College football hot seat rankings: Evaluating the job security of the 126 remaining FBS coaches
A record-setting coaching carousel has spun us silly. Here's a look at who's next, who's untouchable and who may be prone to the next big momentum swing.
By
CBS Sports College Football Staff
•
3 min read
Job security in college football has never felt more fragile. As we cross the halfway mark of the 2025 season, the coaching carousel is already spinning at a record-setting pace.
On Sunday, Brian Kelly became the 12th FBS head coach fired this year and the 10th to be let go in-season. That's the most in-season firings before November in the FBS era (since 1978). Among those dismissed, eight were Power Conference head coaches, doubling last year's total of four and nearing the 2022 high of nine.
The pressure is relentless. Administrative decisions are increasingly shaped by the emotional pulse of boosters and fans, whose influence can swing a coach's fate with the outcome of a single game. The volatility is real -- and growing, and the dangers of going "all in" and having that backfire is what cost Kelly and Penn State's James Franklin their jobs.
Just think about how far we've come with Ohio State's Ryan Day. At the start of last season, Day carried a "3" rating in our hot seat rankings -- defined as "pressure is mounting." After a regular-season loss to Michigan and the ensuing drama, that number, had we polled our experts, would have been in the high fours. Day is now untouchable and Ohio State is in the mix for consecutive national championships.
In this November update of job security, a panel of six CBS Sports experts rated the still-standing coaches on a 0–5 scale. The composite scores offer a sharper view of job security across the sport.
Current Snapshot:
- Auburn's Hugh Freeze and Wisconsin's Luke Fickell lead all coaches with the dreaded 5.00 ratings -- the hottest seats in the country and denoting "win or be fired."
- Mike Norvell (Florida State) and Tim Beck (Coastal Carolina) are close behind at 4.83. Dave Aranda (Baylor), Mike Locksley (Maryland), and Frank Reich (Stanford) also sit above 4.0, territory that means "start improving now."
- 25 coaches sit in the "3-3.99 range" -- meaning "pressure is mounting," including Oklahoma's Brent Venables.
- "All good ... for now" is what anything in the 2s mean, and there are some interesting names there who have spiked up from their preseason ratings, including Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Kansas State's Chris Kleiman and Rutgers' Greg Schiano. There are 24 coaches in that range. Kent State's Mark Carney had the interim tag removed Thursday and he occupies that tier now.
- 88 coaches have ratings between 0 and 1.99 -- "safe and secure."
Just like Day last year, any coach's rating can shift dramatically week to week. This late-season snapshot helps us track the most precarious positions in college football — and anticipate the next moves on the carousel.
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.
2025 Midseason Hot Seat Rankings
| Team | Coach | Mid-year Rating | Preseason Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Calhoun | 1.5 | 1.11 | ||
| Joe Moorhead | 3.83 | 3.78 | ||
| Kalen DeBoer | 1.5 | 2.33 | ||
| Dowell Loggains | 1.83 | 0.56 | ||
| Brent Brennan | 2.17 | 4.22 | ||
| Kenny Dillingham | 0.67 | 0.22 | ||
| Butch Jones | 2.67 | 2.44 | ||
| Jeff Monken | .83 | 0.11 | ||
| Hugh Freeze | 5 | 4.22 | ||
| Mike Uremovich | 1 | 1 | ||
| Dave Aranda | 4.5 | 2.22 | ||
| Spencer Danielson | 0.83 | 0.89 | ||
| Bill O'Brien | 3.17 | 1.56 (1) | ||
| Eddie George | 1 | 1.56 | ||
| Pete Lembo | 2 | 1.11 | ||
| Kalani Sitake | 0 | 1.11 | ||
| Justin Wilcox | 2.5 | 3.44 | ||
| Matt Drinkall | 0.83 | 1 | ||
| Tim Albin | 1.5 | 1 | ||
| Scott Satterfield | 1.33 | 4 | ||
| Dabo Swinney | 1.33 | 0.22 | ||
| Tim Beck | 4.83 | 3.22 | ||
| Deion Sanders | 1.83 | 0.33 | ||
| Ryan Carty | 1.17 | 0.78 | ||
| Manny Diaz | 1 | 1.22 | ||
| Blake Harrell | 2 | 1.56 | ||
| Chris Creighton | 3 | 1.44 | ||
| Willie Simmons | 1.33 | 0.78 | ||
| Zach Kittley | 1.33 | 0.78 | ||
| Mike Norvell | 4.83 | 3.33 | ||
| Matt Entz | 1 | 0.78 | ||
| Kirby Smart | 0.17 | 0.11 | ||
| Clay Helton | 3.17 | 2.56 | ||
| Dell McGee | 2.83 | 1.89 | ||
| Brent Key | 0 | 1 | ||
| Timmy Chang | 1 | 2.44 | ||
| Willie Fritz | 0.83 | 1.33 | ||
| Bret Bielema | 1.33 | 0.78 | ||
| Curt Cignetti | 0.83 | 0.22 | ||
| Kirk Ferentz | 0.17 | 1.67 | ||
| Matt Campbell | 0.67 | 0.44 | ||
| Bob Chesney | 0.67 | 1 | ||
| Charles Kelly | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lance Leipold | 1.33 | 1 | ||
| Chris Klieman | 2.17 | 0.78 | ||
| Jerry Mack | 0.67 | 0.78 | ||
| Mark Carney | 1 | 3.56 | ||
| Mark Stoops | 3.67 | 3.56 | ||
| Jamey Chadwell | 2.33 | 1.78 | ||
| Michael Desormeaux | 2 | 1.67 | ||
| Sonny Cumbie | 3 | 5 | ||
| Jeff Brohm | 0.17 | 0.78 | ||
| Tony Gibson | 1.17 | 1 | ||
| Mike Locksley | 4.33 | 3.22 | ||
| Ryan Silverfield | 0.83 | 1.67 | ||
| Mario Cristobal | 0 | 2.56 | ||
| Chuck Martin | 1 | 0.78 | ||
| Sherrone Moore | 3 | 2.22 | ||
| Jonathan Smith | 3.67 | 1.78 | ||
| Derek Mason | 2.67 | 2.22 | ||
| P.J. Fleck | 1.83 | 1.78 | ||
| Jeff Lebby | 2.33 | 3 | ||
| Eliah Drinkwitz | 0.83 | 1.11 | ||
| Ryan Beard | 1.17 | 1.11 | ||
| Brian Newberry | 0.5 | 1.22 | ||
| Dave Doeren | 3 | 3 | ||
| Matt Rhule | 1 | 2.11 | ||
| Jeff Choate | 3 | 1.11 | ||
| Jason Eck | 0,83 | 1.11` | ||
| Tony Sanchez | 3 | 2.44 | ||
| Bill Belichick | 4 | 2.11 | ||
| Eric Morris | 0.33 | 2.44 | ||
| Thomas Hammock | 1.67 | 1.22 | ||
| David Braun | 1.5 | 2 | ||
| Marcus Freeman | 0.33 | 0.11 | ||
| Brian Smith | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ryan Day | 0.17 | 0.89 | ||
| Brent Venables | 3.33 | 4.67 | ||
| Ricky Rahne | 2 | 2.78 | ||
| Lane Kiffin | 0.17 | 1.11 | ||
| Dan Lanning | 0.17 | 0.22 | ||
| Pat Narduzzi | 1.33 | 2.56 | ||
| Barry Odom | 1.17 | 1 | ||
| Scott Abell | 0.67 | 1 | ||
| Greg Schiano | 2 | 1.44 | ||
| Phil Longo | 3.33 | 1 | ||
| Sean Lewis | 1 | 2 | ||
| Ken Niumatalolo | 2 | 1.11 | ||
| Rhett Lashlee | 0.83 | 0.78 | ||
| Major Applewhite | 3 | 1.78 | ||
| Shane Beamer | 2.83 | 1.11 | ||
| Charles Huff | 0.5 | 1 | ||
| Alex Golesh | 0.83 | 1.33 | ||
| Frank Reich (i) | 4.17 | 3.22 | ||
| Fran Brown | 0.83 | 1 | ||
| Sonny Dykes | 2.33 | 2.67 | ||
| K.C. Keeler  | 0.5 | 1 | ||
| Josh Heupel | 1 | 1.11 | ||
| Steve Sarkisian | 2 | 0.44 | ||
| Mike Elko | 0.33 | 1.67 | ||
| G.J. Kinne | 1.17 | 1.11 | ||
| Joey McGuire | 0.5 | 2.33 | ||
| Jason Candle | 2 | 1.78 | ||
| Gerad Parker | 1.33 | 2.78 | ||
| Jon Sumrall | 0 | 0.89 | ||
| Tre Lamb | 1 | 1 | ||
| Scott Frost | 1.5 | 2 | ||
| Jim Mora Jr. | 1 | 1.44 | ||
| Bryant Vincent | 1.83 | 1.22 | ||
| Joe Harasymiak | 2 | 1 | ||
| Dan Mullen | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lincoln Riley | 2.17 | 3.33 | ||
| Scotty Walden | 2 | 1.44 | ||
| Jeff Traylor | 1.83 | 0.89 | ||
| Kyle Whittingham | 0.67 | 0.67 | ||
| Bronco Mendenhall | 1.17 | 1 | ||
| Clark Lea | 0.17 | 1.78 | ||
| Tony Elliott | 0.83 | 3.33 | ||
| Jake Dickert | 0.5 | 1 | ||
| Jedd Fisch | 1.33 | 1.56 | ||
| Jimmy Rogers | 1 | 1.11 | ||
| Rich Rodriguez | 1.67 | 1.44 | ||
| Tyson Helton | 1 | 0.89 | ||
| Lance Taylor | 2.5 | 3.11 | ||
| Luke Fickell | 5 | 3.67 | ||
| Jay Sawvel | 2.33 | 2.67 |
