Blog Article
WEEK 10 COACHES HOT SEAT RANKINGS
The seats are getting hotter.
And the carousel is spinning faster than anyone expected. We’re barely past mid-season and the coaching changes are piling up. Brian Kelly is out at LSU. James Franklin got fired at Penn State two weeks ago. Florida, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Stanford—all looking for new head coaches.
This isn’t normal.
This is chaos. And for the coaches who are still employed? The pressure just went up. Because if a guy like Brian Kelly—with two national championships, a College Football Playoff appearance, and multiple 10-win seasons—can get fired, then nobody is safe.
So who’s next?
Here are our Week 10 Top 10 Coaches Hot Seat Rankings.
1. Mike Norvell (Florida State)
Mike Norvell’s seat isn’t just hot anymore.
It’s molten.
Florida State went from Top 10 to four-game losing streak to getting embarrassed by Stanford—a team nobody expected them to fail to beat. And now? Boosters are openly questioning whether Norvell is the guy. The administration says they’re backing him, but that’s what they always say before they’re not. The only thing keeping him in Tallahassee right now is a buyout so massive it would make your eyes water. But make no mistake: a full program assessment is coming, and nothing about this season suggests he’ll survive it.
2. Jonathan Smith (Michigan State)
Five straight losses.
Four straight losses to Michigan.
Jonathan Smith turned around Oregon State. It took time. It was a slow rebuild. But here’s the problem: today’s college football environment no longer tolerates slow rebuilds. The Spartans are 3-11 in Big Ten play under Smith, and fans aren’t willing to wait three, four, five years to see progress. And here’s the kicker: he wasn’t even hired by the current AD or president. That’s a death sentence in college football. When the people who didn’t hire you start questioning your decisions, your player development, and your ability to compete? It’s over. The patience that worked at Oregon State doesn’t exist at Michigan State. Not anymore.
3. Bill Belichick (North Carolina)
Bill Belichick’s reputation was supposed to be bulletproof.
Turns out, college football doesn’t care about your NFL résumé.
The Tar Heels are 2-4. They’re getting blown out. And the off-field issues keep piling up: a cornerbacks coach suspended for NCAA violations, reports of preferential treatment in recruiting, a scrapped documentary deal, and internal tensions that have leaked into the media. This was supposed to be the start of something special—Belichick bringing his genius to Chapel Hill. Instead, it’s dysfunction. On the field and off. And now? Exit strategy conversations are already happening. In October. Of his first season.
4. Jeff Choate (Nevada)
Year 2 at Nevada was supposed to show progress.
It hasn’t.
The Wolf Pack are still winless in conference play. They’re still one of the worst teams in FBS. The offense is broken. The losses are piling up. And fans are starting to ask the question every coach dreads: “Is this ever going to get better?” Choate went 3-10 in Year 1. He’s on pace to do worse in Year 2. But here’s the reality: local reporter Chris Murray put Choate’s hot seat at “0” on a scale of 0-10, explaining that “Choate’s buyout after this season is $2.7 million, which Nevada is not paying to change coaches.” The money is keeping him employed for now.
5. Hugh Freeze (Auburn)
Hugh Freeze finally won an SEC game.
Great. He’s 1-4 in the conference.
Auburn sits at 4-4 overall, and the win over Arkansas—while needed—doesn’t erase the reality: this program is underperforming. The quarterback play has been terrible. Game management has been questionable. And expectations? They’re not being met. Freeze was hired to bring Auburn back to relevance, and instead, they’re fighting to stay above .500. If they don’t win out, the talk of a coaching change is going to get loud. Fast.
6. Luke Fickell (Wisconsin)
Back-to-back shutouts.
By Iowa and Ohio State.
The first time Wisconsin has been shut out twice in a row since 1977. Luke Fickell’s tenure in Madison is collapsing in real time. The Badgers are 15–18 since he arrived. They’ve lost 10 straight games to Power Four opponents. The offense is nonexistent. And fans? They’re done. Chanting “Fire Fickell” in the stands. Waving shirts. Walking out. Athletic Director Chris McIntosh has publicly committed to keeping Fickell and investing more in NIL and program resources, saying “the results of this elevated support may not be immediate, but we are confident the direction will be positive and long-term.” But here’s the problem: fans aren’t buying it. Betting markets still have him as a top candidate to get fired. And unless something changes immediately, all the investment in the world won’t save him.
7. Justin Wilcox (California)
Justin Wilcox is stuck in mediocrity.
And mediocrity doesn’t keep you employed forever.
Cal hasn’t had a winning season since 2019. They’re below the required .490 winning percentage. And now, with a new chancellor emphasizing accountability and self-sustainability, Wilcox is facing a crossroads: improve immediately, or get replaced. The buyout? Nearly $11 million. That sounds like a lot until you remember Cal has some of the wealthiest alumni in college football. This program has enormous potential. If they want him gone, they’ll find the money. Recruiting is suffering. Fan support is fading. And if 2025 doesn’t show real improvement? He’s gone.
8. Derek Mason (Middle Tennessee)
Year 2 at Middle Tennessee has been abysmal.
4-14 overall. 2-9 in CUSA. Blowout losses. Embarrassing performances against teams they should be able to compete with. Derek Mason came in with a plan, but the results haven’t followed. Fans are running out of patience. Boosters are losing faith. And unless something miraculous happens, a coaching change is coming. Because at some point, you have to cut your losses and try something new.
9. Shane Beamer (South Carolina)
Shane Beamer entered 2025 with momentum.
Now he’s 3-5 and the wheels are coming off.
After a spectacular 9-4 season in 2024 that earned him SEC Coach of the Year and nearly landed the Gamecocks in the playoff, expectations were sky-high. Instead? South Carolina is dead last in SEC offensive output. The contract extension that seemed like a no-brainer six months ago now feels premature. Close losses. Underperformance. Disappointment. If this season doesn’t turn around fast, the goodwill from 2024 will evaporate. Because at some point, one great season stops being enough.
10. Sonny Cumbie (Louisiana Tech)
Sonny Cumbie started the season with the hottest seat in college football.
Clear #1. Everyone knew it.
Three straight losing seasons. 11-26 record coming in. The offense, his specialty, is getting worse every year. But then something happened: Louisiana Tech started winning games. They’re 4-3 now, competitive in Conference USA, and suddenly Cumbie’s seat has cooled. Not cold. But cooler. Here’s the problem: the offense is still struggling. The thing he was hired to fix? Still broken. And with road games at Delaware, Washington State, and Missouri State still on the schedule, plus a home date with Liberty, a bowl game isn’t guaranteed. If Louisiana Tech misses a bowl again, all that early-season progress won’t matter. Because in Year 4, you either show real improvement or the program shows you the door.
