College Football Coaches on the Hot Seat: Who Could Be Fired in 2026?
Over the past few seasons, it has become a common practice for programs to fire head coaches even with several years remaining on their contracts. Last season made history, as 15 FBS head coaches were fired, resulting in an estimated $270 million in combined contract buyouts. In this new era of college football, NIL and the transfer portal have made it possible for programs to become competitive much faster than in the past. Rather than waiting years for recruiting classes to develop, programs now have the ability to change their rosters almost immediately. As a result, programs have become less patient, with many schools unwilling to wait for a coach to rebuild and develop a roster. Several new coaches around the country have already found success by using NIL and the transfer portal to reshape their rosters, raising expectations for how quickly a program can turn things around.
Coaches nearing the Hot Seat
These programs will be closely monitoring their teams throughout the season, with the head coach potentially becoming a focal point if expectations are not met. While I don’t expect these coaches to be fired, they could find themselves on the hot seat if their teams fail to meet expectations this season.
Alabama’s, Kalen Deboer: The Crimson Tide have one of the most passionate fanbases in the country, but that patience will quickly wear thin if the program cannot return to its standard of success. Kalen DeBoer has one of the toughest jobs in college football, taking over for Nick Saban, one of the greatest coaches in the sport’s history who set an unprecedented standard at Alabama. Since Saban’s retirement, the Tide have struggled to consistently reach those same heights, and the pressure surrounding DeBoer is beginning to grow. He needs to get Alabama back into the College Football Playoff while avoiding the costly upsets that have hurt his tenure up to this point. DeBoer currently holds a 20-8 record as Alabama’s head coach, but that number does not meet the expectations Crimson Tide fans have become accustomed to. If he cannot turn things around and get Alabama back among the nation’s elite, I expect DeBoer to find himself firmly on the hot seat next season, if not sooner.
South Carolina's Shane Beamer: South Carolina is not considered a traditional powerhouse in the SEC, but the Gamecocks have still fallen short of expectations over the past few seasons. The program has plenty of talent throughout its roster and has shown flashes of being competitive, but it has yet to turn that talent into consistent success. Entering this season with another difficult SEC schedule, the Gamecocks are still searching for a breakout year, especially with several veteran players returning. Shane Beamer currently holds a 33-30 overall record at South Carolina, but his 16-24 conference record has limited the program’s ability to establish itself as a legitimate SEC contender. South Carolina has a great deal of respect for Beamer and his family, but the pressure will continue to grow if the Gamecocks cannot take the next step. If the struggles continue, the program may eventually have no choice but to look elsewhere for a coach who can turn its talent into consistent results.
Colorado’s Deion Sanders: Before Coach Prime arrived, the Colorado football program was in a difficult place, but his arrival brought national attention back to the Buffaloes. He found success early, thanks in large part to several star players who eventually moved on to the next level. Since then, however, the program has struggled to maintain that momentum. Colorado finished just 3-9 last season, including only one conference win. The school remains committed to Coach Prime, and it seems unlikely that Colorado would fire him. However, the pressure from the media and outside critics could eventually become significant enough to influence his decision to step down. This season needs to be a major improvement. Much of Colorado’s young talent showed its inexperience last year, but another offseason of development should help the team take a step forward. If the Buffaloes can regain the form they showed just two years ago, the noise surrounding the program could quickly quiet down. If they struggle again, though, the critics will be louder than ever.
Hot Seat
I would expect these coaches to be let go either during the season if things go poorly or shortly after the season, depending on whether their teams meet expectations. We have seen plenty of coaches thrive under “hot seat” pressure, using that motivation to meet expectations and ultimately establish themselves as long-term coaches. On the other hand, we have also seen coaches crumble under the pressure, leading to disappointing seasons and, ultimately, unemployment.
USC Lincoln Riley: When Riley was brought in to be the head coach at USC, many people across the country thought it was the perfect fit. He has had some successful seasons with the Trojans up to this point, but he hasn’t done quite enough for the program to be satisfied. Before his arrival, USC’s recruiting was subpar despite being located in one of the biggest recruiting hotbeds in the country. Lincoln has completely turned that aspect around and has put the Trojans back near the top of the recruiting rankings. This will be the most talented roster he has had since joining USC, and with that talent comes much higher expectations. Riley will need to turn that talent into wins, or the pressure surrounding his job will only increase. I believe that if he has another mediocre season, the program could seriously reconsider its coaching staff and Riley’s future in Los Angeles.
Florida State’s Mike Norvell: The Seminoles looked like they were finally back to their old selves two years ago when Mike Norvell had Florida State playing at a dominant level. Unfortunately, the last two seasons have been abysmal, with the Seminoles going just 7-17 during that span. The program has consistently had plenty of talent on its roster, making the recent lack of success even more disappointing. At this point, it is becoming increasingly difficult to blame the struggles on a lack of talent, and the coaching staff has to be part of the conversation. Florida State has also shown that it is willing to spend money, recently investing heavily in renovations to its stadium after the program appeared to be heading in the right direction. If the Seminoles are willing to make that kind of investment into the program, why wouldn’t they be willing to spend the money necessary to buy out Norvell if things get ugly this season?
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney: A few years ago, nobody would have thought Dabo Swinney would be on the hot seat in college football after the dominant run he had with the Tigers. However, that era has been over for quite some time, and Clemson hasn’t been able to consistently reach that same level of success. Over the last three seasons, the Tigers have posted an underwhelming 26-14 record despite playing in a relatively mediocre ACC. Swinney has also been outspoken about the changes happening across college football, he appears hesitant to adapt his approach to building a competitive roster in the modern era. I’m not sure if Clemson would actually be willing to fire Dabo, considering everything he has accomplished for the program. However, if the Tigers struggle again this season, the administration will undoubtedly have to have a serious conversation about the future of the program and whether Swinney is still the right person to lead it.
