because they got fired or retired. (Poachings are not included.) Last year, Alex scored a narrow victory thanks to his bold and successful pick of Kyle Whittingham to be out at Utah after the season. Can Richard fight back?
The board runs in order of tenure, from Kirk Ferentz’s 28th year at Iowa to Bill Belichick’s second at North Carolina, and produces wide gaps on Joe Moorhead, Mike Norvell, Luke Fickell, and the exact meaning of a Lincoln Riley departure. In this episode, we cover these coaches in order:
• 5:23: Kirk Ferentz at Iowa
• 6:21: Troy Calhoun at Air Force
• 7:54: Dabo Swinney at Clemson
• 9:39: Dave Doeren at NC State
• 11:01: Pat Narduzzi at Pitt
• 12:15: Mike Locksley at Maryland
• 14:27: Mike Norvell at Florida State
• 15:32: Ricky Rahne at Old Dominion
• 16:11: Shane Beamer at South Carolina
• 18:12: Steve Sarkisian at Texas
• 20:34: Sonny Cumbie at Louisiana Tech
• 21:50: Joe Moorhead at Akron
• 23:49: Timmy Chang at Hawaii
• 24:39: Tony Elliott at Virginia
• 27:01: Lincoln Riley at USC
• 29:04: Sonny Dykes at TCU
• 30:35: Brent Venables at Oklahoma
• 31:53: Deion Sanders at Colorado
• 33:43: Luke Fickell at Wisconsin
• 34:40: Jamey Chadwell at Liberty
• 35:35: Matt Rhule at Nebraska
• 37:05: Bill O’Brien at Boston College
• 38:41: Kalen DeBoer at Alabama
• 40:14: Scotty Walden at UTEP
• 40:50: Derek Mason at Middle Tennessee
• 40:53: Dell McGee at Georgia State
• 42:00: Bill Belichick at North Carolina
Note: We unintentionally omitted Baylor's Dave Aranda from this draft. We will come back to him in the Big 12 preview later this summer.
Producer: Anthony Vito
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Producer: Anthony Vito
