As we enter Week 4 of the College Football (CFB) season, hot seat talk sounds premature, but we all know athletic directors (ADs) move quicker than ever to replace a coach who isn’t living up to billing. Today we’re going to look at a few coaches who may be on a different sideline next year, as well as coaches who may replace them. With that being said, take a look at Will’s hot seat outline.
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Florida State University (FSU) had a pulse this weekend in Tuscaloosa. Unfortunately for Norvell, his opponent won’t always be Alabama. Since taking their ball and going home against Georgia (arguments can be made that it was justified) FSU has not had a winning season and has struggled mightily. If it wasn’t for a ridiculous extension and buyout, Norvell would already have his office cleared out in Tallahassee. Now that the athletic director (AD) who gave him that extension has been fired, Norvell is a dead man walking.
Replacement Candidate(s)
- Manny Diaz, Head Coach (HC) Duke
- Dabo Swinney, Head Coach (HC) Clemson
- Jimbo Fisher, Head Coach (HC), Fisher Academy — Unemployment Line
FSU is in between a rock and a hard place. They have so much money tied up in Norvell if they fire him, they won’t be able to empty the bank for a suitable replacement. Enter Jimbo Fisher, who is familiar with the ‘Noles and is currently being paid by Texas A&M (A&M).
Likelihood Scale
7/10
Deion Sanders, Colorado
Prime did the unthinkable when he was hired in 2022 and made the Buffaloes relevant for the first time in years. Unfortunately, that has been the highlight of his tenure. While I do not think he will be fired from this position, with outside health concerns already taking its toll, I could see him stepping away due to health. (Or if FSU comes calling.)
Replacement Candidates
- Brennan Marion, Offensive Coordinator (OC) Colorado
- Sean Lewis, Head Coach (HC) San Diego State University (SDSU)
- Eric Bienemy, Offensive Coordinator (OC) Kansas City Chiefs
Colorado struck gold in 2022 with Prime. He reinvigorated the program and made kids want to come to Boulder. Colorado needs to strike while the iron is hot and hire a coach with the same amount of flair and recruiting ability. Sean Lewis is still young at just 40 years old and has shown the ability to get the most out of programs, winning conference titles at both Kent State and San Diego State. He is also familiar with the program, being offensive coordinator (OC) at Colorado in 2023.
Likelihood Scale
4/10
Greg Schiano, Rutgers
Greg Schiano is actually in his second tenure in Piscataway. The second tenure has not hit the same heights as the first one now that they are in the Big Ten. After an embarrassing home loss against the University of Massachusetts (UMass) to open up the season, Rutgers is currently 0-3 and has just started conference play. With the Big Ten set to become more competitive, perhaps Rutgers looks to make a change.
Replacement Candidates
- Pete Lembo, Head Coach (HC) Buffalo
- Nunzio Campanile, Offensive Coordinator (OC) UConn
- Jason Candle, Head Coach (HC) UConn
- Brian Kelly — Vacant
Brian Kelly is interested to get back into coaching after being shown the door at Louisiana State University (LSU). Kelly led Notre Dame to the 2012 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) Championship Game and two separate College Football Playoff (CFP) berths. He was a fish out of water at LSU and is rumored to be interested in Rutgers due to ties with the current athletic director (AD) and school president.
Likelihood
9/10
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Dabo has taken Clemson to new heights and is the greatest coach in school history. Seven years ago, people were even speculating he would return to Alabama after Nick Saban retired. As we know, that didn’t happen, and Dabo has seen Clemson turn back into a middle‑of‑the‑road Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team. While I don’t see Clemson making a move and firing Dabo, I do see a world where he decides to leave and take another job, possibly at South Carolina or North Carolina depending on what happens with their coaches throughout the year.
Replacement Candidates
- Tony Elliott, Head Coach (HC) Virginia
- Brent Venables, Oklahoma Head Coach (HC)
- Rhett Lashlee, Head Coach (HC) SMU
Tony Elliott serves as the offensive coordinator (OC)/co‑offensive coordinator (co‑OC) for two Clemson national championships and has turned Virginia into a formidable ACC team. While Clemson may want to shy away from anyone from the Dabo era, Elliott makes a lot of sense.
Likelihood
5/10
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
It looked like last year Venables finally had this Oklahoma job figured out. After a few years of middle‑of‑the‑road records, Oklahoma finally made the playoffs and had a 17-0 lead on Alabama. Then the controller unplugged and they went on to lose that game, and they have not recovered. They have shown no signs of life on offense the last few weeks, and the schedule is about to heat up. With a team and fanbase that’s used to offensive firepower, I could see them making a change.
Replacement Candidates
- Urban Meyer — Vacant (they will go big‑name hunting)
- Bob Stoops (back again)
- Josh Heupel, Head Coach (HC) Tennessee
- Jeff Lebby, Head Coach (HC) Mississippi State (Miss. State)
A. Of the names on this list, Lebby makes the most sense. He has Mississippi State University (MSU) as the highest‑scoring team in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and started his coaching career with Oklahoma. Meyer and Stoops seem set in retirement, and Heupel has bad blood after his time there as offensive coordinator (OC).
Likelihood
6/10
