It was an offseason of massive turnover in college football. Twenty-seven programs -- more than one-fifth of FBS -- changed coaches. That means a large swath of coaches are in that honeymoon year with their new schools. In fact, the 2019 Hot Seat Rankings should be noted for their coolness. Specifically, 70 coaches -- more than half of FBS -- are rated 0 or 1, meaning they are either "virtually untouchable" or "safe and secure."
The Hot Seat has long been an accurate predictor in terms of job security. Over the last four years, 12 of the 18 coaches rated 4 or worse (67 percent) eventually lost their jobs. (Colorado's Mike MacIntyre and Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury were listed in multiple years.) Going into 2019, there are only nine coaches on the proverbial hot seat (rating of 4 or higher). Something tells me that, in the end, there will be more than nine coaching changes -- mostly because it seems that the coaching carousel is always spinning.
Dennis Dodd has detailed the nine coaches sitting on the hottest seats ahead of the 2019 campaign. Below you can see where all 130 FBS coaches stand before the season begins (Liberty is now officially a full-fledged FBS member). 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 | 3 |
4 | Start improving now | 6 |
3 | Pressure is mounting | 12 |
2 | All good ... for now | 39 |
1 | Safe and secure | 58 |
0 | Untouchable | 12 |
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 2019. If the coach has seen his rating change from the 2018 season, the old rating is listed in parenthesis.
| Team | Coach | Years | Record | 2019 Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Calhoun | 12 | 87-67 | 2 | |
| Tom Arth | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Nick Saban | 12 | 141-21 | 0 | |
| Eli Drinkwitz | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Kevin Sumlin | 1 | 5-7 | 3 (2) | |
| Herm Edwards | 1 | 7-6 | 1 (3) | |
| Chad Morris | 1 | 2-10 | 2 | |
| Blake Anderson | 5 | 39-25 | 1 (2) | |
| Jeff Monken | 5 | 35-28 | 0 (1) | |
| Gus Malzahn | 6 | 53-27 | 3 (2) | |
| Mike Neu | 3 | 10-26 | 4 | |
| Matt Rhule | 2 | 8-17 | 2 | |
| Bryan Harsin | 5 | 52-15 | 1 | |
| Steve Addazio | 6 | 38-38 | 3 | |
| Scot Loeffler | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Lance Leipold | 4 | 23-27 | 1 (2) | |
| Kalani Sitake | 3 | 20-19 | 3 (4) | |
| Justin Wilcox | 2 | 12-13 | 2 | |
| Jim McElwain | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Will Healy | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Luke Fickell | 2 | 15-10 | 1 (3) | |
| Dabo Swinney | 11 | 116-30 | 0 | |
| Jamey Chadwell | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Mel Tucker | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Mike Bobo | 4 | 24-27 | 3 | |
| David Cutcliffe | 11 | 67-72 | 1 | |
| Mike Houston | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Chris Creighton | 5 | 22-40 | 2 (3) | |
| Butch Davis | 2 | 17-9 | 1 | |
| Dan Mullen | 1 | 10-3 | 1 | |
| Lane Kiffin | 2 | 16-10 | 2 (1) | |
| Willie Taggart | 1 | 5-7 | 4 (2) | |
| Jeff Tenedford | 2 | 22-6 | 1 | |
| Kirby Smart | 3 | 32-10 | 0 | |
| Chad Lunsford | 1 | 10-3 | 1 (3) | |
| Shawn Elliott | 2 | 9-15 | 2 | |
| Geoff Collins | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Nick Rolovich | 3 | 18-22 | 1 (3) | |
| Dana Holgorsen | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Lovie Smith | 3 | 9-27 | 5 | |
| Tom Allen | 2 | 10-15 | 2 | |
| Kirk Ferentz | 20 | 152-101 | 0 (1) | |
| Matt Campbell | 3 | 19-19 | 1 | |
| Les Miles | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Chris Klieman | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Sean Lewis | 1 | 2-10 | 2 (1) | |
| Mark Stoops | 6 | 36-39 | 2 (4) | |
| Hugh Freeze | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Billy Napier | 1 | 7-7 | 1 | |
| Skip Holtz | 6 | 46-33 | 2 (3) | |
| Scott Satterfield | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Ed Orgeron | 2 | 25-9 | 2 (4) | |
| Doc Holliday | 9 | 70-46 | 2 | |
| Mike Lockley | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Mike Norvell | 3 | 26-14 | 1 | |
| Manny Diaz | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Chuck Martin | 5 | 22-39 | 2 (3) | |
| Jim Harbaugh | 4 | 38-14 | 3 (2) | |
| Mark Dantonio | 12 | 107-51 | 1 | |
| Rick Stockstill | 13 | 87-78 | 1 (2) | |
| P.J. Fleck | 3 | 12-13 | 2 | |
| Joe Moorhead | 1 | 8-5 | 1 | |
| Barry Odom | 3 | 19-19 | 2 (3) | |
| Ken Niumatalolo | 11 | 87-58 | 1 | |
| Dave Doeren | 6 | 43-34 | 1 (2) | |
| Scott Frost | 1 | 4-8 | 0 | |
| Jay Norvell | 2 | 11-14 | 2 (3) | |
| Bob Davie | 7 | 33-54 | 5 | |
| Doug Martin | 6 | 20-53 | 3 (1) | |
| Mack Brown | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Seth Littrell | 3 | 23-17 | 1 | |
| Thomas Hammock | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Pat Fitzgerald | 13 | 96-70 | 0 | |
| Brian Kelly | 9 | 81-35 | 1 (2) | |
| Frank Solich | 14 | 106-75 | 1 | |
| Ryan Day | -- | 3-0 (interim) | 1 | |
| Lincoln Riley | 2 | 24-4 | 0 (1) | |
| Mike Gundy | 14 | 121-59 | 1 | |
| Bobby Wilder | 10 | 77-45 | 3 (2) | |
| Matt Luke | 1 | 11-13 | 2 | |
| Mario Cristobal | 1 | 9-5 | 1 (2) | |
| Jonathan Smith | 1 | 2-10 | 2 (1) | |
| James Franklin | 5 | 45-21 | 1 | |
| Pat Narduzzi | 4 | 28-24 | 2 | |
| Jeff Brohm | 2 | 13-13 | 1 | |
| Mike Bloomgren | 1 | 2-11 | 1 | |
| Chris Ash | 3 | 7-29 | 5 (4) | |
| Rocky Long | 8 | 71-35 | 2 | |
| Brent Brennan | 2 | 3-22 | 4 (3) | |
| Sonny Dykes | 1 | 5-7 | 2 | |
| Steve Campbell | 1 | 3-9 | 2 (1) | |
| Will Muschamp | 3 | 22-17 | 1 (2) | |
| Jay Hopson | 3 | 21-16 | 2 | |
| Charlie Strong | 2 | 17-8 | 1 | |
| David Shaw | 8 | 82-26 | 0 | |
| Dino Babers | 3 | 18-19 | 1 (2) | |
| Gary Patterson | 18 | 167-63 | 0 | |
| Rod Carey | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Jeremy Pruitt | 1 | 5-7 | 2 | |
| Tom Herman | 2 | 17-10 | 1 (2) | |
| Jimbo Fisher | 1 | 9-4 | 1 | |
| Jake Spavital | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Matt Wells | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Jason Candle | 3 | 28-13 | 1 | |
| Chip Lindsesy | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Willie Fritz | 3 | 16-21 | 2 | |
| Philip Montgomery | 4 | 21-29 | 3 (2) | |
| Bill Clark | 2 (3) | 19-8 (25-14) | 0 | |
| Josh Heupel | 1 | 12-1 | 1 | |
| Chip Kelly | 1 | 3-9 | 2 (0) | |
| Randy Edsall | 2 (14) | 4-20 (77-79) | 4 | |
| Matt Viator | 3 | 14-22 | 3 | |
| Walt Bell | -- | 0-0 | 2 | |
| Tony Sanchez | 4 | 16-32 | 4 | |
| Clay Helton | 3 | 32-17 | 4 (2) | |
| Dana Dimel | 1 | 1-11 | 2 | |
| Frank Wilson | 3 | 15-21 | 2 | |
| Kyle Whittingham | 14 | 120-61 | 1 | |
| Gary Andersen | -- (5) | 0-0 (26-24) | 3 | |
| Derek Mason | 6 | 24-38 | 3 | |
| Bronco Mendenhall | 4 | 16-22 | 1 (2) | |
| Justin Fuente | 3 | 25-15 | 2 (1) | |
| Dave Clawson | 5 | 28-35 | 2 | |
| Chris Petersen | 5 | 47-21 | 0 (1) | |
| Mike Leach | 7 | 49-40 | 1 (2) | |
| Neal Brown | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Tim Lester | 2 | 13-12 | 1 (2) | |
| Tyson Helton | -- | 0-0 | 1 | |
| Paul Chryst | 4 | 42-12 | 1 | |
| Craig Bohl | 5 | 28-35 | 1 |
