Top 7 College Football Head Coaches on the Hot Seat in 2025
Although the opening week of the 2025 college football season is mostly a time for optimism, the unfortunate side of the sport is lurking: Hot-seat watch.
Fortunately for these coaches, their programs haven't lost a game. They are dealing with questionable job security today, but a hot start or resurgent year can remove them from a hot seat in a hurry.
Nevertheless, as the campaign kicks off, they're probably feeling some extra pressure to win early and often.
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Solely due to financial reasons, it's hard to imagine Florida State's Mike Norvell or USC's Lincoln Riley being sacked.
But if it gets bad enough in 2025, well, maybe?
Tony Elliott has mustered an 11-23 record in three seasons at Virginia, so patience may be running thin quickly.
It's a similar story for Brent Venables, whose 22-17 mark is understandably a substandard mark for Oklahoma—but, like Norvell and Riley, he is due an awful lot of buyout money.
Others at least on the radar are Arizona's Brent Brennan, Auburn's Hugh Freeze, Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield and Maryland's Mike Locksley.
Billy Napier, Florida
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Two days before Texas hammered a short-handed Florida team and dropped the Gators to 4-5 last season, the school announced Billy Napier would continue as the head coach of the team.
Initially, that was met with skepticism. Florida looked headed for 5-7 and a third straight year below .500. The statement didn't specify 2025, either.
But the Gators responded with four consecutive wins—including upsets over LSU and Ole Miss—behind much-hyped freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. That surge locked in Napier's job for another year.
He's safe today, yet that doesn't mean his seat is significantly cooled.
If the Gators lose to LSU and Miami in September, for example, the questions will immediately return. Texas and Texas A&M await in October, with Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee all looming in November.
Napier probably won't return in 2026 if the losses stack up again.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
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The hire made total sense.
Luke Fickell helped Cincinnati become a national contender, and the Ohio State grad had only coached in the Midwest. He'd been an assistant for Akron and his alma mater for more than 20 combined years.
Sometimes, though, the logical thing just doesn't work out. Fickell is 12-13 in two full seasons at the helm in Madison.
Because this is his third season at Wisconsin, there is rational optimism. More of Fickell's recruits will be taking on larger roles in 2025, and Maryland transfer Billy Edwards is a new face under center. Maybe this is the time?
Take a look at a schedule, including trips to Alabama, Michigan, Oregon and Indiana—plus games at home against Ohio State and Illinois—and there is an evident path to a disappointing 6-6 year or worse.
Wisconsin is a patient school. But another rough season would test it.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
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On paper, it shouldn't make sense.
Mike Gundy has overseen the program for 20 years, providing Oklahoma State with an unmatched level of regular competitiveness in its history. He's accounted for 13 of the school's 27 seasons with eight-plus wins.
Following a 3-9 collapse last year, though, the outspoken head coach handled some behind-the-scenes heat and is now squarely in the crosshairs.
The bright side? OSU's schedule is manageable, all things considered.
The challenge? Gundy revamped the coaching staff, and the roster has been overhauled. There are so many new pieces for the Pokes in 2025.
Oklahoma State's early Big 12 stretch of Baylor, at Arizona, Houston and Cincinnati look awfully important for Gundy's future at his alma mater.
Sam Pittman, Arkansas
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Arkansas is sitting in a tricky place with Sam Pittman, who opened 2024 in the same situation. He avoided a dismissal with a 7-6 record, not least because the Hogs upset Tennessee early in the season.
Would a similar year be enough to keep him around for 2026? Or will Arkansas need to make a little progress in the win column?
To be blunt, achieving the latter would be quite an accomplishment.
Six of Arkansas' opponents landed in the preseason AP Top 25, and matchups with Memphis, Auburn and Missouri should all be competitive.
If the Razorbacks miss a bowl, it wouldn't be surprising. And that may spell the end of Pittman's tenure in Fayetteville.
Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech
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There may be a perfect storm of challenges brewing for Sonny Cumbie, whose future is not based purely on wins and losses.
Louisiana Tech is set to leave Conference USA for the Sun Belt no later than the 2027 season, although it could happen in 2026. That'll be a jump in competition, and whether he's the right coach for the transition is a fair question.
One breakout season can change that perception, sure. That's the nature of college football and its potential for high variance.
Still, an 11-26 record in Cumbie's three years is a glaring red flag.
Louisiana Tech has a decent outlook for 2025, but another sub-.500 campaign would likely be too much for Cumbie to weather.
Trent Dilfer, UAB
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Just because it's an atypical path doesn't mean it cannot work, but this atypical hire is not working out well.
Trent Dilfer, a former NFL quarterback who then spent more than a decade in broadcasting, came to UAB in 2023 after four years coaching a high school team. He was successful there, and UAB gambled on his upside.
In two seasons, the Blazers are 7-17.
Dilfer also hasn't helped himself at the microphone by indirectly belittling UAB on several occasions. He took over a program with six straight winning records but called it a rebuild. He's worn out his welcome within the fanbase.
UAB isn't exactly flush with money for a buyout, and that's a real factor. The path forward with Dilfer, nevertheless, is incredibly narrow.
Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
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Brent Pry inherited a rebuild at Virginia Tech, taking over a proud program that had lost its way. This was never an easy job.
Simultaneously, in his three seasons, the Hokies are 16-21.
At some point, the goodwill afforded to a coach in a rebuild runs out. That's clearly in danger of happening in 2025—all while Tech has a transfer-overhauled roster with a couple of new coordinators.
And the schedule is rather kind. The toughest games are likely against South Carolina (in Atlanta), at Georgia Tech and home to Louisville and Miami, along with hosting Vanderbilt earlier in the year.
It won't be without pain, of course. But a power-conference slate can hardly be more favorable, especially for a coach who desperately needs a strong year.
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