There are a few coaches in the SEC that are feeling some heat going into 2023, but how hot are some of these seats?
Sam Pittman (Arkansas) Room Temperature: Things have cooled off a bit in Fayetteville. In 2021 the Hogs were rolling after a 9-4 year but came up a bit short in their expectations last season. Sam Pittman isn’t on the hot seat but it’s not as cool as before.
Zach Arnett (Mississippi State) Room Temperature: Arnett is faced with an incredibly difficult task of replacing legendary head coach Mike Leach after his tragic passing at the end of last year. Arnett will receive some slack, but if things go really sideways I wouldn’t be surprised if they fired him at the end of the year.
Billy Napier (Florida) Warm: The Florida Gators went a disappointing 6-7 with only 3 conference wins in 2022. According to ESPN’s Bill Connelly’s production rankings, Florida will only return 54% of their production. With a core group leaving can the Gators take a step forward? Another 6 wins might buy Napier another year. Anything less could give him the hottest seat in the South.
Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri) Hot: Going into his fourth year at Mizzou, Eli Drinkwitz has never finished a year with a winning record. The team is now 100% made by Drinkwitz, and it is his best chance to get to 7 wins. If they don’t get a winning record in 2023 then it’s time to move on in Columbia.
Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M) Hot: The curious case of Jimbo Fisher. 2022 was a rough year for the Aggies. Texas A&M went through the wringer, with injuries and inconsistency on offense. The defense will remain the identity of the team, and the offense should be better with Weigman back under center, and a more experienced offensive line. If Jimbo can prove last year was a fluke, then he remains at the helm in Aggieland, but anything less than 8 wins will have the high-rolling boosters calculating his massive buyout.
