3 college football coaches who are under most pressure to improve in 2024

Winning is hard to do. There is so much competition and there can only be one winner. Not every college football team can win the national title, and not everyone can make the playoff.

We live in a world where the front office doesn’t have much patience in keeping head coaches around for too long if they don’t win. It’s unfair to a certain degree. In this upcoming season, many coaches will feel the pressure to improve their teams’ success.

Here are three college football coaches that are under the most pressure to improve in 2024. 

1. Ryan Day, Ohio State

Ryan Day is an exceptional coach for Ohio State. He has been the Buckeyes' head coach for five years and he became the first Ohio State coach in 40 years to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year when he earned the honor in 2019.

I don’t think he will be fired if the Buckeyes don’t win it all in 2024. However, the Buckeyes have way too much talent for these last several seasons and they just can’t get over the hump especially when they take on their rival Michigan. The only two teams that can present a challenge for Ohio State are Penn State and Michigan. If Ohio State can take care of business, who knows how far it can go. It also depends on what the Buckeyes will get from their quarterback situation.

Ryan Day is arguably the most underappreciated coach in college football right now. A national title for Ohio State will solidify Day’s greatness as an Ohio State coach. 

2. Deion Sanders, Colorado

Deion Sanders has brought a lot of attention to Colorado. He’s done some solid recruiting. However, he needed to translate those additions into wins. Sanders did a good job when he was at Jackson State. He built a solid culture over there. In his first season at Colorado, after starting 3-0, he finished the season with a 4-8 record. 

Colorado is nowhere near to compete for a national title but I do believe that this team needs to win at least five more games.

If you’re Coach Prime, you can’t afford to have another losing record on your resume. 

3. Billy Napier, Florida

Billy Napier needs to have a big season for the Florida Gators. They need to qualify for the playoff in 2024. The way they started the 2023 season, it looked like it was going to happen. After starting 5-2, the Gators went on to lose five straight. 

Are the Gators rebuilding? Maybe so. But Napier is under immense pressure to take this team to the playoff. The players need to step up for him. Napier can only do so much.

Another failed season to reach the playoff could force Florida to send Napier packing.