8 College Football Coaches On The Hot Seat After Week 8

Week 8 of the college football season is officially in the books, and while there were already a number of coaches on Hot Seat Watch before things kicked off, we have some new additions thanks to what transpired.

There are a number of college football coaches on the hot seat who may end up being saved by some sizeable buyouts, and there are others who could save their jobs if they’re able to turn things around by the time the year comes to an end.

With that said, all of the guys on this list should probably still be at least a little worried.

Lincoln Riley—USC

October has been an unmitigated disaster for USC, and Lincoln Riley has to be feeling the heat as the Trojans find themselves in the midst of a three-game skid that’s seen them plummet to 3-4.

USC did almost pull off the upset over Penn State, but that close loss doesn’t come as any solace to fans who’ve seen them drop games to Minnesota and Maryland teams who seemingly had no business beating the Trojans on paper.

Things have been trending in the wrong direction for Riley since he got off to an 11-3 start in his inaugural season at USC in 2021. It’s very, very unlikely he’ll be losing his job in the immediate future when you consider the school would have to stomach an $88 million buyout, but he’s going to be facing more pressure than ever before going forward.

Neal Brown—West Virginia

West Virginia headed into the season with fairly high hopes following last year’s 9-4 campaign, but fans are losing patience with Neal Brown now that the Mountaineers are sitting at 3-4.

All but one of WVU’s losses have come to teams that are currently in the Top 25, but the fact that the team hasn’t really come close to holding its own against top-tier talent has emerged as a major point of contention.

There’s still a chance Brown is able to turn things around now that the toughest part of the schedule has come and gone, but if that doesn’t end up being the case, his sixth season with West Virginia could end up being his last.

Brent Venables—Oklahoma

Oklahoma got off to a 3-0 start with wins over teams they should have beaten, but they have gotten a very rude welcome to the SEC.

The Sooners are currently 1-3 in conference play, and while you could argue Texas and Tennessee were simply the more talented team in each of those losses, fans are understandably frustrated with what unfolded during their 35-9 beatdown at the hands of South Carolina.

Brent Venables led Oklahoma to a 10-3 record last season after going 6-7 in his first year as head coach, and it’s become much easier to argue the 2023 campaign was a fluke based on how his team is currently looking.

The school would be on the hook for a $44.8 million buyout after extending his contract prior to the start of the season, so even though that might be enough to keep Venables safe, he’s going to need to turn things around.

Hugh Freeze-Auburn

At this point, it’s pretty clear Hugh Freeze just doesn’t have what it takes to produce like Auburn expects him to.

The Tigers dropped to 2-5 with a 21-17 loss to Missouri, and Freeze has gone 8-12 since taking over last year after redeeming himself at Liberty. They have a fairly daunting schedule to close out the season, and all signs point to things getting worse.

His $20 million buyout does throw a wrench into things, but Auburn might just want to make a clean break and get off to a fresh start as soon as possible.

Ryan Walters—Purdue

Purdue wasn’t exactly expecting Ryan Walters to transform the Boilermakers into national championship contenders when he was hired in 2023, but they were still hoping for more than what they’ve gotten so far.

Purdue is sitting at 1-6 after losing six games in a row, and there’s a very good chance they finish the season with a single win based on the five opponents left on the schedule (which include Ohio State, Penn State, and Indiana).

Billy Napier—Florida

The Gators did improve to 4-3 with a decisive 48-20 win over Kentucky, but it may be too little too late for Billy Napier.

The next four games Florida plays will be against opponents in the Top 25 (Texas, Georgia, and LSU are all currently sitting in the Top 10), and I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest the only feasible win left on the schedule is in the Sickos Bowl we’ll be treated to when they face off against Florida State to cap off the regular season.

Napier may be able to salvage things with a couple of upsets that would be very unexpected as things currently stand, and while his $26 million buyout has been a hot topic of discussion since the start of the season, Florida may want to just move on as quickly as possible.

Dave Aranda—Baylor

Dave Aranda may have felt the hot seat cool off a little bit with a 59-35 victory over Texas Tech, but he’s going to need to rattle off a string of dominant wins like that one if he wants to save his job.

Baylor is still 3-4 despite the victory that ended a three-game losing streak, and while there’s a chance the Bears end up punching their ticket to a bowl based on the number of theoretically winnable games left on the schedule, I’m not even sure if a berth will be enough to prevent the school from moving on.

Trent Dilfer—UAB

As is the case with Purdue, UAB is 1-6, and as is the case with Ryan Walters, Trent Dilfer has simply not come close to producing the desired results since taking over in 2023.

Dilfer had never been the head coach of a college football team before the Blazers brought him aboard, and that decision has backfired spectacularly thanks to what’s unfolded in Birmingham.