College Football Hot Seat Meter

Tony Elliott – Virginia

Tony Elliot enters his fourth year at Virginia and has never been to a bowl game as a head coach with an overall record of 11-23. The Cavaliers need to at least make it to the post season to show progression, but even 6-6 might not be able to save Elliot.

Meter: The Sun

Hugh Freeze – Auburn

A little surprised Freeze is still employed after Auburn fired Brian Harsin for having an overall better record. The leash is extremely short for Freeze. If the Tigers don’t get to a decent bowl game, Auburn will be starting from scratch again.

Meter: The Sun

Brent Venables – Oklahoma

Entering his fourth year, Brent Venables is responsible for the worst three-year stretch in Oklahoma football in 30 years. Venables is a terrific defensive mind, but a trip to the Alamo Bowl, being the height of your tenure isn’t enough to keep the Sooner brass or fans happy. 

Meter: Liquid Hot Magma

Brent Pry – Virginia Tech

After some great stints as a defensive coordinator, Pry got his first head coaching job with Virginia Tech. Entering his fourth year he has the unfortunate record of 16-21. The culture may be changing for the better, but going 6-6 in the regular season is not meeting the standard. Another year like that could send Pry packing.

Meter: Scorching Hot

Sam Pittman – Arkansas

After his Outback Bowl win at the end of the 2021 season, the Razorbacks have stalled a bit. Arkansas did win two bowl games to put them at 7 wins a piece, but fans want a little bit more. A losing season or another 6-6 regular season should see Pittman out. 

Meter: Scorching Hot

Justin Wilcox – Cal

This is the third consecutive year that Justin Wilcox has appeared on my Hot Seat Meter blog. Wilcox is 42-50 but has gone “bowling” in back-to-back years. Another bowl appearance could save his job (it has so far), but with a lot of their top talent transferring out, it may be the perfect time for a full reset in Berkeley

Meter: Hot

Scott Satterfield – Cincinnati

I didn’t understand when Cincinnati hired Satterfield from Louisville, where he was only 1 game above .500 in four years. The last two years, the Bearcats recorded a mere 8-16. Satterfield needs to hit big this year because the seat is hot. 

Meter: Hot

Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State

Outside of Barry Sanders, Mike Gundy might be the most important person in Oklahoma State football history. As a player and then a coach. He became the head coach in 2001 but was also an assistant in Stillwater from 1990 to 1995. With high hopes last year, the Cowboys could only muster up 3 wins. Match that with Gundy’s “rough around the edges” persona, and there might be a push for new leadership at Oklahoma State. 

Meter: It’s Getting Hot

Mike Locksley – Maryland

Mike Locksley had Maryland in a good place from 2021-2023. Three straight bowl games, and 2 eight-win seasons in a very difficult division. However, after last year’s disappointing 4-8 campaign and a ton of uncertainty on their roster, it could be the right time for a change. It’s extremely difficult to compete for the playoffs at Maryland, and a new coach might give them more of the same. Nevertheless, Locksley is feeling some heat. 

Meter: It’s Getting Hot

Luke Fickell – Wisconsin

Luke Fickell enters 2025 with a 12-13 record as the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers. With one of the toughest schedules in the country and an outrageous buyout (around 40 million). The Seat is getting hot, but I wouldn’t expect a firing this year.

Meter: It’s Hot but Money

Lincoln Riley – USC

Like Fickell, the buyout comes into play with Lincoln Riley. Unlike Fickell, Riley’s buyout doubles his. USC expected Riley to get the Trojans into the playoff picture just like he did at Oklahoma. With a better pool of recruits and what seems to be more resources, it was a no-brainer. After only winning 13 games in the last two seasons, there is cause of concern. There is a standard at USC that hasn’t been met under Lincoln Riley, and another bad year would send him packing if the buyout weren’t so large. 

Meter: Getting Hot but Money

Mike Norvell – Florida State

If you had told College Football fans a year ago that Mike Norvell would be on this list, they’d call you crazy. It wasn’t just that Florida State had a bad year. It was an absolute dumpster fire, where it seemed that the team had given up. Only 2 of their 10 losses were by one score. It was an embarrassment. Another year like that, and Mike Norvell could be gone. 

Meter: It’s Getting Hot

Billy Napier

Last year, Billy Napier had “The Sun” on his hot seat meter. He’s cooled off a bit, but it’s still hot. Going 7-5 is not meeting the expectations at Florida, but it did show improvement. An improved record would give Napier some slack, but anything worse will probably be the end of his time in Gainsville.

Meter: It Cooled Down but Still Hot

Brian Kelly

LSU hasn’t been bad in the Brian Kelly era, but not making a playoff, especially when it expanded last year, has created some tension around the program. LSU expects to be in the playoff often; another year of missing it could create a much hotter seat, if there is one, in 2026.

Meter: Warm