Will JD Vance run for president in 2028? VP pressed on potential White House bid

Will JD Vance run for president in 2028? VP pressed on potential White House bid

WASHINGTON –Vice President JD Vancesaid it's "way too early" to consider the 2028 election as political observers speculate about whether he'll launch a White House bid. Questions have swirled afterPresident Donald Trumpsuggested to reporters Aug. 5 that Vance was "most likely" the heir to the MAGA movement. Though Trump hasn't formally endorsed a GOP successor, heacknowledged that Vancewould "probably be favored at this point." Trump also said Secretary of State Marco Rubio is "somebody that maybe would get together with JD in some form." Vance said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that he saw Rubio a month ago and both of them just "laughed at the whole thing." "Neither one of us are focused on politics. We're focused on actually doing a good job for the American people," Vance said. "If we do a good job, number one, that's the reward in and of itself," Vance added. "That all have made a big difference in the lives of our country for the last six months and the next three and a half years. But if we do a good job, the politics will take care of itself." Vance said it's premature to speak of the political future. "It's frankly way too early to be thinking about 2026," he said, referencing next year's midterm elections. "It's certainly way too early to be thinking about 2028." Rubio, who ran for president in 2016, told Fox News host Lara Trumpin a July interviewhe thinks Vance would make a strong nominee for Republicans in 2028. "I think he's doing a great job as vice president. He's a close friend, and I hope he intends to do it," Rubio said. As for his own future political aspirations, Rubio said, "I feel honestly – you never know what the future holds; you never rule things out or anything, because you just don't know. Things change very quickly." Contributing: Zac Anderson This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Will JD Vance run in 2028? VP weighs in after Trump comments

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

Will JD Vance run for president in 2028? VP pressed on potential White House bid

Will JD Vance run for president in 2028? VP pressed on potential White House bid WASHINGTON –Vice President JD Vancesaid it's "way ...

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Ex-Trump surgeon general blasts RFK Jr.'s halt to mRNA vaccine research

Ex-Trump surgeon general blasts RFK Jr.'s halt to mRNA vaccine research

Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams — who served during the first Trump administration — argued Sunday that "people are going to die" if the U.S. backs away from mRNA vaccine development, after Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. halted around $500 million in research funding. Kennedyannouncedlast week that the administration was canceling 22 mRNA vaccine development projects,sayingthe vaccines "fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu." The projects were funded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA. Kennedy said the funds would be shifted toward "safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate." Adams, who appeared Sunday on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," said Kennedy's assertions about the efficacy of mRNA vaccines are "simply not true" — citing their effectiveness in the COVID-19 pandemic, during which hundreds of millions of people took Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines. "We know that by the most conservative estimates, upward of 2 million lives have been saved because of mRNA technology," Adams said. "It helped us develop COVID-19 vaccines in record time. And it's, quite frankly, President Trump's greatest achievement." The mRNA technology was central to Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership aimed at quickly developing COVID-19 vaccines at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic near the end of Mr. Trump's first term. If the U.S. had relied on older vaccine technology, it could have taken an extra 18 to 24 months to develop COVID-19 shots, Adams said. Asked about Kennedy's move by CBS News earlier this week, Mr. Trump said, "Operation Warp Speed was, whether you're Republican or a Democrat, considered one of the most incredible things ever done in this country," while noting that he had upcoming meetings on the topic. Adams, who was involved in the Operation Warp Speed effort, said it's "fascinating" to him that, as Mr. Trump and his allies discuss whether he deserves a Nobel Prize, "the thing that he should be considered for the Nobel Prize for, his health secretary is trying to undermine." The former surgeon general explained that mRNA is a type of natural molecule that's present in the body and operates like a "recipe card that tells your body how to make a protein." Beyond COVID-19, Adams said the technology "helps us develop vaccines and new treatments" in other areas — from cancers and HIV to the flu and the Zika virus. The funding cuts could halt progress in one of the "most promising areas of modern medicine," the former surgeon general said. "These are advances that are not going to happen now," Adams said. "People are going to die because we're cutting short funding for this technology." After Atlanta CDC shooting, Adams said "Secretary Kennedy has failed in his first major test" Adams also criticized Kennedy for his response to ashootingoutside Centers for Disease Control and Prevention buildings in Atlanta on Friday. Investigators have been looking into possible motives, including the possibility that the suspect believed he was sick as a result of the COVID vaccine, multiple sources toldCBS News. "How you respond to a crisis defines a leader. Quite frankly, Secretary Kennedy has failed in his first major test in this regard," Adams said, accusing Kennedy of issuing "tepid response" to the  shooting, while adding, "and that's not even considering how his inflammatory rhetoric in the past have actually contributed to a lot of what's been going on."In astatementFriday, Kennedy said, "No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others." But Adams argued Kennedy has not "unequivocally condemned the violence.""There's an out there," Adams said. "If you don't believe that people are working to protect the public, then that means it's okay to commit violence, at least in some people's eyes." The former surgeon general said people at the CDC were calling him after the shooting asking him to make a public statement "because they felt under attack.""They didn't know if this was going to continue," Adams said. "They were scared, and they wanted someone, someone who they felt had a public voice, to go out there and say, 'This is wrong. Violence is wrong.'" Trump's ex-surgeon general says "people are going to die" after RFK Jr. cuts mRNA vaccine funding NATO head says Trump is "testing Putin" with Alaska meeting Ukrainian ambassador: Zelenskyy is "ready to be anywhere" ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

Ex-Trump surgeon general blasts RFK Jr.'s halt to mRNA vaccine research

Ex-Trump surgeon general blasts RFK Jr.'s halt to mRNA vaccine research Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams — who served during the firs...

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FedEx St. Jude Championship: Justin Rose surges late to win in a playoff as Tommy Fleetwood stumbles again

FedEx St. Jude Championship: Justin Rose surges late to win in a playoff as Tommy Fleetwood stumbles again

Tommy Fleetwood once again came up short. Fleetwood, who held a two-shot lead briefly on the back nine, fell apart late and let the FedEx St. Jude Championship slip away on Sunday afternoon. That left the door open for Justin Rose, who made four straight birdies late to force a playoff with J.J. Spaun at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Rose and Spaun went three playoff holes before Rose finally sealed his victory. Rose almost hit his opening tee shot in the playoff into the water, but both he and Spaun ended up two-putting for par. The second playoff hole didn't settle anything, either, after Spaun made a very long birdie putt. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Finally, Rose sank another birdie putt on the third playoff hole to officially grab his win. Spaun had a 7-footer of his own to extend it, but he sent it flying past the cup. Rose ended up birding six of his last eight holes. CLUTCH.@JustinRose99birdies the third playoff hole to win the first playoff event@FedExChamp.pic.twitter.com/LCxB3kWL4U — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR)August 10, 2025 Rose, who finished in second at the Mastersearlier this season, is now the oldest winner on Tour since Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship in 2021. He's also the oldest player from Europe to win on Tour in the modern era. Rose turned 45 earlier this summer. "That's why I practice. That's why I play," Rose said after his win. "I've been saying for some time now, obviously Augusta, when I bring my best, I know I'm good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world. Very gratifying day for me and a lot of hard work coming to fruition." Both Rose and Spaun are safely into the field next week at the BMW Championship, which will mark the second of three playoff events. The top 50 in the FedExCup standings have qualified for the tournament in Maryland, and will automatically earn bids into all signature events next season, too. The top 30 golfers after next week will then advance to the Tour Championship. Fleetwood entered Sunday with a one-shot lead over the field, thanks to his 1-under 69 on Saturday — which should've been bigger had he not made a bogey at the last and carded a double early. He was very slow out of the gate on Sunday, too, and left the door wide open for Scottie Scheffler and the rest of the field after he opened the day with a bogey. Fleetwood made 10 straight pars after his bogey while Scheffler and Spaun caught right up to match him in the lead. But finally, Fleetwood found his swing again and took off. He sank a 33-footer for birdie at the par-4 12th, which marked his first birdie in 15 holes. Breakthrough birdie to tie the lead 💪@TommyFleetwood1gets his first birdie in 15 holes@FedExChamp.📺 NBCpic.twitter.com/TRCP73Zu24 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR)August 10, 2025 Fleetwood then birdied the next hole after draining a 15-footer. That gave him the solo lead once again. He went on a remarkable run where he made six one-putts in a seven-hole stretch, capped with a third birdie at the 15th But that's when Fleetwood stalled out, and then he missed a brutal look for par at the 17th to fall one back once again. He ended up finishing with a 1-under 69 for what was his 29th top-five finish on Tour. That's 11 more than any other player without a win over the last four decades, according toThe Athletic's Justin Ray. While that was happening, Rose was surging alongside him. Rose, who started the day one back, went on a tear where he made four straight birdies to suddenly get right back into the mix. It actually marked his longest birdie streak on Tour this season. FOURTH BIRDIE in a row vaults Justin Rose into the co-lead. 🔥pic.twitter.com/6s7IBhOunn — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel)August 10, 2025 Rose had a great look for birdie at the last, but he just barely sent his putt right of the cup. That set up the playoff with Spaun — who also jumped right back into it with a pair of late birdies. Spaun has now finished in second three times this season, two of which have come in a playoff. He picked up his first major championship win earlier this summer at the U.S. Open, too. "It sucks to miss a 7-footer, but tricky read and pulled it a little bit," Spaun said of the final putt. "I hung in there the best I could, and he beat me to the hole first. Just wasn't meant to be." Scheffler finished in a tie for third with Fleetwood at 15-under. Scheffler had to turn to Brad Payne, a chaplain to PGA Tour players, on Sunday to fill in as his caddie. Scheffler's usual caddie, Ted Scott, had to return home after the third round due to an undisclosed family matter. Payne has caddied for several players on Tour in the past, and he actually stepped in for Scott during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship. Scott left Scheffler during the third round of that major championship to attend the high school graduation ceremony of one of his children. Rose has now won 12 times in his career. He has five top-10 finishes this season, and he entered the week at No. 20 in the Official World Golf Rankings. He fought his way into a playoff at Augusta National earlier this season,but he fell to Rory McIlroy. Fleetwood has been a dominant force on the world stage for years. He's been a staple on the European Ryder Cup team and has won seven times on the DP World Tour. He entered this week at No. 15 in the OWGR. But the 34-year-old Englishman just can't break through in the United States. He's had five top-10 finishes this season on Tour and he finished T2 at the Travelers Championship earlier this summer. That was the sixth runner-up finish of his career, two of which have come at major championships. With how he's playing, Fleetwood is sure to break through on Tour at some point. But with how rough Sunday's finish was, it's unclear when that will actually happen. "I'm obviously going to be disappointed," Fleetwood said. "I said last time, there's a lot of positives to take ... I won't feel like that right now."

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

FedEx St. Jude Championship: Justin Rose surges late to win in a playoff as Tommy Fleetwood stumbles again

FedEx St. Jude Championship: Justin Rose surges late to win in a playoff as Tommy Fleetwood stumbles again Tommy Fleetwood once again came u...

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Pawol breaks gender barrier, earns good reviews for her work behind the plate on historic weekend

Pawol breaks gender barrier, earns good reviews for her work behind the plate on historic weekend

ATLANTA (AP) — Jen Pawol breezed through Sunday's Marlins-Braves game as if breaking a gender barrier was just another day on the job. Considering Pawol became the first female umpire to work behind the plate in the majors, making unprecedented history appear to be routine was especially impressive. "I think Jen did a really nice job," Miami manager Clayton McCullough said afterAtlanta's 7-1 winover the Marlins. "I think she's very composed back there. She handled and managed the game very well. And big day for her. Big day for Major League Baseball. I congratulated her again on that because it's quite the accomplishment." It was an impressive cap to a memorable weekend for Pawol. Shemade historyin Saturday's doubleheader as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the majors. She called the bases in the doubleheader before moving behind the plate on Sunday, placing her in the brightest spotlight for an umpire. Pawol never showed any indication of being affected by the attention, even while knowing every call would be closely watched. "Congrats to Jen, obviously," said Braves left-hander Joey Wentz, who earned the win by allowing only one run in 5 1/3 innings. Asked about Pawol's calls, Wentz said, "I try not to focus on the zone, to be honest with you. ... I thought it was good though." There were few opportunities for disputes as Wentz and Miami starting pitcher Cal Quantrill combined for only three strikeouts. The first called third strike came in the fifth inning, when Pawol used a fist pump when calling out Miami's Kyle Stowers on a pitch that was close to the edge of the plate. McCullough was seen in the Marlins dugout with his palms held up as if asking about the pitch call. He said after the game it's not unusual to question a close called strike. "Over the course of the game, there are a number of times that you just are going to be asking for clarity on one, if you aren't sure," McCullough said. "So it could have been that." The 48-year-old Pawol was called up as a rover umpire, so her next assignment in the majors has not been announced. "I wish her the best moving forward as she continues to, I'm sure, hopefully one day be up full time, you know, a permanent big league umpire," McCullough said. Pawol also received positive reviews from Braves manager Brian Snitker, who on Saturday said, "You can tell she knows what she does." Pawol's work in the minor leagues began in 2016 when she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League. She worked in the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and inspring training gamesin 2024 and again this year. "We certainly didn't call her up from A ball, right?" Quantrill said. "So yeah, I'm sure she was well prepared. And like I said I think, you know, part of the game moving forward is that if this is normal then we're going to treat it normal, too. So, you know, I thought it was fine. I think she did she did a quality job. ... And yeah, I think she'd be very proud of herself. And, you know, it's kind of a cool little thing to be part of." Pawol spoke to reporters on Saturday when she said, "The dream actually came true today. I'm still living in it. I'm so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment. … I'm just so thankful." Pawol received cheers from fans on both days. On Sunday, some held up "Way to go Jen!" signs. ___ AP MLB:https://apnews.com/MLB

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

Pawol breaks gender barrier, earns good reviews for her work behind the plate on historic weekend

Pawol breaks gender barrier, earns good reviews for her work behind the plate on historic weekend ATLANTA (AP) — Jen Pawol breezed through S...

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Europe says US-Russia summit this week cannot decide on Ukraine land swaps

Europe says US-Russia summit this week cannot decide on Ukraine land swaps

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the United States and Russia cannot decide on land swaps behind their backs at asummit this week, but the Europeans concede that Moscow is unlikely to give up control of Ukrainian land it holds. Ahead of the summit in Alaska on Friday, U.S.President Donald Trumpsuggested that a peace deal could include "some swapping of territories," but the Europeans see no sign that Russia will offer anything to swap. Europeans and Ukrainians so far are not invited to the summit. European Union foreign ministers are meeting on Monday following talks on Ukraine among U.S. and European security advisors over the weekend. They are wary thatPresident Vladimir Putinwill try to claim a political victory by portraying Ukraine as inflexible. Concerns have mounted in Europe and Ukraine that Kyiv may be pressured into giving up land or accepting other curbs on its sovereignty. Ukraine and its European allies reject the notion that Putin should lay claim to any territory even before agreeing to a ceasefire. "As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on the eve of the ministerial meeting. "A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded," Kallas said. On Sunday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany cannot accept that territorial issues in Ukraine would be discussed or decided by Russia and the United States "over the heads" of Europeans or Ukrainians. Still, it's hard to ignore the reality on the ground. Russia in 2022 illegally annexed the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine's east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, even though it doesn't fully control them. It alsooccupies the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized in 2014. On the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, Russia's bigger army has madeslow but costly progresswith its summer offensive. The relentless pounding of urban areas has killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to U.N. estimates. "In the end, the issue of the fact that the Russians are controlling at this moment, factually, a part of Ukraine has to be on the table" in any peace talks after the Alaska summit, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on CBS on Sunday. Rutte said Ukraine's Western backers "can never accept that in a legal sense," but he suggested that they might tacitly acknowledge Russian control. He compared it to the way that the U.S. hosted the diplomatic missions of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from 1940 to 1991, "acknowledging that the Soviet Union was controlling those territories, but never accepting (it) in a legal sense." Giving up claim to any territory, especially without a ceasefire agreement first, would be almost impossible for Zelenskyy to sell at home after thousands of troops have died defending their land. Ultimately, Putin is seen as being not so much interested in land itself, but rather in a more "Russia-friendly" Ukraine with a malleable government that would be unlikely to try to join NATO, just as pro-Russian regions inGeorgiastymied that country's hopes of becoming a member. Zelenskyy insists that a halt to fighting on the front line should be the starting point for negotiations, and the Europeans back him. They say that any future land swaps should be for Ukraine to decide and not be a precondition for a ceasefire. Claims on land could also be part of negotiations on the kind of security guarantees that Ukraine might receive to ensure another war does not break out. The Europeans believe Kyiv's best defense is strong armed forces to deter Russia from striking again. They insist there should be no restrictions on the size of Ukraine's army and the equipment, arms and ammunition it can possess or sell. Beyond that, they say Ukraine should not be constrained in its choice of joining the EU or being forced to become a neutral country. The Trump administration has already taken Ukraine's membership of NATOoff the tablefor the foreseeable future. ___ Associated Press writer Dasha Litvinova contributed.

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

Europe says US-Russia summit this week cannot decide on Ukraine land swaps

Europe says US-Russia summit this week cannot decide on Ukraine land swaps BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukraine and its backers in Europe insist that the...

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Trump vows to evict homeless from Washington, official says National Guard may be deployed

Trump vows to evict homeless from Washington, official says National Guard may be deployed

By Bo Erickson, Nandita Bose and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump pledged on Sunday to evict homeless people from the nation's capital and jail criminals, despite Washington's mayor arguing there is no current spike in crime. While details of the plan were unclear, the administration is preparing to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, a U.S. official told Reuters, a controversial tactic Trump used recently in Los Angeles to tackle immigration protests over the objections of local officials. Trump has not made a final decision, the official said, adding that the number of troops and their role are still being determined. Unlike in California and every other state, where the governor typically decides when to activate Guard troops, the president directly controls the National Guard in Washington, D.C. Past instances of the Guard's deployment in the city include in response to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. "The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong." The White House declined to explain what legal authority Trump would use to evict people from Washington. The Republican president controls only federal land and buildings in the city. Trump plans to hold a press conference on Monday to "stop violent crime in Washington, D.C." It was not clear whether he would announce more details of his eviction plan then. There are 3,782 single persons experiencing homelessness on any given night in the city of about 700,000, says the Community Partnership, an organization working to reduce homelessness in D.C. Most such individuals are in emergency shelters or transitional housing, rather than on the street, it says. A White House official said on Friday more federal law enforcement officers were being deployed in the city following a violent attack on a young administration staffer that angered the president. Alleged crimes investigated by federal agents on Friday night included "multiple persons carrying a pistol without license," motorists driving on suspended licenses and dirt bike riding, a White House official said on Sunday. The official said 450 federal law enforcement officers were deployed across the city on Saturday. The city's police department says violent crime was down 26% in D.C. in the first seven months of 2025, compared with last year, while overall crime was down about 7%. The Democratic mayor of Washington, D.C., Muriel Bowser, said on Sunday the capital was "not experiencing a crime spike." "It is true that we had a terrible spike in crime in 2023, but this is not 2023," Bowser said on MSNBC's the Weekend. "We have spent over the last two years driving down violent crime in this city, driving it down to a 30-year low." Bowser said Trump was "very aware" of the city's work with federal law enforcement after meeting him several weeks ago in the Oval Office. The U.S. Congress has control of D.C.'s budget after the district was established in 1790 with land from neighboring Virginia and Maryland, but resident voters elect a mayor and city council. For Trump to take over the city, it is likely that Congress would have to pass a law revoking the law that established local elected leadership. (Reporting by Bo Erickson, Nandita Bose and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Clarence Fernandez)

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

Trump vows to evict homeless from Washington, official says National Guard may be deployed

Trump vows to evict homeless from Washington, official says National Guard may be deployed By Bo Erickson, Nandita Bose and Idrees Ali WASHI...

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A scavenger hunt to find college football's next national champion coach turns up key names

A scavenger hunt to find college football's next national champion coach turns up key names

Let's embark on a scavenger hunt to find the nextcollege footballcoach who will win his first national championship. Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney and Ryan Day account for the only active championship coaches. Who's next? Reflecting on past winners and adhering to some guiding principles will help identify top candidates. Sixteen coaches won their first national championship during either the Bowl Championship Series or College Football Playoff era that started in 1998. We'll use that group of coaches as our guide, as we try to winnow the list: ∎ Each of the 16 first-time championship coaches from the BCS and CFP eras coached a school that's now in the Power Four ranks. So, we'll confine our search for the next champion to the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, plus Notre Dame. ∎ Miami's Larry Coker was the only coach from our control group of 16 who won a national championship in his first season. Coker inherited a team that went 11-1 the prior season. He stepped into a ready-made winner. No current first-year coach enjoys a situation so nice, so let's eliminate the Power Four's six coaches who are entering Year 1. Sorry,Bill Belichick, that includes you. Second-year coaches like Michigan's Sherrone Moore remain in the mix. Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer and Gene Chizik won a national championship in their second season, making Year 2 a time to shine. Looking at you,Kalen DeBoer. ∎ Programs rarely go from the outhouse to the penthouse overnight. The 16 coaches who won their first national title during the CFP or BCS eras coached teams that finished 7-5 or better the season before the championship. The majority of first-timers won at least 10 games in the season preceding their first title. Let's eliminate coaches whose teams didn't achieve at least a .583 winning percentage last season. That cuts 29 more coaches from our list, leaving 30 coaches still alive. Eliminated coaches include Southern California's Lincoln Riley, Utah's Kyle Whittingham and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy. They built accomplished careers before losing the plot last year. ∎ Each of the 16 first-time championship coaches from the BCS and playoff eras steered teams that were ranked in the preseason Top 25. So, let's consult the preseasonUS LBM Coaches Poll, and trim from our list nine more coaches, whose teams are unranked. We're down to 21 contenders. ∎ Most first-time championship coaches were winners before they won it all. The 16 new champions from the BCS and CFP eras compiled a combined .684 winning percentage before ever winning a national title. This excludes records compiled coaching in the Championship Subdivision. Auburn's Gene Chizik became notable exception. Before Cam Newton spurred Chizik to brief glory, Chizik's career winning percentage had been .351 across stints at Iowa State and Auburn. Not surprisingly, Chizik didn't last long after Newton departed. LSU's Ed Orgeron had a .532 career winning percentage before Joe Burrow propelled the Tigers to an undefeated national championship. Acknowledging outliers exist to our .684 guideline winning percentage, let's create a buffer and eliminate any coaches that do not have at least a .650 career winning percentage coaching in the FBS. Also, trim any coaches who aren't above-.500 at their current school. Each of the past 16 first-time championship coaches were above .500 at their school entering their breakthrough season, except for Coker, who won his title in his first season. Applying the winning percentage parameters trims 12 more coaches and leaves nine coaches standing: They are Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), Brian Kelly (LSU), Lane Kiffin (Mississippi), Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Dan Lanning (Oregon), James Franklin (Penn State), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) and Rhett Lashlee (SMU). That's a strong list, with a couple of notable omissions. More on the omissions in a bit. First, let's examine the nine names to whom our scavenger hunt guided us. DeBoer, Kelly, Lanning, Franklin and Freeman are obvious contenders. DeBoer, Kelly and Freeman previously coached a team to a national runner-up finish. Each of these five coaches have teams ranked in the preseason top 10. The list also includes four wild cards. Kiffin, Heupel, Cignetti and Lashlee coach teams with longshot national championship odds, but the stock of each coach is on the rise, and it's no guarantee the next championship coach will emerge this season. Day, Smart or Swinney could win another ring and prolong this exercise. It's not unthinkable that Heupel or Kiffin would win a title from his current job – just perhaps not this season. Also, this next coaching carousel projects to be more active than the last, especially if Brent Venables doesn't ignite Oklahoma. Any of four wild-card names our scavenger hunt surfaced could nicely suit the Sooners. As for notable omissions, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian stands most prominently. His .618 career winning percentage resulted in his name being trimmed, but he's coming off the best two seasons of his career. HisLonghorns rank No. 1 in the preseason, after back-to-back playoff semifinal appearances. In February, Ipicked Sarkisian as the best-positioned coach to win his first national championship. He'd need to become another exception to the career winning percentage trend. His winning percentage is superior to what Orgeron had amassed before Burrow led LSU to glory. Might Texas' Arch Manning produce a Burrow effect? Our scavenger hunt also nixed Michigan's Moore. Officially, his career winning percentage is .643, resulting in his cut, but that clip does not include his three victories in 2023 while he served as acting coach during Jim Harbaugh's Big Ten suspension. Moore is entering his second season as Harbaugh's replacement. He, too, could be an exception to the career winning percentage rule, like Stoops was when he won a national title in his second season at Oklahoma, after a 7-5 debut. Michigan's roster features freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation's No. 1-ranked recruit. If Day, Smart or Swinney wins another title and prolongs the runway for the next championship coach, Moore could look like a stronger contender in 2026. If we could combine some common sense with the results of our scanvenger hunt, I'd insert Sarkisian and Moore onto the list in place of Cignetti and Lashlee, for a nine-name collection of DeBoer, Kelly, Kiffin, Heupel, Freeman, Lanning, Franklin, Sarkisian and Moore. Or, perhaps, this scavenger hunt serves as little more than a wild-goose choose, and the real exercise in this NIL era should be to follow the money to Texas, where the Longhorns' handsomely paid roster seems capable of making a champion out of Sarkisian, just as the pricy Buckeyes did for Day. Blake Toppmeyeris the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him atBToppmeyer@gannett.comand follow him on X@btoppmeyer. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football's next national championship coach scavenger hunt

byMario Satorik

in

August 11, 2025

A scavenger hunt to find college football's next national champion coach turns up key names

A scavenger hunt to find college football's next national champion coach turns up key names Let's embark on a scavenger hunt to find...

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