2026 Hot Seat Rankings: Luke Fickell, Dave Aranda among six college football coaches with jobs on the line
Welcome to the annual CBS Sports Hot Seat Rankings, where the most pressured coaches in the sport take center stage. Last season was a bloodbath, with major names like Brian Kelly, James Franklin, and Mike Gundy being shown the door. However, it seems that there’s a calm after the storm.
In fact, 95 coaches have a hot-seat score under 2.0. Forty-seven of them are under 1.0, a massive increase compared to 28 last season. A number of first-year coaches received zeros from the group, but mainstays like Kirby Smart, Curt Cignetti, and Dan Lanning finished near the top of the list.
The Changing Landscape of College Football
With the new era of college football, firing decisions have become a little more complicated. Multiple hot-seat coaches were brought back for 2026 and promised more support and resources. Others were returned to help develop a star player. And then, of course, there are cases of schools simply being too broke to pull the trigger…
According to the hot-seat scores, some of the most pressured coaches include Luke Fickell, Dave Aranda, and Butch Jones. These coaches are under intense scrutiny, and their performances will be closely watched throughout the season. The hot-seat rankings are not just about the coaches, but also about the teams they lead.
For example, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables went from the country’s second-hottest seat to the College Football Playoff, while Arizona’s Brent Brennan cemented his place with a nine-win season. A bad grade is by no means a death sentence in a sport where everything can change in an instant.
The rest of the coaches to receive higher than 4.0s were less lucky. All five were ultimately fired. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy and UAB’s Trent Dilfer were let go unceremoniously midseason during miserable campaigns. The hot seat giveth and taketh away.
So, who will be the next coach to lose their job? Only time will tell. The hot-seat rankings are a reminder that in college football, you’re only as good as your last game.
America’s Hottest Seats
Here are the top 6 coaches with the highest hot-seat scores:
- Luke Fickell (Cincinnati)
- Dave Aranda (Texas A&M)
- Butch Jones (Arkansas)
- Kyle Whittingham (Utah)
- Mark Stoops (Kentucky)
- Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M)
The hot-seat rankings are a reminder that in college football, you’re only as good as your last game. Will these coaches be able to turn their seasons around, or will they become the next victims of the hot seat?
The hot-seat rankings are a complex and multifaceted issue. It’s not just about the coaches, but also about the teams they lead, the support they receive, and the resources available to them. It’s a delicate balance that can tip either way at any moment.
So, what’s the key to success in the hot-seat rankings? It’s not just about winning games, but also about building a strong team culture, developing young players, and making smart coaching decisions. It’s a challenging task, but one that can lead to great rewards.
