A coach can jump on and off a hot seat over the course of years, in a matter of months or even following the result of a single game. However, every year there are those names at the tip of the tongue when it comes to which coaches are in legitimate danger of losing their jobs either during or immediately after the season. The 2017 season, of course, is no exception.
Dennis Dodd has detailed the 10 coaches sitting on the hottest seats ahead of the 2017 campaign. Below you can see where all 130 FBS coaches stand before the season begins. Check out the ratings key first and see where every coach in college football ranks just two months prior to a ball being kicked off.
Rating | What it means | Coaches |
---|---|---|
5 | Win or be fired | 2 |
4 | Start improving now | 4 |
3 | Pressure is mounting | 15 |
2 | All good ... for now | 31 |
1 | Safe and secure | 66 |
0 | Untouchable | 12 |
Two coaches received the dreaded "5" rating this season -- just as many did last year (both were replaced) -- while others are on the verge of losing their jobs with one more season of even below-average returns. Again, be sure to check out Dodd's full breakdown of coaches struggling to keep their jobs.
The below table is in alphabetical order by school. Listed is each coach's win-loss record in his current role at his respective program and the number of years he's led that team prior to 2017.
Team | Coach | Years | Record | 2017 Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
Troy Calhoun | 10 | 77-53 | 1 | |
Terry Bowden | 5 | 24-73 | 2 | |
Nick Saban | 10 | 114-19 | 0 | |
Scott Satterfield | 3 | 32-18 | 1 | |
Rich Rodriguez | 5 | 36-29 | 4 | |
Todd Graham | 5 | 39-26 | 4 | |
Bret Bielema | 4 | 25-26 | 2 | |
Blake Anderson | 3 | 24-15 | 1 | |
Jeff Monken | 3 | 14-23 | 1 | |
Gus Malzahn | 4 | 35-18 | 3 | |
Mike Neu | 1 | 4-8 | 2 | |
Matt Rhule | - | - | 1 | |
Bryan Harsin | 3 | 31-9 | 1 | |
Steve Addazio | 4 | 24-27 | 3 | |
Mike Jinks | 1 | 4-8 | 3 | |
Lance Leipold | 2 | 7-17 | 3 | |
Kalani Sitake | 1 | 9-4 | 1 | |
Justin Wilcox | - | - | 1 | |
John Bonamego | 2 | 13-13 | 2 | |
Brad Lambert | 4 | 16-30 | 3 | |
Luke Fickell | - | - | 1 | |
Dabo Swinney | 9 | 89-28 | 0 | |
Joe Moglia | 5 | 51-15 | 0 | |
Mike MacIntyre | 4 | 20-31 | 2 | |
Mike Bobo | 2 | 14-12 | 2 | |
David Cutcliffe | 9 | 52-61 | 1 | |
Scottie Montgomery | 1 | 3-9 | 3 | |
Chris Creighton | 3 | 10-27 | 1 | |
Butch Davis | - | - | 1 | |
Jim McElwain | 2 | 19-8 | 1 | |
Lane Kiffin | - | - | 1 | |
Jimbo Fisher | 7 | 78-17 | 0 | |
Jeff Tedford | - | - | 1 | |
Kirby Smart | 1 | 8-5 | 1 | |
Tyson Summers | 1 | 5-7 | 1 | |
Shawn Elliott | - | - | 1 | |
Paul Johnson | 9 | 70-48 | 2 | |
Nick Rolovich | 1 | 7-7 | 1 | |
Major Applewhite | - | - | 1 | |
Paul Petrino | 3 | 15-33 | 1 | |
Lovie Smith | 1 | 3-9 | 2 | |
Tom Allen | - | 0-1 (interim) | 1 | |
Kirk Ferentz | 18 | 135-92 | 1 | |
Matt Campbell | 1 | 3-9 | 1 | |
David Beaty | 2 | 2-22 | 1 | |
Bill Snyder | 8 (25) | 66-37 (202-105) | 0 | |
Paul Haynes | 4 | 12-35 | 4 | |
Mark Stoops | 4 | 19-30 | 3 | |
Mark Hudspeth | 6 | 24-31 | 3 | |
Skip Holtz | 4 | 31-22 | 1 | |
Bobby Petrino | 3 (7) | 26-13 (67-22) | 1 | |
Ed Orgeron | - | 6-2 (interim) | 2 | |
Doc Holliday | 7 | 53-37 | 2 | |
DJ Durkin | 1 | 6-7 | 1 | |
Mike Norvell | 1 | 8-5 | 1 | |
Mark Richt | 1 | 9-4 | 1 | |
Chuck Martin | 3 | 11-26 | 2 | |
Jim Harbaugh | 2 | 20-6 | 0 | |
Mark Dantonio | 10 | 90-42 | 1 | |
Rick Stockstill | 11 | 72-66 | 1 | |
P.J. Fleck | - | - | 1 | |
Dan Mullen | 8 | 61-42 | 2 | |
Barry Odom | 1 | 4-8 | 3 | |
Ken Niumatalolo | 9 | 77-42 | 0 | |
Dave Doeren | 4 | 25-26 | 2 | |
Mike Riley | 2 | 15-11 | 2 | |
Jay Norvell | - | - | 1 | |
Bob Davie | 5 | 27-36 | 1 | |
Doug Martin | 4 | 10-38 | 3 | |
Larry Fedora | 5 | 40-25 | 1 | |
Seth Littrell | 1 | 5-8 | 1 | |
Rod Carey | 4 | 36-19 | 1 | |
Pat Fitzgerald | 11 | 77-62 | 1 | |
Brian Kelly | 7 | 59-31 | 5 | |
Frank Solich | 12 | 88-67 | 1 | |
Urban Meyer | 5 | 61-6 | 0 | |
Lincoln Riley | - | - | 2 | |
Mike Gundy | 12 | 104-50 | 1 | |
Bobby Wilder | 8 | 67-30 | 1 | |
Hugh Freeze | 5 | 39-25 | 2 | |
Willie Taggart | - | - | 1 | |
Gary Andersen | 2 | 6-18 | 3 | |
James Franklin | 3 | 25-15 | 1 | |
Pat Narduzzi | 2 | 16-10 | 1 | |
Jeff Brohm | - | - | 1 | |
David Bailiff | 10 | 56-69 | 2 | |
Chris Ash | 1 | 2-10 | 1 | |
Rocky Long | 6 | 54-26 | 0 | |
Brent Brennan | - | - | 1 | |
Chad Morris | 2 | 7-17 | 2 | |
Joey Jones | 8 | 48-42 | 2 | |
Will Muschamp | 1 | 6-7 | 2 | |
Jay Hopson | 1 | 7-6 | 1 | |
David Shaw | 6 | 64-17 | 0 | |
Dino Babers | 1 | 4-8 | 2 | |
Gary Patterson | 16 | 149-54 | 0 | |
Geoff Collins | - | - | 1 | |
Butch Jones | 4 | 30-21 | 2 | |
Tom Herman | - | - | 1 | |
Kevin Sumlin | 5 | 44-21 | 5 | |
Everett Withers | 1 | 2-10 | 2 | |
Kliff Kingsbury | 4 | 24-26 | 4 | |
Jason Candle | 1 | 10-4 | 1 | |
Neal Brown | 2 | 14-11 | 1 | |
Willie Fritz | 1 | 4-8 | 2 | |
Philip Montgomery | 2 | 16-10 | 1 | |
Bill Clark | 1 | 6-6 | 1 | |
Scott Frost | 1 | 6-7 | 1 | |
Jim Mora | 5 | 41-24 | 3 | |
Randy Edsall | - (12) | - (74-70) | 2 | |
Matt Viator | 1 | 4-8 | 2 | |
Mark Whipple | 9 | 57-54 | 3 | |
Tony Sanchez | 2 | 7-17 | 2 | |
Charlie Strong | - | - | 1 | |
Clay Helton | 1 | 16-7 | 1 | |
Sean Kugler | 4 | 18-31 | 2 | |
Frank Wilson | 1 | 6-7 | 1 | |
Kyle Whittingham | 12 | 104-50 | 1 | |
Matt Wells | 4 | 28-25 | 3 | |
Derek Mason | 3 | 13-24 | 3 | |
Bronco Mendenhall | 1 | 2-10 | 2 | |
Justin Fuente | 1 | 10-4 | 1 | |
Dave Clawson | 3 | 13-24 | 2 | |
Chris Petersen | 3 | 27-14 | 0 | |
Mike Leach | 5 | 29-34 | 1 | |
Dana Holgorsen | 6 | 46-31 | 2 | |
Tim Lester | - | - | 1 | |
Mike Sanford Jr. | - | - | 1 | |
Paul Chryst | 2 | 21-6 | 1 | |
Craig Bohl | 3 | 14-24 | 1 |