6 College Football Coaches with the Most Pressure to Win Moving Forward

Optimism is rarely in short supply over the summer, but those hopeful views can quickly vanish as poor performances early in the college football season begin to pile up.

Such is life at several programs heading into Week 4.

In most cases, pressure is the product of a hot-seat conversation. That applies to three of the six coaches—including beleaguered Florida boss Billy Napier—unceremoniously included on the following list. If losses keep happening, a coaching change may soon follow.

That's not the case everywhere, though. Three more coaches have a stable job, but their programs desperately need a positive jolt.

The list is organized alphabetically.

During his debut season, Dave Aranda oversaw a Big 12-winning Baylor team. He inherited a solid foundation from Matt Rhule and helped the Bears rattle off a program-best 12-2 record.

Since then, however, BU has stumbled to 6-7 and 3-9 records. Aranda went into 2024 on a reasonably warm seat.

The good news is the Bears are 2-1 with victories over Tarleton State and Air Force. The bad news is Baylor struggled badly in the Week 2 loss at Utah (technically a nonconference tilt this season), and every remaining game on the slate is a Big 12 matchup.

From now through October, Baylor has three road trips plus a clash with No. 14 Oklahoma State.

If the Bears open the closing month at 4-4 or worse—a distinct possibility—Aranda's job security will likely be minimal.

Sherrone Moore is not on a hot seat.

Only three games into his debut as Michigan's full-time coach, though, Moore has already made an enormous change. He announced Alex Orji would replace Davis Warren at quarterback.

Maybe it works! But there are legitimate questions to ask about how the Wolverines have managed the situation. Warren had subpar showings in all three of his starts, yet Orji attempted just six passes in his scattered snaps. And if he elevates the offense, it's fair to wonder why Michigan landed on Warren in the first place.

Texas thoroughly outplayed U-M in Week 2. Moore must avoid a similar takeaway against USC in Week 4, especially with top-10 opponents Oregon and Ohio State waiting in November.

Otherwise, the program's perception may begin taking a substantial hit in the first year of the post-Jim Harbaugh era.

I don't want to pile on, but the reality of the situation is Billy Napier and Florida seem destined for a divorce.

After a disappointing 6-7 start to his tenure in 2022, the Gators trudged to a 5-7 record last season. Miami obliterated UF in the 2024 opener, and Texas A&M just handed UF its second loss in Week 3.

This is not going well, and it might not get much better.

Sure, a glass-half-full optimism might see a ton of massive opportunities ahead. The feeling around Napier can change rapidly if the Gators take down a couple of Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, LSU or Ole Miss.

On the other hand, that schedule—which also includes Mississippi State, unbeaten UCF, Kentucky and rival Florida State—is a never-ending gauntlet. How many times will the Gators be favored during the final nine games? Three or four times at best?

Napier's buyout is $26 million, and boosters reportedly have the money in place if UF wants to move on. He might need a miracle to stay.

Similar to Moore at Michigan, Mike Norvell is more facing a long-term problem than an employment question.

When he arrived in 2020, Florida State was a reeling program. The results didn't improve much in his first two years, either. Norvell's first two FSU teams finished a combined 8-13.

But in 2022, the Seminoles jumped to 10-3 and prevented any hot-seat discussions from gaining traction. They rattled off a 13-1 record with an ACC title and ended one unfortunate injury shy of a well-deserved place in the College Football Playoff last season.

All of that positivity is being clouded by 2024's nightmare.

Florida State has trudged to 0-3 with a lifeless offense, and the 'Noles suddenly are in danger of missing a bowl. Nobody would be surprised if Clemson, Miami and Notre Dame all defeat FSU, so that may leave the Seminoles with absolutely zero margin for error.

Salvaging the season with a couple of marquee wins and bowl eligibility would be valuable for the program's appeal in 2025 and beyond.

Sam Pittman, conversely, is working through a pivotal year for his future at Arkansas.

And we're about to learn a lot.

Conference play begins for the Hogs in Week 4, and that's unsurprisingly been the source of their struggles in Pittman's time. Through his first four seasons, the Razorbacks are 11-23 against SEC competition.

Six of Arkansas' eight league matchups are against currently ranked teams. Oh, the other two games? They're on the road.

If the Razorbacks are competitive in such a difficult schedule, he might have a case to return in 2025. But since Pittman has been around for a half-decade, there's probably not a huge appetite for moral victories.

Even if Colorado's record does not dramatically improve, Deion Sanders has made the program relevant again. That matters.

Also, the Buffs need to start winning soon.

The honeymoon phase is nearing its end because the on-field product is still mediocre. Sure, the rebuild was always going to take several years, especially since CU used the transfer portal so aggressively. It's fair to acknowledge that Sanders took over a rough program.

Nevertheless, the offensive line remains a disaster. Plus, between last season's 1-8 finish in Pac-12 games and Week 2's ugly loss to Nebraska, the defense has much to prove against power-conference competition.

Sanders' job is and should be safe, but Colorado needs to start showing there is some substance behind the flash.

Otherwise, it soon won't be a believable project.