3 Big Ten coaches that are most vulnerable to losing jobs in 2025 season

The 2025 college football season is nearly upon us, and before the season kicks off, every school has high expectations for its team.

However, in the Big Ten, the pressure to win is high. So, if some schools struggle, it could lead to some coaches being fired. Ahead of the upcoming season, here are the top three coaches on the hot seat.

Three Big Ten coaches who could lose their jobs

#1, Lincoln Riley, USC

Lincoln Riley is entering his fourth season at USC, and it hasn't worked out as expected.

Riley started strong, going 11-3, but has since gone 8-5 and 7-6 as they have taken a step back every year. If Riley and USC struggle again and aren't in playoff contention, it is likely this could be his final season with the Trojans.

USC enters the season with odds of +500 to make the playoffs, which implies a chance of 16.7%.

#2, Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Luke Fickell is entering his third season at Wisconsin - Source: Imagn

Wisconsin made a splashy hire in November 2022. Luke Fickell was coming off leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to the College Football Playoff in 2021, when only four teams made it.

Fickell was expected to revive the Badgers' football program and make them a legit contender in the Big Ten. However, in two seasons, that hasn't been the case. His first year, the team went 7-6, but last season took a step back to 5-7 and didn't make a bowl game.

If Wisconsin fails to be above .500 this upcoming season, and at least make a bowl game, Fickell could very well be on the hot seat, as he was supposed to make the Badgers a true Big Ten contender.

#3, Mike Locksley, Maryland

Mike Locksley is entering his eighth season at Maryland, and it could very well be his last.

The Terrapins were one of the worst teams in the Big Ten last season, going 4-8 and a brutal 1-8 in Big Ten play. Overall, Locklsey is 33-41 with Maryland and 16-40 in Big Ten play.

Locksley hasn't been able to get Maryland over the hump, and his time as the coach could be running out.

About the author

Cole is an NHL, NFL and College Sports reporter at Sportskeeda with over 7 years of experience writing for publications like CBC, USA Today, SMG, BJPENN, Sherdog and SB Nation.

An NHL fan his whole life, Cole played rep hockey in Canada from age 5 until 17 and grew up rooting for Martin St. Louis and the Tampa Bay Lightning. His all-time favorite players are Vincent Lecavalier and Steven Stamkos, while Jon Cooper is his favorite coach of all time.

Cole attended Sheridan College and received his journalism degree in 2019. After decades of watching and reporting, he considers his knowledge of sports as his primary strength. He ensures that the same story has been reported by at least two reputed reporters before creating it.

Cole enjoys playing golf and spending time with friends and family when not reporting breaking stories. His favorite sports moment is from the 2010 Olympics, when Sidney Crosby scored the golden goal in overtime to beat Team USA for the gold medal.

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Edited by Cole Shelton