Below is a list of the CBSSports.com's Hot Seat Ratings for the upcoming college football season.
Only five coaches have a rating of at least 4, while zero coaches have a rating of 5. Washington's Tyrone Willingham has the highest score of 4.95 after compiling an 11-25 record in three seasons. Syracuse's Greg Robinson is second with a rating of 4.5, compiling a 7-28 record in three seasons.
Of the 120 Division I-A schools, 98 coaches are listed in at least a "safe, solid position." Purdue's Joe Tiller has no rating after announcing this will be his last season as head coach.
The most secure BCS conference is the Big 12, with an average rating of 1.21. It also leads with four coaches holding a rating of zero -- Mark Mangino, Bo Pelini, Bob Stoops and Mack Brown. The Pac-10 is the major conference with the hottest seats with a 2.045 average. The most secure non-BCS conference is the Sun Belt, with only one coach earning a rating of at least 3. The least secure non-BCS conference is the Mountain West with a rating of 2.0, including three coaches with a rating of at least 3.
Three coaches will be entering their first full season with their teams, but already have posted wins and losses. West Virginia's Bill Stewart won the Fiesta Bowl last season, while Navy's Ken Niumatalolo lost the Poinsettia Bowl. Bo Pelini won the 2003 Alamo Bowl, taking over when Frank Solich was fired.
| Hot Seat Rating Key | ||
| Rating | What it means | Coaches |
| 0-0.5 | Don't even think it -- can't be touched | 25 |
| 1-1.5 | Very safe -- change highly unlikely | 35 |
| 2-2.5 | Safe -- solid position | 38 |
| 3-3.5 | On the bubble -- you never know | 16 |
| 4-4.5 | Warm seat -- feeling the pressure | 5 |
| 5 | On the hot seat -- it's time to win now | 0 |
| N/A | Coach has already announced he is stepping down at the end of the season. | 1 |
| Team | Coach | Yrs | Record | Rating |
| Washington | Ty Willingham | 4 | 11-25 | 4.95 |
| Syracuse | Greg Robinson | 4 | 7-28 | 4.5 |
| Arizona | Mike Stoops | 5 | 17-29 | 4 |
| UNLV | Mike Sanford | 4 | 6-29 | 4 |
| Utah State | Brent Guy | 4 | 6-29 | 4 |
| Kansas State | Ron Prince | 3 | 12-13 | 3.5 |
| Louisville | Steve Kragthorpe | 2 | 6-6 | 3.5 |
| Penn State | Joe Paterno | 43 | 372-125-3 | 3.5 |
| San Diego State | Chuck Long | 3 | 7-17 | 3.5 |
| Eastern Michigan | Jeff Genyk | 5 | 13-33 | 3 |
| Idaho | Robb Akey | 2 | 1-11 | 3 |
| Iowa | Kirk Ferentz | 10 | 61-49 | 3 |
| Kent State | Doug Martin | 5 | 15-31 | 3 |
| Louisiana-Lafayette | Ricky Bustle | 7 | 26-44 | 3 |
| Miami (Fla.) | Randy Shannon | 2 | 5-7 | 3 |
| Notre Dame | Charlie Weis | 4 | 22-15 | 3 |
| Pittsburgh | Dave Wannstedt | 4 | 16-19 | 3 |
| Toledo | Tom Amstutz | 8 | 55-32 | 3 |
| UAB | Neil Callaway | 2 | 2-10 | 3 |
| Vanderbilt | Bobby Johnson | 7 | 20-50 | 3 |
| Wyoming | Joe Glenn | 6 | 26-33 | 3 |
| Bowling Green | Gregg Brandon | 6 | 38-24 | 2.5 |
| California | Jeff Tedford | 7 | 50-26 | 2.5 |
| Colorado State | Steve Fairchild | 1 | 0-0 | 2.5 |
| Florida International | Mario Cristobal | 2 | 1-11 | 2.5 |
| Florida State | Bobby Bowden | 33 | 300-87-4 | 2.5 |
| Iowa State | Gene Chizik | 2 | 3-9 | 2.5 |
| Marshall | Mark Snyder | 4 | 12-23 | 2.5 |
| Maryland | Ralph Friedgen | 8 | 56-31 | 2.5 |
| Memphis | Tommy West | 8 | 41-44 | 2.5 |
| Minnesota | Tim Brewster | 2 | 1-11 | 2.5 |
| New Mexico State | Hal Mumme | 4 | 8-29 | 2.5 |
| N.C. State | Tom O'Brien | 2 | 5-7 | 2.5 |
| North Texas | Todd Dodge | 2 | 2-10 | 2.5 |
| Ohio | Frank Solich | 4 | 19-18 | 2.5 |
| Rice | David Bailiff | 2 | 3-9 | 2.5 |
| South Carolina | Steve Spurrier | 4 | 21-16 | 2.5 |
| Tulane | Bob Toledo | 2 | 4-8 | 2.5 |
| UCF | George O'Leary | 5 | 22-28 | 2.5 |
| Washington State | Paul Wulff | 1 | 0-0 | 2.5 |
| Akron | J.D. Brookhart | 5 | 22-26 | 2 |
| Arkansas | Bobby Petrino | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Army | Stan Brock | 2 | 3-9 | 2 |
| Clemson | Tommy Bowden | 10 | 69-42 | 2 |
| Duke | David Cutcliffe | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| East Carolina | Skip Holtz | 4 | 20-17 | 2 |
| Georgia Tech | Paul Johnson | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Michigan | Rich Rodriguez | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Michigan State | Mark Dantonio | 2 | 7-6 | 2 |
| Middle Tennessee | Rick Stockstill | 3 | 12-13 | 2 |
| Mississippi | Houston Nutt | 1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Nevada | Chris Ault | 24 | 191-85-1 | 2 |
| Oklahoma State | Mike Gundy | 4 | 18-19 | 2 |
| Oregon State | Mike Riley | 8 | 47-38 | 2 |
| San Jose State | Dick Tomey | 4 | 17-19 | 2 |
| Tennessee | Phil Fulmer | 17 | 147-45 | 2 |
| Texas-El Paso | Mike Price | 4 | 25-23 | 2 |
| Virginia | Al Groh | 8 | 51-37 | 2 |
| Western Michigan | Bill Cubit | 4 | 20-16 | 2 |
| Arkansas State | Steve Roberts | 7 | 31-41 | 1.5 |
| Baylor | Art Briles | 1 | 0-0 | 1.5 |
| Colorado | Dan Hawkins | 3 | 8-17 | 1.5 |
| Hawaii | Greg McMackin | 1 | 0-0 | 1.5 |
| Indiana | Bill Lynch | 2 | 7-6 | 1.5 |
| Louisiana-Monroe | Charlie Weatherbie | 6 | 21-37 | 1.5 |
| Miami (Ohio) | Shane Montgomery | 4 | 15-21 | 1.5 |
| New Mexico | Rocky Long | 11 | 61-61 | 1.5 |
| North Carolina | Butch Davis | 2 | 4-8 | 1.5 |
| Northwestern | Pat Fitzgerald | 3 | 10-14 | 1.5 |
| Southern Mississippi | Larry Fedora | 1 | 0-0 | 1.5 |
| Stanford | Jim Harbaugh | 2 | 4-8 | 1.5 |
| Temple | Al Golden | 3 | 5-19 | 1.5 |
| Texas A&M | Mike Sherman | 1 | 0-0 | 1.5 |
| Texas Christian | Gary Patterson | 9 | 62-25 | 1.5 |
| West Virginia | Bill Stewart | 2* | 1-0 | 1.5 |
| Alabama | Nick Saban | 2 | 7-6 | 1 |
| Arizona State | Dennis Erickson | 2 | 10-3 | 1 |
| Auburn | Tommy Tuberville | 10 | 80-33 | 1 |
| Buffalo | Turner Gill | 3 | 7-17 | 1 |
| Connecticut | Randy Edsall | 10 | 50-55 | 1 |
| Fresno State | Pat Hill | 12 | 85-55 | 1 |
| Houston | Kevin Sumlin | 1 | 0-0 | 1 |
| Illinois | Ron Zook | 4 | 13-23 | 1 |
| Kentucky | Rich Brooks | 6 | 25-35 | 1 |
| Mississippi State | Sylvester Croom | 5 | 17-30 | 1 |
| Missouri | Gary Pinkel | 8 | 49-37 | 1 |
| Navy | Ken Niumatalolo | 2* | 0-1 | 1 |
| Oregon | Mike Bellotti | 14 | 106-52 | 1 |
| Rutgers | Greg Schiano | 8 | 38-46 | 1 |
| Texas Tech | Mike Leach | 9 | 65-37 | 1 |
| Tulsa | Todd Graham | 2 | 10-4 | 1 |
| UCLA | Rick Neuheisel | 1 | 0-0 | 1 |
| Utah | Kyle Whittingham | 4 | 24-14 | 1 |
| Western Kentucky | David Elson | 6 | 37-22 | 1 |
| Air Force | Troy Calhoun | 2 | 9-4 | 0.5 |
| Ball State | Brady Hoke | 6 | 22-37 | 0.5 |
| Boston College | Jeff Jagodzinski | 2 | 11-3 | 0.5 |
| BYU | Bronco Mendenhall | 4 | 28-10 | 0.5 |
| Central Michigan | Butch Jones | 2 | 8-6 | 0.5 |
| Florida Atlantic | Howard Schnellenberger | 8 | 41-42 | 0.5 |
| Louisiana Tech | Derek Dooley | 2 | 5-7 | 0.5 |
| Northern Illinois | Jerry Kill | 1 | 0-0 | 0.5 |
| South Florida | Jim Leavitt | 12 | 79-47 | 0.5 |
| Troy | Larry Blakeney | 18 | 136-68-1 | 0.5 |
| Virginia Tech | Frank Beamer | 22 | 167-85-2 | 0.5 |
| Wisconsin | Bret Bielema | 3 | 21-5 | 0.5 |
| Boise State | Chris Petersen | 3 | 23-3 | 0 |
| Cincinnati | Brian Kelly | 2 | 11-3 | 0 |
| Florida | Urban Meyer | 4 | 31-8 | 0 |
| Georgia | Mark Richt | 8 | 72-19 | 0 |
| Kansas | Mark Mangino | 7 | 37-36 | 0 |
| LSU | Les Miles | 4 | 34-6 | 0 |
| Nebraska | Bo Pelini | 2* | 1-0 | 0 |
| Ohio State | Jim Tressel | 8 | 73-16 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | Bob Stoops | 10 | 97-22 | 0 |
| Purdue | Joe Tiller | 12 | 83-54 | N/A* |
| Southern California | Pete Carroll | 8 | 76-14 | 0 |
| SMU | June Jones | 1 | 0-0 | 0 |
| Texas | Mack Brown | 11 | 103-25 | 0 |
| Wake Forest | Jim Grobe | 8 | 46-39 | 0 |
Note: Years are including the upcoming 2008 season. Records are the coach's record at the school.
* - Previously coached a bowl game in another season.
