2023 has been a bit of an outlier. Through 10 weeks, not a single coach has been fired for on-field reasons. Contrast that with 2022, when seven coaches had been dismissed by this point in the season.

There are a couple of reasons for that. The first being that some of the coaches that entered the year trying to save their job have likely done so. Neal Brown, Jeff Hafley, and Greg Schiano, for instance are all bowl-eligible with three games left. Another factor is that it can be expensive to fire a coach (hello, Jimbo Fisher).

But rest assured, there will be jobs coming open. Some you can probably already guess, and there’s likely to be some surprises. And when those spots open up, you’ll likely see them filled by some of these names.

Jon Sumrall, Troy

Sumrall is finishing up his second season at Troy, and the turnaround has been impressive. After three straight five-win seasons under Chip Lindsey, Sumrall led the Trojans to a 12-2 season and Sun Belt Conference title. This year, they’re 7-2 so far, and are headed towards another double-digit win season. It’s up in the air as to who they may face off with in the SBC title game (more on that in a minute), but another 12-2 record may be on the way. He’s been an assistant at Kentucky (co-DC one year, LB coach two years) and Ole Miss (LB coach one year), and a co-DC at Tulane (three years).

Coaches moving up from Group of 5 schools to Power 5 jobs haven’t had the greatest track record recently, which may work against him. The last coach to win double-digit games multiple times before Sumrall was the aforementioned Neal Brown, for instance. Billy Napier looks like he’ll probably miss a bowl game after a 6-7 debut season. But if you’re looking to turn around your program (and if you’re firing a coach, you are), you have to consider Sumrall.

Jonathan Smith, Oregon State

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Take out the goofy 2020 COVID season, with its opt-outs and partial schedule, and the Beavers have improved in every year of Smith‘s tenure. From a 2-10 debut campaign in 2018 to a 10-3 record last year, he’s slowly but surely built Oregon State into a winner.

It’s tough to tell how likely the former Beavers quarterback would be to leave his alma mater. He signed a new extension after last season that pays him well. But conference realignment has left OSU without an immediate 2024 home. There’s a lot of stuff going on external to “is he a good coach” that schools will have to sort out. But the answer to that question is “Yes, he is”, and if you’re replacing your coach you owe it to yourself to see if he’s interested. Whatever he decides, the phone will be ringing.

Curt Cignetti, James Madison

Sometimes fans get wrapped up in the flashy name and want their team to hire the “it” coordinator of that cycle. But you’d be better served by asking yourself “is this coach a proven winner?”. While guys like Kalen DeBoer, Chris Klieman, or Lance Leipold may not have moved the needle, they have 13 combined national titles at lower levels. In a completely unrelated development, those teams are a combined 49-18 since the beginning of last season. Winners win.

What has Cignetti done since arriving at JMU in 2019? You guessed it: Win. After a 33-5 record and three trips to the FCS semifinals, the Dukes transitioned to FBS to start the 2022 season. Big jump, huh? Steep learning curve? Yeah right. They’re 17-3 so far, and the only thing keeping them from a SBC championship game showdown with Troy is the NCAA. Thanks to a rule that is reasonable in theory and problematic in practice, they’re ineligible for postseason play. I’m hopeful, but not optimistic, that their waiver is approved and they get to play the games they’ve earned the chance to play. But in either case, Cignetti will get some looks.

The longtime assistant (seven years at Pitt, seven more at NC State, four at Alabama) has plenty of big-school experience. Granted, much of the college football landscape has changed since he was at a Power Five school. But he’s demonstrated that he’s more than capable of managing a step up in competition. Despite being 62, he’ll get some looks.

Jamey Chadwell, Liberty

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Would Chadwell leave Liberty only one year after coming over from Coastal Carolina? I think he’d have to be blown away financially, for starters, and Liberty has plenty enough money to match any reasonable offer from a larger school. But his track record is undeniable. The Flames’ 9-0 start brings Chadwell’s record since the start of the 2020 season to a tidy 40-6. They’ll most likely finish the regular season unbeaten, and a win in the Conference-USA title game would give them a shot at a New Year’s Six bowl game.

Chadwell may be seen as unattainable by many schools. Most will be reluctant to give him a large enough pay raise to coerce him into leaving. Hugh Freeze turned a 35-14 record at Liberty into the Auburn job, but he also had six years at Ole Miss prior to that. Will Chadwell’s complete lack of Power Five experience be a hard stop? Maybe.

I think he’s unlikely to leave, but it would be fun to see what his unique offense looks like with SEC/ACC athletes.

Manny Diaz, Penn State (Defensive Coordinator)

Diaz was the head coach at Miami from 2019-2021, and while it didn’t go great, it was far from disastrous. The Hurricanes were a respectable 21-15 during Diaz’s tenure, and won at least six games every year. But they were seen as underachieving, and Miami dismissed him after a clumsy courtship with Mario Cristobal.

Penn State had one of the country’s best defenses in Diaz’s first year. Allowing just 18.2 ppg, they improved their run defense by 41 ypg, opponent’s completion percentage by 7.4%, and totaled 17 more sacks than in 2021. This year, they boast the nation’s best run defense in both yards per carry (2.0) and yards per game (60.6). Yards per Play? FIrst. Yards per Game? Second. Third Down defense? Eighth. Passing Yards? Eighth. They’re third in scoring defense (11.9 ppg) and second in First Downs allowed. They lead the country in sacks and are fourth in Tackles for loss. Pick a defensive stat, and they’re elite.

Diaz probably deserves another shot to be a head coach. I’m not sure he gets it this offseason, but I’m pulling for him.

Which of these coaches will be hired by your favorite team? Maybe none of them. There’s a chance they all stay put. Maybe your team hires Barry Odom away from UNLV, for instance. Or Dave Aranda gets let go after Baylor’s second straight disappointing season and lands somewhere. But if I were hiring a coach, I’d start with these guys.

Featured Photo: Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images

Eric Mulhair is the Co-Host of The South Endzone Podcast and a contributing writer for Belly Up Sports covering College Football. You can follow him on Twitter for the most up-to-date info on Podcast/Article releases, or even just to argue about College Football.