Four college football coaches who could be fired after Week 6

Well, folks, our Four Coaches Who Could Be Fired list is off to a hot start after correctly picking TWO power conference head coach firings in each of the previous editions in this article series.

We had Mike Gundy on the radar for a surprise midseason firing if he lost at home to Tulsa, and darn it, that's just what his Oklahoma State Cowboys did in the final game of his two-decade tenure in Stillwater. Then, we had Sam Pittman shaking in his boots if Arkansas couldn't keep a lid on Notre Dame, and boy did the Irish run amok. Marcus Freeman might've ended the Pit Boss' reign in Fayetteville for good when his unit executed a beautiful reverse on a fake punt to earn a first down while leading by 29 points in an eventual 56-13 win.

We've got a fresh slate of names who ought to watch over their shoulder during Week 6 below, but first, here's a recap of the previous weeks' selections:

Week 4: Mike Gundy (Gone), Luke Fickell, Billy Napier, Trent Bray
Week 5: Sam Pittman (Gone), Billy Napier, Trent Bray, David Braun

Dave Doeren | NC State

NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren | Luke Jamroz-Imagn Images

Want to know a great way to expedite your unemployment as an ACC head coach? Lose to the 1-4 Campbell Fighting Camels at home. NC State sparked brief optimism with a home win over Virginia that started to look like a great resume building block only once the Wolfpack themselves disintegrated. Following a 3-0 start, State lost at Duke, nothing too shameful, but then fell at home against 1-3 Virginia Tech who fired their own head coach already and had lost to Old Dominion by 19 points a few weeks prior.

Dave Doeren is an old dog in the ACC, sticking around for a 13th season in 2025. He once secured nine winning seasons for NC State in a 10-year span but fell below .500 for the first time since 2019 last season and could be headed for similar territory again. If the Pack lose at home against an FCS foe, Doeren could be next to the Gone list.

Joe Moorhead | Akron

Akron Zips head coach Joe Moorhead | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, the recipe in Akron may call for less Moorhead, who is still searching for the 10th victory of his four-year stint as leader of the Zips. Records of 2-10 and 2-10 didn't inspire faith through two seasons, but Akron doubled those totals with a 4-8 mark in 2024. His group is just 1-4 this season heading into a Week 6 MAC matchup at home vs. Central Michigan.

Here are some more grim facts: Akron did not score a point until the third week of the 2025 college football season after being outscored 78-0 in shutouts against Wyoming and Nebraska to start the year; they earned their first and only victory over Duquesne in Week 4, and no, Duquesne is not an FBS team. Optimism around the Zips is blooming like flowers in the Sahara.

Billy Napier | Florida

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

In the dire streets of Gainesville, the question feels likeWhen? and no longer If? head Florida football coach Billy Napier gets fired. The Gators are 1-3 to start the season and officially went winless in September after losing all three of their games since an August 30 win over LIU, their only of the season.

Florida now dives headfirst into a three-game stretch of Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia — all current top-15 football teams. Napier is likely more in the Pittman category here, where a close loss vs. Texas probably won't cost him his job, but if the Longhorns hit their stride and run the Gators out of the Swamp, the curtains could close on Napier's time in Gainesville.

Trent Bray | Oregon State

Oregon State Beavers head coach Trent Bray | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

This isn't personal, Trent... who now appears on the list for a third straight week. Last Friday night helped his cause as much as a loss could, which hurts to type out when you consider that the Beavers lost on a field goal in overtime to drop to 0-5 on the season. But, they battled and easily could have won against a Big 12 club in Houston, who remains undefeated.

A Week 6 game at Appalachian State feels critical for Bray. He may not be dismissed during the season by OSU, but a loss puts some pretty bleak writing on the wall for the program for the rest of this fall. If Oregon State is the power conference-adjacent program they'd still like to be, the Beavers have got to shed a really tough run of September luck and find a way to save their season at one of the most gorgeous stadiums in college football.

Dave Doeren | NC State

Joe Moorhead | Akron

Billy Napier | Florida

Trent Bray | Oregon State

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