Way-too-early college football coaching hot seat tiers - ESPN

College football's coaching carousel spins at different speeds, often alternating between chaotic and calm, depending on the year.

After a relatively uneventful cycle in 2024-25, the most recent carousel moved fast and furiously, claiming coaches from the expected (Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy, Florida's Billy Napier) to the surprising (Penn State's James Franklin, LSU's Brian Kelly) to the downright shocking (Michigan's Sherrone Moore). The SEC and Big Ten had a combined nine coaching changes, including at four programs — Michigan, LSU, Auburn and Florida — that have won national titles in the past 20 seasons. All four power conferences had multiple coaching changes.

The scope of the carousel and the programs involved make it easy to forget that the number of coaching changes could have been much higher. Several coaches barely escaped with their jobs after disappointing seasons, for reasons ranging from hefty buyouts to administrative flux. They will enter the fall under undeniable pressure to deliver, and midseason changes are possible, if not likely, again.

The upcoming carousel might not be as robust as its predecessor, but there is potential for another wild cycle, especially if certain jobs open in the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12. Although we tend to view the coaching hot seat through the lens of who might be fired, there are other reasons for changes, including the NFL, which will continue to assess Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Oregon's Dan Lanning and other college coaches.

To help sort out what might happen in the coaching ranks during and after the 2026 season, the tiers are back.

Jump to a tier:
The hottest | Want it to work
It'll cost us | Need progress
Retirement watch | Group of 6

Norvell is atop this list for