We’re preparing to enter the holiday season next week, and while I believe the Christmas season does not begin until Thanksgiving ends, many Texas non-FBS teams have provided their fans with early gifts.

An impressive nine non-FBS teams in Texas have already punched a ticket to the postseason, led by UIW and Abilene Christian, who earned automatic bids to the FCS playoffs by winning their respective conference championships outright. Two Lone Star Conference teams are in the postseason, with Angelo State earning the 3-seed in Super Region Four after securing the Lone Star Conference title. At the same time, UTPB accepted an invite to the Heritage Bowl.

Four Texas teams are in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Hardin-Simmons earned its second consecutive American Southwest Conference title and an automatic bid to the playoffs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, co-Southern Athletic Conference champion Trinity, and co-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Texas Lutheran earned at-large bids under the new NCAA Power Index. Texas Wesleyan won its third consecutive Sooner Athletic Conference title and earned its first appearance in the NAIA playoffs in program history.

Tarleton will be in a position to earn an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs in their first year of eligibility since transitioning to NCAA Division I with a win at home over Central Arkansas on Saturday. The winner of the Southwest Junior Conference Football Conference between Tyler and Navarro will earn a bid to the Heart of Texas Bowl or potentially a place in the NJCAA semifinals, while the loser and possibly one other team could earn invitations to an NJCAA bowl game.

With so many teams experiencing success this year, multiple sources believe the Texas non-FBS ranks will see minimal movement during the first round of the coaching carousel outside of Texas A&M-Kingsville, which promoted Michael Salinas to Executive Director of Athletics and defensive coordinator Jamison Bisch to interim head coach – a move that was expected after Salinas was named interim athletic director in September.

However, with rumors swirling around FBS current openings at Rice, every school with an Owl mascot, and rumors of potential retirements, sources believe a few Texas non-FBS head coaches could be on the move when those higher positions are filled. Another dynamic to watch during the offseason is the potential for current head coaches to accept a position as a coordinator for a school at a higher level. Sources indicate some older head coaches are becoming tired of the challenges faced by head coaches in college football today. Some coaches want to spend more time coaching and are willing to leave the administrative roles of a head coach to the younger generation.

With that in mind, here are four current head coaches who will likely receive interest from teams searching for a new head coach.

Clint Killough, UIW

The Cardinals have posted back-to-back 9-2 records in the regular season. While UIW was a controversial omission from the FCS playoffs last season, the Cardinals took the decision out of the committee’s hands this year by winning the program’s third Southland Conference title in four years and earning an automatic bid to the playoffs.

Jeff Girsch, Angelo State

Girsch has guided the Rams to their third NCAA Division II playoff appearance in the last four years. He was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach near the end of the 2018 season and has led the program to sustained success. Girsch has guided the Rams to a 49-14 overall record and a 34-7 mark against LSC opponents since 2019.

Kris McCullough, UTPB

At 29 years of age, McCullough remains a young coach on the rise in the profession. A member of Dave Campbell’s 40-under-40 and American Football Coaches Association 35-under-35, McCullough has guided the Falcons to unprecedented success, including the first outright LSC title, first appearance in DII playoffs, first consecutive postseason appearances, and consecutive seasons above .500 for the first time in program history.

Jarrail Jackson, Texas College

Jackson inherited an absolute mess of a program in 2022 and has overcome multiple challenges, including poor funding and lackluster facilities, to lead the Steers to unchartered territory. After posting consecutive one-win seasons during his first two years, Jackson has led the Steers to an 8-3 record, the most wins since Texas College revived the football program in 2003.