10 Power Four head coaches on hot seat in 2026

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With the NCAA transitioning into the NIL and expanded transfer portal era, coaches are more responsible than ever to put together a great squad. However, some haven't been able to, and they're running out of time.

Whether that's through outdated tactics, a portal exodus, or just bad strategy, there are some coaches who are on the hot seat entering this season. Last season, there were 13 coaches at the Power Four level fired, and a few more stepped down or retired from their posts.

That resulted in a record-setting coaching carousel that saw a ton of programs trying to reach for someone who understood the NIL and the transfer portal. There could be a similar number of firings at the end of the season. Here are 10 that could be on their way out, sorted alphabetically by last name.

Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Rhule (Nebraska), Greg Schiano (Rutgers)

Dave Aranda, Baylor Bears

Last season wasn't a disaster for Baylor, but it was a disappointment. After starting the season 4-2 and looking like the surprise of the Big 12, they stumbled to a 1-5 record the rest of the way. The offense was the biggest thing keeping Baylor competitive, which doesn't reflect well on Dave Aranda, who has a defensive background.

It also doesn't help that the athletic director, Mack Rhoades, resigned after more than nine years in charge. New AD Doug McNamee might want his own person in charge, so Aranda, who is 22-28 at Baylor, will have to impress McNamee enough to keep him around.

Gunslinger Sawyer Robertson is gone, and so are top pass-catchers Josh Cameron and Michael Trigg. Perhaps they can get some consistency out of DJ Lagway, but Baylor's schedule starts with Auburn and ends with BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston. It's not looking good.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks

Beamer has raised South Carolina's stock over his tenure. The Gamecocks have finished with a Top 25 AP ranking twice in Beamer's tenure (2022, 2024), and they beat ranked Clemson teams in both of those seasons.

However, the SEC is cutthroat, and Beamer's Gamecocks got the worst of it last season. They finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the SEC, ahead of just Arkansas. There were some ugly moments, such as the Texas A&M loss, that I thought signaled the end of the Beamer tenure.

Sure, Beamer did good work retaining LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart, along with finding some offensive linemen for Sellers. The hiring of Kendal Briles was a smart move too. However, a repeat of 2025, especially with a top draft prospect like Sellers, would be hard to swallow for athletic director Jeremiah Donati, who didn't hire Beamer.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels

The Bill Belichick hire was met with significant attention and headlines for North Carolina. Belichick, arguably the best coach in NFL history, didn't seem like he had a ton to prove with the Tar Heels.

Unfortunately, his first tenure generated more negative attention than anything. The Tar Heels went 4-8, looking uninspired outside of a near upset victory over the Virginia Cavaliers. Their offense was deemed the main problem, so offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens was fired.

Now, with Bobby Petrino leading the offense and Belichick and his son coaching the defense, the Tar Heels need a bounce-back season from him. Otherwise, the Belichick era could come to an early end, and at 72 years old, retirement is not out of the question for him either.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers

The Luke Fickell era in Wisconsin has been nothing but disappointment. The Badgers have earned a bowl game just once in his tenure, and last season, they finished 4-8 and near the bottom of the Big Ten. It's been a rough tenure for a coach that was incredible at Cincinnati, as he has a 17-21 record at Wisconsin compared to a 57-18 record at Cincinnati.

There was a big reason why Fickell hasn't been fired yet. Athletic director Chris McIntosh hired him instead of program legend Jim Leonhard in 2022, so he had to make sure Fickell had plenty of grace to make things work.

Now that McIntosh is gone, I'm not sure if Shawn Eichorst is going to be as lenient. Wisconsin opens up with Notre Dame, but they don't have to play Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, or Michigan. Fickell can't afford to fail this season again.

Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State Bulldogs

Lebby has helped the Bulldogs grow steadily over the past couple of seasons. After going 2-10 in 2024, Mississippi State went 5-8 and made a bowl game. However, keeping up with the Joneses hasn't been his strongsuit.

Lebby is still 7-18, including a disastrous 1-15 in the SEC. There have been close calls with some contenders, like a near win against Texas and an overtime loss against Tennessee, but Mississippi State looked awful in their last three games.

All we need is some progress from Lebby, but it's hard to tell how much he'll progress. It's a rough season yet again on the schedule; the easiest conference games he gets are against Vanderbilt and Auburn. He also has to play on the road against Minnesota. He should be fine if he makes another bowl game, but if not, Mississippi State might run out of patience.

Mike Locksley, Maryland Terrapins

Locksley has been with the Terrapins since 2019. They've won three bowl games in his seven-season tenure, but they've never finished with better than an 8-5 record, and the past two seasons, they've finished 4-8.

Locksley is surviving by his ability to recruit and build a roster. Sophomore quarterback Malik Washington has future gamechanger written all over him, and Zion Elee was the nation's No. 2 recruit. However, that hasn't translated into wins, and time is running out.

Athletic director Jim Smith is giving Locksley another season to get things right. Smith didn't hire him, so he's probably more than willing to bring his own coach at the helm if Locksley doesn't work out this season. Maryland doesn't have to play Indiana and Oregon this season, so they need to get a bowl appearance at the very least for Locksley

Mike Norvell, Florida State Seminoles

Norvell has been on the hot seat since 2024 after a disastrous 2-10 season. The major contract he earned after a 13-1 season in 2023 was quickly looking rough for Florida State, and he needed to bounce back in 2025.

Outside of an early-season victory against Alabama, they mostly failed. There were so many lost games in ACC play that fell squarely at the feet of Norvell's decision-making. They went 5-7 and they should've been a bowl-team at mininum.

The difficulty is somehow set even higher this season. Florida State plays SMU, Alabama, Virginia, Miami, and Louisville. Norvell might not even last the season.

Bill O'Brien, Boston College Eagles

After Jeff Hafley left Boston College to become the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers in 2024, the Eagles were looking for someone to lead the program out of the mid-tier. Enter Bill O'Brien, who admirably led Penn State out of the Joe Paterno era in 2012-13 and had advanced NFL experience. Most importantly, he had connections to the area.

The Bill O'Brien era was off to a decent start in 2024, with the Eagles going 7-6. However, everything fell apart in 2025. The Eagles finished 2-10, ranking dead last in the ACC. Boston College isn't a program that can recycle through coaches, so they really need to turn things around this season. However, it's not looking too good, and another season resembling 2025 could lead to an end of the BoB era.

Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes

Sanders' luster has quickly fallen off after his second season at the helm. In 2024, the Colorado Buffaloes were 9-4 with a shot at the Big 12 title, but the glow of that team was brought about by two players: Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

Sanders was close to getting a Heisman trophy in 2024, while Hunter won the Heisman for his elite play at TWO positions. That kind of impact is hard to replicate, but Sanders couldn't even get an inkling of what he had in 2024. The Buffaloes went 3-9 last season, including a disastrous 1-8 in the Big 12. If it weren't for Oklahoma State, the Buffaloes would've been the worst team in the Big 12.

His health could be a driving factor in the decision too. Sanders had bladder removal and reconstruction surgery last spring after cancer was found in his bladder. He's also 59 years old, so he's approaching retirement age. If Colorado repeats their disastrous 2025 season in 2026, it'd be wise to part ways with Sanders and try to aim for someone to rebuild their program.

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati

Satterfield has been a solid coach at Cincinnati. He's shown year-to-year development, improving the Bearcats from a 3-9 record to a 7-6 record. The Bearcats were ranked at different points in the season as well.

However, the Bearcats were much better before Satterfield was hired, albeit in the American Conference. They've won nine games or more for five straight seasons and have made the four-team College Football Playoff. There's some pressure to reach that spot.

The real concern is how Cincinnati finished the end of the season. They lost their last five games against Utah, Arizona, TCU, BYU, and Navy. This season's squad is very solid, even with losing a ton of talent via the draft and transfer portal. If Satterfield doesn't keep improving, a coaching change could be on the way.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: 10 Power Four head coaches on hot seat in 2026

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