2025 College Football Hot Seat Rankings: Evaluating the job security of all 136 FBS coaches
From 'win or be fired' to 'untouchable,' every coach gets rated by our panel of CBS Sports college football experts
By
CBS Sports Staff
•
4 min read
Job security for college football coaches is a tenuous proposition. Administrative decisions are constantly influenced by feedback from boosters and fans, whose support is essential to moving in a positive direction. And since those opinions often come from emotionally charged individuals, a coach can find himself thrown on, or off, the hot seat with the results of a single season -- or even a single game.
Consider the case of Ohio State coach Ryan Day. At the start of last season, Day carried a "3" rating in our hot seat rankings, defined as "pressure is mounting." You could argue that after losing to Michigan in the regular-season finale -- and all the flag-planting drama that followed -- that number should have been even higher entering the College Football Playoff. But four postseason wins and a national championship later, Day now enters 2025 with a 0.89 rating, which falls between "untouchable" and "safe and secure."
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You'll also notice more specificity in our hot seat ratings this year. With the retirement of the great Dennis Dodd, we opened up the evaluation process, inviting more voters to contribute to a composite score for all 136 FBS coaches. Our panel of nine experts rated every coach on a scale from 0 to 5. The average score offers a clearer picture of the hot seat landscape heading into the 2025 season.
Across the FBS, things appear relatively stable -- at least for now -- with 88 of 136 coaches receiving a composite rating between 0 and 1.99, indicating they're "safe and secure." But among the nine coaches with ratings higher than "4", and even the 25 with scores above "3", there are big-name programs that will demand attention after the slightest stumble. Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are among the jobs our experts have flagged as particularly vulnerable -- and any one of them could spark a chain reaction on the coaching carousel by year's end.
Just like with Ryan Day last year, any of these coaches could see their rating rise or fall on a week-to-week basis. This is merely a starting point, helping us narrow the focus on the hottest seats in college football and highlight the urgency some coaches face early in the season.
Below, you'll find where all 136 FBS coaches stand before the season kicks off, as voted on by CBS Sports college football experts Matt Zenitz, Shehan Jeyarajah, Brandon Marcello, John Talty, Tom Fornelli, Bud Elliott, Chris Hummer, Chip Patterson and Richard Johnson. Each was asked to rate every coach's job security on a scale of 0 to 5, and we took the average of those nine evaluations to assign a score. Check out the ratings key, then see where every coach ranks with kickoff just under two months away.
| Rating | What it means | Coaches |
|---|---|---|
5 | Win or be fired | 1 |
4-4.99 | Start improving now | 8 |
3-3.99 | Pressure is mounting | 16 |
2-2.99 | All good ... for now | 23 |
1-1.99 | Safe and secure | 60 |
0-0.99 | Untouchable | 28 |
The table below is arranged in alphabetical order by school. Listed is each coach's win-loss record at his current program and the number of years he's led that team prior to 2025. If the coach's rating has changed from the 2024 season, the old rating is listed in parenthesis. Asterisks (*) indicate that games won/lost as an interim coach immediately preceding a full-time hiring are included.
2025 Hot Seat Rankings
| Team | Coach | Years | Record | 2025 Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Calhoun | 18 | 130-82 | 1.11 (1) | |
| Joe Moorhead | 3 | 8-28 | 3.78 (3) | |
| Kalen DeBoer | 1 | 9-4 | 2.33 (2) | |
| Dowell Loggains | -- | -- | 0.56 | |
| Brent Brennan | 1 | 4-8 | 4.22 (2) | |
| Kenny Dillingham | 2 | 14-12 | 0.22 (2) | |
| Sam Pittman | 5 | 30-31 | 4.22 (5) | |
| Butch Jones | 4 | 19-31 | 2.44 (3) | |
| Jeff Monken | 11 | 82-57 | 0.11 (1) | |
| Hugh Freeze | 2 | 11-14 | 4.22 (2) | |
| Mike Uremovich | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Dave Aranda | 5 | 30-31 | 2.22 (4) | |
| Spencer Danielson | 1 | 15-3* | 0.89 (2) | |
| Bill O'Brien | 1 | 7-6 | 1.56 (1) | |
| Eddie George | -- | -- | 1.56 | |
| Pete Lembo | 1 | 9-4 | 1.11 (2) | |
| Kalani Sitake | 9 | 72-43 | 1.11 (4) | |
| Justin Wilcox | 8 | 42-50 | 3.44 (3) | |
| Matt Drinkall | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Tim Albin | 1 | -- | 1 | |
| Scott Satterfield | 2 | 8-16 | 4 (3) | |
| Dabo Swinney | 16 | 180-47 | 0.22 (2) | |
| Tim Beck | 1 | 14-12 | 3.22 (1) | |
| Deion Sanders | 2 | 13-12 | 0.33 (2) | |
| Jay Norvell | 3 | 16-21 | 1.89 (2) | |
| Ryan Carty | 2 | 26-11 FCS | 0.78 (n/a) | |
| Manny Diaz | 1 | 9-4 | 1.22 (1) | |
| Blake Harrell | -- | 5-1* | 1.56 | |
| Chris Creighton | 11 | 57-75 | 1.44 (1) | |
| Willie Simmons | -- | -- | 0.78 (2) | |
| Billy Napier | 3 | 19-19 | 3.67 (4) | |
| Zach Kittley | -- | -- | 0.78 | |
| Mike Norvell | 5 | 33-27 | 3.33 (0) | |
| Matt Entz | -- | -- | 0.78 | |
| Kirby Smart | 9 | 105-19 | 0.11 (0) | |
| Clay Helton | 3 | 20-19 | 2.56 (2) | |
| Dell McGee | 1 | 3-9 | 1.89 (2) | |
| Brent Key | 2 | 18-16 | 1 (2) | |
| Timmy Chang | 3 | 13-25 | 2.44 (2) | |
| Willie Fritz | 1 | 4-8 | 1.33 (1) | |
| Bret Bielema | 4 | 28-22 | 0.78 (2) | |
| Curt Cignetti | 1 | 11-2 | 0.22 (1) | |
| Kirk Ferentz | 26 | 204-124 | 1.67 (2) | |
| Matt Campbell | 9 | 64-51 | 0.44 (1) | |
| Bob Chesney | 1 | 9-4 | 1 | |
| Charles Kelly | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Lance Leipold | 4 | 22-28 | 1 (0) | |
| Chris Klieman | 6 | 48-28 | 0.78 (0) | |
| Jerry Mack | -- | -- | 0.78 | |
| Mark Carney (i) | -- | -- | 3.56 | |
| Mark Stoops | 12 | 67-73 | 3.56 (1) | |
| Jamey Chadwell | 2 | 21-5 | 1.78 (0) | |
| Michael Desormeaux | 3 | 23-18* | 1.67 (2) | |
| Sonny Cumbie | 3 | 11-26 | 5 (4) | |
| Jeff Brohm | 2 | 19-8 | 0.78 (0) | |
| Brian Kelly | 3 | 29-11 | 3.33 (0) | |
| Tony Gibson | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Mike Locksley | 6 | 33-41 | 3.22 (2) | |
| Ryan Silverfield | 5 | 42-21* | 1.67 (1) | |
| Mario Cristobal | 3 | 22-16 | 2.56 (3) | |
| Chuck Martin | 11 | 65-67 | 0.78 (2) | |
| Sherrone Moore | 1 | 9-5* | 2.22 (1) | |
| Jonathan Smith | 1 | 5-7 | 1.78 (1) | |
| Derek Mason | 1 | 3-9 | 2.22 (2) | |
| P.J. Fleck | 8 | 56-39 | 1.78 (2) | |
| Jeff Lebby | 1 | 2-10 | 3 (1) | |
| Eliah Drinkwitz | 5 | 38-24 | 1.11 (1) | |
| Ryan Beard | 2 | 12-11 FCS | 1.11 (n/a) | |
| Brian Newberry | 2 | 15-11 | 1.22 (3) | |
| Dave Doeren | 12 | 87-65 | 3 (2) | |
| Matt Rhule | 1 | 12-13 | 2.11 (1) | |
| Jeff Choate | 1 | 3-10 | 1.11 (2) | |
| Jason Eck | -- | -- | 1.11` | |
| Tony Sanchez | 1 | 3-9 | 2.44 | |
| Bill Belichick | -- | -- | 2.11 | |
| Eric Morris | 1 | 11-14 | 2.44 (2) | |
| Thomas Hammock | 6 | 32-28 | 1.22 (2) | |
| David Braun | 2 | 12-13* | 2 (1) | |
| Marcus Freeman | 3 | 33-10* | 0.11 (1) | |
| Brian Smith | 1 | 1-0* | 1 | |
| Ryan Day | 6 | 70-10* | 0.89 (3) | |
| Brent Venables | 3 | 22-23 | 4.67 (2) | |
| Mike Gundy | 20 | 169-88 | 4.33 (1) | |
| Ricky Rahne | 5 | 25-30 | 2.78 (2) | |
| Lane Kiffin | 5 | 44-18 | 1.11 (0) | |
| Dan Lanning | 3 | 35-6 | 0.22 (0) | |
| Trent Bray | 1 | 5-7 | 2.11 (2) | |
| James Franklin | 11 | 101-42 | 1.33 (1) | |
| Pat Narduzzi | 10 | 72-56 | 2.56 (3) | |
| Barry Odom | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Scott Abell | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Greg Schiano | 5 (16) | 26-35 (94-101) | 1.44 (2) | |
| Phil Longo | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Sean Lewis | 1 | 3-9 | 2 (1) | |
| Ken Niumatalolo | 1 | 7-6 | 1.11 (1) | |
| Rhett Lashlee | 3 | 29-12 | 0.78 (1) | |
| Major Applewhite | 1 | 7-6 | 1.78 (2) | |
| Shane Beamer | 4 | 29-22 | 1.11 (3) | |
| Charles Huff | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Alex Golesh | 2 | 14-12 | 1.33 (1) | |
| Frank Reich (i) | -- | -- | 3.22 | |
| Fran Brown | 1 | 10-3 | 1 (2) | |
| Sonny Dykes | 3 | 27-13 | 2.67 (1) | |
| K.C. Keeler | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Josh Heupel | 4 | 37-15 | 1.11 (1) | |
| Steve Sarkisian | 4 | 38-17 | 0.44 (0) | |
| Mike Elko | 1 | 8-5 | 1.67 (1) | |
| G.J. Kinne | 2 | 16-10 | 1.11 (1) | |
| Joey McGuire | 3 | 23-16 | 2.33 (2) | |
| Jason Candle | 10 | 73-40 | 1.78 (0) | |
| Gerad Parker | 1 | 4-8 | 2.78 (2) | |
| Jon Sumrall | 1 | 9-5 | 0.89 (1) | |
| Tre Lamb | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Trent Dilfer | 1 | 7-17 | 4.44 (2) | |
| Scott Frost | (2) | (19-7) | 2 | |
| Deshaun Foster | -- | -- | 2.56 (2) | |
| Jim Mora Jr. | 3 | 18-20 | 1.44 (2) | |
| Bryant Vincent | 1 | 5-7 | 1.22 (3) | |
| Joe Harasymiak | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Dan Mullen | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Lincoln Riley | 3 | 26-14 | 3.33 (2) | |
| Scotty Walden | 1 | 3-9 | 1.44 (1) | |
| Jeff Traylor | 5 | 46-20 | 0.89 (0) | |
| Kyle Whittingham | 20 | 167-86* | 0.67 (0) | |
| Bronco Mendenhall | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Clark Lea | 4 | 16-33 | 1.78 (4) | |
| Tony Elliott | 3 | 11-23 | 3.33 (3) | |
| Brent Pry | 3 | 16-21 | 4.11 (2) | |
| Jake Dickert | -- | -- | 1 | |
| Jedd Fisch | 1 | 6-7 | 1.56 (2) | |
| Jimmy Rogers | -- | -- | 1.11 (2) | |
| Rich Rodriguez | (7) | (60-26) | 1.44 | |
| Tyson Helton | 6 | 48-32 | 0.89 (1) | |
| Lance Taylor | 2 | 10-15 | 3.11 (2) | |
| Luke Fickell | 2 | 13-13 | 3.67 (1) | |
| Jay Sawvel | 1 | 3-9 | 2.67 (2) |
