RALEIGH — NC State has four opportunities to get two wins for a shot at a bowl bid in December. The first of those chances comes Saturday night, as the Wolfpack welcomes No. 8 Georgia Tech to Carter-Finley Stadium for a chance at a massive upset.

That’s always in the back of the mind for coaches: It’s still a profession, and it could still go south. Ralph Friedgen coached Maryland for 10 years before his alma mater fired him. He was offered the Georgia Tech job in 2002, after his first year at Maryland, and said later that, in hindsight, he should have taken it.

ATLANTA — Georgia's griding win over Florida kept them in place in the latest AP top-25 rankings released on Sunday, while Georgia Tech was sent tumbling following their first loss of the season. The Dawgs overcame the Gators late in Jacksonville, winning 24-20 to go to 7-1 on the season. They stayed put at No. 5 in the AP top-25.

The Georgia Tech head coach knows the Wolfpack has some talent despite having a 4-4 record at this point of the 2025 season.

Georgia Tech has its guard up. The undefeated, seventh-ranked Yellow Jackets are preparing to host Syracuse on Saturday, and coach Brent Key isn’t letting them grow complacent.

Because, if certain thriving coaches are up for leaving the school where they earned their degree, then the candidate pool just got a lot deeper and better for schools like Florida, LSU, Auburn and Penn State. Here are five coaches excelling at their alma mater who would make a good hire for a certain SEC or Big Ten school:

The South African defensive tackle made a great decision leaving Penn State. He's quietly become one of the most effective defensive linemen in the country since joining the Yellow Jackets before the 2024 season. He earned second-team All-ACC honors after his first year and looks to be on his way to more accolades in 2025.