Hottest Seats in College Football Heading Into the 2026 Season

Even before the Sherrone Moore mess, the 2025 college football coaching carousel was the wildest ride in recent memory. Universities paid out over $220 million in buyouts after more than 30 head coaches were fired. James Franklin and Brian Kelly were both owed over $50 million upon their departure, while Mark Stoops, Jonathan Smith, and Billy Napier were each given over $20 million to walk away from their programs. More coaches are sure to receive eight-figure payouts in 2026, so let’s take a look at which coaches have the hottest seats in college football.

Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) – It was never going to be easy to replace the most successful head coach in college football history. Nick Saban turned Alabama into the preeminent juggernaut in the sport during his 17-year tenure in Tuscaloosa, winning six national championships before stepping away at the conclusion of the 2023 season. The Crimson Tide quickly moved to poach Kalen DeBoer from Washington, but they are now having some buyer’s remorse.

DeBoer’s time in Alabama hasn’t been disastrous by any stretch, but he lost four games and missed out on the College Football Playoff in 2024. Alabama did make the CFP this season, and the Crimson Tide went on the road to defeat Oklahoma, but they were absolutely slaughtered by Indiana in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. The Hoosiers doubled up the Crimson Tide in both first downs and total yards en route to handing the Crimson Tide their worst loss since the late 1990s.

To add insult to injury, there was plenty of scuttlebutt that DeBoer’s camp was speaking to Michigan about coming to Ann Arbor after Sherrone Moore was fired with cause. That has led to plenty of grumbling about DeBoer in the Yellowhammer State, and the Crimson Tide might be ready to pass the hat even though DeBoer is still owed more than $60 million.

Mike Norvell (Florida State) – If Mike Norvell’s buyout had been more reasonable, Florida State would have fired the embattled head coach at the end of the 2025 season. Interestingly enough, the reason that the Seminoles gave Norvell such a lucrative extension was to keep him in Tallahassee when Alabama came calling after Saban’s departure. However, everyone at FSU is now wishing they had a mulligan on that decision.

Norvell has only had two successful seasons in Tallahassee despite having more resources than any other coach in the ACC save Clemson. He was on the hot seat after FSU went 3-6 in 2020 and 5-7 in 2021, but Norvell saved his job and received an extension after going 10-3 in 2022 and 13-1 in 2023.

Florida State has been an utter disaster since that apex. The Seminoles went 2-10 in 2024 despite having one of the biggest NIL budgets in the sport, and they won just two of their last nine games after starting 3-0 in 2025. Norvell would be owed almost $60 million if he were fired, according to the USA Today College Football Head Coach Salary Database.

Dabo Swinney (Clemson) – Although Dabo Swinney is the winningest head coach in both Clemson and ACC history, his welcome might be wearing out. Clemson was at the top of the sport in the late 2010s, making the CFP National Championship Game four times in five seasons. However, the Tigers have failed to adapt to the modern era as Swinney has been extremely reluctant to use the transfer portal or to part ways with his assistant coaches.

Clemson has performed worse and worse over the last six seasons. The Tigers lost two games in 2020, three games in 2021 and 2022, four games in 2023 and 2024, and six games in 2025. They failed to break .500 in conference play in two of the last three seasons, and the Tigers start the 2026 season with a road trip to Baton Rouge to face LSU. If Swinney loses that game, Clemson might be ready to pay the $60 million he is owed in the event of being fired.

Shane Beamer (South Carolina) – It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Shane Beamer at South Carolina. Beamer has led the Gamecocks to three winning seasons in five years, and he was named the AP SEC Coach of the Year in 2024. However, South Carolina had its worst season yet under his watch in 2025, winning just one conference game.

Beamer is owed almost $28 million if he is fired without cause. That seems to be chump change in the SEC these days, and it might be worth it for South Carolina boosters if they feel they have a window. Clemson is at its nadir, and the Gamecocks would love to start beating their in-state rival on a consistent basis.

Luke Fickell (Wisconsin) – There isn’t much room for patience in college football these days. Wisconsin is trying to be as patient as possible with Luke Fickell, though. The Badgers may have been hasty with their decision to fire Paul Chryst in 2022, as Chryst posted a 67-26 record during his time in Madison. Meanwhile, Fickell is just 16-21 in his three seasons with Wisconsin.

Fickell is 10-17 in Big Ten play after Wisconsin dominated the Big Ten West over the previous dozen years before his arrival. The Badgers won two of their last four games to give Fickell a reprieve, but it’s clear that the offense must improve. Wisconsin scored more than just 17 points in two games all season, and the quarterback play was atrocious. The Badgers’ signal callers combined to throw nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

If Wisconsin parted ways with Fickell, the Badgers would owe him over $27 million. Fickell has been incredibly underwhelming, and Wisconsin has taken its time with him, so he is likely to be one of the first coaches fired if the Badgers stumble out of the gate. Wisconsin starts the 2026 campaign against Notre Dame in Lambeau Field, and that game could quickly determine Fickell’s fate if the Badgers get blown out.