Top five college football head coaches on the hot seat

In college football, it’s inevitable that each season, some teams will disappoint. In a huge league, where there’s no reward for tanking, everyone wants to compete for bowl game bids. This means that coaches who don't live up to expectations are on a short leash.

Recently, college football headlines have heavily featured the firings of head coaches, with longtime bench bosses like James Franklin and Mike Gundy finally getting the boot from Penn State and Oklahoma State, respectively. Other firings have included Trent Bray, Sam Pittman, Brent Pry and Trent Dilfer.

Which coach will be next? Here are five coaches whose time may be up soon.

5: Bill Belichick, North Carolina

The legendary NFL coach took his talents to Chapel Hill in December, looking to bring his “everyone does their job” brand of football to a school known for basketball.

Belichick was known for his uninviting facial expressions, sarcastic tone and six Super Bowl rings, but a 2-3 record with blowout losses to TCU, UCF and Clemson, along with controversy around his 24-year-old girlfriend, has caused fans to question his coaching abilities as a 73-year-old.

4: Joe Harasymiak, UMass

The first-year head coach has had a nightmarish start to his career with the Minutemen. They are 0-6 and haven’t scored more than ten points against an FBS opponent this season.

Umass has a history of losing and frequent coaching changes. On average, UMass head coaches last less than three seasons before getting fired. Harasymiak, on the other hand, whose team has taken 42-point beatings from teams like Temple and Kent State, could easily be gone after just one year.

3: Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Freeze made a name for himself at Liberty University, where he went 34-15 over four seasons and won three bowl games. Now with Auburn, he hasn’t found the same success at the SEC level. His record stands at 14-17, and only 1-11 against ranked teams.

The Tigers want to be contenders in one of college football’s toughest conferences, and Freeze isn't getting the job done. Unless he can show improvement this season, Auburn may move on from him in the near future.

2: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Fickell and the Badgers entered the season looking to improve on their 5-7 record from last year, but after an ugly start, they find themselves in last place in the Big Ten at 2-4 (0-3 B1G). Their season so far has featured uninspiring performances against middle-of-the-pack teams like Maryland, Michigan and Iowa.

Unfortunately for Wisconsin, the schedule doesn’t get any easier, with Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana still left. Fickell will need some statement wins in the back half of the season to make a case for himself to stay in Madison.

1: Billy Napier, Florida

Napier, along with Franklin and Gundy, had been at the center of coaching hot seat conversations. Despite going 8-5 last year, his best finish as Florida’s head coach, Napier is still under scrutiny. For a school as big as Florida, who play in a power four conference, Napier hasn’t met expectations.

Florida wants to compete for a playoff spot, and Napier hasn’t shown he can. He has disappointed against Florida’s rivals, posting a 3-12 combined record against LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, FSU and Miami. He also has the worst winning percentage in school history among non-interim head coaches.

With the recent spike in coach firings, Florida will likely hop on the trend and pull the plug on Napier.

Gabe Eisenberg is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email
gfe5080@psu.edu