College Football’s Pre-Spring Rankings: Top 10 Coaches on the Hot Seat for 2026
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College football’s coaching carousel has been spinning at warp speed over the last two seasons with over 60 head-coaching changes at the FBS level. Despite the significant turnover in recent years, hot seat talk and coaching changes aren’t expected to slow in 2026.
Several big-time coaches enter spring practice squarely on the hot seat, including Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell, and Baylor’s Dave Aranda. Pressure is also building on South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and USC’s Lincoln Riley to deliver on high expectations. In the Group of 6 conferences, Middle Tennessee’s Derek Mason and Georgia State’s Dell McGee headline the coaches sitting on the hottest seat prior to spring ball.
With spring practice underway across the nation, Athlon Sports examines the top 10 coaches on the hot seat, along with a few names getting warm entering ‘26:
Pre-Spring Power Rankings: Top 25 | ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC
College Football’s Spring Top 10 Coaches on the Hot Seat
1. Mike Norvell, Florida State
A hefty buyout (over $50 million) is likely the only thing that saved Norvell from a firing at the end of 2025. After going 23-4 with an ACC title from 2022-23, the Seminoles are just 7-17 overall and 3-13 in ACC play over the last two seasons.
2. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Fickell’s future was the subject of debate after a 4-8 finish last season, which dropped Wisconsin to back-to-back losing marks for the first time since 1991-92. But instead of a coaching change, the Badgers opted to increase their roster investment and provide Fickell with all of the resources to turn around a program that’s just 17-21 under his watch.
3. Dave Aranda, Baylor
Aranda set the bar high with a 12-2 record and Big 12 title in his second season (2021) in Waco. But the Bears have struggled since that breakthrough year, posting losing records in three out of the last four seasons and a 15-21 mark in Big 12 play. Aranda is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in college football, but Baylor has ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in points allowed for three consecutive years.
4. Mike Locksley, Maryland
Locksley seemed to have Maryland trending in the right direction with three consecutive winning seasons and bowl appearances from 2021-23. But the Terrapins have slid in the wrong direction since that three-year run, finishing 8-16 with just two Big Ten victories since ‘24. Recruiting talent to College Park hasn’t been an issue for Locksley. However, with a 17-48 record in Big Ten play since ‘19, along with back-to-back losing seasons, the pressure is at an all-time high in College Park.
5. Dell McGee, Georgia State
With extensive ties to the Peach State, along with stints as an assistant at Georgia Southern and Georgia, McGee seemed like a slam-dunk hire prior to ‘24. But the former Auburn defensive back is just 4-20 overall and has only one victory (1-15) in Sun Belt action.
6. Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee
Mason’s hire was met with plenty of optimism in 2024, but the former Vanderbilt coach has been a massive disappointment. The Blue Raiders are just 6-18 overall and 4-12 in Conference USA action over the last two seasons. Additionally, Mason’s background on defense has yet to show on the field, as Middle Tennessee has ranked near the bottom of the conference in points allowed.
7. Bill O’Brien, Boston College
After a promising 7-6 debut at Boston College in ‘24, O’Brien slumped to 2-10 with just one victory in ACC play last year. Six of the Eagles’ losses came by 14 or more points, with O’Brien’s offense averaging only 20.8 points in ACC games last year.
8.Shane Beamer, South Carolina
South Carolina surged into College Football Playoff contention with a nine-win season in ‘24, which fueled optimism heading into last year. But largely due to an ineffective offense, the Gamecocks regressed to 4-8 – the worst record under Beamer – with just one victory in SEC play. A revamped offensive staff should help Beamer get South Carolina back on track. But a third losing record in four years could spell the end of his tenure in Columbia.
9. Lincoln Riley, USC
Riley’s hire in ‘22 was widely considered a home-run move for USC as it looked to get back to the top of college football. However, the results on the field haven’t matched the hype. The Trojans are 35-18 under Riley and have yet to win a conference title or appear in the College Football Playoff. Riley has a hefty buyout, so it would take a massive disappointment in ‘26 to likely bring change to Heritage Hall. However, considering the level of investment in Riley, staff, and roster, another season outside of the playoff would create plenty of doubt about the direction of this program.
10. Bill Belichick, North Carolina
Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill was surrounded in drama, produced lackluster results, and raised plenty of question marks about how long this experiment will last. The Tar Heels failed to defeat a FBS team with a winning record in a 4-8 campaign and ranked among the ACC’s worst on offense. Will Belichick’s second year at North Carolina produce better results in ‘26?
Getting Warm?
Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan
Jeff Choate, Nevada
Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati
Jay Sawvel, Wyoming
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Related: College Football Top 25 Pre-Spring Rankings for 2026
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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