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Top 5 college football coaches on the hot seat in 2026 Five college football head coaches need to show improvement this season to keep their jobs after recent struggles.
The coaching carousel started very early in 2025 when UCLA fired DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry after 0-3 starts on Sept.
14.
A total of 32 FBS teams had openings in the hiring cycle, and that number isn't out of the norm anymore, as there have beenAs programs pour money into NIL to fund rosters, the pressure is only mounting for coaches to have immediate success.
It wouldn't be surprising if the coaching carousel starts again before the first month of football is over.College Football Hot off three CFP appearances in five years at Oklahoma, Riley was expected to put USC back in the national championship conversation.
He's gone 35-18 during his first four years in Los Angeles.
Riley's best season came in 2022 when USC finished 11-3 and quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy.
The Trojans haven't won 10 games since.Florida State appeared to be going in the right direction last season after beating Alabama 31-17 in Week 1.
After starting 3-0, FSU lost four games in a row and finished with a 5-7 record, three games better than the Noles' 2-10 record in 2024.Norvell was thought to be on the hot seat during the regular season last year, but his buyout was reportedly The outlook for FSU this season isn't that high, and he could be one of the first coaches axed this fall.
Norvell is 38-34 at Florida State.
His best season came in 2023 when the Noles went 13-1, but were left out of the College Football Playoff unfairly because of an injury to quarterback Jordan Travis.Wisconsin fans have been underwhelmed by the job Luke Fickell has done since he took over the program before their bowl game in 2022.
Fickell appeared to be a solid hire for the Badgers after he took Cincinnati to an appearance in the CFP in 2021, a year after the Bearcats made a New Year's Six game.
Heading into 2026, Fickell is 17-21 at Wisconsin and has just one winning season.Amid a 4-8 season in 2025, Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh revealed that the program intended to keep Fickell for 2026 and provide better investment for recruiting and retention.
Putting it bluntly, South Carolina isn't the easiest job in the SEC.
A 9-4 season in 2024 should be thought of as an excellent season for the Gamecocks.
But that 9-4 season was sandwiched between a 5-7 campaign in 2023 and a 4-8 record in 2025.Beamer is 33-30 during his first five years at South Carolina.
Beamer has plenty of talent to have a winning season with LaNorris Sellers under center this fall.
A losing season could have the Gamecocks looking for a change.
Aranda led Baylor to one of its best seasons in program history in 2021, winning the Big 12 championship and the Sugar Bowl.However, he's had one winning season since, and has a 36-37 record in six seasons with the Bears.
After a 5-7 season in 2025, Aranda needs Baylor to contend in a Big 12 that lost former conference giants Texas and Oklahoma before the 2024 campaign.
Aranda brought in former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway to run the offense, and how Baylor does this fall could determine if the head coach gets another season in Waco.