10 Power Four head coaches on hot seat in 2026

With the NCAA transitioning into the NIL and expanded transfer portal era, coaches are more responsible than ever to put together a great squad. However, some haven't been able to, and they're running out of time.

Whether that's through outdated tactics, a portal exodus, or just bad strategy, there are some coaches who are on the hot seat entering this season. Last season, there were 13 coaches at the Power Four level fired, and a few more stepped down or retired from their posts.

That resulted in a record-setting coaching carousel that saw a ton of programs trying to reach for someone who understood the NIL and the transfer portal. There could be a similar number of firings at the end of the season. Here are 10 that could be on their way out, sorted alphabetically by last name.

Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Rhule ( Nebraska ), Greg Schiano (Rutgers)

Dave Aranda, Baylor Bears

Last season wasn't a disaster for Baylor , but it was a disappointment. After starting the season 4-2 and looking like the surprise of the Big 12, they stumbled to a 1-5 record the rest of the way. The offense was the biggest thing keeping Baylor competitive, which doesn't reflect well on Dave Aranda, who has a defensive background.

It also doesn't help that the athletic director, Mack Rhoades, resigned after more than nine years in charge. New AD Doug McNamee might want his own person in charge, so Aranda, who is 22-28 at Baylor, will have to impress McNamee enough to keep him around.

Gunslinger Sawyer Robertson is gone, and so are top pass-catchers Josh Cameron and Michael Trigg. Perhaps they can get some consistency out of DJ Lagway, but Baylor's schedule starts with Auburn and ends with BYU, Texas Tech, and Houston. It's not looking good.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks

Beamer has raised South Carolina's stock over his tenure. The Gamecocks have finished with a Top 25 AP ranking twice in Beamer's tenure (2022, 2024), and they beat ranked Clemson teams in both of those seasons.

However, the SEC is cutthroat, and Beamer's Gamecocks got the worst of it last season. They finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the SEC, ahead of just Arkansas. There were some ugly moments, such as the Texas A&M loss, that I thought signaled the end of the Beamer tenure.

Sure, Beamer did good work retaining LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart, along with finding some offensive linemen for Sellers. The hiring of Kendal Briles was a smart move too. However, a repeat of 2025, especially with a top draft prospect like Sellers, would be hard to swallow for athletic director Jeremiah Donati, who didn't hire Beamer.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels

The Bill Belichick hire was met with significant attention and headlines for North Carolina . Belichick, arguably the best coach in NFL history, didn't seem like he had a ton to prove with the Tar Heels.

Unfortunately, his first tenure generated more negative attention than anything. The Tar Heels went 4-8, looking uninspired outside of a near upset victory over the Virginia Cavaliers. Their offense was deemed the main problem, so offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens was fired.

Now, with Bobby Petrino leading the offense and Belichick and his son coaching the defense, the Tar Heels need a bounce-back season from him. Otherwise, the Belichick era could come to an early end, and at 72 years old, retirement is not out of the question for him either.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers

The Luke Fickell era in Wisconsin has been nothing but disappointment. The Badgers have earned a bowl game just once in his tenure, and last season, they finished 4-8 and near the bottom of the Big Ten. It's been a rough tenure for a coach that was incredible at Cincinnati, as he has a 17-21 record at Wisconsin compared to a 57-18 record at Cincinnati.

There was a big reason why Fickell hasn't been fired yet. Athletic director Chris McIntosh hired him instead of program legend Jim Leonhard in 2022, so he had to make sure Fickell had plenty of grace to make things work.

Now that McIntosh is gone, I'm not sure if Shawn Eichorst is going to be as lenient. Wisconsin opens up with Notre Dame, but they don't have to play Indiana, Oregon, Ohio State, or Michigan. Fickell can't afford to fail this season again.

Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State Bulldogs

Lebby has helped the Bulldogs grow steadily over the past couple of seasons. After going 2-10 in 2024, Mississippi State went 5-8 and made a bowl game. However, keeping up with the Joneses hasn't been his strongsuit.

Lebby is still 7-18, including a disastrous 1-15 in the SEC. There have been close calls with some contenders, like a near win against Texas and an overtime loss against Tennessee, but Mississippi State looked awful in their last three games.

All we need is some progress from Lebby, but it's hard to tell how much he'll progress. It's a rough season yet again on the schedule; the easiest conference games he gets are against Vanderbilt and Auburn. He also has to play on the road against Minnesota. He should be fine if he makes another bowl game, but if not, Mississippi State might run out of patience.

Mike Locksley, Maryland Terrapins

Locksley has been with the Terrapins since 2019. They've won three bowl games in his seven-season tenure, but they've never finished with better than an 8-5 record, and the past two seasons, they've finished 4-8.

Locksley is surviving by his ability to recruit and build a roster. Sophomore quarterback Malik Washington has future gamechanger written all over him, and Zion Elee was the nation's No. 2 recruit. However, that hasn't translated into wins, and time is running out.

Athletic director Jim Smith is giving Locksley another season to get things right. Smith didn't hire him, so he's probably more than willing to bring his own coach at the helm if Locksley doesn't work out this sea...

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →