7 College Football Coaches On The Hot Seat After Week 5

The first month of the 2024 college football season is officially in the books, and at this point, there’s plenty of evidence we can use to determine the teams that have shown they have what it takes to compete for a national championship and those that simply don’t possess the talent required to hang.

There is still some time for squads in that second category—and the guys who coach them—to turn things around, but that’s going to be much easier said than done.

There are plenty of college football teams that have failed to live up to expectations this season, and some of the people who are handsomely compensated to coach them should probably start worrying about their job security as things currently stand.

These college football coaches have all earned a spot on the hot seat based on how things are looking after Week 5.

Hugh Freeze—Auburn

Auburn was favored to beat an Oklahoma team that was sitting at #21 in the AP Poll heading into the contest, but the Tigers fell victim to a pick-six with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter that ended up being the deciding factor in the 27-21 loss.

Auburn is now 2-3 and staring down a three-game stretch against Georgia, Missouri, and a Kentucky squad that pulled off a shocking upset over Ole Miss.

Freeze has posted an 8-10 record since taking over for the Tigers, and it seems like the clock is ticking.

Dave Aranda—Baylor

Dave Aranda is still clinging to the  12-2 record he posted at Baylor in 2021, but at this point, it’s becoming increasingly hard to argue that wasn’t a fluke.

The Bears dropped to 2-3 with a 34-28 loss to BYU that saw them try and fail to mount a comeback after falling into a 21-0 hole in the first half.

There are a number of winnable games remaining on the schedule, but if Baylor can’t at least make it to a bowl, it seems safe to assume Aranda’s tenure will be coming to an end.

 

Mike Norvell—Florida State

Florida State got a glimmer of hope by securing its first win of the season over Cal, but it was quickly extinguished after they fell to 1-4 with a 42-16 thrashing at the hands of SMU.

Norvell’s $65 million buyout is his biggest saving grace, and it does seem like FSU could end up giving him the opportunity to prove this season is a fluke.

However, the Seminoles would run the risk of having the program tarnished even more than it already has been if they go that route and he fails to turn things around, which makes this a very interesting situation to keep tracking.

Sam Pittman—Arkansas

Sam Pittman knew he was on the hot seat heading into the season, and even though Arkansas got off to a solid start, they suffered a setback with a loss to Texas A&M to drop to 3-2.

The Razorbacks were listed as underdogs against the Aggies, but Pittman still desperately needed a win knowing his team was about to turn its attention to a brutal SEC schedule that includes games against Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, and Texas.

At this point, it’s a bit hard to imagine Arkansas is going to be able to sneak into a bowl, and Pittman probably won’t get another chance if they end up on the outside looking in.

Trent Dilfer—UAB

UAB might not be as prominent as most of the other programs on this list, but the Blazers were hoping to make a splash when they hired retired NFL QB Trent Dilfer to helm the team in 2023.

Dilfer went 4-8 in his first season, and it’s difficult to imagine any scenario where they finish with a winning record based on their upcoming schedule following a 1-3 start where UAB’s lone win came over Alcorn State.

The Blazers knew they were signing up for an experiment when they hired Dilfer, and all signs point to it being a dismal failure.

Kenni Burns—Kent State

As is the case with Dilfer and UAB, no one really expected Kenni Burns to transform Kent State into a national powerhouse. However, it’s safe to assume the program was expecting more than what it’s gotten so far.

The Golden Flashes went 1-11 during Burns’ first season as head coach in 2023. Their lone win came against Central Connecticut on September 16th, which means it’s now been more than a year since their last victory.

Kent State is now in the midst of a 14-game skid that doesn’t seem like it’s going to end at any point in the near future based on the team’s upcoming schedule, and Burns is a top candidate to get kicked to the curb.

P.J. Fleck—Minnesota

P.J. Fleck’s hot seat is easily the coolest of any of the coaches on this list. Minnesota almost pulled off the upset against Michigan before dropping to 2-3, and the fact that the school is on the hook for a $22 million buyout means his job is probably safe for at least one more season.

With that said, I’m still putting Fleck on Hot Seat Watch.

It seems like there’s a good chance the Golden Gophers will at least match their 6-7 record from last season and make a bowl for the fourth year in a row, but it’s far from a sure thing when you consider they have three games against Big 10 teams currently ranked in the Top 25 remaining on the schedule.

If they fail to hit the required threshold, Fleck could be feeling a bit more heat.