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What NCAA football coaches are on the hot seat? The arrival of the 2024 college football season brings plenty of excitement but it also comes with pressures. As the college football coaches hot seat 2024 will demonstrate, several prominent head coaches at top programs are in jeopardy this fall.
The hot seat is especially interesting this year because universities are making preparations to start providing student-athletes with revenue from college sports. Because of that, we could see a few tough decisions regarding the college football coaches hot seat come December due to contract buyouts. With that in mind, let’s dive into our list.
Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes
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It would’ve been ridiculous for the Ohio State Buckeyes to fire Ryan Day following the 2023 season. Fans and boosters are rightfully upset over the losses to Michigan, but Day is also coming off three consecutive seasons with an 11-2 record. At the very least, he earned another season. The Buckeyes are also going all-in for 2024, spending historic money on NIL to create the most talented roster in college football. Best of all, Jim Harbaugh is gone. At the very least, the Buckeyes should reach the CFP Semifinal. Falling. Falling short of that, with this roster, should give the athletic department and boosters an incentive to strongly consider making a change.
- Ryan Day coaching record: 56-8 overall, 2-4 in bowl games
- Ryan Day buyout: $46.22 million
Related: Heisman Watch 2024, Heisman Trophy candidates ranked
Dave Aranda, Baylor Bears
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We loved the Dave Aranda hire for the Baylor Bears in 2020. Everyone knew he needed time to rebuild the football program. Following a 2-7 rebuilding year in his first season, Baylor went 12-2 and won the Sugar Bowl in 2021. It’s been downhill ever since. The Bears have a combined 9-16 record in the last two seasons under Aranda. Baylor gave him another year to prove himself. Recruiting is going well, but on-field results are all that matter. It’s also a benefit for Aranda that the Big 12 is a more winnable conference than it used to be. Failure to turn things around will get Aranda fired. Fortunately for him, he’ll have plenty of offers to become a defensive coordinator at a top program if that happens.
- Dave Aranda coaching record: 23-25 with Baylor Bears
- Dave Aranda buyout: $20-plus million
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Commodores
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It’s not like Vanderbilt expects its football program to compete for a national championship or even a good bowl game. Fans and boosters would just like to experience happiness for a few hours when watching their alma mater’s football program. That’s been a very rare feeling under Clark Lea. In replacing Derek Mason (.329 winning percentage), Lea has been just as bad if not worse as a head coach. Vanderilt’s gone 2-10 in two of his three seasons and there’s very little hope that things will be better this fall. It’s nice that Vanderbilt is giving him four seasons to prove himself, a full recruiting class, but this will likely be his last year as a D1 college football coach.
- Clark Lea coaching record: 9-27 with the Vanderbilt Commodores
- Clark Lea buyout: $14-plus million (estimated)
Related: College Football Games Today, College Football Schedule 2024
Mario Cristobal, Miami Hurricanes
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Mario Cristobal won at Oregon, that’s it. As head coach at Florida International, the team maxed out at 8-5 but went 3-9 in his final year and he finished with a 27-47 record. In two seasons with the Miami Hurricanes, Cristobal is 12-13. We do acknowledge the season-to-season improvement, adding two more wins in 2023. There’s also a lot of optimism in Miami that the Hurricanes could be a playoff contender this season. We’ll give Miami the benefit of the doubt, but Cristobal is on the college football coaches hot seat and there’s a very real scenario where he gets fired in January.
- Mario Cristobal coaching record: 74-73 overall, 12-13 with the Miami Hurricanes
- Mario Cristobal buyout: $50-plus million
Kalani Sitake, BYU Cougars
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Kilane Sitake landed his first head-coaching job at his alma mater. The former BYU Cougars fullback (1994, 1997-2000) served as a graduate assistant at BYU in 2002 then returned as head coach in 2016. Unfortunately, after consecutive seasons with double-digit wins (2020-’21), the Cougars are 13-12 in the last two years. The BYU schedule isn’t favorable for Sitake’s chances of keeping the job, but his ties to the program and the support he has throughout campus are strong. It might take a disastrous season (4-5 wins) for Sitake to be fired, but it’s on the table in 2024.
- Kalani Sitake coaching record: 61-41 with the BYU Cougars
- Kalani Sitake buyout: $9-plus million
Sam Pittman, Arkansas Razorbacks
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Sam Pittman put the Arkansas Razorbacks on the upswing in 2021, improving from 3-7 in his first season to 9-4 with an Outback Bowl win. The following year, the Razorbacks finished with a winning record (7-6) but fell short of expectations. Things got even worse for Arkansas last season (4-8 record), putting Pittman on the hot seat entering 2024.
Related: Heisman Trophy winners history
What makes the decision with Pittman interesting is his contract. As detailed by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Arkansas put in the deal that Pittman receives 75 percent of his remaining salary if he’s fired with a winning record. If there’s a losing record, it’s only 50 percent of his salary. Safe to say, the Razorbacks could decide with Pittman if his record drops below .500 to save money.
- Sam Pittman coaching record: 23-25 with Arkansas Razorbacks
- Sam Pittman buyout: $8-$12 million
Related: Best college football coaches 2024
Billy Napier, Florida Gators
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Of everyone on the college football coaches hot seat, Billy Napier’s chair might be the warmest. Hired following his outstanding success at Louisiana, Napier has failed to even record a winning season in Gainesville. To make matters worse, the Gators schedule in 2024 is one of the toughest in college football and there isn’t necessarily enough talent for this to be a top-25 team. If the Gators lose to the Hurricanes (Aug. 31), Texas A&M (Sep. 14), Tennessee (Oct. 12), Georgia (Nov. 2) and Texas (Nov. 9), Napier might not even make it to Thanksgiving with Florida.
- Billy Napier record: 51-26 overall, 11-14 with the Florida Gators
- Billy Napier buyout: $26 million
Related: Highest-paid athletic directors