Coaches Facing Pressure in College Football for 2024
Billy Napier of Florida is at the forefront of our list of head coaches under significant pressure to deliver this season.
Despite the fact that there were 31 coaching changes in college football for 2024, don’t expect a slowdown in movement once the season kicks off in late August. As usual, several coaches will start the year in precarious positions, with a few more likely to join them as the season unfolds.
In Athlon’s hot seat rankings for 2024, Sam Pittman of Arkansas and Dave Aranda of Baylor occupy the top two spots, with Florida’s Billy Napier closely following. The Gators are eyeing a pivotal September with home games against Miami and Texas A&M, followed by a challenging schedule in the second half. Among Group of 5 coaches, Mike Neu from Ball State, Sonny Cumbie from Louisiana Tech, and Stan Drayton from Temple are also among those with the most at stake this fall.
As the 2024 season nears, Athlon explores which coaches are most vulnerable this year.
1. Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Pittman is widely regarded as one of the most likable coaches in college football, but his position in Fayetteville is precarious following last year’s disappointing 4-8 season. The Razorbacks managed just one victory in SEC matchups and endured significant defeats against Auburn (48-10) and Missouri (48-14) in November.
This performance lowered Pittman’s overall record to 23-25 and his conference record to 11-23. After a 9-4 finish and a No. 21 ranking in the final Associated Press poll in 2021, the team has struggled to keep that momentum, achieving an 11-14 record over the past two seasons. The return of Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator may provide the support needed to secure Pittman’s future.
2 Will Hall, Southern Miss
As a Mississippi native with successful stints as a coordinator at Tulane and as a head coach at West Georgia and West Alabama, Hall seemed like an ideal match for Southern Miss. After a disappointing 3-9 record in his first year, the Golden Eagles improved to 7-6 in Hall’s second season, earning their first bowl appearance since 2019.
However, the team struggled in 2023. Hall’s offense averaged only 23.2 points per game, and the defense fell to one of the weakest in the Sun Belt, resulting in a 3-9 finish and just two wins in conference play.
3 Mike Houston, East Carolina
Houston has found success at every stage of his career, so the odds are in favor of the 52-year-old coach reversing the fortunes of East Carolina in 2024, following a disappointing 2-10 record last season. This two-win season marked the Pirates’ lowest performance under Houston, bringing his overall record to 24-34 since 2019.
East Carolina had experienced a strong showing with 15 wins from 2021 to 2022 and appeared to be on the rise in the AAC as they entered the 2023 season. However, a struggling offense hindered Houston from capitalizing on that momentum, making the upcoming 2024 season critical for potentially securing his position in Greenville.
4 Charles Huff, Marshall
Huff doesn’t have a contract with Marshall beyond 2024 but stated at Sun Belt Media Days that “there’s no pressure to win a specific number of games to secure a new deal.” An announcement regarding his future before the 2024 season would clear up any uncertainty. Until then, the pressure is increasing on the fourth-year coach.
After starting with a 7-6 record, Marshall improved to 9-4 and won the Myrtle Beach Bowl in 2022. However, the Thundering Herd needed a late-season push in November just to qualify for a bowl game last year, ending the season at 6-7.
Over three seasons, Huff holds a winning overall record of 22-17, but expectations at Marshall are higher than merely aiming for a .500 record and a bowl appearance each year.
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