5 College Football Head Coaches On The Hot Seat After Week 1

Week 1 of the 2026 college football season is officially in the books, and several coaches already face major pressure.

Some entered the season with questions about their long-term futures, while others have seen those concerns intensify after disappointing performances. At the same time, a few coaches have bought themselves some breathing room with strong starts.

With that in mind, here are five coaches sitting on some of the hottest seats in college football after the opening week.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It would have been wild to put Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney on the hot seat just a few seasons ago; however, now it feels like an obvious one. The Tigers are coming off their worst season since 2010, going 7-6 in 2025. That came after being ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll and having national championship aspirations.

Swinney entered this season with major question marks about the direction of the program. He still has yet to fully buy into the NIL and transfer portal era. He could have put a lot of those questions to bed with a statement win on the road against the LSU Tigers. Instead, he suffered his worst loss as a head coach, getting routed 51-10.

Swinney opened his postgame press conference by saying, "The best thing about that one is that it's over." Unfortunately for him, that would also be true for his era at Clemson.

Swinney's buyout would be $57 million if fired in 2026.

Greg Schiano, Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers Scarlet Knights head coach Greg Schiano. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When Greg Schiano was hired at Rutgers, the hope was that he could make them a competitive team, as he did in the 2000s. Schiano led the Scarlet Knights to five seasons with eight or more wins, including an 11-win season.

However, in his seven seasons this go-around, he hasn't been able to muster up the same success. He has two seven-win seasons, but went 5-7 last year and started this year off with one of the most embarrassing losses in program history.

Rutgers lost 37-21 to UMass, ending a 16-game losing streak for the Minutemen. The Scarlet Knights were also a 29.5-point favorite in the game. Not a great start to a season when you are fighting to keep your job.

If Schiano is fired following the season, the school would be owe him roughly $18.5 million

Bill Belichick, North Carolina

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick at Aviva Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The North Carolina Tar Heels started the season with a marquee win over the TCU Horned Frogs, 15-10 in Week 0. Still, head coach Bill Belichick winds up on this list. Belichick led the team to a 4-8 season last year. Another poor season will likely be the end of his time in college.

But the program has been surrounded by turmoil. General manager Michael Lombardi resigned after being placed on paid administrative leave, and the university's investigation into the football program remains ongoing. Reports have said the investigation has expanded to include allegations involving defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and other personnel.

That makes Belichick's situation much more complicated than simply winning games. The Tar Heels have already shown some promise on the field, but the ongoing investigation has created another layer of uncertainty around the program.

If North Carolina were to fire Belichick at any point before Dec. 31, 2027, the school would owe him everything he was set to be paid up to that date.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer directs his team. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer is on this list due to what happened last year. The Gamecocks entered the season ranked No. 13 after going 9-4 the year before. However, it was a disaster, as they went 4-8 and were one of the worst teams in the SEC.

Beamer's team started the 2026 season with a dominant win over Kent State, winning 57-0. That's a great start to getting off this list, but one game won't completely cool off his seat. He's going to need to produce a seven- or eight-win season to ease some of the pressure on him.

Beamer's buyout is set at $27.9 million, but drops to $22.1 million on Dec. 31.

Mike Norvell, Florida State

Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell talks into his headset during a timeout. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Mike Norvell looked like he had the Florida State Seminoles back on the map. He led them to back-to-back double-digit-win seasons in 2022 and 2023. That included a 13-1 season in 2023.

It has not gone well since then, as Florida State went 2-10 in 2024 and 5-7 in 2025. They started this season with a win, but it was a 34-17 struggle against New Mexico State. They followed that up with a 27-24 loss to the SMU Mustangs, and now they have the Alabama Crimson Tide next week. Needless to say, Norvell might be the first one let go if he doesn't turn things around fast.

His buyout is set at $45.6 million after this season.

Week 1 has already changed the temperature for several coaches. Swinney's disastrous night at LSU made his situation more urgent, while Beamer and Norvell have opportunities to stabilize their positions. Belichick's situation is complicated by the turmoil surrounding the program, and Schiano needs a quick response after an embarrassing loss. The common thread is simple: the pressure is not going away, and the next few weeks could determine which of these coaches can actually escape it.

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