CFB hot seats: Coaches facing the most pressure in 2025

Excitement for the upcoming college football season will quickly turn to angst for some fan bases when a number of teams get off to a rough start.

There have only been six coaching changes in the Power 4 since the start of last season, but there could be plenty this winter.

We're taking a look at some of the coaches facing the most scrutiny ahead of an all-important campaign.

Lincoln Riley, USC

Riley provided immediate results in his first year at the helm following his stunning departure from Oklahoma in 2021. However, he's struggled to keep that train rolling since. Life without a Heisman quarterback proved difficult for the Trojans, who went 7-6 in their Big Ten debut last season. USC surrendered a league-high 21 turnovers and allowed opponents to complete 68% of their pass attempts in 2024. The program finds itself mired in mediocrity while sharing a conference that boasts the last two national champions. It's a far cry from the days of Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush.

Fortunately for Riley, some key factors should help him remain on the sideline after the 2025 season. USC assembled one of the top recruiting classes for the 2026 cycle, which should boost the school's ability to compete with the upper echelon of the Big Ten. Riley's buyout is in the neighborhood of $80 million, according to the Los Angeles Times' Bill Plaschke, exceeding the $76 million that Texas A&M paid to finalize its divorce from Jimbo Fisher. But Riley led Oklahoma to three playoff appearances during his five seasons there, and the Trojans might be getting impatient. The cost of moving on may not deter USC's power brokers if the program continues to tread water.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Having a coach on the hot seat has become as common for Auburn as its fans chanting "War Eagle." The Tigers canned Freeze's predecessor, Bryan Harsin, following a 3-5 start to his second season. Now Freeze finds himself under pressure to turn around a program that has finished four seasons in a row with seven losses. Three one-score defeats and a SEC-high 22 turnovers doomed the Tigers in 2024. Protecting the football will be imperative for an offense that has garnered positive preseason buzz.

After guiding Ole Miss from 2012-16, Freeze's second go-round in the SEC has fallen short of expectations. A revamped offense that's centered around the addition of quarterback Jackson Arnold should keep the Tigers in games. Freeze has also been able to to appeal to recruits even though the Tigers haven't finished above .500 since 2020. Auburn earned a preseason 13.1 SP+ rating, according to ESPN.

Assembling impressive recruiting classes has granted Freeze a reprieve to this point. As Auburn struggles to build on its momentum on the recruiting trail in 2026, Freeze needs to show on-field results if he aims to see a fourth season in The Plains.

Brent Pry, Virginia Tech

Determining which coach in the Commonwealth Cup rivalry currently occupies the hotter seat was a toss-up. We picked Pry, who is preparing for his fourth season guiding the Hokies. A once-proud program that was known for its lunch-pail defense and dynamic offense has struggled to recapture its former glory. Virginia Tech has just one winning season since 2019 and is coming off a disappointing 6-7 campaign.

Quarterback Kyron Drones returns to lead an offense that has flown under the radar this offseason. With Kelvin Gilliam Jr. and Jaden Keller leading the defensive front seven, the Hokies' success in 2025 could come down to a secondary made up of transfers. After suffering five losses by one score in 2024, Pry shuffled his staff by hiring new coordinators on both offense and defense.

Matchups against South Carolina and Vanderbilt to begin the season will be measuring-stick games. A third losing season under Pry's watch could end his time in Blacksburg.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Fickell was once among the hottest candidates for every Power 4 job in the country. When Wisconsin lured him away from Cincinnati in 2022, the program appeared poised for a resurgence. He even led the team to a win in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to begin his tenure. However, things haven't panned out so far in Madison - the team has gone backward instead.

After a 7-6 campaign in 2023, Wisconsin posted a dismal 5-7 mark, missing the postseason for the first time in 22 years. A revolving door at quarterback has doomed the Badgers' offense of late, and now it's up to former Maryland standout Billy Edwards Jr. to succeed where Tyler Van Dyke and Braedyn Locke could not. Defensively, the Badgers couldn't stop the run last year, which help explains the five-game losing streak that closed their campaign.

Wisconsin faces one of the toughest road slates in the country with matchups against Alabama, Michigan, and Oregon. Nearly four years removed from guiding Cincinnati to a magical CFP berth, Fickell has yet to show he can do it at the Power 4 level. The new-look Big Ten has proven to be a gauntlet for many of the established programs, and the Badgers need to show they're making progress.

Brent Venables, Oklahoma

Venables is entering a critical point in his Oklahoma tenure as the program looks to return to the level it reached under Riley. After he oversaw vaunted defenses at Clemson, Venables was tabbed to help lead one of the country's most storied programs to sustained success as it transitioned to the SEC. Many in Norman figured Oklahoma could manage something like its 10-3 record from 2023 in its first season in the new conference. Instead, the team posted its second 6-7 campaign in three years under Venables, and the Sooners faithful are agitated.

After Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins split time at quarterback, OU brought in John Mateer to raise the quality of play. The Washington State transfer was a package deal with new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who should help the Sooners improve on their SEC-worst 4.8 yards per play average last season. While the offense may be rebuilding, Venables' calling card is defense. The former Clemson coordinator has plenty of impactful defenders in his arsenal, led by R Mason Thomas and Kip Lewis.

The Sooners will have to scrape and claw their way to bowl eligibility with a difficult schedule that includes games against Michigan, Alabama, and LSU. A matchup against Arnold and Auburn also looms. As rival Texas pushes closer to a contending for a national title, the bare minimum won't be enough to satisfy a hungry fan base.

Sam Pittman, Arkansas

Florida's Billy Napier might have staved off the grim reaper after the school gave him the stamp of approval for this season. The same can't be said for Pittman, who also made our hot-seat list last year. The Razorbacks scrapped their way to six victories, highlighted by their victory over Tennessee. Arkansas managed to finish with a winning mark after downing Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl. The 63-year-old coach holds a 30-31 record over five seasons with the program - respectable, but nobody's dream scenario in the SEC.

Pittman faces a daunting schedule that includes road games against Tennessee, LSU, and Texas. Arkansas also experienced significant attrition via the transfer portal last winter and into the spring. Taylen Green returns at quarterback behind a stout offensive line, but the Hogs opened summer camp with nearly 50 newcomers to the program. Given the Razorbacks' numerous additions to the receiving corps and concerns about their lack of defensive depth, even Pittman might not be able to charm his way into staying on the sideline for another year.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State

The other half of the Bedlam rivalry sees Gundy trying to rebound from his worst outing in two decades at the helm of Oklahoma State. Owning an impressive 169-88 all-time record, Gundy is the school's winningest head coach. He sits behind only Iowa's Kirk Ferentz on the list of longest-tenured FBS Division I coaches. Oklahoma State went 12-2 in 2021 but has floundered since, getting mixed results. The Pokes ended 2024 with a 3-9 mark that included going 0-9 in Big 12 play.

Gundy renegotiated his pact with Oklahoma State, ending up with a salary that was $1 million lower and a reduced buyout. Doug Meacham was brought in to oversee the offense while Todd Grantham is tasked with resuscitating a defense that allowed a league-high 35.6 points per game in 2024. The Cowboys quarterbacks lack game experience, and the pass-rush has struggled recently. It's a woeful formula that doesn't bode well for a program that welcomed 41 transfers this offseason.

Gundy is a living legend on the school's Stillwater campus, and 2025 will ultimately determine the fate of one college football's most outspoken personalities.