Recently retired coach Gus Malzahn, who won a national title in 2010 as Auburn’s offensive coordinator, will join former Cal head coach Jeff Tedford on the College Football Playoff selection committee this spring, the CFP announced Monday.
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yuracek will return as committee chair for a second season, and Louisiana athletic director Brian Maggard will also join the group. The three new committee members will serve three-year terms and replace outgoing members Chris Alt, a former head coach, Jeff Long, a former longtime collegiate administrator, and Miami (Ohio) athletic director David Seiler, whose term has expired.
“The additions of Brian Maggard, Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford will present strong, fresh perspectives to the selection committee as we enter our 13th season,” CFP Executive Director Rich Clark said in a prepared statement. “Each brings a deep understanding of the game, a genuine passion for college football and a commitment to integrity and excellence. Their diverse backgrounds as university leaders, recent coaches and former student-athletes will complement our returning members and allow for a seamless transition.”
Malzahn, who had a 35-year coaching career and built a reputation for his offensive philosophy, retired from his job as Florida State’s offensive coordinator in February. He spent 13 years as a head coach at Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013-20) and UCF (2021-24), posting a career record of 105-62.
His resume includes one national championship, one second national championship game appearance, three conference championships and eight conference championship game appearances.
Before entering collegiate coaching, Malzahn was a high school head coach in Arkansas for 14 seasons. His 144-36-1 overall record included three state championships. Malzahn was inducted into the Arkansas High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and is the only coach to achieve 100 wins as both an FBS head coach and a high school head coach.
Tedford served as head coach at Cal (2002-12) and Fresno State (2017-19 and 2022-23), compiling a career record of 127-79. At Cal, Tedford engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history, leading a team that won just one game to back-to-back bowl appearances, a national ranking and a share of the 2006 conference title. He remains the Golden Bears’ winningest coach with an 82-57 record, guiding the team to eight bowl games.
Malzahn and Tedford will join former coaches Mark Dantonio and Mike Riley on the committee. It’s not unusual for the team to have four former coaches in the room — it happened on multiple committees in 2015, when Barry Alvarez, Bobby Johnson, Tom Osborne and Tyron Willingham were members. Because the group also includes sitting athletic directors, former players, journalists and college administrators, there has never been more. There are also four former head coaches on the 2024 committee (Alt, Jim Grobe, Gary Pinkel and Riley), but last year there were three (Dantonio, Riley and Alt).
Maggard is in his ninth year as athletic director at Louisiana and will be the committee’s sixth sitting athletic director and the second representative of the Group of 6, along with Chris Massaro from Middle Tennessee State (Conference USA). Maggard led the Ragin’ Cajuns to one of their most successful eras, including 20 Sun Belt Conference titles and 23 trips to the NCAA postseason. In 2024, Maggard was appointed to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee.
Maggard earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in both health and physical education from Kansas State. He received his Ph.D. in Educational and Counseling Psychology from Missouri.
Returning 2026 selection committee members include: Troy Dannen (athletic director, University of Nebraska), Dantonio (former head coach, University of Cincinnati and Michigan State), Mark Harlan (athletic director, University of Utah), Evan Maisel (former sports writer for the Atlanta Constitution, Sports Illustrated, Dallas News, Dallas News 3, Sports News), (Athletic Director, Middle Tennessee State), Randall McDaniel (Former All-American Offensive Lineman, Arizona State University), Riley (Former Head Coach, Oregon State University and University of Nebraska), Wesley Walls (Former All-American Tight End from Ole Miss), Carla Williams (Athletic Director, Ukraine University).
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return as chair of the selection committee,” Yurachek said in a statement. “It was an honor to work with such a committed team last year, and I’m excited to continue building on that momentum this fall. Each member of this committee shares a deep passion for college football and a strong commitment to maintaining the integrity and excellence of the playoff process.”
