Trend or Panic? Is College Football’s Play-Caller Carousel Spinning Out Of Control?

Through Week 5 of the college football season, there have been plenty of surprising changes surrounding the sport. As always, the coaches are making headlines, as many head coaches are shaking up their staff, incluiding mid-game firings, quick benchings and early reassignments of play-calling duties. In a sport where seasons used to start slowly, head coaches are no longer giving their coordinators time to develop players or let them get into game shape. The sport is witnessing a trend unlike anything seen before, leaving teams scrambling for answers. Here is a breakdown of the latest mid-season coaching changes and play-caller switches through Week 5. Following Saturday night's 55-19 loss to Baylor, Kenny Dillingham officially handed over offensive play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo. Dillingham announced the decision to reporters on Tuesday, noting that he wants to return his focus to overall head-coaching duties at Arizona State. He originally took over play calling from Arroyo ahead of December's bowl game. Outside of a 70-point explosion in Week 1 against Morgan State, the Sun Devils have struggled offensively against FBS competition. Over the Sun Devils last three games, they've averaged just 21 points per game and were held to only 19 points against the Bears. It was their lowest total since last year's loss to Arizona, and the offense overall scored less than that in three Big 12 games last season. The trend of head coaches pulling play-calling duties hit Cal in Week 5. After a sluggish start against UNLV, Golden Bears head coach Tosh Lupoi stripped first-year offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville of play-calling at halftime. Lupoi made the call to hand things over to pass-game coordinator Pat McCann, and the Golden Bears nearly mounted a second-half comeback against the Rebels. Led by backup quarterback Jackson Brousseau, the offense sparked to life with 24 second-half points. During his Tuesday press conference, Lupoi confirmed that McCann will remain the play-caller against Virginia Tech. After serving as Missouri's offensive coordinator, Kirby Moore took the head coaching job at Washington State. Though he hasn't called plays through the early part of the season, Moore is now taking over play-calling duties. Looking for a spark for a struggling offense, Moore announced Tuesday that he will take over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Matt Miller. Through the early stretch, the offense has managed just 287.4 yards, 140.2 passing yards, and 19 points per game. Moore stressed that Miller remains with the team, confirming this isn't a situation where he was fired. Not even halfway through the season, first-year Colorado State head coach Jim Mora fired defensive coordinator Tyson Summers, in the middle of the Rams' Week 5 game. Summers didn't just lose his play-calling duties mid-game, but he actually walked off the field entirely. The decision permanently ended his time with the program, a fact Mora confirmed to reporters after the game. Mora said he never considered dismissing Summers during the game; however, Summers' decision to leave the field was the main reason he was no longer with the program, rather than his performance. Summers was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator after his unit surrendered 35 first-half points to Oregon State. The Beavers rolled to a 56-26 victory, driven by Mercer transfer Brady Atkinson, who shredded the Rams for 427 yards and five touchdowns. Following Illinois' early-season defensive struggles, head coach Bret Bielema and first-year defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck mutually agreed to part ways. In the interim, Bielema is taking a direct, hands-on role with the Fighting Illini defense. The decision came after a loss to Ohio State, where the defense suffered multiple blown assignments against wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He dominated with 12 receptions for a career-high 217 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Buckeyes to a 42-19 win. In Illinois' matchup against Purdue, linebackers coach Roger Cooper stepped in as the defensive play-caller. While the defense held the Boilermakers to 24 points, it remains unclear whether Cooper will formally be named interim defensive coordinator. It remains possible that Bielema will take over play-calling himself at some point this season as Illinois sits at 3-2 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play.