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Jackson's college football head coaches on the hot seat in 2026. Which CFB head coaches could be at risk of being fired following the 2026 campaign?
Someone losing their job is not a joyful conversation in the "real world", yet in sports, discussing coaches who could be fired soon is always a hot topic.
The 2026 college football offseason saw significant changes around the coaching landscape, with LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, UCLA, Michigan State, Auburn, and Oklahoma State being just 12 of the 32 programs that changed coaches heading into next season.
But some coaches who are on the hot seat were retained, and they'll be coaching for their futures in 2026. Let's take a look at these coaches in our Hot Seat Rankings below. These coaches are in order of warm to scorching hot.
10. Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Career Record with School: 187-53
2025 Record: 7-6
Swinney kicks the list off in the No. 10 spot. It's difficult to fully evaluate the heat on his seat. Has he built up enough goodwill that the program will give him several years to build Clemson back into a contender? Maybe, but his unwillingness to adapt to the new landscape of college football makes it tough to be optimistic about the future.
Dabo Swinney’s first game as Clemson HC (2008) pic.twitter.com/pmIJQ2kFOo
— College Football Classics (@ClassicsCFB) February 5, 2026
His 2025 team was supposed to be Clemson's best chance to get back to a CFP National Championship, but the Tigers completely fell flat. Despite Dabo's two national titles and nine ACC titles, everyone has an expiration date at a program, and it feels like Swinney's is coming. But hey, maybe he proves us wrong and makes the CFP next year. He's earned the benefit of the doubt.
9. Jay Sawvel, Wyoming
Career Record with School: 7-17
2025 Record: 4-8
Following a great run at North Dakota State, former Wyoming head coach Craig Bohl showed that you can string together winning seasons in Laramie. The program promoted his defensive coordinator, Jay Sawvel, to head coach after he retired ahead of the 2025 campaign, and the Cowboys are not off to a hot start.
This program doesn't have the best resources in the country, and it's difficult to keep a roster together in today's college football, but Bohl raised the expectations, and Sawvel needs to find a way to get to a bowl game.
8. Bill Belichick, North Carolina
Career Record with School: 4-8
2025 Record: 4-8
North Carolina moved on from Mack Brown after he qualified for six straight bowl games. While there has been a lot of shade thrown toward that decision, it's not every day that the greatest NFL coach of all time is available on the market. But today's Bill Belichick is surrounded by drama and distractions, which usually gives a coach a shorter leash when their teams are producing desirable results.
It was silly to expect Belichick to compete for the ACC crown in Year 1, but a four-win campaign that featured five blowout losses was far from the expectation. Given Belichick's baggage, the Tar Heels better improve significantly in 2026.
7. Derek Mason, MTSU
Career Record with School: 6-18
2025 Record: 3-9
18-year head coach Rick Stockstill was replaced by Mason in 2024, and here's another coach swap that has not gone according to plan. Stockstill won at least six games in 12 of those seasons, and Mason has put together back-to-back 3-9 seasons. Through two years with the program, the former Vandy coach has beaten just five FBS opponents, two of which were relatively new to the FBS.
Blue Raider Nation hoped Mason could recruit at a high level relative to Conference USA, but it just hasn't worked out yet. Mason has to show something in 2026, or he'll likely be back to being a defensive coordinator in 2027.
6. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Career Record with School: 17-21
2025 Record: 4-8
Fickell was one of the hottest coaching candidates in the country after leading Cincinnati to the four-team College Football Playoff. Overall, he tallied a 57-18 record with the Bearcats with two conference titles, and he was viewed as a homerun hire for Wisconsin. He felt like a sure thing.
But the Badgers have seen their win total fall in each of his first three seasons, and many were surprised he was retained heading into 2026. However, the program seems serious about pouring more resources into football, and it sounds like Fickell will get another stretch to turn things around. Still, another disastrous campaign could leave him packing.
5. Bill O'Brien, Boston College
Career Record with School: 9-16
2025 Record: 2-10
Like his former boss, Belichick, O'Brien finds himself in hot water entering 2026. The Eagles showed promise in 2024 with quarterback Tommy Castellanos, but the team regressed big time in 2025, largely due to its bottom-tier ACC defense.
O'Brien had a solid run as Penn State's head coach before James Franklin, but can Boston College give him enough talent to work with to succeed? We shall see how he handles the heat this season.
4. Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Career Record with School: 33-30
2025 Record: 4-8
After a strong finish to the 2024 season, expectations were high in 2025 for South Carolina. LaNorris Sellers was supposed to take the next step and take the Gamecocks to CFP contention, but that did not come anywhere close to happening. The Gamecocks won just one SEC game and lost to a bad Clemson team to end the season.
I've spent multiple days reworking the 2026 data. We will be updating the rosters soon with individual stats. But team stats are up to date. Check it out.https://t.co/OfqbAN9jv8 pic.twitter.com/VpcbJup5Ms
— DawgStats (@DawgStats) February 4, 2026
Entering 2026, South Carolina has the most experienced roster of any team in the country, and the program found a way to retain Sellers and edge rusher Dylan Stewart. The upgrade from Mike Shula to Kendal Briles at offensive coordinator should do wonders for Sellers. If South Carolina can't win eight games, Beamer may be headed out.
3. Mike Locksley, Maryland
Career Record with School: 37-49
2025 Record: 4-8
After two straight eight-win seasons in 2022 and 2023, Maryland has gone 4-8 in each of the last two years. The Terps lost their final eight games in 2025 despite a solid showing from true freshman quarterback Malik Washington.
The presence of Washington is likely part of the reason Locksley kept his job for another year, but he must at least make a bowl game with the young signal caller this season. The former Alabama offensive coordinator's time is coming to an end if he can't flip the switch.
2. Dave Aranda, Baylor
Career Record with School: 36-37
2025 Record: 5-7
Aranda began his tenure with a 2-7 record during the Covid-shortened 2020 season, followed by a great year in 2021. The Bears won 12 games, including the Big 12 Championship Game and Sugar Bowl. Since then, it hasn't been all that pretty.
Aranda is just 22-28 over the last four seasons, and Baylor's defense, which is supposed to be Aranda's specialty, was its Achilles heel in 2025. The program has been patient with him, but there's only so much losing they will take.
1. Mike Norvell, Florida State
Career Record with School: 38-34
2025 Record: 5-7
It's a miracle Mike Norvell is even on this list, because the only thing saving him is Florida State's unwillingness to pay his buyout. The program has never recovered from the disappointment of being left out of the College Football Playoff following a 13-0 season in 2023, winning just seven of its 25 games since that four-team bracket was released.
Winning at Florida State, at least at a moderate level, should come easily. 2-10 followed by 5-7 is just inexcusable, and is there enough reason to believe in Ashton Daniels at quarterback to think the Noles will be a big-time winner in 2026? Probably not. College football is unpredictable, but it seems like a forgone conclusion that this will be Norvell's last year in Tallahassee.
