Nine jobs are already open, and the carousel is just warming up. From Gainesville to Madison, the pressure’s rising fast as programs weigh buyouts, boosters, and the next big move.
1. Billy Napier — Florida
Update: Brett McMurphy of On3 reports Billy Napier has been fired on Sunday.
A late Mississippi State interception may have delayed the inevitable in Gainesville. Some reports said a move may be made regardless of the outcome of yesterday’s game. If accurate, he’s down to just days — maybe hours — in charge at Florida. The Gators have a bye before taking Georgia in Jacksonville on November 1st, but patience in Gainesville appears to have already run out.
2. Luke Fickell — Wisconsin
Back-to-back shutouts. Just a disaster in Madison. Kind of surprised a 37-0 defeat to Iowa didn’t immediately close this chapter for the Badgers last week. These two performances weren’t just losses — they were surrenders.
3. Mike Norvell — Florida State
Make it four losses in a row after falling to Stanford 20-13 in Palo Alto. How on earth did this team beat Alabama?
4. Hugh Freeze — Auburn
This may be too high for Freeze, but I just don’t see any scenario where he’s coaching Auburn next season. At 3-4 with four losses in a row, this could end next Saturday if the Tigers fall in Fayetteville.
5. Major Applewhite — South Alabama
A major disappointment. Fans had hopes of a playoff berth before the season began. They’ve been fairly competitive throughout, but it’s still six straight losses no matter how you slice it.
6. Brian Kelly — LSU
If this is a playoffs-or-bust year for Brian Kelly, we’re then headed toward bust. LSU isn’t terrible, but if 8-4 or 9-3 are not acceptable for this squad, well, that’s the likely outcome. LSU has five games left, and they need to win all of them now to reach the playoffs. Not likely. They start with Texas A&M at home, then travel to Alabama — not an easy path at all.
7. Bill O’Brien — Boston College
That’s six straight losses after falling to UConn. Up next is @Louisville followed by home games against Notre Dame, SMU, and Georgia Tech. I think we know how this story ends.
8. Bill Belichick — North Carolina
Well, they beat Charlotte and Richmond — so there’s that. Adobe Photoshop!
9. Jeff Choate — Nevada
A 3-10 first year followed by a 1-6 encore. That might just be all she wrote for Choate.
10. Mark Stoops — Kentucky
This could happen sooner than you may think. The Wildcats have lost nine straight SEC matchups going back to last year. The next three will likely decide Stoops’ future and whether this team is bowl-bound. They probably need to win two out of three — with home vs. Tennessee, at Auburn, and home against Florida.
11. Dell McGee — Georgia State
After a 3-9 2024, the Panthers have fallen to 1-6 this season. A loss to rival Georgia Southern yesterday does not help his prospects. He’ll need a few victories down the stretch to keep this going.
12. Derek Mason — Middle Tennessee State
A similar situation to McGee and Applewhite. A tough first year is understood, but if there’s no improvement in year two, school presidents can become restless. MTSU is 1-5 coming out of the bye week. They face the best of Conference USA next with Delaware, Jacksonville State, and FIU on the schedule.
13. Shane Beamer — South Carolina
This may be working out exactly the way Virginia Tech had hoped. Beamer is a good coach in a tough spot in Columbia. Perhaps a split with the Gamecocks — and a new home in Blacksburg — could be best for everyone.
14. Thomas Hammock — Northern Illinois
At 1-6, that win over Notre Dame in 2024 feels like an eternity ago.
15. Greg Schiano — Rutgers
It’s hard for anyone to win there, but 13-36 in conference play during Schiano’s second stint makes you wonder if the gap is now widening.
16. Scotty Walden — UTEP
Got a much-needed win against Sam Houston State, but things are still dicey in El Paso.
17. Jay Norvell — Colorado State
In year four, Norvell is 18-26 overall and, with yesterday’s loss to Hawaii, just 2-5 on the season. They probably don’t need to make a bowl but definitely need to show some positive signs in the final five games.
18. Dave Doeren — North Carolina State
Year 13 seems to be just a continuation of what we've seen before. Reliable yet unexciting. Raleigh is in need of some excitement, not just another 7-5 bowl game in December.
19. Joe Moorhead — Akron
In full transparency, Joe Moorhead should be much higher on this list. I just honestly forgot about Akron. At 10-34 and 2-6 in year four, there’s little reason to believe Moorhead will lead the Zips next season.
20. Chris Creighton — Eastern Michigan
One of the best personalities in college football has now been in Ypsilanti for 12 years. He’s shown loyalty to the school, so it will be interesting to see if they allow Creighton to turn things around after a tough year.
21. Brent Venables — Oklahoma
Huge win yesterday over South Carolina, but the Sooners close their season with Ole Miss at home, followed by road trips to Tennessee and Alabama, before finishing in Norman with matchups against Missouri and LSU.
22. Jeff Lebby — Mississippi State
Just 6-13 in year two. They’ve improved over 2024, but will there be patience in Starkville?
23. Troy Calhoun — Air Force
He’s been a consistent winner, but it might just be time for a change. The Falcons are 2-5 on the year with Army coming to town after the bye.
24. Jonathan Smith — Michigan State
3-10 in Big Ten play could lead to an early exit in East Lansing.
25 (Tie). Joe Harasymiak — UMass and Phil Longo — Sam Houston State
I left first-year coaches off this list with two exceptions. It’s probably best to avoid an 0-12 debut if you plan on sticking around for another year. Each of these coaches has five more cracks at that elusive W.
More college football news:
- Carson Beck takes the blame for Miami loss
- Mortensen leads UAB to victory
- Deion Sanders jokes about $50,000 fine
- Bill O’Brien says he’s not a ‘quitter’
- Bill Belichick buyout, contract details as North Carolina Tar Heels coach