One of the quieter coaching cycles in recent years has started to stir.
Texas A&M's firing of Jimbo Fisher on Sunday marked the first performance-related dismissal this season. On Monday, Mississippi State fired Zach Arnett, whom Fisher and the Aggies had defeated just two days earlier. The move doubled the power conference vacancies in a 24-hour span, as A&M and Mississippi State joined Northwestern and Michigan State. On Wednesday, Northwestern became the first program to fill its vacancy, promoting interim coach/defensive coordinator David Braun into the permanent role.
More openings likely are on the horizon, perhaps as early as this weekend.