With failed former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin working his way up the college football ladder toward a minimum payday of $13 million per year, some NFL coaches may be interested in ditching the realities of life in the NFL for having an NCAA program of their own.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s an issue, fueled by the new NIL and transfer realities of college football. Major programs with open positions can\u2019t wait around for an NFL head coach\u2019s season to end.<\/p>\n
Nineteen years ago this month, when Dolphins coach Nick Saban notoriously declared, \u201cI\u2019m not going to be the Alabama coach,\u201d Saban waited until his 6-10 regular season ended before bolting for \u2018Bama. One year later, Falcons coach Bobby Petrino absconded from Atlanta<\/a> before the season concluded, taking the job at Arkansas.<\/p>\n The ability of an NFL head coach to hit the road for the NCAA depends largely on whether his contract permits it. (Saban\u2019s contract, for instance, allowed him to return to college football whenever he wanted.) But who would quit on his NFL team before the season has ended?<\/p>\n Sure, NFL teams fire head coaches during the season every year. The idea that a coach of a good pro team would load up the truck and move out of town is borderline inconceivable.<\/p>\n The problem is that the schools can\u2019t afford to wait until January. Transfer portals will open. Money will need to be raised. College programs need to fill their vacancies ASAFP.<\/p>\n At some point, it makes sense to wait. With Penn State whiffing<\/a> on BYU coach Kalani Sitake, the Nittany Lions may want to consider an NFL coach. If the Ravens don\u2019t make it to the playoffs, John Harbaugh could be a perfect fit at Penn State \u2014 if he\u2019s ready to move on from the job he has held since 2008.<\/p>\n