With the 2026 college football season still a month away, the heat is already rising for several head coaches. Andy Staples of On3 has issued an early warning, naming nine power-conference coaches who might be coaching for their jobs this fall.
Staples' list is packed with high-profile names, from USC's Lincoln Riley to North Carolina's Bill Belichick. The common thread? All of them are in power conferences, and all of them have something to prove after recent struggles.
Big Ten: Riley, Locksley, Fickell Under the Microscope
Leading the charge in the Big Ten is Lincoln Riley, who has yet to live up to the massive expectations that followed his move from Oklahoma to USC. His spot at the top of the list reflects how far the Trojans have fallen from national title contention. Maryland's Mike Locksley and Wisconsin's Luke Fickell also find themselves under scrutiny after inconsistent seasons.
The pressure on Riley is particularly intense given USC's struggles, which has led to debates about whether the Big Ten schedule is unfair to certain teams. But for Riley, the issue isn't just the schedule—it's about results.
SEC: Only Shane Beamer Feels the Heat
In the SEC, the list is surprisingly short. Only South Carolina's Shane Beamer makes the cut, with a 33-30 record over five seasons. The Gamecocks' 4-8 mark in 2025 was their worst under Beamer, putting his job in jeopardy. The rest of the conference is either coming off strong seasons or has new coaches still settling in.
Beamer's situation echoes the broader trend of make-or-break seasons for several coaches, where one bad year can spell the end.
ACC: Belichick, Norvell, O'Brien on Thin Ice
The ACC features three coaches on Staples' list: North Carolina's Bill Belichick, Boston College's Bill O'Brien, and Florida State's Mike Norvell. Belichick and Norvell are particularly notable after their teams wildly underachieved last season. For Belichick, the transition from the NFL to college has been rocky, and he'll need a turnaround to keep his job.
O'Brien, meanwhile, is trying to build something at Boston College, but the pressure is mounting after a tough 2025 campaign.
Big 12 and AAC: Aranda and Satterfield on Notice
Rounding out the list are Baylor's Dave Aranda and Cincinnati's Scott Satterfield. Aranda led Baylor to a Big 12 title and top-five ranking in 2021, but since then the Bears have won just 22 games and lost both bowl appearances. Satterfield is 15-22 in three years at Cincinnati, a far cry from the program's recent success under Luke Fickell.
The college football landscape is unforgiving, and as Staples notes, there's always a surprise team that underachieves and pays the price. Last year, it was James Franklin and Brian Kelly. This year, the axe could fall on any of these nine coaches.
For now, the countdown to the 2026 season has begun, and for these coaches, every game could be a job interview.
