Football season made its grand return at the start of September, and fans around America have firmly entered the glorious four-month stretch that involves them spending a good chunk of their weekends posted up in front of a TV to get their fix.
There are still plenty of games left on the schedule for college football and NFL teams, but at this point, there are a number of fanbases who’ve been forced to grapple with the fact that their season has basically ended before it even got started.
iStockphoto
A football coach isn’t entirely responsible for their squad’s shortcomings on the gridiron, but the buck ultimately stops with the people tasked with calling the Xs and Os and getting the most out of their players.
Unfortunately, there are already some notable names at the college and NFL level who’ve shown they’re probably not That Guy for the teams who are likely already having a debate about their futures.
Billy Napier—Florida
Getty Image
Florida is currently sitting 1-2 after a 33-20 loss to Texas A&M, and while both of those defeats have come at the hands of teams in the Top 25 in the most recent AP Poll, the Gators have not inspired much confidence.
How hot is Billy Napier’s hot seat? Well, Florida boosters have reportedly begun to organize to foot the bill for a buyout that will cost more than $25 million, so it would appear his days in Gainesville are incredibly numbered.
Mike Norvell—Florida State
Getty Image
Florida State is also facing a very unenviable situation when you consider Mike Norvell’s buyout sits at a staggering $65 million less than a year after he signed an $84 million extension to stay in Tallahassee.
However, the Seminoles dropped to 0-3 with a loss to Memphis on Saturday, and a team that was expected to contend for a spot in the College Football Playoff at the start of the season may not even end up being eligible for a bowl barring what seems to be a very unlikely turnaround.
The buyout could lead to FSU giving Norvell another year to prove this one was a fluke, but if things keep going south, the school will have a difficult (and expensive) decision to make.
Sam Pittman—Arkansas
Getty Image
Arkansas was able to bounce back from its loss to Oklahoma with a 37-27 win over UAB in Week 3. Sam Pittman was subsequently able to cool down the hot seat he was already on when the season began, but it’s hard to imagine he’s feeling too optimistic.
The Razorbacks will kick off SEC play against Auburn as underdogs on the road next week, and their upcoming schedule features five games against opponents currently in the Top 25 (including three in the Top 10).
They do have a shot against the Tigers, and while they could also pull off wins against Mississippi State and Louisiana Monroe based on how those matchups look on paper, Pittman will probably need a couple of very unexpected upsets to save his job.
Brian Daboll—New York Giants
Getty Image
It seemed like the Giants had nowhere to go but up after parting ways with Joe Judge, but Brian Daboll hasn’t really shown his hiring was a massive improvement since taking over in 2022.
Daboll is obviously handcuffed by the team’s reliance on Daniel Jones, but his coaching has also been the source of plenty of issues. A major factor in New York’s 21-18 loss to the Commanders was a lack of a backup kicker, but the team declined to devote an open roster spot to that contingency plan in a game where missed extra points ended up being the tipping point.
The Giants are the only team in the NFC East without a win, and they appear to have a long road ahead of them.
Sean Payton—Denver Broncos
Getty Image
Sean Payton made his grand return to the NFL in 2023 when the Broncos hired him to turn things around after the disastrous Nathaniel Hackett experiment came to a merciful end, but things haven’t gone great.
The Broncos finished 8-9 during Payton’s first season at the helm, and they got off to a fresh start in 2024 when Bo Nix stepped into the starting role following the conclusion of the Russell Wilson Era.
There’s still time for the rookie to find his footing after losing his first two games, but Denver is in for a lengthy season based on how he and the rest of the team looked against the Seahawks and Steelers.
Dave Canales—Carolina Panthers
Getty Image
You might think a first-year head coach wouldn’t have to worry about the hot seat two games into his inaugural campaign, but I’d argue Dave Canales has already found himself in that position after getting off to an 0-2 start with Carolina.
David Tepper has shown he has little patience with skippers who’ve failed to produce the desired results since buying the team in 2020, and it seems like there’s a very good chance Canales could befall the same fate as Matt Rhule and Frank Reich by getting kicked to the curb before the year wraps up due to the dismal state of Bryce Young and the Panthers.
It may not be entirely fair when you consider the talent he was given to work with, but things are trending in the wrong direction.