In today’s June Newsletter, you can expect:

• Coaching Carousel Chaos: College football hits unprecedented instability with 61 head coaching changes in two years and 550 coordinator/position coach moves this offseason alone, as NIL and transfer portal demands reshape the profession.

• Tackle Talks Live Returns: Atavus Football launches their second exclusive coaching session on June 26th, offering free insights and safety improvements through their growing Coaches Community network.

• Amateurism's Official End: The NCAA's 119-year amateur model dies as schools can now share up to $20.5 million annually with athletes starting July 1st, fundamentally transforming college sports into professional enterprises.

• Knicks' Bold Coaching Gamble: New York shocks the NBA by firing Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, now aggressively targeting active head coaches including Dallas's Jason Kidd in unprecedented pursuit.

The Revolving Door of College Football

College football has entered uncharted territory, with the sport experiencing its most chaotic period of coaching turnover in history.

The last two years have been the most hectic on the coaching carousel with a total of 61 programs changing head coaches, including 30 during the most recent 2024-25 cycle. This staggering statistic means nearly half of all FBS programs have switched leadership in less than 24 months.

The assistant coaching ranks reveal an even more dramatic story. There were 550 total changes this offseason at the coordinator and position coach levels, representing a shift that's left programs scrambling to rebuild their staffs. Over the past four years, an astounding 2,163 on-field coaches have changed jobs, with teams now averaging 4.1 new hires each cycle.

What's driving this unprecedented instability? The answer lies in the fundamental transformation of college athletics. Name, Image, and Likeness regulations have completely altered how programs operate, creating new responsibilities for coaches who must now navigate complex financial negotiations with players. The unrestricted transfer portal has created a recruiting free-for-all that demands constant attention, essentially turning college football into a year-round operation with no true offseason for staff members.

Conference stability varies dramatically across the landscape, creating a patchwork of security and chaos. The SEC stands as a remarkable outlier, retaining all head coaches from last season for only the third time since 2006. Only 29 assistant coaches changed jobs in the SEC during the cycle, the lowest total among all active conferences. This stability reflects both the financial resources available to SEC programs and the premium placed on continuity in a conference where coaching changes often signal deeper institutional problems.

The NFL continues to serve as a magnet for college talent, drawing 32 coaches upward this season, down slightly from 34 defections the previous year. The professional ranks increasingly appeal to coaches exhausted by college football's relentless pace, endless recruiting demands, and the new responsibilities that come with NIL management and transfer portal monitoring. The NFL's more predictable schedule, reduced travel requirements, and clearly defined offseason periods offer an attractive alternative to the year-round grind that college coaching has become.

Atavus Football Hosts Tackle Talks Live Series for Coaches

Tackle Talks Live are exclusive sessions part of Atavus’ free Coaches Community! 

The Coaches Community provides a network of individuals with free tips, insights, and ways to help improve tackling safety and performance.

Atavus will be holding their second Tackle Talks Live on June 26, so sign up now!

Join the Coaches Community now to be on the lookout for their next session!

The Death of Amateurism: College Sports’ $20.5 Million Revolution

The NCAA's 119-year amateurism model officially died on June 6, 2025, when U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval to the landmark House v. NCAA settlement.

Schools can now share as much as $20.5 million of their revenues with players during the upcoming academic year, fundamentally transforming college athletics into something resembling professional sports.

This seismic shift represents the culmination of a five-year legal battle that began when Arizona State swimmer Grant House and women's basketball player Sedona Prince filed suit against the NCAA and Power Five conferences.

Under the new revenue sharing model, schools will be allowed to make payments directly to athletes up to $20.5 million per year, representing approximately 22 percent of the average media, ticket, and sponsorship revenue generated by Power Conference schools. The cap is estimated to grow to around $30 million per year over the next ten years. The settlement also includes $2.8 billion in back payments for athletes who competed between 2016 and 2024.

Football and men's basketball players will capture the lion's share of these new payments, with Power conference football programs projected to receive between $10 and $17 million annually to distribute among their players. Star quarterbacks may command $1.5 million annually, while starting offensive lines could collectively earn $2 million.

Beyond direct payments, the settlement eliminates traditional scholarship limits in favor of roster caps, allowing institutions to offer scholarships to every player on their roster if they choose. This change particularly benefits non-revenue sports, where athletes previously competed without financial support.

However, the transition has created immediate complications, with schools cutting players even before final settlement approval. The power conferences have hired professional sports management companies like Deloitte to develop enforcement software, while a new College Sports Commission will police NIL deals through a clearinghouse system dubbed "NIL Go."

With less than a month remaining before schools start cutting checks to athletes on July 1, this rushed implementation virtually guarantees growing pains as institutions adapt to their new reality as employers in all but name.

Knicks’ Coaching Gamble: Chasing Active Head Coaches

The New York Knicks sent shockwaves through the NBA when they fired Tom Thibodeau just days after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, and now they're setting their sights on an ambitious, and complicated, coaching search targeting active head coaches across the league.

The Knicks are conducting active due diligence on Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd among other head coaching candidates, with sources indicating serious interest in the Hall of Fame point guard who finished his playing career in New York. Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets are also part of a small group of currently employed coaches whom the Knicks have interest in.

The pursuit of Kidd appears most promising, given his connection to Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Brunson previously stated that Kidd was his second favorite coach he's played for in the NBA, saying "J Kidd gave me the confidence to play better, perform better" during their time together in Dallas. However, the Knicks have not yet requested permission—formally or informally—from the Mavericks to interview Kidd, who has two years remaining on his contract extension.

The Knicks' aggressive pursuit of active coaches reflects their belief that they need an upgrade to get over the championship hump, but the financial and logistical challenges suggest they may ultimately need to pivot to more available candidates.

With limited assets and reluctant opposing franchises, New York's bold gamble could force them back to a more traditional coaching search.