Rhule Isn’t Among Hot Seat Coaches in 2026

Even though spring practice has started for the Huskers we have entered that time of year when lists are being created. Pre-season top twenty-five, top ten FBS quarterbacks, ranking the quarterbacks in the Big Ten, and of course, coaches on the hot seat going into the 2026 season.

If you read my article yesterday, “Mighty Rhule Steps to the Plate”, then you know I didn’t put Rhule on a hotseat, rather I looked at when and if he picks up strike three and is called out. Because college football has changed, not only with the addition of NIL and the transfer portal, but how coaches are judged and what single season records can mean for a coach’s future, it’s my belief there won’t be a decision on Rhule’s future until after 2028.

However, as volatile as the coaching landscape is, you never know. Turnover last season was at an all-time high with over twenty-five new coaches taking the field this fall with new teams.

So, what does that mean? Don’t expect anything different in 2026. There will be coaches fired or hired away from their schools, and it doesn’t matter if they have been there for ten years or ten months. But as Texas A&M and Penn State showed us, no matter how big a coach’s buyout is or how many games he’s won, it won’t prevent a change.

7 Coaches Who Won’t Survive Another Losing Season

1. Mike Norvell – Florida State. Buyout $48 million. Overall record 38-34. Norvell led Florida State to a 13-0 record in 2023, and his team was still denied a playoff berth. The Seminoles then lost to Georgia 63-3 in the Orange Bowl and finished 13-1. Since then, things have been all downhill for Norvell, posting a conference record of 3-13 and an overall record of 7-17. Coughing up Norvell’s buyout may be hard for Florida State to do after recently reporting a $437 million deficit in athletics related debt.
2. Luke Fickell – Wisconsin. Buyout $19 million. After posting a 57-16 record over six seasons at Cincinnati and leading the Bearcats to the playoffs, Fickell has struggled at Wisconsin. After four seasons, the Badgers are 10-17 in conference play and 17-21 overall. Even though Fickell has gained the support of the administration, another losing season could see his time in Madison come to an end.
3. Shane Beemer – South Carolina. Buyout $19 million. Overall record 33-30. After going 9-4 in 2024 Beemer’s team fell to 1-7 in conference and 4-8 overall las season. The SEC is competitive and Gamecock fans are restless. Another .500 record won’t cut it.
4. Bill O’Brien – Boston College. Buyout $18 million. Overall record 9-16. After leading the Eagles to a 7-5 record and a bowl game in their inaugural season, O’Brien’s team went 2-10 last season and 1-7 in conference. They weren’t always competitive and some of the losses were ugly, drawing criticism from fans. O’Brien gave up his offensive coordinator position at Ohio State to take the BC head coaching job, something he may be regretting now.
5. Mike Locksley – Maryland. Buyout $7 million. Overall record 37-49. Locksley looked to have the Terrapins heading the right direction with two consecutive 8-win seasons in 2022 and 2023. However, he followed those up with two 4-8 seasons while going 2-16 in conference play. The threat to Locksley, another losing season and what could be seen as a bargain buyout price.
6. Dave Aranda – Baylor. Buyout $6 million. Overall record 36-37. Highly successful as a defensive coordinator, Aranda has struggled to consistently win as a head coach. Although he had a 12-2 record in 2021, he’s only had one other winning season since. Although Baylor won’t be confused with Texas Tech in NIL dollars, Aranda’s $6 million buyout won’t save him if he has another losing season.
7. Bill Belichick – Noth Carolina. Buyout $10 million. Overall record 4-8. After almost thirty years as an NFL coach and winning six Super Bowls, the 73-year-old Belichick decided to try his hand at college ball. His first season didn’t go well, and it doesn’t help that there was a large base of financial supporters and fans who weren’t on board with his hiring from the start. There was a point early in the 2025 season that it was believed he would be fired or step down. It didn’t happen. It’s hard to imagine him making it through a full season if there isn’t a big improvement out of the gate in 2026.

Coaches Under the Microscope

1. Dabo Swinney – Clemson. Buyout $57 million. Overall record 187-53. Swinney was under fire last season, posting his worst record since 2010. Even after going 126-27 over the last ten seasons and winning two national championships Swinney felt the pressure from fans. He fired back and there was speculation he might leave. Depending on what happens this season, if the right opportunity were to present itself Swinney may move on.
2. Kalen DeBoer – Alabama. Buyout $50 million. Overall record 20-8. Even after a playoff appearance Alabama fans aren’t happy with DeBoer. But what they don’t realize is they may have their own version of Curt Cignetti. All he’s done is win wherever he’s been. With a 124-20 career record as a head coach and a national championship appearance at Washington, more than one school would love a shot at hiring DeBoer if Bama gets stupid. Everyone knew Saban would be a tough act to follow.
3. Deion Sanders – Colorado. Buyout $26 million. Overall record 16-21. Sanders had the college football world on the edge of their seats in 2024, leading the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record. Attendance at games increased as Colorado was thrust into the national spotlight and revenue skyrocketed for the school. However, the enthusiasm quickly died as Sanders’s crew dropped to 4-8 in 2025, losing four of their first six games. There was speculation that Sanders would move on after his sons graduated. His recent health issues have only intensified that talk. I don’t see Colorado moving on from Sanders, but you never know.
4. Lincoln Riley – USC. Buyout $80 to $90 million. Overall record 35-18. Riley went to USC after two CFP appearances and posting a 55-10 record at Oklahoma. Known as a quarterback whisper he’s coached three Heisman Trophy winners, Baker Mayfield 2017, Kyler Murray 2018, and Caleb Williams 2022. He led the Trojans to an 11-3 record in his first season (2022) but missed the playoffs. In two seasons in the Big Ten he has a conference record of 11-7 and an overall record of 16-10. When hiring Riley USC supports expected to be in the college football playoffs every season. How many more misses does Riley have, even with a record buyout.

6 Coaches on the Move

These six coaches were on several people’s list of potential hires last season. Some signed extensions, others elected to stay where they were. But look for them to be top candidates again this season. Each of these guys will make the move if given the right opportunity.

1. Jeff Brohm – Louisville. Overall record 28-12. Before Louisville Brohm had success at Purdue, leading the Boilermakers to an 8-4 record and the Big Ten championship game in his final season there. He’s led the Cardinals to at least 9 wins in each of his three seasons. Will he leave, the only reason for doubt is he’s a Louisville alum.
2. Eli Drinkwitz – Missouri. Overall record 46-29. Drinkwitz started his career under Gus Malzahn and was part of his staff when Auburn won the National Championship in 2010. As a head coach Drinkwitz spent a single season at Appalachian State where he went 12-1 before taking the Missouri job. While he’s been at Missouri for six seasons, he’s posted a 29-10 record over the last three. His squad went 11-2 in 2023 with a bowl win over Ohio State. He’s been on an upward trajectory since arriving at Missouri and has given SEC opponents problems. He was considered a candidate for both the Penn State and Michigan jobs. His age makes him a top candidate, (42).
3. Dan Mullen – UNLV. Career record 113-65. Mullen started his head coaching career at Mississippi State where he was one of the most productive coaches the Bulldogs have had, with seven winning seasons over nine years. He then went to Florida where he went 29-9 in his first three seasons. But he was relieved of his duties after a 5-6 season in 2021. Taking a three-year hiatus and working in television, Mullen decided he wanted to coach again taking the UNLV job. He led the Rebels to a 10-4 season and is one of the hot names being watched.
4. Willie Fritz – Houston. Career record 222-127. At age 65, Fritz has made multiple stops as a head coach and has posted winning records everywhere he’s been. Working his way up the ranks he started at Blin Junior College where he went 39-5-1. He then spent 13 seasons at Central Missouri going 97-47 in his time there. Four seasons at Sam Houston State allowed him to go 40-15. Two years at Georgia Southern produce a 17-7 record. Things slowed at Tulane where he went 54-47 over seven seasons. Finally, taking over the Houston program he has gone 14-11 in two seasons. However, a 10-3 record last season and a 38-35 bowl win over LSU has gotten people’s attention. The only knock against him, his age.
5. Jason Eck – New Mexico. Career record 35-17. At 48 years old Eck spent six years at South Dakota State as an assistant before becoming the head coach at Idaho. In three seasons with the Vandals, he posted a 26-13 record making the FCS playoffs all three seasons. He then went to New Mexico where he posted a 9-4 record in his first season. Eck is quickly rising to the top and will be heavily pursued with more winning seasons.
6. Lance Liepold – Kansas. Career record 173-74. Liepold started his career at Wisconsin-Whitewater. In eight seasons he posted a 109-6 record and won six NCAA Division III Championships. He then spent six years in Buffalo going 37-33 before taking the job at Kansas. In his five seasons with the Jayhawks, he has posted a 27-35 record. Although he has struggled the last two seasons, he led the school to a 9-4 record in 2018. During his time, he’s gained fan’s admiration with upset wins over ranked opponents like Texas, Oklahoma, BYU, and Colorado. The blackeye, he’s 0-5 against in-state rival Kansas State. Still, he’s seen as an ideal replacement for Luke Fickell if Wisconsin decides to make a change.

Staying Put Until They Don’t

1. PJ Fleck – Minnesota. Career record 96-66. Fleck has won at Minnesota, but it seems he’s reached his limit, only reaching double digit wins one season. It’s been rumored multiple times he had interest in other jobs when they came open (Nebraska and UCLA). At 45 years old and with proven success he could be an attractive hire. He started at Western Michigan where he “Rowed the Boat” to a 30-22 record. At Minnesota he’s gone 66-44 and has posted a winning record in six of his nine seasons with seven bowl appearances. If someone calls, he’ll listen.
2. Jed Fisch – Washington. Career record 32-33. Fisch has jumped back and forth between college ball and the NFL, and while he’s hanging around that .500 mark as a head coach, he has been able to elevate programs. He was at Arizona where he took them from 1-11 in 2021 to 10-3 in 2023. Last season at Washington he led the Huskies to a 9-4 record. His name came up several times during the last hiring cycle, and one gets the feeling that the right school could pry him out of Seattle.

First Season Coaches at New Schools

Lane Kiffin – LSU. Career record 116-53

Kyle Whittingham – Michigan. Career record 177-88

James Franklin – Virginia Tech. Career record 128-60

Jon Sumerall – Florida. Career record 43-12

Eric Morris – Oklahoma State. Career record 22-16

Matt Campbell – Penn State. Career record 72-55

Bob Chesney – UCLA. Career record 132-52

Alex Golesh – Auburn. Career record 23-15

Will Stein – Kentucky. 1^st time head coach.

Colin Klien – Kansas State. 1^st time head coach.

Jim Mora – Colorado State. Career record 73-53

Jimmy Rodgers – Iowa State. Career record 33-9

Pete Golding – Ole Miss. 1^st time head coach.

Brian Hartline – South Florida. 1^st time head coach.

Morgan Scalley – Utah. 1^St time head coach.

Pat Fitzgearld – Michigan State. Career record 110-101

Billy Napier – James Madison. Career record 62-35

Tosh Lupoi – California. 1^st time head coach.

Neal Brown – North Texas. Career record 72-51

Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas. Career record 50-25

Kirby Moore, Washington State. 1^st time head coach.

Jamarcus Shephard, Oregon State. 1^st time head coach.

Will Hall, Tulane. Career record 70-50

Travis Pritchard, Stanford.1^st time head coach.

John Hauser, Ohio. 1^st time head coach.

Of the twenty-five coaches listed above, ten are first time head coaches. That’s always the question when shopping for a new head man, hire a lower-level winner like Curt Cignetti and hope to catch lightening in a bottle or break the bank and go with experience and a proven winner. Or do you chase that young ambitious coordinator? It’s anybody’s guess, and it usually comes down to compatibility, circumstance, and alignment of the stars.

Let’s hope Rhule gets things figured out and Husker fans can continue to watch the coaching chaos from a distance.

GO BIG RED!! SIMPLE, FAST, Violent!!

Stay on top of Husker football at CarrikerChronicles.com