Lane Kiffin, James Franklin and 2026’s first-year P4 coaches

What Happened

A guide grades first-year Power 4 head coaches entering the 2026 season, including Lane Kiffin, James Franklin and other coaching hires from the current cycle. The story reviews how the new coaches compare before they begin their first seasons in those roles. The full list of coaches, individual grades and any official school or league statement responding to the evaluations are not identified.

Why It Matters

• The grades give fans an early comparison of the coaches taking over Power 4 programs in 2026.
• Including both Lane Kiffin and James Franklin places established head coaches within the same first-year evaluation as the rest of the coaching class.
• The grades create a preseason measuring point that can be checked against each coach’s first season results.

THE PATE STATE READ

THE PATE STATE READ: Yahoo is offering an early board, not a final ruling. The useful part is the shared comparison: every first-year Power 4 coach is being judged before the new staff has played a game together. That makes the season opener the real test of the grades, especially for the coaches facing immediate roster and scheme changes. The supplied report does not provide enough detail to assess the individual marks or identify which hire received the strongest evaluation.(Josh has not yet commented.)

What's Next

• The 2026 season openers for the first-year Power 4 coaches covered by Yahoo Sports.