There have been 72 coaching changes the past three years in college football, including a record 30 last year. That has left the rising assistant coach and lower-level coaching ranks "picked over," to borrow a term from multiple industry sources.
That statistic dovetails into a prediction -- don't be surprised to see a run on retread coaches in this upcoming cycle.
We only included Bill O'Brien atop our assistant list because he has spent multiple years as a college coordinator and looms as the most coveted coach -- Group of 5 or assistant -- in the cycle.