Week 1 of the college football season is in the books as every program has now played atleast one game. The first week of the season wasted no time turning up the heat on college football's hottest seats. While some coaches eased pressure with strong starts, others suffered disastrous losses that immediately raised questions about their futures.
Mike Norvell and Dabo Swinney were among the biggest names to take a hit, with disasters in different ways. With the first weekend in the books, it's time to reexamine which head coaches are sitting on the hottest seats in college football.
Mike Norvell and Dabo Swinney among the biggest Week 1 losers on the hot seat
10. David Braun - Northwestern
David Braun bounced back from a poor 2024 season with a 7-6 record last year, but he may quietly be a coach to watch this season. Northwestern is opening a new stadium this season, and if the Wildcats are going to go all-in they may look for a fresh start at head coach. Bringing Chip Kelly in as Braun's OC may help the team this season, but it may also serve as an audition for the head coaching job.
9. Greg Schiano - Rutgers
Rutgers falling to UMass by 16 to start the season at home proves that Greg Schiano is never going to reach the level he did in his first tenure. While Rutgers will continue to lurk at the bottom of the Big Ten, Greg Schiano may be saved by his $17 million buyout due to the Scarlet Knights' athletic financial issues.
8. Mike Lockley - Maryland
Mike Locksley is in his 8th season as Maryland's head coach, and he's posted just a 38-49 record while going 17-48 record in Big Ten play. As everyone else in the Big Ten continues to move all-in, a down season could lead Maryland to pay the $13.4 million buyout.
7. Dave Doeren - NC State
Coming into the season, Dave Doeren declared that this may be the team that finally gives him a 10 win season, and after the beatdown they took to start the season, that looks to be impossible. Doeren is in his 14th season at NC State, and he's yet to win a league title; eventually, the school will need to see some accomplishment. Doeren's buyout is only roughly $13.1 million, and it may be time to reach for a higher ceiling.
6. Bill O'Brien - Boston College
After a promising first season at Boston College, Bill O'Brien's tenure has been a disaster for the Eagles. Boston College went 2-10 last season, and after dropping the season opener, beating Rutgers is going to be critical for showing improvement. Boston College is a private school, so the buyout is unknown, but another messy season may prove that it's time to look in another direction.
5. Dabo Swinney - Clemson
Saturday Night in Baton Rouge looked like another reminder that the Clemson Tigers won't return to the heights they once reached under Dabo Swinney. Clemson was slipping in recent years, but LSU embarrassed Dabo Swinney, and it's now clear that the Tigers don't belong on the same field as elite teams. Swinney carries a massive $57 million buyout, and it may be impossible to fire a coach who's done as much as he's accomplished for a program, but it's clear they're not returning to a championship level.
4. Luke Fickell - Wisconsin
Luke Fickell is well aware that he's on the hot seat this season, and losing the season opener to Notre Dame doesn't help that case. The Badgers do look like an improved team, but it'll come down to whether he can win enough games in Big Ten play. Considering that Fickell's buyout is roughly $21.6 million at the end of the season, it's manageable if the season is another failure.
3. Dave Aranda - Baylor
The Bears looked better to start the season, but losing to Auburn won't exactly help Dave Aranda's case to stick around in Waco. Aranda is now just 36-38 in his Baylor tenure, with a third of those wins coming during the 2021 season. Baylor has a new athletic director after Mack Rhoades stepped down last season, and the program may look around the state, see everyone winning, and decide to start fresh.
2. Bill Belichick - North Carolina
Beating TCU in Week 1 helps show that North Carolina is improving on the field, but the off-the-field news continues to make it seem like Bill Belichick may not survive the year. General Manager Michael Lombardi resigned amid an investigation, and the reported span of the investigation shows a program with a lack of control, which the Tar Heels may move on from.
1. Mike Norvell - Florida State
Mike Norvell was handed the perfect opportunity to pick up a Top 25 win over SMU on Monday Night, and yet he still managed to let it slip away. The Seminoles are once again a highly flawed team, and this season has a chance to unravel with Alabama next on the schedule. The $45 million buyout may be hard to stomach, but the Seminoles are wasting resources paying players as long as he's employed.
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