Copyright CBS Sports
Job security in college football has never felt more fragile. As we cross the halfway mark of the 2025 season, the coaching carousel is already spinning at a record-setting pace. On Sunday, Brian Kelly became the 12th FBS head coach fired this year and the 10th to be let go in-season. That's the most in-season firings before November in the FBS era (since 1978). Among those dismissed, eight were Power Conference head coaches, doubling last year's total of four and nearing the 2022 high of nine. The pressure is relentless. Administrative decisions are increasingly shaped by the emotional pulse of boosters and fans, whose influence can swing a coach's fate with the outcome of a single game. The volatility is real -- and growing, and the dangers of going "all in" and having that backfire is what cost Kelly and Penn State's James Franklin their jobs. Just think about how far we've come with Ohio State's Ryan Day. At the start of last season, Day carried a "3" rating in our hot seat rankings -- defined as "pressure is mounting." After a regular-season loss to Michigan and the ensuing drama, that number, had we polled our experts, would have been in the high fours. Day is now untouchable and Ohio State is in the mix for consecutive national championships. In this November update of job security, a panel of six CBS Sports experts rated the still-standing coaches on a 0–5 scale. The composite scores offer a sharper view of job security across the sport. Current Snapshot: Auburn's Hugh Freeze and Wisconsin's Hugh Freeze lead all coaches with the dreaded 5.00 ratings -- the hottest seats in the country and denoting "win or be fired." Mike Norvell (Florida State) and Tim Beck (Coastal Carolina) are close behind at 4.83. Dave Aranda (Baylor), Mike Locksley (Maryland), and Frank Reich (Stanford) also sit above 4.0, territory that means "start improving now." 25 coaches sit in the "3-3.99 range" -- meaning "pressure is mounting," including Oklahoma's Brent Venables. "All good ... for now" is what anything in the 2s mean, and there are some interesting names there who have spiked up from their preseason ratings, including Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Kansas State's Chris Kleiman and Rutgers' Greg Schiano. There are 24 coaches in that range. Kent State's Mark Carney had the interim tag removed Thursday and he occupies that tier now. 88 coaches have ratings between 0 and 1.99 -- "safe and secure." Just like Day last year, any coach's rating can shift dramatically week to week. This late-season snapshot helps us track the most precarious positions in college football — and anticipate the next moves on the carousel. The table below is arranged in alphabetical order by school. Listed is each coach's win-loss record at his current program and the number of years he's led that team prior to 2025.
