The college football season is starting to take shape, and this means the hot seat is starting to get warmer for some coaches and cooling off for others. Luke Fickell may have worked himself onto the right side of the line with an early surge at Wisconsin,. but there are plenty of other coaches who have worked their way directly onto it.
You know about Dabo Swinney, who we're assuming is already a dead man walking at Clemson. Below is our top five of the week, from least in trouble to most, with some familiar faces and a surprise addition to the list.
5. Kyle Whittingham, Michigan
Wait, What?
Maybe Whittingham should not even be on this list. But people in Ann Arbor are starting to talk about it after just five games. After an ugly loss to Iowa, a second dud in a row to Minnesota leaves the Michigan faithful cranky and the administration confused about what to do.
Much of this will depend on Whittingham staying with quarterback Bryce Underwood or moving on to Tommy Carr, and formulating a plan for next season. If Carr replaces Underwood and the former can show that he is the future of the program, it will help Whittingham to move forward with some degree of confidence. If he is left on the bench in favor of Underwood, of if he comes in and cannot perform under Whittingham, Michigan will be forced to pull the rip cord. After all, this was supposed to be the win now hire.
4. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas
I don’t think Silverfield is a bad coach. It is true that he is not ready for the SEC and all the challenges that come with it. but he was put into a no-win situation by an Arkansas administration (and, it must be said, fan base) who handcuffed him at every turn.
It is only a matter of time before Silverfield to be let go. While someone like Brian Harsin never wanted to do things the SEC way, the same cannot be said for Silverfield after coming over from Memphis. He has just been let down by those around him. Good thing he has $24 million reasons to keep going.
3. Mike Norvell, Florida State
It took a lot to knock Norvell off the top spot on this list. But, to the anger of some Seminoles fans, it has been done by not one but two coaches.
Norvell was teetering on the brink after a loss at Alabama two weeks ago. But being able to return home and dominate a solid Virginia team on Saturday is a different bag entirely. These Hoos are different from the 11-win team they were in 2025, but they were still in the top 25 at the time of the game and feature the sort of physical run game the Noles defense has struggled against.
Sentiment around the college football world when Michael Alford was fired as Florida State's AD was that Norvell would quickly follow. This has not yet happened, and if Norvell continues to win, it may not happen for a while.
Florida State has some financial issues which need to be resolved before anything is solidified. It is also common knowledge that many around the program and the sport really like Norvell. The administration wants to give him every chance possible to succeed, even if it might sink their ship even further if they wait too long. But by waiting, it will also give any hired AD the chance to make their own decision on whether to retain or let go of Norvell.
2. Mike Locksley, Maryland
Maryland has been waiting for next season with Locksley since his second year in College Park.
Locksley is a great recruiter, which has helped him hold the job for so long. But, with hopes fading and another year of quarterback Mailk Washington being wasted with a bad offensive line and a slew of injuries, a change is long overdue.
After losing to Bobby Chesney and UCLA 54-3, Maryland took another defeat this week by a score of 48-23 to Nebraska. The Terps should be able to hang with such teams by now, and the fact that they've been passed by shows a criminal lack of development under Locksley. This is a direct reflection on his leadership and is the single biggest reason that he needs to be replaced. The biggest challenge will be who they can find to replace Locksley, with potentially 15 power-conference jobs coming open.
1. Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Three weeks, two losses in which the Gamecocks were up by two scores. Week 3 could be excused with quarterback Kamario Taylor on the other sideline, but at home against Kentucky?
Will Stein has pulled off some wonderful things in Lexington during his first season. but this is not a team South Carolina can afford to be looking up at in the SEC hierarchy.
Don’t expect Beamer to be let go this week; not with the Florida Gators on deck. But the Gamecocks will follow this game with a bye week, which is the potential spot to figure out your interim coach before returning to action against Tennessee.
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