College football hot seat 2024: Athlon releases eight names to watch

Going into a college football season, it’s a given that there are going to be coaching changes, typically as the result of coaches being fired. Some of those are surprises. However, others are moves that many could see coming after they came into the season on the hot seat.

Being on the hot seat to start the season doesn’t mean a coach is going to be fired. Certainly, coaches keep their jobs despite being on it for a multitude of reasons. At the same time, it’s an interesting thing to look at ahead of the season and how it can possibly be predictive about the course of the upcoming season.

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So, head of the season, Athlon released a list of eight coaches who are coming into the season on the hot seat. Here’s a look at those coaches and why they might be in a precarious position going into the 2024 season.

Dave Aranda, Baylor

There have been some fairly impressive highs for Dave Aranda since becoming the Baylor head coach in 2020. That includes going 12-2, winning the Big 12, and winning the Sugar Bowl in 2021. However, since then, the Bears have taken a step back and now he finds himself on the hot seat.

After going just 3-9 in 2023, Aranda made a change at offensive coordinator, bringing in Jake Spavital to run the offense. The hope is he can spark something there and help Baylor rebound. However, if the offense and team as a whole don’t improve, it could be dangerous for Aranda’s future.

Mike Bloomgren, Rice

When Rice hired Mike Bloomgren in 2018, the hope was that he could turn the Owls into the Group of Five’s version of Stanford. To an extent, that’s happened, with Rice going to two straight bowl games in 2022 and 2023. At the same time, it’s been six seasons now and he has a 22-46 record overall at Rice.

If Rice were to take a step in the wrong direction, it wouldn’t be surprising for Bloomgren to find himself on the hot seat. This comes as Rice is getting ready for its second season in the AAC. So, if the school doesn’t feel like he’s handling the transition well enough, a change could be in order.

Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech

It’s been a rough couple of seasons for Sonny Cumbie at Louisiana Tech. In his two years as a head coach there, he’s gone 3-9 two times. That includes a pair of 2-6 finishes within C-USA play. With that, it’s no surprise that he’s found himself on the hot seat at a program with plenty of positive history.

The good news for Cumbie is that the Transfer Portal allows you to flip rosters quickly and C-USA is a conference where there should be winnable games. With that, there’s not a set number of wins he needs, but the cracks are forming. So, it’s not surprising that Cumbie found himself on Athlon’s list.

Stan Drayton, Temple

Stan Drayton took over Temple in 2022, needing to rebuild the program after it struggled under Rod Carey. Prior to that, he’d been known for his time as a running backs coach at multiple stops, making him one of the best respected position coaches in college football. However, the wins haven’t come at Temple, with back-to-back 3-9 campaigns.

Temple is a school that has had its historical issues fielding a consistent winner. However, in the 2010s, the Owls were becoming more consistent and had seasons as one of the top AAC teams. That success under head coaches like Matt Rhule and Geoff Collins is something Drayton simply hasn’t lived up to yet and has landed him on the hot seat.

Will Hall, Southern Miss

Southern Miss has an excellent football tradition and while during the tenure of Will Hall, there have been positives, there have also been negatives. So, it’s not a surprise that he’s found himself on the hot seat going into the 2024 season.

Hall took over in 2021 after establishing himself as a well-respected offensive mind. Unfortunately, in his first three seasons, Southern Miss has struggled with consistency, going 3-9 his first season, winning a bowl in his second, before going 3-9 again. That’s led to a 13-24 overall record in three seasons and a real need to show improvement moving forward.

Billy Napier, Florida

One coach that many people believe is on the hot seat is Billy Napier at Florida. There are a few reasons for that, including the performances in his first two seasons that have seen the Gators go 11-14 overall while losing a bowl game in his first year. The second reason is that the schedule in 2024 is very difficult, meaning it might be difficult to win enough to cool down his seat.

The reality is that expectations are always high at an SEC program. That’s especially true for one that has multiple national championships in the 21st century. So, consistently hovering around .500 in the regular season likely won’t be good enough for Napier long-term.

Mike Neu, Ball State

Mike Neu has been the head coach at Ball State since 2016. During that time, Ball State has struggled to find consistent success with only two seasons where the Cardinals went to a bowl game. That includes the 2020 season, when at 7-1 overall, Ball State won the MAC.

It’s now been two years since Ball State has been to a bowl game and in every season since the 7-1 finish, the Cardinals have consistently won fewer games. With an overall record of 37-56 in eight seasons, it’s not a surprise that he’s now on the hot seat.

Sam Pittman, Arkansas

When Sam Pittman came to Arkansas, the program needed to be rebuilt. That was a task that he accomplished and accomplished quickly, going from 3-7 in 2020 to 9-4 in 2020. However, since then, the Razorbacks have been sliding backward in terms of wins and losses. Now, Pittman needs to prove he can win again at Arkansas.

The major problem for Pittman is that, like most SEC schools, the Razorbacks have a very difficult schedule. It has nine games against Power Five opponents, including a non-conference game and four road games. So, improving on his 4-8 record in 2023 might be tough, but Pittman also may need to improve on it in 2024.