Whether it's over the course of years, in a matter of months or even following the result of a single game, a coach's seat always finds a way to get hot eventually. Every year, there are names at the tip of one's tongue when it comes to which coaches are in legitimate danger of losing their jobs either during or immediately after the season. The 2018 season, of course, is no exception.
Dennis Dodd has detailed the five Power Five coaches sitting on the hottest seats ahead of the 2018 campaign. Below you can see where all 129 FBS coaches stand before the season begins (Liberty is not a full-fledged FBS member until 2019). Check out the ratings key first and see where every coach in college football ranks just two months prior to kickoff.
| Rating | What it means | Coaches |
|---|---|---|
5 | Win or be fired | 6 |
4 | Start improving now | 10 |
3 | Pressure is mounting | 19 |
2 | All good ... for now | 42 |
1 | Safe and secure | 41 |
0 | Untouchable | 11 |
Six coaches received the dreaded "5" rating this season compared to two each of the last two years. That is generally a kiss of death; however, Brian Kelly was able to escape the clutches a year ago. Others are on the verge of losing their jobs with one more season of even below-average returns.
The table below is arranged 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 2018. If the coach has seen his rating change from the 2017 season, the old rating is listed in parenthesis.
| Team | Coach | Years | Record | 2018 Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Calhoun | 11 | 82-60 | 2 (1) | |
| Terry Bowden | 6 | 31-80 | 1 (2) | |
| Nick Saban | 11 | 127-20 | 0 | |
| Scott Satterfield | 4 | 41-22 | 1 | |
| Kevin Sumlin | - | - | 2 | |
| Herm Edwards | - | - | 3 | |
| Chad Morris | - | - | 2 | |
| Blake Anderson | 4 | 31-20 | 2 (1) | |
| Jeff Monken | 4 | 24-26 | 1 | |
| Gus Malzahn | 5 | 45-22 | 2 (3) | |
| Mike Neu | 2 | 6-18 | 4 (2) | |
| Matt Rhule | 1 | - | 2 (1) | |
| Bryan Harsin | 4 | 42-12 | 1 | |
| Steve Addazio | 5 | 31-33 | 3 | |
| Mike Jinks | 2 | 6-18 | 4 (3) | |
| Lance Leipold | 3 | 13-23 | 2 (3) | |
| Kalani Sitake | 2 | 13-13 | 4 (1) | |
| Justin Wilcox | 1 | 5-7 | 2 (1) | |
| John Bonamego | 3 | 21-18 | 1 (2) | |
| Brad Lambert | 5 | 17-41 | 5 (3) | |
| Luke Fickell | 1 | 4-8 | 3 (1) | |
| Dabo Swinney | 10 | 101-30 | 0 | |
| Joe Moglia | 6 | 54-24 | 0 | |
| Mike MacIntyre | 5 | 25-38 | 4 (2) | |
| Mike Bobo | 3 | 21-18 | 3 (2) | |
| David Cutcliffe | 10 | 59-67 | 1 | |
| Scottie Montgomery | 2 | 6-18 | 5 (3) | |
| Chris Creighton | 4 | 15-34 | 3 (1) | |
| Butch Davis | 1 | 8-5 | 1 | |
| Dan Mullen | - | - | 1 | |
| Lane Kiffin | 1 | 11-3 | 1 | |
| Willie Taggart | - | - | 2 | |
| Jeff Tedford | 1 | 10-4 | 1 | |
| Kirby Smart | 2 | 21-7 | 0 (1) | |
| Chad Lunsford | - | - | 3 | |
| Shawn Elliott | 1 | 7-5 | 2 (1) | |
| Paul Johnson | 10 | 75-54 | 3 (2) | |
| Nick Rolovich | 2 | 10-16 | 3 (1) | |
| Major Applewhite | 1 | 7-5 | 3 (1) | |
| Lovie Smith | 2 | 5-19 | 5 (2) | |
| Tom Allen | 1 | 5-8 | 2 (1) | |
| Kirk Ferentz | 19 | 143-97 | 1 | |
| Matt Campbell | 2 | 11-14 | 1 | |
| David Beaty | 3 | 3-33 | 5 (1) | |
| Bill Snyder | 9 (26) | 74-42 (210-110) | 1 (0) | |
| Sean Lewis | - | - | 1 | |
| Mark Stoops | 5 | 26-36 | 4 (3) | |
| Billy Napier | - | - | 1 | |
| Skip Holtz | 5 | 38-28 | 3 (1) | |
| Bobby Petrino | 4 (8) | 34-18 (75-27) | 2 (1) | |
| Ed Orgeron | 1 | 15-6 | 4 (2) | |
| Doc Holliday | 8 | 61-42 | 2 | |
| DJ Durkin | 2 | 10-15 | 3 (1) | |
| Mike Norvell | 2 | 8-5 | 1 | |
| Mark Richt | 2 | 19-7 | 1 | |
| Chuck Martin | 4 | 16-33 | 3 (2) | |
| Jim Harbaugh | 3 | 28-11 | 2 (0) | |
| Mark Dantonio | 11 | 100-45 | 1 | |
| Rick Stockstill | 12 | 79-72 | 2 (1) | |
| P.J. Fleck | 1 | 5-7 | 2 (1) | |
| Joe Moorhead | - | - | 1 | |
| Barry Odom | 2 | 11-14 | 3 | |
| Ken Niumatalolo | 10 | 84-48 | 1 (0) | |
| Dave Doeren | 5 | 34-30 | 2 | |
| Scott Frost | - | - | 0 | |
| Jay Norvell | 1 | 3-9 | 3 (1) | |
| Bob Davie | 6 | 30-45 | 5 (1) | |
| Doug Martin | 5 | 17-44 | 1 (3) | |
| Larry Fedora | 6 | 43-34 | 3 (1) | |
| Seth Littrell | 2 | 14-13 | 1 | |
| Rod Carey | 5 | 44-24 | 1 | |
| Pat Fitzgerald | 12 | 87-65 | 0 (1) | |
| Brian Kelly | 8 | 69-34 | 2 (5) | |
| Frank Solich | 13 | 97-71 | 1 | |
| Urban Meyer | 6 | 73-8 | 0 | |
| Lincoln Riley | 1 | 12-2 | 1 (2) | |
| Mike Gundy | 13 | 114-53 | 1 | |
| Bobby Wilder | 9 | 73-37 | 2 (1) | |
| Matt Luke | - | 6-6 (interim) | 2 | |
| Mario Cristobal | - | 0-1 (bowl) | 2 | |
| Jonathan Smith | - | - | 1 | |
| James Franklin | 4 | 36-17 | 1 | |
| Pat Narduzzi | 3 | 21-17 | 2 (1) | |
| Jeff Brohm | 1 | 7-6 | 1 | |
| Mike Bloomgren | - | - | 1 | |
| Chris Ash | 2 | 6-18 | 4 (1) | |
| Rocky Long | 7 | 64-29 | 2 (0) | |
| Brent Brennan | 1 | 2-11 | 3 (1) | |
| Sonny Dykes | - | - | 2 | |
| Steve Campbell | - | - | 1 | |
| Will Muschamp | 2 | 15-11 | 2 | |
| Jay Hopson | 2 | 15-11 | 2 (1) | |
| Charlie Strong | 1 | 10-2 | 1 | |
| David Shaw | 7 | 73-22 | 0 | |
| Dino Babers | 2 | 8-16 | 2 | |
| Gary Patterson | 17 | 160-57 | 0 | |
| Geoff Collins | 1 | 7-6 | 2 (1) | |
| Jeremy Pruitt | - | - | 2 | |
| Tom Herman | 1 | 7-6 | 2 (1) | |
| Jimbo Fisher | - | - | 1 | |
| Everett Withers | 2 | 4-20 | 5 (2) | |
| Kliff Kingsbury | 5 | 30-33 | 4 | |
| Jason Candle | 2 | 21-7 | 1 | |
| Neal Brown | 3 | 25-13 | 1 | |
| Willie Fritz | 2 | 9-15 | 2 | |
| Philip Montgomery | 3 | 18-20 | 2 (1) | |
| Bill Clark | 1 (2) | 8-5 (14-11) | 0 (1) | |
| Josh Heupel | - | - | 1 | |
| Chip Kelly | - | - | 0 | |
| Randy Edsall | 1 (13) | 3-9 (77-79) | 4 (2) | |
| Matt Viator | 2 | 8-16 | 3 (2) | |
| Mark Whipple | 10 | 61-62 | 3 | |
| Tony Sanchez | 3 | 12-24 | 4 (2) | |
| Clay Helton | 2 | 27-10 | 2 (1) | |
| Dana Dimel | - | - | 2 | |
| Frank Wilson | 2 | 12-12 | 2 (1) | |
| Kyle Whittingham | 13 | 111-56 | 1 | |
| Matt Wells | 5 | 34-32 | 2 (3) | |
| Derek Mason | 4 | 18-31 | 3 | |
| Bronco Mendenhall | 2 | 8-17 | 2 | |
| Justin Fuente | 2 | 19-8 | 1 | |
| Dave Clawson | 4 | 21-29 | 2 | |
| Chris Petersen | 4 | 37-17 | 1 (0) | |
| Mike Leach | 6 | 38-38 | 2 (1) | |
| Dana Holgorsen | 7 | 53-37 | 2 | |
| Tim Lester | 1 | 6-6 | 2 (1) | |
| Mike Sanford Jr. | 1 | 6-7 | 2 (1) | |
| Paul Chryst | 3 | 34-7 | 1 | |
| Craig Bohl | 4 | 22-29 | 1 |
