Nearly every college football coach starts as a low-level assistant and slowly moves up the ladder. The typical path involves stops as a position coach and coordinator before landing the big title.
So, the important question: Who's next?
We're scanning the nation for the top assistants who are best suited to take on a head coaching role. As you'll see, though, that's not necessarily synonymous with "most likely." But a few unfamiliar names will appear on the list.
Former defensive coordinators Dave Aranda and Jimmy Lake are among the assistants who have graduated from this group.