Bruce Feldman Names Two SEC Coaches Already On 'Hot Seat' Heading Into Week 1

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The 2026 college football season hasn’t even started for some teams, and yet, two SEC coaches have already been placed on the hot seat.

Before this Saturday’s slate of Week 0 games kicked off, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman named the top coaches on the hot seat heading into this fall. There are two coaches in the SEC who need to avoid a slow start to the season.

According to Feldman, there’s some smoke surrounding Shane Beamer and his future at South Carolina.

Despite leading South Carolina to a 9-4 record in 2024, Beamer’s seat is considered “toasty” due to his 4-8 record last season. If he wants to avoid losing his job, he’ll need to take advantage of South Carolina’s favorable September schedule.

“The son of Virginia Tech legend Frank Beamer has done better than most Gamecocks coaches. He’s been a good cultural fit, rallying the fan base and also winning a bunch of big-time recruiting battles. He’s also beaten archrival Clemson a few times,” Feldman wrote. “… But last year’s 4-8 season with just one SEC win was a gut punch. Beamer hired the wrong offensive coordinator after Dowell Loggains left to become the head coach at Appalachian State, and I suspect new OC Kendal Briles will be a better fit with QB LaNorris Sellers.”

What about Mississippi State?

It’s fair to say Jeff Lebby’s tenure at Mississippi State has been a bit rocky. He enters this season with an overall 7-18 record.

If Lebby can’t get the Bulldogs trending in the right direction, he could find himself on the job market before Christmas.

“The schedule has the potential to get problematic in a hurry,” Feldman wrote. “After hosting ULM, Mississippi State visits Minnesota and then goes to South Carolina. Opening 1-2 while playing two unranked teams wouldn’t look good. Then it gets this stretch: vs. No. 25 Missouri, vs. No. 13 Alabama, at No. 11 LSU, vs. No. 10 Oklahoma and at No. 5 Texas. Falling back to 4-8 or worse feels dicey.”

Hopefully for Lebby’s sake, Mississippi State surprises a few people this fall.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Aug 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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