New CFB Rumors on Deion Sanders, Belichick, Lincoln Riley & Norvell Hot Seats, Contract Buyouts

Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports compiled his annual "coaching hot seat list" for college football on Monday, polling people in the "college administrative, search firm and agent world" with findings based on the "expertise and knowledge from industry insiders, some of whom are already positioning themselves for a search or expecting one at a particular school."

Among the most notable names on the hot seat were Florida State's Mike Norvell, North Carolina's Bill Belichick and Wisconsin's Luke Fickell, while Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley and Colorado's Deion Sanders are on the warm seat.

On Norvell, Dellenger noted that "school administrators thought long and hard about dismissing Norvell last season," and the surprise may be that Florida State stuck with him for another season. In six years, Norvell's Seminoles have managed just two winning seasons and are 7-17 in the past two campaigns.

It's likely that Norvell was saved by the $50 million buyout in his contract, but he can't afford another disappointing campaign.

Belichick went 4-8 in his first season at North Carolina and his relationship with Jordon Hudson was a persistent storyline and distraction. His general manager, Michael Lombardi, has been placed on administrative leave by the school. Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is currently on medical leave. And questions about whether Belichick could adjust from the NFL game to college very much remain unanswered.

At Wisconsin, Fickell has gone just 17-21, though Dellenger noted that "the university didn't jump into NIL with both feet" and "administrators have acknowledged that fact and last year made the decision to invest in the roster instead of paying Fickell's whopping buyout."

But the athletic director who hired him, Chris McIntosh, is no longer in Madison. Anything less than a winning season probably doesn't cut it for Fickell.

USC's Riley has a buyout figure around $60 million, though the Trojans have failed to reach double-digit wins in the past three seasons and patience is wearing thin.

As Dellenger wrote, "There are no more excuses. He's been given the resources and has a new general manager and defensive coordinator (Gary Patterson!). Without a playoff trip this year, AD Jen Cohen may finally pull the trigger despite the whopping buyout figure."

Finally, Sanders brought the national spotlight to Colorado and made the Buffs a cultural phenomenon, though the wins haven't followed. The 9-4 campaign in 2024 has been sandwiched by 4-8 and 3-9 seasons, and Sanders has dealt with a number of medical concerns.

As Dellenger reported, "the Buffs need to show marked improvement if Sanders plans to stick around long term."