All this buyout talk amongst coaches has given me thought about the hiring processes for these schools.
There’s almost always a familiar name in coaching searches, some more familiar than others. As the leaves crunch underfoot and the wind chill of October wraps through stadium tunnels and athletic departments — like a ghostly echo from seasons past — college football’s coaching carousel spins with a haunting familiarity, and a lot earlier than in years past. It’s the time of year when shadows lengthen, pumpkins glow, and athletic directors ponder resurrecting the dead … or at least, rehiring coaches who once walked away.
Enter the “Boomerang Coach,” that spectral figure who departs for greener pastures (or golden parachutes) only to come hurtling back, sometimes with triumph, often with a thud.
Is this a treat for desperate programs (or athletic directors), or a trick that leaves fans howling at the moon? With a nod to the Halloween spirit, let’s channel a bit of Michael Jackson’s Thriller vibe: “It’s close to midnight, and something evil’s lurking in the dark…” Or in this case, something familiar, like an ex-coach knocking at the door, belting Taylor Swift’s We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together — only to flip the script and say, “Just kidding, let’s try this again.”
But does it make sense to rehire a former head coach?
Absolutely, on paper.
There’s built-in familiarity with the fan base, donors, and season ticket holders, who often romanticize the “good ol’ days” like a horror movie sequel that ignores the flops. Rarely is it the same athletic director pulling the trigger, so institutional ties run deep — think alumni networks and booster clubs that crave continuity amid the chaos of NIL deals and portal pandemonium.
Some coaches even bolt unceremoniously, leaving scorched earth (lawsuits, scandals, or midnight flights), yet slink back when the timing aligns. As the carousel heats up, fueled by early firings and whispers of upheaval, should your school consider your ex-coach?
History says it’s a mixed bag … let’s dissect some of the (re)hires.
The Legends Who Defied the Odds
Not all boomerangs backfire; some land like a perfect Hail Mary.
Take Bill Snyder at Kansas State, the granddaddy of comebacks. He first transformed the Wildcats from a laughingstock to a powerhouse (1989–2005: 136–68–1, 11 straight bowl appearances). After “retiring,” he returned in 2009–2018 (79–49, eight bowls, 2012 Big 12 title). Verdict: pure magic. Snyder rebuilt again, earning a statue and eternal adoration. If your program’s in the doldrums, this is the fairy-tale ending fans dream of under the harvest moon.
Bobby Hauck at Montana might be college football’s most quietly successful boomerang, especially at the FCS level. In his first stint (2003–2009), Hauck terrorized the Big Sky and the FCS with an 80–17 record and three national-title game appearances. After a rocky five-year detour at UNLV (15–49), he returned to Missoula in 2018 and methodically rebuilt the Griz into an FCS heavyweight again — 13–2 in 2023 with a trip to the championship game and an 8–0 start in 2025. His homecoming proved that sometimes sequels can rival the originals.
Similarly, Mike Riley at Oregon State flipped a flop into folklore. His initial stint (1997–1998: 8–14, no bowls) was forgettable, but round two (2003–2014: 85–66, eight bowls with six wins) turned the Beavers into Pac-12 contenders. We will just skip over the part where he struggled at Nebraska, going 19-19 in three years in Lincoln.
The Mixed Bags: Hopeful Starts, Haunted Endings
Then there are the coaches who tease glory before the plot twists sour. Greg Schiano at Rutgers built the Scarlet Knights from obscurity (2001–2011: 68–67, five bowl wins) before NFL stints. Back since 2020 (30–38 through 2025, three bowls), he’s in the Big Ten grind, which is much different than the Big East from his first time in the Scarlet red. But early struggles highlight the risk: rebuilding twice … especially in the Big Ten, is no walk in the park.
Mack Brown at North Carolina offers a cautionary tale with a bittersweet aftertaste. His first era (1988–1997: 69–46–1, late top-10 surges) was solid; the sequel (2019–2024: 44–32, five bowls) won a division but fizzled with inconsistency, ending in a firing after a mediocre 6–5 in 2024. Fans loved the nostalgia, but the results screamed “sequel fatigue.”
Bobby Petrino at Louisville? A high-octane thriller turned slasher flick. Phase one (2003–2006: 41–9, Orange Bowl win) was explosive; the return (2014–2018: 34–25, three bowls) featured a Heisman (Lamar Jackson) but cratered amid scandals and losses, leading to another messy exit. Petrino’s boomerang? More like a ricochet. Oh, and yes, we aren’t even mentioning his current two-time boomerang title with Arkansas. It doesn’t really count as an interim, but oh boy, what a time to be alive.
The Nightmares: When the Past Haunts Hard
Beware the full-on horror shows, where returns evoke The Conjuring — demons from yesteryear refusing to stay buried. Gary Andersen at Utah State started strong (2009–2012: 26–24, peaking at 11–2), but his 2019–2020 redux (7–9) imploded midseason, leading to his firing amid turmoil. Lesson: Sometimes the magic doesn’t remix. Don’t remind our friends in Logan about the line, “I don’t like you, I love you,” on the first go around with the now Utah State Hall of Famer, Gary Andersen.
Randy Edsall at UConn led the Huskies to FBS glory (1999–2010: 74–70, Fiesta Bowl), but his 2017–2021 return (6–32) was a bloodbath, ending in that eyebrow-raising “mid-season retirement” amid a fan revolt. Infrastructure changes and independence woes turned triumph to tragedy.
Now, fresh from the 2025 grave: Scott Frost at UCF. His first Knights tenure (2016–2017: 19–7, perfect 2017 with a self-claimed national title) was electric. After a Nebraska nightmare (16–31, fired in 2022), he boomeranged back in December 2024. Mid-2025? A shaky 4–3 (1–3 Big 12), with wins over lesser foes but conference stumbles. Early signs: nostalgia’s alive, but the offense hasn’t fully recaptured that old spark — yet. Like Schiano at Rutgers, Frost and the Golden Knights are in a much different conference than the first go-around. Fans are hopeful, donors thrilled, but the jury’s out.
And Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia, whose 2007 exit was pure drama (fleeing for Michigan amid backlash). His original run (2001–2007: 60–26, Sugar Bowl win) defined the new standard around Mountaineer football. Rehired in December 2024 after Jacksonville State’s success, 2025 has been spooky: 2–6 (0–5 Big 12), with culture clashes, portal woes, and blowout losses. Rodriguez is preaching patience and recruiting revamps, but the fan base’s initial euphoria has turned to eerie silence.
Fact or Fiction: Should Your School Roll the Dice?
So, is the Boomerang Coach a myth to fear or a strategy to embrace? Fiction in the sense that success can happen — Snyder, Hauck, and Riley prove familiarity fosters loyalty, eases recruiting, and taps institutional knowledge, especially when the coach left on high notes. But fact warns of peril: most returns (Andersen, Edsall, even Petrino’s fade) underperform, haunted by evolved conferences, roster turnover, and the weight of expectations.
Unceremonious exits? They amplify the drama, yet programs overlook them in favor of quick fixes.
As the carousel creaks into high gear this November — athletic directors beware from singing “Guess who’s back, back again?” — consider your school’s soul and future. If the fit’s genuine and the coach evolved, it might just be a treat.
But beware: in college football’s haunted house, boomerangs often come back … to bite.
Happy Halloween, ADs — choose wisely, or risk a season of screams.
