A growing number of college coaches have made the jump to the NFL in recent years, and there is some belief this might be the beginning of a trend.
Urban Meyer’s decision to jump to the NFL instead of pursuing another college job is a major talking point. In addition, the Carolina Panthers hired head coach Matt Rhule from Baylor, while Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury landed that job immediately after departing Texas Tech.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports spoke to a veteran college coach who believes this could become the norm due to the major changes coming to college football with regard to players having less restrictive transfer rules and the right to monetize their name, image, and likeness.
Spoke to a veteran college coach today who predicts more college coaches head to the NFL to avoid the seismic changes coming with NIL and the transfer rules. "Every college coach right now is somehow, someway aspiring to go to the NFL."
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2021
NFL teams have been looking at other college coaches as well, and while not everyone is making the jump, the time may be coming. Not every college hire has been a success, but some have worked better than others. Between the college football overhaul and the big money the NFL can offer, it’s easy to see how it could become an increasingly tempting route for some high-profile coaches.
