Major Lincoln Riley, Mike Norvell and Shane Beamer Updates Emerge Amid Hot Seat Rumors

USC coach Lincoln Riley, Florida State coach Mike Norvell and South Carolina coach Shane Beamer all head into Week 5 under heavy pressure, and the next few games could shape how long each one keeps his job.

On3 reporter Pete Nakos broke down all three situations Thursday on the Crain & Cone podcast. He pointed to a $72 million buyout at USC, a must-win October stretch in Tallahassee and a home game against Kentucky in Columbia.

Lincoln Riley faces USC buyout question

Major Lincoln Riley, Mike Norvell and Shane Beamer Updates Emerge Amid Hot Seat Rumors — USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon beat USC 41-27 at the Coliseum on Saturday, and the 4-1 Trojans fell to No. 18 in the AP Top 25. ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum responded by calling for USC to fire Riley.

"He is 5-15 against ranked opponents," Nakos said. "And they expect to win national titles at USC."

CBS Sports reported that USC could still move on from Riley despite a buyout of about $70 million.

"It also feels like we're heading down this path, though, where USC might have to do it if they're just not going to contend in the [College Football Playoff] era," Nakos said.

Washington visits USC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The Huskies are coming off a 27-24 home loss to Minnesota, but they've beaten USC three straight times.

"If Washington goes into L.A. and wins, it feels like the writing's starting to show up on the wall for Lincoln Riley," Nakos said.

What could end Mike Norvell's tenure?

Florida State fired athletic director Michael Alford on Sept. 14. Alford brought Norvell back for 2026 after a 5-7 season.

"I would tell you that he was brought back a year ago in large part because of how high that buyout was," Nakos said.

Norvell also landed on our hot seat list after Week 4. The Seminoles are 2-2 with losses to SMU and Alabama. Virginia visits Tallahassee on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, and then Florida State plays at Louisville and Miami before Clemson comes to town Oct. 31.

"If they go 0-4 in October in this next stretch, I think that's it for Mike Norvell," Nakos said.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported that Florida State is looking into bringing back former coach Jimbo Fisher. Fisher still collects buyout money from Texas A&M, and Nakos said that's the heart of his pitch.

"You can come hire me for $750K, a million dollars. I'm still getting my $7.2 [million] a year from A&M. You can put all the money that you'd have to pay me into the roster," Nakos said of Fisher's message.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina face Kentucky

South Carolina is 2-2 and has lost seven straight SEC games. No. 24 Kentucky visits Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network. Then the Gamecocks play at No. 8 Florida on Oct. 10.

"I would say that this Kentucky game is as much of a must-win as Shane Beamer's ever faced," Nakos said. "Not because he's going to get fired if they lose, but the unraveling is going to start coming quickly if you look up and you're 0-3."

Beamer also suspended star edge rusher Dylan Stewart indefinitely after Stewart punched Alabama tight end Josh Ford. Finebaum called Beamer the most "hapless" coach he saw after that 49-18 loss in Tuscaloosa.

"I think Shane's doing a good job as a coach right now handling that," Nakos said. "But that just puts almost a bigger spotlight on him and his program."

Beamer's buyout stands at $27.9 million and drops to $22.1 million on Dec. 31.

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