College football hot seat: 10 coaches trying to save their jobs in 2021

6. Herm Edwards, Arizona State

Recruiting violations have Herm Edwards on the hot seat, despite Arizona State playing fairly well under his watch. It’s a shame because the program flashed some promise in a Pac-12 with few quality teams.

This is a matter of how the investigation plays out. If the findings are bad, Edwards will be out the door. A bad season would only escalate the issues.

5. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan

At first glance, Jim Harbaugh’s 49-22 record at Michigan looks solid. With three 10-win seasons on his profile, it would be a plus in most situations.

However, the Wolverines have won just one bowl on his watch, in his first year at the helm in 2015. They have not defeated Ohio State, arguably the fatal flaw, either. Beyond that, no quarterback has developed well in Harbaugh’s system, and he has yet to win the division to make the Big Ten Championship Game.

All this makes the extension he signed after last season through 2025 even more surprising. Harbaugh, for Michigan’s usual standards, probably should have the hottest seat on this list, especially after a 2-4 record in 2020. For now, he sits in the middle of the list, with the nation wondering how real his job security is.

4. Randy Edsall, UConn

Randy Edsall’s second stint at UConn has been awful. A 6-30 record reeks of disaster, a major change after a solid first turn when he won three bowl games. The Huskies are lucky to be sniffing halftime leads at this point.

If this team starts poorly, which is the expectation, Edsall could be out midseason.