5 coaches on hot seat after Week 3 games ft. Florida HC Billy Napier

After another round of college football action, the heat is turned up on the hot seat for several coaches. There have already been changes in the leadership at UCLA and Virginia Tech, and the big question is, “Who is next?”

Really, it is a pendulum that can swing anywhere, with the level of expectations and pressure on coaches to deliver results. We look at five coaches who are close to getting cooked on their respective hot seats ahead of Week 4 action.

5. Joe Moorhead, Akron

The Zips are without a win in three games this season. It appears the program is headed towards another losing season with Moorhead in charge. The fourth-year coach is under pressure to improve the team’s fortunes or may be shown the door with his terrible 8-31 record since taking over.

4. Deion Sanders, Colorado

Colorado brought in Sanders to resuscitate the program, and the former NFL superstar performed nothing short of a miracle within two seasons. However, the music seems to be slowing down for the celebrated coach who earned a huge contract extension earlier this year. Starting the season 1-2 following the departure of some of his best players to the NFL may be forgivable.

3. David Braun, Northwestern

A shocking hire in the wake of the hazing controversy in 2023, Braun has had an uninspiring spell coaching the Wildcats. A case may be made for the fact that he was not ready for the big task. A 1-2 start to the season, including a loss to Tulane, is enough to make Braun jobless. Facing a troubled UCLA in Week 4 may bring some relief, however.

2. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

One of the longest-serving coaches in college football, Gundy is not a stranger to being on the hot seat. However, a blowout loss at Oregon so early in the season after posting a 3-9 season is enough to get any coach fired. After a timely bye week to process the utter disgrace, Gundy’s side will face Tulsa on Saturday, hoping to put the Oregon experience behind them.

1. Billy Napier, Florida

Napier has quickly become the poster boy for coaches on the hot seat this season following another disappointing loss to rival LSU. The Gators have lost their last two games, and the patience among fans is growing thinner. It does not help that Florida’s next opponents are the Miami Hurricanes, Texas Longhorns, and Texas A&M Aggies.

About the author

Kayode is a College and High School Sports writer at Sportskeeda since June 2023. Hailing from Nigeria, he has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics and African Languages, and has previously had stints as an entertainment and politics writer for around 7 months. Adept at creating content around historical perspectives, he strives to report stories based only on verified information. His mantra is - truth is always more important than sensationalism.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Kayode admires how Nick Saban developed talent at the team and delivered consistent results, and hopes that the post-Saban era is just as fruitful. He is thoroughly impressed by Johnny Manziel’s talent, and feels that Shedeur Sanders is massively underrated. Nick Saban is his all-time favorite college coach.

While Kayode believes there is little to separate college and mainstream sports, pro leagues absorbing the best athletes leads to their quality being higher. Witnessing the Colorado Buffaloes’ hot streak at start the 2023 football season was one of his all-time favorite college sports moments.

When not writing, Kayode enjoys reading and watching sports documentaries. His most recent watch was "Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In."

Know More

Edited by Kayode Akinwumi