One of my favorite annual articles I write, the Group of 5 coaches who should be on your radar as the season starts. The offseason is when we see coaching movement both for greener pastures and firing due to lack of success and growth. In the high profile Power Four jobs you rarely can be both in the same offseason, but in the G5 you get guys whose trajectory up can halt abruptly. This means you can be both close to a bigger job and close to that window closing on your chances of a bigger job.
My 2024 list was certainly chalked full of notables. Three of the five, Rich Rodriguez, Charles Huff and Barry Odom, now have new jobs. Rodriguez and Huff won their respective conferences. Only GJ Kinne and Butch Jones remain at the schools who employed them in 2024, and both won bowl games last year. Here are five coaches in the Group of 5 to look for in 2025, one from each conference.
Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech
Cumbie took over a rough situation from Skip Holtz, a coach who did have success but faltered near the end. Louisiana Tech is a program where many have won games. Cumbie has not been great here so far—only an 11-26 career record. He had three wins in consecutive years to start, that was up to five in 2024. If Cumbie regresses this year, he’s probably gone. But I’m bullish on the Bulldogs in 2025 and think they will win 7 to 8 games. Evan Bullock returns at QB and in Cumbie’s fourth year I expect growth and success.
60% of the @LATechFB roster is returning for the 2025 season. Sonny Cumbie gives his insight on the value that his veterans will bring to the field this fall in Ruston.
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) August 6, 2025
Check out the full LA Tech football preview here: https://t.co/baGwFJdvmY@CUSAInsiderPod | #NoLimitsOnUs pic.twitter.com/4IfMDztEM3
Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion
Rahne has been average, or a bit below, in his time at ODU. He took over in 2020 and ODU was one of the few FBS teams who didn’t play ball that year. Since then he has yet to post a winning record but has made two bowl games. This team will have some skill and talent on offense this year but the Sun Belt Conference East will be ultra-competitive. Some people are very high on the Monarchs and QB Colton Joseph this year. Rahne is a career 20-30 at ODU, he needs to win this year and many believe he will. He is smart, personable and appears to have his team moving in the right direction. That will need to show on the field in 2025.
Couldn’t agree more!
— WarMonarch (@OldDomWarRoom) July 31, 2025
“To me, the Sun Belt is what college football should be all about,” ODU Head Football Coach Ricky Rahne said during media days. “We’re close to each other. Many of our road trips are made by bus.https://t.co/YAplBxxXoN@RickyRahne @ODUFootball @SunBelt
Eric Morris, North Texas
Morris has been turning heads since he was lighting up scoreboards at Incarnate Word. He was Cam Ward’s head coach, Ward followed him to Washington State, then Morris got the UNT job. He won five in 2023 and six in 2024, where Chandler Morris finally figured it out and was a massive success. I expect Reese Poffenbarger to be outstanding in this offense in 2025. Morris will be on Power Four radars if he keeps winning and scoring points. The Mean Green will have one of the top offenses in America, which Morris has stated is his goal.
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Poffenbarger will put up huge numbers at North Texas
— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) July 11, 2025
6,613 yards – 60 TD/17 INT
Undersized, moves well, big confident arm.
Coached by Eric Morris at North Texas, Morris cooked with Cam Ward at UIW. Poffenbarger backed up Ward at Miamipic.twitter.com/fevpd7YEEP https://t.co/gaUuki3UtC
Matt Entz, Fresno State
One of the most underrated hires of the offseason was also one of my favorites. Entz was elite at FCS power North Dakota State, winning two national titles in five seasons and posting a 60-11 record. He is a winner who, I believe, will continue the winning ways of Pat Hill, Jeff Tedford and Kalen DeBoer. His teams will play tough defense, run the ball and be fundamental in all areas. If he wins at Fresno State he could quickly move up to a bigger program, though this has to be one of the more appealing G5 jobs.
2 weeks out from opener at Kansas, @FresnoStateFB coach Matt Entz had his Bulldogs scrimmage under the lights (& turf has bounced back nicely from Shakira concert) pic.twitter.com/v9nTCGzkCL
— Paul Loeffler (@P356Loeffler) August 10, 2025
Lance Taylor, Western Michigan
I wasn’t a massive fan of the Taylor hire, and I may have to eat crow on that one. He improved in year two by two games. That’s a significant jump. The Broncos played well in 2024 to win six and get to a bowl game. That was important for his tenure and this team. Going 5-3 in the conference was a good step for Taylor. Year three is where we expect real gains to be made. His system is in place, most of the players are his guys, and a culture and expectations should be built. I’m very excited and hopeful to see if WMU can keep getting better and be contenders in the MAC this year.
MAC Media Day: Now in year three, Western Michigan's Lance Taylor believes strongly in the value of building relationships. He admits it's harder than ever in the current landscape, but points to the Broncos' record of starter retention in his tenure as evidence it can be done. pic.twitter.com/4kzK6mRZfw
— Tyler Driesenga (@tdriesenga3) July 24, 2025
