Greg McElroy breaks down next group of coaches on hot seat

ESPN’s Greg McElroy broke down the next crop of coaches on the hot seat this season on Always College Football. With double digit jobs open across the FBS, including eight in the Power Four, the coaching cycle is about to be bananas.

As far as what’s to come, we are likely not done with coach firings. Fair or not, this is the reality of the current state of college football.

So who is on the hot seat that is in survival mode? Let’s dive into McElroy’s list and break it all down.

Mike Norvell, Florida State

Norvell is 3-4 this season with Florida State with four straight losses. This team beat Alabama to start the year but hasn’t looked the same since. Patience might be wearing thin in Tallahassee.

The admin stated there will be a comprehensive review of the program under Norvell at the end of the season. Since going 13-0 as ACC champs and missing the College Football Playoff, FSU got blown out in the Orange Bowl and is 5-14 in the last two seasons. Hot seat confirmed.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Fickell has struggled, particularly this season. The Badgers are 2-6 through eight games and it seems like the end is near for Fickell in Madison. He was a high quality coach at Cincinnati, making them the first Group of Five team to make the College Football Playoff. Heck, that was back when it was just a four-team dance.

Fickell is 15-19 with the Badgers, going 7-6 in 2023 and losing the ReliaQuest Bowl. That was the peak in three-plus seasons. To be fair, Wisconsin has been ravaged by injuries in recent seasons, especially at QB. but this is a stark contrast from the Paul Chryst era, putting Fickell on the hot seat.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Auburn is one of those pressure cooker jobs, partially due to neighbor Alabama. Freeze hasn’t won more than six games in a season and is 4-4 this year. It’s only Year 3 by the way. But the Tigers’ brass doesn’t want to wait around for this to get going apparently.

Freeze is also 6-15 in SEC play, which could certainly constitute him being on the hot seat. Unless there’s a massive turnaround in the final four games, Freeze’s time ‘On The Plains’ could be limited.

Dave Aranda, Baylor

Aranda has been average since winning the Big 12 title with Baylor in Year 2. That team nearly made the College Football Playoff. But McElroy mentioned him among hot seat coaches, although it’s not as scorching as others.

Aranda came over from LSU’s legendary 2019 squad in 2020 and is 35-34 since. After winning the Big 12, the team is 0-2 in bowl games and 21-25 since then. It might be time to pull the plug after six years, but that’ll likely be a postseason move.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Stoops’ time at Kentucky is nearing an end it seems. That’s at elast what Wildcat fans woudl tell you. But he could very well be on the hot seat if you judge the last year and a half.

Following back to back 7-6 seasons, Kentucky went 4-8 last year and is 2-5 in 2025. Stoops is also 1-12 in his last 13 SEC games. There were two 10-win seasons in the past, but it seems like the magic has run out.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina

From Jordon Hudson to Michael Lombardi criticism and poor on-field play, it’s been a borderline disaster Year 1 for Belichick. Maybe he won’t be on the hot seat when it’s all said and done, if UNC wants to keep the faith, but others will put the former New England Patriots coach on it.

North Carolina is 2-5 without beating a Power Four team. They lost 17-16 in overtime to a ranked Virginia team this past weekend, going for two and an upset (the right call). But otherwise, it’s been mostly a mess for the Tar Heels this year.