Coaches Who Faced Their Old Team in Year 1

1. Sonny Dykes (2022)
Moved: SMU to TCU
In one of the most highly publicized coaching changes in recent memory, Dykes left SMU following the 2021 season to take over their bitter cross-metroplex rival, TCU. Because the two schools play annually for the Iron Skillet, Dykes had to travel back to Dallas in Week 4 of his very first season to face the roster he had just built.

The Result: Dykes and TCU won 42-34, kickstarting a magical undefeated regular season that ended with a trip to the National Championship game.

2. Geoff Collins (2019)
Moved: Temple to Georgia Tech
Collins parlayed a successful two-year stint at Temple into the head coaching job at Georgia Tech following the 2018 season. In a scheduling quirk, Georgia Tech already had a non-conference game slated against Temple for Week 4 of the 2019 season.

The Result: The Temple players took the departure personally. The Owls smothered Collins' new team in Philadelphia, routing the Yellow Jackets 24-2.

3. Dan Mullen (2018)
Moved: Mississippi State to Florida
After resurrecting Mississippi State football over nine seasons, Mullen left Starkville for Gainesville. Thanks to the SEC's cross-division rotation, Florida was already scheduled to travel to Mississippi State early in Mullen's first season.

The Result: In a highly emotional game featuring cowbells and former players, Florida ground out a 13-6 defensive victory.

4. Gus Malzahn (2013)
Moved: Arkansas State to Auburn
Malzahn spent a single, highly successful season (2012) as the head coach of Arkansas State before bolting to take the top job at Auburn. Arkansas State was already on Auburn's non-conference schedule for Week 2 of the 2013 season.

The Result: Auburn took care of business, winning 38-9, which helped launch the Tigers' "Miracle at Jordan-Hare" season that ended in the BCS National Championship game.
5. Houston Nutt (2008)
Moved: Arkansas to Ole Miss
After a tumultuous end to his tenure at Arkansas, Nutt resigned following the 2007 season and was immediately hired by SEC West rival Ole Miss. Because they were in the same division, Nutt had to face the Razorbacks the very next season.

The Result: Nutt got his revenge on his old program, going into Fayetteville and leaving with a 23-21 victory.

6. Tommy Tuberville (1999)
Moved: Ole Miss to Auburn
Tuberville famously told the Ole Miss media that they would have to carry him out of Oxford "in a pine box" before he'd leave for another job. Two days later, he took the head coaching job at Auburn. The two SEC West rivals met the very next season in Auburn.

The Result: Ole Miss got the ultimate payback on the coach that abandoned them, beating Auburn 24-17 in overtime.

7. Dennis Erickson (1987)
Moved: Wyoming to Washington State
Erickson spent just one year at Wyoming (1986), going 6-6 before leaving to become the head coach at Washington State. In just his second game leading the Cougars in 1987, he had to host his former Cowboys team.

The Result: Washington State's offense clicked, and Erickson defeated his former team 43-28.

8. Doug Dickey (1970)
Moved: Tennessee to Florida
Dickey rebuilt Tennessee into a powerhouse in the late 1960s but decided to leave Knoxville following the 1969 season to return to his alma mater, Florida. The two schools played each other the very next season.

The Result: The Volunteers took their anger out on Dickey, blowing out his Gators 38-7.

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I’m curious what coaches faced their old teams in year 1 and were successful. Obviously Saban lost to LSU in his first year at Bama but he came from the NFL. Coach O beat Ole Miss in his first year but he had bounced around since he left them. Kiffin has Ole Miss and Tenn on the schedule this year which has to be pretty rare for a coach to face 2 old teams in his first year.

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Someone will do the research, but I'd imagine the results won't be good for the new team.

Coaches hired away from teams by teams that just fired their old coach prior to the portal will have had difficulty in the transition year. The team hiring them probably did not have a good team, that's why they fired their old coach. Saban lost to LSU.

Coaches hired away from teams by teams that had their old coach hired away from them will probably do well. The team hiring them probably has a good team, that's why their old coach got hired away. LSU would have crushed Okie State in 2005.

Coaches fired from teams and hired by other teams will probably have difficulty because they probably weren't very good coaches.