Week 9 Coaches Hot Seat Rankings

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Bill Bilichick got roasted on Friday night

And it wasn't just the scoreboard.

The legendary NFL coach—now 2-3 in his disastrous college football debut at North Carolina—showed up at Cal's Memorial Stadium with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.

Big mistake.

Cal fans had a field day. The stadium scoreboard? Even worse. They displayed brutal messages mocking North Carolina's desperate statement backing Belichick despite rumors he's already looking to leave.

At 73 years old, fresh off one of the most celebrated careers in NFL history, Belichick is watching his college experiment implode on national television.

And Cal made sure everyone—especially him—knew it.

SF Gate’s Alex Simon has the details, and it's absolutely savage.

[Link to SF Gate here]

One of college football's greatest rivalries just died.

USC and Notre Dame.

A century of history. Gone.

And here's the kicker: Everyone thinks USC is the villain.

Notre Dame's athletic director ran straight to Sports Illustrated and shaped the entire narrative before USC could even respond. Smart PR move? Absolutely. Honest? Not exactly.

Because here's what most people don't know:

Notre Dame has a long, complicated history with how it handles—and ends—its rivalries.

Ryan Kartje breaks down the full story in the Los Angeles Times, and trust me, it's not what you think.

[Read Ryan’s story here]

Texas Tech just killed one of college football's most iconic traditions.

No more tortillas.

For decades, Red Raider fans have launched tortillas onto the field at the opening kickoff. It's weird. It's chaotic. It's tradition.

But now? Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt says it's over.

The Big 12 cracked down on fan behavior policies, and Texas Tech folded. Hocutt tried to spin it as "making our own decision" and doing "the right thing."

Sure.

Because nothing says "no one tells us what to do" like immediately doing what the conference tells you to do.

Red Raider Nation is not happy.

[Watch Hocutt's full statement here]

Week 9 Coaches Hot Seat Rankings

Two coaches got fired this week.

Billy Napier at Florida. Jay Norvell at Colorado State.

And the contrast couldn't be more stark.

Florida is writing Napier a check for $21 million—85% of his remaining contract—just to make him go away. $10.7 million hits his account within 30 days. Another $2.7 million every July for the next four years. No offset. No mitigation. Just pure dead money.

That's what happens when you go 15-18 at a program that expects SEC championships.

Meanwhile, Colorado State cut ties with Norvell for a comparatively bargain $1.5 million—with offsets. A fraction of what Florida's paying. A fraction of the expectations, too.

But here's what both firings actually signal:

Week 9 is when fan bases lose their minds.

The pressure ramps up. The takes get hotter. The expectations become completely unreasonable. Every loss feels like the end of the world, and every coach on a losing streak suddenly "has to go."

Some of it's justified. Most of it isn't.

[Napier's announcement] [Napier's Buyout]

[Norvell's announcement] [Norvell’s Buyout]

Now, let's look at who's feeling that heat—whether they deserve it or not.

Welcome to the most dangerous time of year in college football.

Week 9.

The bodies are starting to pile up. Coaches who looked safe in August are now sweating in October. Boosters are making calls. Athletic directors are updating their rolodexes.

And this week? The carnage is real.

Mike Norvell just lost to Stanford as a 17.5-point favorite—his fourth straight loss at Florida State. Players are literally joking in the locker room about having to "respond" again. That $55 million buyout? No longer looking like the shield everyone thought it was.

Bill Belichick is 2-4 at North Carolina and getting trolled on stadium scoreboards. Hugh Freeze might go winless in SEC play. Again.

Luke Fickell's Wisconsin tenure is imploding. Butch Jones is back in the danger zone. And some coaches you've never heard of are one loss away from a coaching change.

Here's this week's Top 10 Coaches on the Hot Seat:

[We break down the top 10 here]

Want to see where your coach ranks?

[View the complete Hot Seat Rankings here]

WHO WE’VE GOT OUR EYE ON

Jonathan Smith, Michigan State (Big Ten)

Jonathan Smith is 3-4 in his second season at Michigan State.

The Spartans are 0-4 in Big Ten play. They've given up 35+ points in four straight games. And now everyone in East Lansing is losing their minds.

Here's the reality: Smith inherited a program in shambles after the Mel Tucker disaster. He's working with a fractured roster, trying to build something sustainable while fans demand instant results.

But college football doesn't care about "reality."

The pressure is ramping up fast. Local media is openly speculating about his job security. Fans are calling for coordinator heads. And this week's Michigan game has been labeled a "crossroads moment"—because apparently one rivalry game determines whether a multi-year rebuild is working.

Smith needs to hit 6-6 or 7-5 to survive. He needs to beat Michigan (they haven't won since 2021). He probably needs to fire a coordinator to "show accountability." He might need to bench his starting quarterback to prove he's "doing something."

The truth? There aren't enough great coaches to go around. Smith built Oregon State into a legitimate program before this. But in today's environment, two years isn't enough time—even when you're cleaning up someone else's mess.

The heat is on. And it's only going to get worse from here.

Shane Beamer, South Carolina (SEC)

Shane Beamer went 9-4 last season.

The Gamecocks finished ranked No. 19 in the AP poll. They were two points away from a College Football Playoff berth. One year ago, Beamer was being praised as one of the rising stars in the SEC.

Now? He's 3-4, and everyone's acting like the program is on fire.

South Carolina is 1-4 in SEC play. The offense has scored 10 points or fewer in three conference games. Beamer fired his offensive line coach but won't make further changes because "the entire program shares the blame."

And here's where it gets messy: Virginia Tech is open. Beamer's father, Frank, built a dynasty there. The speculation is relentless. Every loss fuels another round of "is he leaving?" headlines, even though Beamer keeps saying South Carolina is his "dream job."

But the pressure isn't about whether he's leaving—it's about whether fans will let him stay.

Look at the remaining schedule: Alabama. Ole Miss. Texas A&M. Clemson. All ranked. The odds of turning this season around are brutal, and every loss will crank up the heat.

Here's the truth: one bad year doesn't erase a 9-4 season. But in today's college football? It doesn't matter. Fans want instant results. Boosters want explanations. And coordinators become sacrificial lambs.

Beamer's contract runs through 2030 at $8 million per year. But if South Carolina doesn't show massive improvement in 2026, none of that will matter.

The seat is getting warm. Fast.

Brian Kelly, LSU (SEC)

Brian Kelly is 34-13 at LSU.

Let that sink in. A .723 winning percentage over four years. Most programs would kill for that record.

But at LSU? It's not good enough.

Kelly's sitting at 5-2 this season after losing to Vanderbilt—LSU's first loss to the Commodores since 1990. The fanbase is in meltdown mode. Media outlets are running "Misery Index" stories. And the narrative is crystallizing: Kelly can't win the games that matter.

Here's what LSU fans see: Three years of 9-3 or 10-3 seasons. No SEC Championships. No College Football Playoff appearances. And a $120 million coach who looks outcoached in big games.

Here's what the scoreboard says: 34 wins in 47 games.

The disconnect is brutal.

Kelly's offense has been inconsistent despite having Heisman-caliber quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. They've already lost to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. And now they face back-to-back games against No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 6 Alabama—games that will either save his season or cement the "he's not the guy" narrative.

The problem? Kelly's buyout is $53.3 million. He's not getting fired. But that doesn't mean the pressure isn't real.

LSU's last three coaches—Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron—all won national championships. Kelly's winning 73% of his games, and it still feels like failure.

That's the expectation at LSU. And it's eating Kelly alive.

THAT’S A WRAP

That's a wrap on Week 9.

Two coaches fired. Ten coaches sweating. And a dozen more feeling the heat rise with every loss.

Here's what we covered today:

The Carnage

• Billy Napier out at Florida ($21M buyout)

• Jay Norvell out at Colorado State ($1.5M buyout)

The Top 10 Hot Seat Rankings

• Mike Norvell leading the way at Florida State

• Bill Belichick's disastrous debut at North Carolina

• Hugh Freeze risking another winless SEC season at Auburn

Who We're Watching

• Jonathan Smith at Michigan State (one rivalry game from job security)

• Shane Beamer at South Carolina (fans turning on a coach who went 9-4 last year)

• Brian Kelly at LSU (winning 73% of his games and still not good enough)

The truth about today's college football landscape? The expectations are broken. The pressure is unrealistic. And the coaching carousel never stops spinning.

We'll be back Friday with game previews that matter.

This weekend features multiple games that will directly impact our Week 10 Hot Seat Rankings. We'll break down which coaches are under pressure—and which games could either relieve it or turn the heat up even higher.

Thanks for reading.

See you Friday.