College football’s coaching carousel went into motion over the last week, as three coaches – Maryland’s Mike Locksley, NC State’s Dave Doeren and Baylor’s Dave Aranda – were fired. Although this year’s carousel is likely to be quieter than it was after the 2025 season, last week’s moves were just the start of what’s likely to be another busy round of changes over the next month.
Florida State’s Mike Norvell returns to the top of the hot seat rankings, with Rutgers’ Greg Schiano and USC’s Lincoln Riley up next. In the Group of 6 conferences, UTEP’s Scotty Walden and Sam Houston’s Phil Longo are under pressure after slow starts in ‘26.
Which five coaches are on the hottest seats in college football, and which ones are getting warm? Athlon Sports breaks down the hot seat entering Week 9:
College Football’s Top 5 Coaches on the Hot Seat After Week 8
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1. Mike Norvell, Florida State
Although Florida State gave ACC title favorite Miami all it could handle on Oct. 17, the overtime defeat dropped the Seminoles to 3-4 this season and 41-38 overall under Norvell. Since Florida State just missed the College Football Playoff in 2023, the program is 10-21 and has won only four ACC games in that span. Most notably, a statement released by Florida State president Richard McCullough acknowledging fan frustration on Tuesday did not include any mention or support of Norvell. With games against Clemson, Boston College, Pitt and NC State remaining, the path to six (or perhaps seven) wins is there for Norvell. Would a bowl trip be enough for Norvell to return in ‘27?
2. Greg Schiano, Rutgers
Schiano is 101-112 overall over two stints (2001-11 and 2020-26) with the Scarlet Knights. But after going 7-6 in back-to-back seasons (2023-24), Schiano is just 7-12 overall and 3-10 in Big Ten action. After giving up 36 points per game in Big Ten play last year, the defense – Schiano’s specialty – is giving up 40.3 per contest this season.
3. Lincoln Riley, USC
USC still has longshot College Football Playoff hopes with a 6-2 record and upcoming matchups against Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland and UCLA. However, after a 24-7 loss to Wisconsin last Saturday, it’s difficult to envision the Trojans running the table. Although Riley can assemble some of the nation’s top offenses, USC’s defense continues to struggle by giving up 5.8 yards per play. Riley is 41-20 in Los Angeles, and despite increased resources, has yet to guide the program to an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The buyout is hefty, but if USC misses the playoff, could Riley look for an escape to another job? Or would the Trojans simply look to move on?
4. Scotty Walden, UTEP
Walden seemed like a promising hire for UTEP after a 26-14 stint at Austin Peay from 2020-23. However, the Miners have failed to gain traction under his direction. Walden is just 6-25 in El Paso and has yet to win more than three games in a season. In six games against FBS competition this year, UTEP has failed to score more than 13 points in a contest.
5. Phil Longo, Sam Houston
Sam Houston’s defeat to Missouri State on Tuesday night dropped Longo’s squad to 1-7 this season and 3-17 overall in his tenure. The offense (Longo’s specialty) ranks near the bottom of Conference USA in yards per play and scoring.
Getting Warm?
Tim Albin, Charlotte
After winning 10 games in three consecutive years at Ohio, Albin seemed like a great hire for a Charlotte program looking to find consistent success at the FBS level. Unfortunately for the 49ers, Albin’s tenure has resulted in a 2-17 mark through two years. Charlotte also lost to FCS opponent The Citadel in Week 1 this season.
Fran Brown, Syracuse
Syracuse has been hit hard by quarterback injuries over the last two seasons, dropping Brown’s overall mark to 16-16. After going 10-3 in his debut in ‘23, Brown is only 6-13 over the last two years. The Week 8 victory at North Carolina certainly helps to ease the pressure on Brown.
Sonny Dykes, TCU
TCU is a disappointing 3-4 entering Week 9, but Dykes’ squad has been close with all four defeats coming by one score. He’s 39-21 in Fort Worth since ‘22.
Deion Sanders, Colorado
Sanders brought much-needed energy to Boulder and quickly turned things around with a 9-4 mark in his second year. But since that campaign, Sanders is only 5-14 and has just one Big 12 win in that span. The Buffaloes are just 2-5 this season and rank near the bottom of the Big 12 in scoring offense and scoring defense.
Bryant Vincent, ULM
ULM is not an easy job, but Vincent is just 9-22 over the last three years. Last week’s upset of Troy certainly eases some of the pressure on Vincent.
Cooling Off
Shane Beamer, South Carolina
After back-to-back wins over Florida and Tennessee, the pressure on Beamer has cooled considerably. Also, South Carolina’s schedule sets up for a strong finish to the ‘26 campaign.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina
With a 4-3 mark, the Tar Heels are making slow progress in Belichick’s second season. Plenty of questions remain about the long-term upside of Belichick, but the on-field progress in ‘26 should quiet some of the noise surrounding the program.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
The Badgers upset USC 24-7 in Week 8 to improve to 5-2 this season. Wisconsin will have its hands full with Iowa this Saturday. However, with Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota still remaining on the schedule, Wisconsin could win eight or nine games this fall.
Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee
Mason’s Blue Raiders have won four games (4-3) this season, exceeding the win total (three) from each of his first two years in charge.
Bill O’Brien, Boston College
After a 2-10 mark last year, the Eagles have a chance to make a bowl with a 4-3 record entering Week 9.
Growing Frustration
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
With 191 victories and two national championships on his resume at Clemson, Swinney will be awarded time to get this program back on track. However, the Tigers are clearly in decline with an 11-9 mark over the last two seasons. Also, the offense has managed only two touchdown passes through seven games in ‘26.
Related: 7 Coaching Candidates to Replace Dave Aranda at Baylor
Related: 12 Coaching Candidates to Replace Dave Doeren at NC State
Related: 9 Coaching Candidates to Replace Mike Locksley at Maryland
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