NCAAF · 11 hours ago

Ranking the 20 College Football Coaches On the Hot Seat Going Into Week 9

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

Off the Hot Seat: Luke Fickell - Wisconsin Badgers
Luke Fickell Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 85-48
- Record at Wisconsin: 22-23
- Season at Wisconsin: 4th
- 2026 Record: 5-2
There was a time last season when it seemed nearly certain that Luke Fickell would be fired. After starting 2-0, the Badgers lost 38-14 to Alabama, 27-10 to Maryland, 24-10 to Michigan, 37-0 to Iowa, 34-0 to Ohio State and 21-7 to Oregon. For those keeping score at home, that’s a miserable 41 points total in six games. A pair of surprise wins down the stretch (Illinois and Washington) proved to be enough to save Fickell. The administration fairly acknowledged the rotten luck he’d had with quarterback injuries and promised a capital injection into the program to make it competitive with other Big Ten schools. Fickell still has not recovered from a fundamentally flawed hiring of Phil Longo as offensive coordinator. Still, there is hope that running quarterback Colton Joseph can do enough to get Wisconsin back to a bowl game and give Fickell’s tenure some new life. If not, former Badger and current New Mexico head coach Jason Eck seems like the surefire first call to replace Fickell. UPDATE - The win over USC means Fickell has done enough to stay in Madison. Only a total collapse would place him back on this list.
20 Coaches On the Hot Seat
The 2026 college football season is nearly here! Much of the sport is unpredictable but we do have a few certainties: Gus Johnson will lose his mind each week on Big Noon on FOX, fans of Big Ten and SEC teams will continue to snipe at each other, no matter how much off-field drama is circling the sport we will be reminded that Saturdays always deliver and finally, the coaching carousel will be spinning as coaches on the hot seat are fired. Which 20 head coaches enter this season under pressure?
FIRED - Mike Locksley - Maryland Terrapins
Mike Locksley Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 41-81
- Record at Maryland: 39-55
- Season at Maryland: 8th
- 2026 Record: 2-6
Maryland is on a downward trajectory after going 7-6, 8-5 and 8-5 between 2021 and 2023. In the past two seasons, the Terrapins are 2-16 in the Big Ten, and Mike Locksley has yet to have a single season with a winning conference record. If stud sophomore quarterback Malik Washington can take a big jump forward, Locksley might be able to do enough to save his job, but it seems unlikely he can reverse course in College Park. UPDATE: Locksley was fired after a loss to Rutgers.
FIRED - Dave Aranda - Baylor Bears
Dave Aranda Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 40-40
- Record at Baylor: 40-40
- Season at Baylor: 6th
- 2026 Record: 4-3
After a fantastic second season in Waco, Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears have had a losing season in three of the past four campaigns, and they were just 5-7 last season. It was actually a bit of a surprise that Aranda was kept around for another season, but Baylor chose not to make a move, and Florida transfer DJ Lagway is now the leader of the offense. Lagway has a high ceiling, and it’s possible he realizes his potential and pushes Baylor back near the top of the Big 12. If not, Aranda is probably done.

UPDATE: Aranda was fired after a loss to Kansas.
Lincoln Riley - USC Trojans
Lincoln Riley Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 96-30
- Record at USC: 41-20
- Season at USC: 5th
- 2026 Record: 6-2
Lincoln Riley is now on "red alert". There’s a lot to like about how things were going at USC entering the season. The Trojans brought in one of the nation’s best recruiting classes, the defense continues to improve, and USC believes they are finally capable of holding up in the trenches. But the pressure is on Lincoln Riley to break through this season in Los Angeles because his tenure thus far looks a heck of a lot like those of USC coaches who were previously fired. Riley is just 35-18 since his blockbuster move to USC from Oklahoma, and USC insiders believe it is “playoff or bust” in 2026. A shambolic loss at Wisconsin puts the Trojans' playoff hopes on life support. Given the difficult schedule USC faces, this is certainly one to watch.
Steve Sarkisian - Texas Longhorns
Steve Sarkisian Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 99-57
- Record at Texas: 53-22
- Season at Texas: 6th
- 2026 Record: 5-2
Life comes at you fast in college football. A few weeks ago, Texas was ranked No. 1 in the country and looked like a lock to make the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns then lost to rival Oklahoma and were beaten at home by Florida, while the offense, which is supposed to be Sarkisian's strength, continued to look frustratingly weak. Arch Manning has not developed under Sarkisian's watch, and every game is now seen as a referendum on his tenure. Texas still has a lot of tough games coming up, and if he misses the CFP with this roster, I think he gets the axe.
Mike Norvell - Florida State Seminoles
Mike Norvell Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 79-53
- Record at Florida State: 41-38
- Season at Florida State: 7th
- 2026 Record: 3-4
We begin with the most obvious name: Florida State’s Mike Norvell. The former Memphis head coach is entering Year 5 in Tallahassee, and his contract is very likely the only reason Norvell has remained employed during the past two offseasons. After beginning his tenure in promising fashion, Florida State has bottomed out. They went 2-10 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025. Remarkably, Florida State last won a road game in 2023, and they are a woeful 3-13 in the ACC in the past two seasons. Yes, the buyout is a problem for the ‘Noles, but if things don’t improve substantially on the field in 2026, you’d have to imagine Norvell will not get another year to right the ship. UPDATE: Mike Norvell's job is still in the balance, but a spirited effort against Miami offers a bit of hope.
Deion Sanders - Colorado Buffaloes
Deion Sanders Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 45-32
- Record at Colorado: 18-26
- Season at Colorado: 4th
- 2026 Record: 2-5
Deion Sanders gets a whole lot of attention, and it gets noticed when he’s not winning. Last season, Colorado went just 3-9 and looked completely listless late in the campaign, closing with a five-game losing streak that dropped Sanders to 16-21 in three seasons. He has two 1-8 Big 12 seasons, and their schedule features non-conference road games against Georgia Tech and Northwestern. If the Buffaloes are something like 4-8 with blowout losses to the better teams they play, Sanders probably does not get a fifth year. The Heisman Trophy season for Travis Hunter seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? UPDATE: Colorado is headed straight towards another finish in the basement of the Big 12.
Scotty Walden - UTEP Miners
Scotty Walden Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 40-45
- Record at UTEP: 6-25
- Season at UTEP: 3rd
- 2026 Record: 1-6
UTEP is a very difficult job. There are at least seven or eight other programs in Texas that would be above the Miners in the pecking order, and there are just not many resources available to them. That being said, there’s no way to paint 5-19 through two seasons as acceptable. UTEP was 3-9 in his first season and regressed to 2-10 in 2025. They are now in the Mountain West (from Conference USA), and another season with only two or three victories should prompt UTEP to try something different.
Bill O'Brien - Boston College Eagles
Bill O'Brien Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 27-28
- Record at Boston College: 12-19
- Season at Boston College: 3rd
- 2026 Record: 3-3
I’m not entirely sure what the expectations for Boston College football should be, but surely they should do better than 2-10 with just one ACC win. The Eagles went 7-6 in Bill O’Brien’s first season but tanked in year two, going just 2-10 and then facing a player exodus via the transfer portal. O’Brien is known as a bright offensive mind, but neither the offense nor the defense is working in Chestnut Hill, and there’s little reason for optimism right now.
Derek Mason - Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Derek Mason Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 36-76
- Record at Middle Tennessee: 9-21
- Season at Middle Tennessee: 3rd
- 2026 Record: 3-3
Why is Derek Mason still a head coach? He was the head man at Vanderbilt for seven seasons and went 27-55 and just 10-46 in the SEC. As we have seen with both James Franklin and Clark Lea, success is possible at Vanderbilt, but it was certainly not seen under Mason. He was hired by Middle Tennessee before the 2024 season and is just 6-18 with a pair of 3-9 seasons and just four total Conference USA victories. The conference is down, and Middle Tennessee is a decent program, but the Blue Raiders are flailing. If Mason is not able to turn things around in 2026, his time as a head coach in the FBS is probably over.
Chris Creighton - Eastern Michigan Eagles
Chris Creighton Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 204-133
- Record at Eastern Michigan: 65-87
- Season at Eastern Michigan: 12th
- 2026 Record: 4-4
Chris Creighton has been the head coach in Ypsilanti for a dozen seasons, and he was rumored to be a candidate for a step up after the 2022 season, when the Eastern Michigan Eagles went 9-4, but he did not land those gigs, and EMU is now on a downward slide. Since going 9-4, the Eagles have gone 6-7, 5-7 and 4-8. Creighton now has a record of just 61-83, and if the drop-off continues, EMU will be looking for a new head coach after the 2026 season.
Brent Venables - Oklahoma Sooners
Brent Venables Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 35-23
- Record at Oklahoma: 35-23
- Season at Oklahoma: 5th
- 2026 Record: 3-3
Brent Venables is a good coach, and I don’t think there's much dispute about that, but his tenure in Norman has been bizarre. The Sooners were 6-7 in Year 1, followed by a 10-3 breakthrough campaign, then a major backslide to 6-7, and last season was a bounce-back to 10-3 and a trip to the College Football Playoff. The Sooners lost to Alabama to end the season, and the offense sputtered far too often. What happens if OU disappoints this season and slides to something like 7-5? That would leave Venables at roughly .500 in conference play through five seasons, and starting quarterback John Mateer would be moving on. If things play out that way, do the Sooners make a move? UPDATE: Oklahoma's offense is still a mess. If the Sooners are poor the rest of the way, it seems likely that changes will be made to the staff, but Venables probably gets another year.
Dabo Swinney - Clemson Tigers
Dabo Swinney Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 191-56
- Record at Clemson: 191-56
- Season at Clemson: 19th
- 2026 Record: 4-3
Dabo Swinney is not going to get fired, but the feeling of many Clemson fans about the program right now is a perfect case of the “what have you done for me lately” feeling prevailing in sports. Despite bringing unprecedented success to Clemson, the program is undeniably on a downward trajectory, and last season was a bitter disappointment. The Tigers had a lot of talent that was selected in the NFL Draft, but they went from being ranked in the top five in most preseason polls to barely making a bowl game. With a retooled roster, what happens if Clemson bottoms out and is .500 (or worse)? Does Dabo Swinney decide to move on? He’s been very clear that he is nowhere near retiring, but if pressure builds at Clemson, will he look for different opportunities? UPDATE: Clemson fell at home to Virginia Tech and now has three losses. It's a lost season for the Tigers. I don't think Clemson has the money or the stomach to fire Dabo Swinney, but changes to the football program's structure are coming this offseason.
Lance Leipold - Kansas Jayhawks
Lance Leipold Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 176-78
- Record at Kansas: 30-39
- Season at Kansas: 6th
- 2026 Record: 3-4
Kansas should not even consider moving on from Lance Leipold, but there’s a real chance another subpar campaign puts him in danger. He turned the program around and won nine games in 2023 with a really fun offense, but the Jayhawks are investing significant money to upgrade their football facilities. If they have a losing record for the third straight campaign, it would not be a shock to see the administration explore its options.
Dell McGee - Georgia State Panthers
Dell McGee Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 9-22
- Record at Georgia State: 8-22
- Season at Georgia State: 3rd
- 2026 Record: 4-2
The first Group of Six coach on this list is Georgia State’s Dell McGee. The former University of Georgia running backs coach is entering his third season as the head coach for the Panthers, and his tenure has been a disaster. Georgia State went 3-9 in 2024 and tanked to a 1-11 record last season. There is no reason for a school in Atlanta's talent-rich area to be one of the worst programs in the country, and McGee has turned it around quickly.
Kalen DeBoer - Alabama Crimson Tide
Kalen DeBoer Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 129-22
- Record at Alabama: 25-10
- Season at Alabama: 3rd
- 2026 Record: 5-2
Kalen DeBoer’s contract makes it very difficult to move on from him, and he’s highly unlikely to be fired from Alabama. Still, there is real pressure on the Alabama head coach, and his team enters the 2026 season with many questions to answer. Getting embarrassed at the Rose Bowl by Indiana and routinely looking like the physically weaker team during the 2025 season is just not going to sit well with Alabama fans, and it won’t be tolerated for long. Now, with Keelon Russell looking like a future NFL starter and the team able to run the ball consistently and somewhat successfully, it would go a long way toward easing some of the pressure in Tuscaloosa. But what happens if the Crimson Tide still struggles with physicality and misses the College Football Playoff?
Scott Satterfield - Cincinnati Bearcats
Scott Satterfield Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 96-72
- Record at Cincinnati: 20-24
- Season at Cincinnati: 4th
- 2026 Record: 5-2
It’s not really fair, but Cincinnati fans do not seem to have ever embraced Scott Satterfield, and it feels like he’s been on a hot seat since he took the job. Part of that is that he fled Louisville to allow the Cardinals to hire Jeff Brohm, and he has not exactly lit the world on fire as the head coach of the Bearcats. The job has been complicated by the program's move from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12, but going 9-18 in conference and 15-22 overall is not good enough for a school with Cincinnati's tradition. UPDATE: It was a huge weekend for the Bearcats. The win over Texas Tech should cool things off, and barring a total collapse, Satterfield should be safe.
Jeff Lebby - Mississippi State Bulldogs
Jeff Lebby Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 11-20
- Record at Mississippi State: 11-20
- Season at Mississippi State: 3rd
- 2026 Record: 4-2
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are on the right path, but Jeff Lebby needs to turn a corner this season, or things could get dicey for him in Starkville. After a 2-10 Year 1, the Bulldogs were 5-7 last season (5-8 after a bowl-game loss). Things looked a lot better, and Mississippi State was quite competitive in several close losses, but the numbers don’t lie. Jeff Lebby is just 1-15 in SEC play. Reaching a bowl game would be a great step, and a strong season from emerging star Kamario Taylor at quarterback would signal a bright future. However, if things go sideways this season and SEC wins can still be counted with a couple of fingers, Lebby might not get Year 4.
Shane Beamer - South Carolina Gamecocks
Shane Beamer Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 37-33
- Record at South Carolina: 37-33
- Season at South Carolina: 6th
- 2026 Record: 4-3
The Beamer name is extremely familiar to college football fans. Shane’s father, Frank, was a legendary coach at Virginia Tech, and Shane has been a collegiate coach in some capacity since 2000. He was a surprise hire by South Carolina before the 2021 season, and his tenure has been a difficult one to figure out. The Gamecocks were 7-6 and 8-5 in his first two seasons, backslid to 5-7 in 2023, nearly made the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 regular season in 2024, but then were a major disappointment last season at just 4-8. Despite having some very talented individuals, South Carolina is now just 16-24 in the SEC under Beamer. This is a difficult job, but fans expect better than a barely above .500 record. If the Gamecocks can’t have a winning season with stars like LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart, it’s hard to envision Beamer having a seventh year in Columbia. UPDATE: It was looking dire for Beamer a couple of weeks ago, but things can change quickly. Back-to-back ranked wins for the Gamecocks (Florida and Tennessee) probably keep him safe unless SC falls apart down the stretch.
Bill Belichick - North Carolina Tar Heels
Bill Belichick Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 8-10
- Record at North Carolina: 8-10
- Season at North Carolina: 2nd
- 2026 Record: 4-2
As was entirely predictable, the “Bill Belichick Goes to College” experiment has been a colossal disappointment in Chapel Hill. It is largely believed that the athletic department was undermined during the search by prominent boosters and more logical candidates were eschewed in favor of the former Super Bowl-winning head coach. Belichick came to North Carolina with delusions of turning the Tar Heels into the “33rd NFL team”. Unfortunately, they have imitated the dysfunction of the New York Jets or Cleveland Browns and have stumbled both on and off the field. With multiple members of his staff on leave and scandals colliding with poor results, it would be a surprise if Belichick survived the season. There’s a new athletic director at North Carolina, and he’ll almost certainly want to wash his hands of this mess and start over with an actual college football coach. UPDATE: North Carolina has looked surprisingly competent and buttoned-up this season, and Bill Belichick, despite a lot of turmoil behind the scenes and within his staff, has earned another season.
Sonny Cumbie - Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Sonny Cumbie Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 26-36
- Record at Louisiana Tech: 24-33
- Season at Louisiana Tech: 5th
- 2026 Record: 5-2
Sonny Cumbie is known as a bright offensive mind, and he was near the top of the hot seat list before the 2025 campaign. His Louisiana Tech Bulldogs went 8-5 despite quarterback Blake Baker missing the back half of the season with a torn ACL. That season probably saves Cumbie, barring a total collapse, but it’s worth noting that the Bulldogs are moving from Conference USA to the Sun Belt, which does increase the schedule's difficulty a bit. UPDATE: The Bulldogs are now 5-2 and sitting atop the Sun Belt West.
Greg Schiano - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Greg Schiano Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 101-113
- Record at Rutgers: 101-113
- Season at Rutgers: 18
- 2026 Record: 2-5
Greg Schiano squeaks in at the bottom of the list, and this is a situation to monitor. The Scarlet Knights are well off the pace, and his only notable win this season was against Maryland, which led to Mike Locksley getting fired. Rutgers is largely uncompetitive, and Schiano isn't changing that, but I do wonder whether the finances are in place to make a move? Or will Rutgers prefer to continue coasting and just cashing those Big Ten checks while taking the losses?
Off the Hot Seat: Luke Fickell - Wisconsin Badgers
Luke Fickell Coaching Profile
- Career Record: 85-48
- Record at Wisconsin: 22-23
- Season at Wisconsin: 4th
- 2026 Record: 5-2
There was a time last season when it seemed nearly certain that Luke Fickell would be fired. After starting 2-0, the Badgers lost 38-14 to Alabama, 27-10 to Maryland, 24-10 to Michigan, 37-0 to Iowa, 34-0 to Ohio State and 21-7 to Oregon. For those keeping score at home, that’s a miserable 41 points total in six games. A pair of surprise wins down the stretch (Illinois and Washington) proved to be enough to save Fickell. The administration fairly acknowledged the rotten luck he’d had with quarterback injuries and promised a capital injection into the program to make it competitive with other Big Ten schools. Fickell still has not recovered from a fundamentally flawed hiring of Phil Longo as offensive coordinator. Still, there is hope that running quarterback Colton Joseph can do enough to get Wisconsin back to a bowl game and give Fickell’s tenure some new life. If not, former Badger and current New Mexico head coach Jason Eck seems like the surefire first call to replace Fickell. UPDATE - The win over USC means Fickell has done enough to stay in Madison. Only a total collapse would place him back on this list.
20 Coaches On the Hot Seat
The 2026 college football season is nearly here! Much of the sport is unpredictable but we do have a few certainties: Gus Johnson will lose his mind each week on Big Noon on FOX, fans of Big Ten and SEC teams will continue to snipe at each other, no matter how much off-field drama is circling the sport we will be reminded that Saturdays always deliver and finally, the coaching carousel will be spinning as coaches on the hot seat are fired. Which 20 head coaches enter this season under pressure?