As we go into a new season, college football has 10 coaches on the hot seat (perhaps more), but these are the ones under the most pressure, per USA Today. Basically, they have to win now or they could be searching for a new job come 2027.
Whether it’s institutional structure, the coaching on the field or a combination of multiple things, these coaches are on the hot seat for a reason. Some schools might not be waiting long through these tenures either!
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So without further ado, let’s dive into who is on the hot seat per USA Today’s Paul Myerberg. Will start with a Group of Six coach but then hit plenty of Power Fours along the way.
It was a rough run for Mason at Vanderbilt and he was supposed to have a bounce back stint at Middle Tennessee. Unfortunately, Mason’s won six games in two seasons and just four in Conference USA play.
As it stands now, Mason is certainly on the hot seat if the Blue Raiders can’t show noticeable improvement. That might mean making a bowl game with at least six wins on the 2026 schedule.
It seems the spark is starting to run out for Locksley at Maryland after back to back 4-8 seasons. He is 37-49 overall at Maryland, which included his 1-5 record as interim head coach in 2015.
Locksley had a great run between 2021-23 as Maryland sported a record of 23-16, winning three bowl games during that time. But with only eight wins in the last two seasons, Locksley faces the hot seat and a make or break campaign this fall.
Fickell had a lot of success at Cincinnati before Wisconsin brought him over in 2022. He’s credited with the Guaranteed Rate Bowl win that year, but really showed his cache in 2023 with a 7-6 record and the pieces were in place.
However, the QB position has been his kryptonite with injuries and poor play. The Badgers are 9-15 in the last two years. There seems to be backing from the administration and buy in from the fan base, but the hot seat talk is real. Missing the postseason in 2026 could lead to the end of his tenure.
Despite capturing the 2021 Big 12 title, Aranda is under .500 as Baylor’s head coach and on the hot seat, per USA Today. There seemed to be a bounce back campaign in 2024 with an 8-5 record.
However, that was Aranda’s only winning season since he led the Bears to 12 wins and a No. 5 final ranking five years ago. If he can at least get Baylor back to a bowl game in 2026, he’ll stave off the firing for now.
Satterfield hasn’t really been the splash hire some thought it to be at Cincinnati. He went 25-24 at Louisville and is now just 15-22 with the Bearcats. While he’s on the hot seat, Satterfield at least led them to the Liberty Bowl last year.
The problem is, Satterfield hasn’t been able to level up in the Power Four at two different locations. He went 51-24 at Appalachian State, his alma mater, and won three straight conference titles from 2016-18 with the Mountaineers.
O’Brien steered the ship at Penn State for two years amid scandal and had a successful NFL run with the Houston Texans. His dual responsibilities as GM ultimately did him in. But O’Brien was 15-9 with the Nittany Lions and 52-48 with the Texans, winning the AFC South four times and going 2-4 in the postseason.
Boston College has been a different story. There was initial success, going 7-6 and making the Pinstripe Bowl. But a bad transfer saga with QB Thomas Castellanos at the time and going 2-10 last year just put him on the hot seat. The 56-year-old needs a bowl game berth in 2026 it seems.
Belichick is on the hot seat, as in the hottest of hot seat seats. A 4-8 disaster of a season in 2025 put UNC in a negative spotlight due to poor play, Belichick’s off the field drama surrounding his relationship with Jordon Hudson and lack of a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction highlighted the fall as well.
Can Belichick adapt to the college game in Year 2? That’s the hope of the administration regarding the 74-year-old head coach. He could be the NFL GOAT, but UNC has a tougher schedule in 2026 despite having a slightly better roster. Oh yeah, his GM Michael Lombardi is on administrative leave.
Norvell’s Florida State program has been a disaster the last two seasons since winning the ACC in 2023. He is 7-17 the last two years and 38-34 overall. Norvell is firmly on the hot seat.
They were snubbed from the CFP in 2023, right or wrong, and they’ve cratered since. If Norvell can’t get it together now, it’ll all be over in Tallahassee. Going into Year 7, Seminoles fans expected to compete for national championships at this point.
Fair or not, Lebby was put on the hot seat by USA Today going into the 2026 season. He’s 7-18 since taking over the program, but went 5-8 last year with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss.
Lebby has a lot of offensive smarts as a coach, but in the SEC, you need to win. Perhaps another bowl game will save his job, but his tenure could be over quickly if it’s another brutal struggle.
Riley, despite the promises that they’re building something big at USC, has yet to make the College Football Playoff. That’s ultimately what was promised when the Trojans stunned the college football world and hired him away from Oklahoma.
Riley was dominant and one of the best at Oklahoma, winning the Big 12 four straight years and making the CFP three times. He’s 35-18 at USC, which isn;t bad. But it’s been too many peaks and valleys with talented offenses and less than stellar defenses.
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