USA Today releases SEC Football Hot Seat Rankings

USA Today released its SEC football coach hot seat rankings ahead of the 2025 college football season and there are certainly some guys in the pressure cooker. SEC Football Unfiltered hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams had some differing rankings, aside from the No. 1 coach on the list.

Still, these coaches have to win this year or they might be out of a job by the time the fall is over. It’s the awful part regarding debate in college football, but after a year where every coach was safe, something’s going to give.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the SEC coach hot seat rankings. We start with the scorchers in the conference.

Sam Pittman, Arkansas

Toppmeyer ranking: No. 1 
Adams ranking: No. 1

Pittman is No. 1 on the list for both analysts. No SEC coach has more pressure than the lovable Arkansas leader.

However, the program rebounded a bit last year with a 7-6 record, but since that 2021 campaign when they finished in the top 20, it hasn’t been stellar. Expectations are higher for the Razorbacks than a 30-31 record in five years.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Toppmeyer ranking: No. 2 
Adams ranking: No. 5

Toppmeyer has Freeze much higher than Adams, but one thing’s for sure, he has to deliver in Year 3. There’s no guarantee another average or subpar season will lead to his dismissal, but five or six wins isn’t cutting it in the SEC.

Freeze has a new QB in Jackson Arnold after he transferred in this offseason. Anything less than seven, maybe even eight wins, could lead to the end of the Freeze era.

Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Toppmeyer ranking: No. 3
Adams ranking: No. 4

Venables was great as a defensive coordinator during his initial stint at Oklahoma, and of course Clemson. But as a head coach? He’s fallen short of expectations.

Both Toppmeyer and Adams feel he’s in the middle of these rankings, if not lower. But he’s still under more pressure than most SEC coaches this season considering he’s just 22-17 in three years and has yet to win a postseason game.

Billy Napier, Florida

Toppmeyer ranking: No. 4
Adams ranking: No. 3

Napier has seen some highs and lows in the SEC since taking over as Florida head coach. But with what he has at QB in DJ Lagway this year, plus some development around him, Florida could very well be a playoff dark horse.

But that’s the issue. Napier was hired to usher the Gators into the new era and is just 19-19 in three seasons. To be fair, they won eight games last year so the trajectory is pointing up.

Mark Stoops, Kentucky

Toppmeyer ranking: No. 5
Adams ranking: No. 2

Toppmeyer and Adams differ greatly on the SEC hot seat rankings again here. Stoops’ seat is scorching for one and just a bit hot for another.

There’s no doubt Stoops has been successful for the Wildcats, being the program’s winningest coach and longest tenured SEC coach. But after last year’s 4-8 campaign, there are serious questions if he can push the right buttons to make them ultra competitive like 2021 or even 2018 (both 10 win seasons).