Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer 5y

Neal Brown, Charlie Strong among Group of 5 coaches gaining notice

College Football

The 2018 college football coaching carousel is shaping up as one where the supply (strong Group of 5 candidates) significantly outweighs the demand (open Power 5 jobs).

The low number of vacancies is expected. The other part of the equation, meanwhile, is a bit surprising. This has been an excellent season for Group of 5 coaches. As Week 11 kicks off, the Group of 5 has 18 teams with seven or more wins, just two less than the Power 5. While undefeated UCF justifiably owns the spotlight, seven other Group of 5 teams are 9-1 or 8-2, including the Knights' next opponent, No. 24 Cincinnati (9-1).

It sets up an interesting internal debate for Power 5 schools on the fence about their coaches: Do we make a move this year and capitalize on the strong candidate pool, or wait and possibly compete with more suitors in 2019?

So far, only three Power 5 schools -- Louisville, Maryland and Kansas -- have announced changes. We'll soon know if others join them. I surveyed several industry sources this week to identify the 12 likeliest top Group of 5 candidates to lead Power 5 programs in 2019.

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