College football programs are copycats. If something works for one, the rest are going to follow suit even if the positive results are expected rather than documented. North Carolina State will reportedly hire former Wolfpack quarterback and NFL legend Philip Rivers as its next head coach and that could trigger a run on former alumni hires across the sport.

The highest-profile vacancies for next season are at Florida State, Baylor and Maryland. Obviously, the alumni pool is deeper in some places than others but that doesn't mean there aren't big enough names out there. Let's pick one for each program and evaluate their chances of succeeding like everyone expects Rivers to do in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Florida State: Manny Diaz, Class of 1995

Diaz currently leads Duke, the defending ACC champions, and previously led the University of Miami program from 2019-21. He graduated from Florida State and actually got his coaching career started in Tallahassee as an assistant under the great Bobby Bowden, helping the team as it reached back-to-back national championship games in 1999 and 2000. He has deep ties to the university and actually has a history of decent success in the region and conference.

This could actually be the best case hire for the Seminoles, especially with former head coach Jimbo Fisher reportedly lurking around hoping for a second chance with the ex he spurned in 2017. Diaz knows how to recruit in the ACC and given Florida State's NIL budget, he could rack up a list of high-powered committments. People forget it was Diaz who lured QB Darian Mensah away from Tulane before the likely 2026 Heisman Trophy finalist got a big check from Miami. Florida State fans need hope and Diaz could provide exactly that with little drama.

Baylor: Robert Griffin III, Class of 2010

The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner actually graduated from Baylor in 2010 with his bachelor's degree but pursued a master's during his final football season before entering the 2012 NFL Draft. He had a tumultuous professional career that was riddled with injuries after a hot start in Washington. Now Griffin is a Fox Sports color commentator for its college football coverage and recently said he is "100 percent" interested in the open position at his alma mater.

"If Baylor wants to get back to winning and have a university that isn't just respectable on the football field, but one the fans can be proud of, they need people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor." — @RGIII says he's interested in the Baylor head coaching job. 🐻🏈 pic.twitter.com/tgrnYZM0nQ

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 26, 2026

"If Baylor wants to get back to winning and have a university that isn’t just respectable on the football field, but the fans can be proud of, they need people who know what it looks like to win at Baylor," he told The Dan Patrick Show on Oct. 26, the same day the Bears dismissed Dave Aranda.

This entire post is about which alumni these schools could hire, not who they should. Griffin had a successful playing career, yes, but he hasn't showed any evidence he can coach effectively. Some fans don't believe he does a good enough job as a TV analyst so there may be resistance from the jump if Baylor entertains his interest. The one thing Griffin may be good at is recruiting. His name and celebrity would get him far in catching the attention of recruits nationwide but, like Deion Sanders at Colorado, that doesn't always result in wins.

Maryland: Frank Reich, Class of 1984

The former Indianapolis Colts head coach played quarterback for the Terrapins in his senior season, sitting the previous three years behind future NFL star Boomer Esiason. Reich has an extensive history as an NFL coach but his only college experience is as interim head coach for Stanford and that's because the school's athletic director was his former quarterback in Indianapolis (Andrew Luck). The Cardinal went 4-8 under his temporary leadership in 2025.

Reich is currently the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets. The team is 2-7 and Reich's system has it middling statistically. Head coach Aaron Glenn is probably on his way out and whoever is next -- even if Reich gets tapped as interim coach again -- probably will bring in his own staff. Reich would be available to take Maryland's call should the school decide it wants him to come back to College Park.