College Football's Coaching Hot Seat: Pressure, Expectations, and Realignment

The landscape of college football is ever-shifting, with coaches constantly under scrutiny. The stakes are higher than ever, with conference realignment and the College Football Playoff amplifying the pressure to win. Millions of dollars hinge on a team's success, and a favorable schedule can make or break a season. Beating rivals and winning bowl games are no longer enough; coaches are expected to win at the highest level. This article examines the coaches facing the most pressure, focusing on those in the Big Ten and the situation at UCLA.

The Hot Seat Heats Up

Several coaches across the nation find themselves on the hot seat, facing varying degrees of pressure. Some are feeling the heat intensely, while others are experiencing a more gradual build-up of pressure. A few coaches who entered the season with their jobs in jeopardy are finding ways to cool things down.

DeShaun Foster, UCLA

DeShaun Foster inherited the UCLA Bruins program after Chip Kelly's departure for Ohio State. Following a slow start and the addition of transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava, expectations rose. However, the Bruins are off to an 0-2 start with a loss to a Mountain West team. This puts Foster squarely on the hot seat, as the program's transition into the Big Ten has not gone as planned.

UCLA's 2026 Schedule: The Bruins' 2026 schedule includes Big Ten matchups against Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Illinois, and their annual rivalry game against USC.

Rose Bowl Home: Despite a lawsuit and uncertainty, UCLA football will play its 2026 season at the iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena. This decision preserves the Bruins' presence at the Rose Bowl, their home since 1982.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

Mike Gundy, a program legend, endured his worst season in over two decades at Oklahoma State in 2024, failing to win a single conference game. This led to an offseason standoff regarding his contract, which was eventually restructured along with the addition of new assistant coaches. After a blowout loss to Oregon, concerns are growing that the team has not improved.

Billy Napier, Florida

Billy Napier found himself on the hot seat throughout the 2024 season and survived to return for 2025. However, he is once again in a precarious position. Despite his previous success with the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, Napier has struggled to replicate that success with the Gators.

Brent Pry, Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech, a program with a proud football tradition, has not competed for an ACC Championship in some time. Under Brent Pry, the Hokies do not appear to be getting any closer. His record at Virginia Tech is 16-23, including an 0-2 start to this season.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama

In the last 10 games against Power Four opponents, Alabama is 5-5, including a shocking loss to Florida State. This is not up to the standard set by Nick Saban. Although there is time to turn things around, tensions are rising.

David Braun, Northwestern

David Braun took over Northwestern during a tumultuous period following the end of the Pat Fitzgerald era. He initially found success and earned the job full-time. However, the program is now working on a new stadium, and there is a chance they might seek a complete overhaul to avoid being in the Big Ten basement.

Read also: Coaches on the Brink

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Luke Fickell's hiring at Wisconsin was widely seen as a surefire success. However, it has not worked out as expected. In 2024, the Badgers missed a bowl game for the first time since 2001. With a 15-13 overall record and a difficult schedule ahead, Fickell is in a tough spot and needs to pull off some upsets.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Expectations are always high at Auburn. Hugh Freeze has posted an 11-14 record in his first two seasons and missed a bowl game in 2024. After addressing some issues in the offseason, the team's performance in 2025 will be critical.

Sam Pittman, Arkansas

Arkansas is a challenging place to find consistent success. Sam Pittman has had moments of success, but after missing a bowl game in 2023, he found himself on the hot seat. A bowl appearance in 2024 and a 2-0 start in 2025 with dominant wins may be cooling things down.

Dave Aranda, Baylor

Dave Aranda has experienced highs at Baylor, including winning the Big 12 and the Sugar Bowl in 2021. However, things bottomed out in 2023 before rebounding with an eight-win season in 2024. This leaves him in an ambiguous position regarding his job security.

Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Oklahoma, a traditional powerhouse, saw two 6-7 seasons in Brent Venables' first three years, placing him firmly on the hot seat. He used the Transfer Portal to address some issues, and a significant win over Michigan has improved his standing.

Read also: Choosing Seat Covers

The Big Ten's Treacherous Schedules

Conference realignment has made it impossible to balance the schedules for all 18 Big Ten teams. With successful seasons and millions of dollars at stake, a favorable schedule is more important than ever.

Ohio State

Ohio State's 2026 schedule includes:

Non-Conference: Ball State, at Texas, Kent State
Conference: Illinois, at Iowa, Maryland, at Indiana, at USC, Oregon, Northwestern, at Nebraska

Even being "just good" may not be enough to make the 12-team playoff. The Buckeyes will have a tune-up game before facing Texas. Their toughest home games are against Oregon and Michigan.

USC

USC's 2026 schedule includes:

Non-Conference: TBD, Fresno State, Louisiana, at Rutgers
Conference: Oregon, Washington, at Penn State, at Wisconsin, Ohio State, at Indiana, Maryland

Lincoln Riley is under pressure to get USC into the College Football Playoff. The Trojans face a brutal schedule, including a tough stretch of six games after opening with four winnable contests.

Northwestern

Northwestern's 2026 schedule includes:

Non-Conference: South Dakota State, Colorado
Conference: at Indiana, Penn State, Ball State, at Michigan State, Rutgers, at Oregon, Iowa, at Ohio State, at Minnesota

Northwestern debuts the new Ryan Field. The Wildcats face a challenging schedule with road games against Oregon, Indiana, and Ohio State.

Michigan

Michigan's 2026 schedule includes:

Non-Conference: Western Michigan, Oklahoma, UTEP
Conference: Iowa, at Minnesota, Penn State, Indiana, at Rutgers, Michigan State, at Oregon, UCLA

Michigan has a new staff and faces a major test in week two against Oklahoma. The Wolverines' schedule includes road games at Oregon and Ohio State, along with matchups against Indiana, Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan State.

The Chesney Era Begins at UCLA

Bob Chesney takes over as head coach, and the Bruins will play their 2026 season at the Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl Decision: The decision to remain at the Rose Bowl offers clarity to fans and allows them to continue tailgating at the golf course and enjoying the stadium's history.

Transfer Class: Chesney assembled 40 transfers, ranked No. 24 in the nation.

Spring Practice: Spring practice opens, culminating in a spring game at the Rose Bowl.

Additional Coaches Under Pressure

Several other coaches face pressure to perform:

Mike Norvell, Florida State: After a 13-0 season in 2023, things have gone downhill for Norvell.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin: Fickell has struggled at Wisconsin after a successful run at Cincinnati.
Shane Beamer, South Carolina: After a promising season, Beamer's team regressed.
Bill O'Brien, Boston College: After a bowl game in their inaugural season, O'Brien's team struggled.
Mike Locksley, Maryland: Locksley followed up two 8-win seasons with two 4-8 seasons.
Dave Aranda, Baylor: Aranda has struggled to consistently win as a head coach.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina: Belichick's first season in college ball did not go well.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson: Swinney was under fire after posting his worst record since 2010.
Deion Sanders, Colorado: After a promising start, Sanders' team struggled in 2025.
Lincoln Riley, USC: Riley is expected to lead USC to the college football playoffs every season.

Potential Coaching Candidates

Several coaches could be potential candidates for open positions:

Jeff Brohm, Louisville: Brohm has had success at Louisville.
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri: Drinkwitz has been on an upward trajectory at Missouri.
Dan Mullen, UNLV: Mullen has a successful head coaching career.
Willie Fritz, Houston: Fritz has posted winning records everywhere he's been.
Jason Eck, New Mexico: Eck has had success at Idaho and New Mexico.
Lance Liepold, Kansas: Liepold has gained fans' admiration with upset wins.
PJ Fleck, Minnesota: Fleck has won at Minnesota and has been rumored to be interested in other jobs.
Jed Fisch, Washington: Fisch has been able to elevate programs.
Jon Sumrall, Florida: Sumrall is a clear upgrade in process and upside.
Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas: Silverfield is a high-floor stabilizer hire.

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