Newly retired coach Gus Malzahn, a national championship victor in 2010 as Auburn’s offensive coordinator, is set to join former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford on the College Football Playoff selection panel this spring, as declared by the CFP on Monday.
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek is slated to resume his role as the committee’s chairperson for a second consecutive season, and Louisiana athletic director Bryan Maggard will additionally become a part of the assembly. These three incoming panel members are appointed for three-year tenures and will succeed departing members Chris Ault, a former head coach, Jeff Long, a seasoned ex-university administrator, and Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Sayler, whose mandates have concluded.
“The inclusion of Bryan Maggard, Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford are poised to bring robust, novel viewpoints to the selection committee as we commence our thirteenth operational year,” CFP executive director Rich Clark stated in an official communiqué. “Every individual contributes a profound comprehension of the sport, a sincere enthusiasm for collegiate gridiron and a dedication to probity and superiority. Their varied professional histories as university leaders, recent coaches and past student-athletes will augment our existing members and facilitate a fluid handover.”
Malzahn, whose coaching tenure spanned 35 years and who gained renown for his innovative offensive strategies, concluded his role in February as Florida State’s offensive coordinator. He spent 13 years as a chief coach at Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013-20) and UCF (2021-24), amassing a professional record of 105-62.
His career achievements encompass a nationwide title, a second national championship final game participation, three league championships and eight conference championship match presences.
Prior to transitioning to university-level coaching, Malzahn served as a senior secondary school head coach in Arkansas for 14 seasons. His cumulative statistics of 144-36-1 comprised three state titles. Malzahn was enshrined within the Arkansas High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and holds the distinction of being the sole coach to achieve 100 wins as an FBS head coach and as a high school head coach.
Tedford held the position of head coach at Cal (2002-12) and Fresno State (2017-19 and 2022-23), accumulating an overall tally of 127-79. At Cal, Tedford orchestrated one of the most astounding transformations in college football history, transforming a squad that had secured merely a single victory into one with regular bowl game participations, nationwide standings and a portion of the 2006 league championship. He continues to be the Golden Bears’ most victorious coach with an 82-57 record, while directing the squad to eight postseason contests.
Malzahn and Tedford are slated to accompany past coaches Mark Dantonio and Mike Riley on the panel. It is not uncommon for the assembly to comprise four previous coaches in the room — this has occurred across numerous panels dating back to 2015, when Barry Alvarez, Bobby Johnson, Tom Osborne and Tyrone Willingham held positions. Given that the contingent also features active athletic directors, former players, journalists and college administrators, the number has never surpassed this. The 2024 panel similarly featured four former head coaches (Ault, Jim Grobe, Gary Pinkel and Mike Riley), but last year there were three (Dantonio, Riley and Ault).
Maggard is currently serving his ninth year as director of athletics at Louisiana and is slated to become the sixth active athletic director on the committee and the second delegate from the Group of 6, in conjunction with Chris Massaro from Middle Tennessee State (Conference USA). Maggard has guided the Ragin’ Cajuns through one of their most prosperous periods, encompassing 20 Sun Belt League championships and 23 appearances in the NCAA post-season tournaments. In 2024, Maggard received an appointment to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee.
Maggard earned an undergraduate degree in journalism and a postgraduate degree in health and physical education, both from Kansas State. He was awarded a doctorate in Educational and Counseling Psychology from Missouri.
The members of the 2026 selection panel who are continuing their service comprise: Troy Dannen (director of athletics, University of Nebraska), Dantonio (former head coach, University of Cincinnati and Michigan State), Mark Harlan (director of athletics, University of Utah), Ivan Maisel (past sports journalist for The Atlanta Constitution, Sports Illustrated, the Dallas Morning News, Newsday, ESPN and On3), Massaro (director of athletics, Middle Tennessee State), Randall McDaniel (previous All-American offensive line player, Arizona State University), Riley (former head coach, Oregon State University and the University Nebraska), Wesley Walls (past All-American tight end from Ole Miss), Carla Williams (director of athletics, University of Virginia); and Yurachek.
“I am immensely appreciative for the chance to resume my role as chairperson of the selection committee,” Yurachek said in a statement. “Collaborating with such a dedicated cohort last year was a distinct privilege, and I am eager to further develop that impetus this autumn. Every member of this committee possesses a profound ardor for collegiate gridiron and a steadfast dedication to preserving the probity and high standards of the playoff procedure.”