The days of analyst armies featuring names like Steve Sarkisian and Billy Napier that Nick Saban made famous at Alabama might be on the downturn, but there are still several prominent names working in behind-the-scenes roles in college football.
Starting last year, the NCAA allowed off-field analysts to take a more hands-on role in coaching; there is plenty of incentive for former head coaches to take on an analyst role as they weigh their next career steps. For some, it’s a nice reprieve from the stress of running a program. For others, it’s a way to stay involved in college football through the backstretch of their coaching careers. And for the programs it’s a (typically cheap) way to get an experienced voice in the room that can help from everything from strategy to development to broader help in how to lead a program.
With that in mind, here’s 10 prominent former NFL or college coaches who are slated to spend the 2025 season in an off-field analyst role.
Rob Chudzinski, Boston College senior offensive analyst
The former Cleveland Browns coach is now working on Bill O’Brien’s staff at Boston College. After a lone season as the Browns’ leader in 2013, Chudzinski also worked for the Indianapolis Colts before making the transition to college football at Boston College, first for previous coach Jeff Hafley before staying on with O’Brien.
Gary Gibbs, Oklahoma State defensive analyst
Younger fans may not remember Gibbs but his role at Oklahoma State is particularly interesting given his previous stint as in-state rival Oklahoma’s head coach in the early 1990s. Gibbs went 44-23-2 in six seasons with the Sooners, including a Gator Bowl win. After Oklahoma, Gibbs had prominent assistant roles like defensive coordinator for Georgia, LSU and the New Orleans Saints. He’s been with Mike Gundy as a defensive analyst since 2018.
Mike Houston, Clemson defensive intern
Houston is the newest member of the behind-the-scenes ranks, agreeing to take a defensive intern role on Dabo Swinney’s Clemson staff earlier this month. Before Clemson, Houston spent six seasons guiding East Carolina, finishing with a 27-38 record after getting fired seven games into the 2024 season. He has also coached at James Madison and The Citadel.
Joe Judge, Ole Miss senior analyst
Perhaps the most prominent name on this list, Judge is a former New York Giants head coach. The long-time NFL coach and Mississippi State graduate had multiple stints on Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots staff before joining Lane Kiffin in Oxford last year. Judge was in the mix for the UMass head coaching job this past offseason, but instead opted to return to Ole Miss.
Mike MacIntyre, Mississippi State defensive analyst
A new addition to the analyst ranks, the former Colorado and Florida International head coach recently joined Jeff Lebby’s staff in Starkville. The well-regarded defensive mind has 12 years of head coaching experience, including four seasons with FIU before his dismissal in December.
Trent Miles, Notre Dame senior offensive analyst
The Indiana native is back in his home state as a senior offensive analyst for Marcus Freeman. Miles had previously been an assistant at Notre Dame under Tyrone Willingham before going on to lead the Indiana State and Georgia State programs. Miles went 9-38 in four seasons at Georgia State as the program made the challenging transition to the FBS level.
Will Muschamp, Georgia defensive analyst
The former Florida and South Carolina head coach is back in an analyst role on Kirby Smart’s staff. After he was fired at South Carolina in 2020, Muschamp took an analyst job on his former teammate Smart’s staff but was thrust into an on-field special teams coordinator role after Scott Cochran had to take a leave of absence. He spent two years as co-defensive coordinator, helping Georgia win national championships in both those seasons, before moving back to an off-field analyst role in 2024. Muschamp has a 56-51 record in nine seasons as a head coach with the highlight coming in 2012 with a Florida team that finished ranked in the top 10.
Paul Rhoads, Mississippi State defensive analyst
Alongside Mike MacIntye, Rhoads helps give Mississippi State the most defensive analyst firepower in the country. The former Iowa State head coach is another new edition for Jeff Lebby’s off-field staff. Beyond Iowa State, Rhoads has defensive coordinator experience at Auburn, Arkansas, Arizona and Pittsburgh.
Nick Rolovich, Cal senior offensive assistant
Rolovich makes his return to college football in an off-field role on Justin Wilcox’s Cal staff. The former Washington State coach had been out of college football since 2021 when he and other members of his staff were fired for failing to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for state employees. Including a stint at Hawaii’s, Rolovich has a 33-33 record as a head coach.
Rick Stockstill, Florida State offensive analyst
The long-time offensive coach is back at his alma mater under Mike Norvell. The former FSU quarterback under Bobby Bowden was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2019. Stockstill spent 18 seasons leading Middle Tennessee State, taking the Blue Raiders to 10 bowl games and winning 113 games.
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