3 College Football Coaches On 'Win Or Be Fired' List For 2026

Some college football head coaches may enter the 2026 season with no margin for error.

CBS Sports ranked the job security of all 138 FBS head coaches. A trio drew a 5 rating on the 1 to 5 scale, which the article labeled a "Win or be fired" tier.

Baylor's Dave Aranda, Florida State's Mike Norvell, and Wisconsin's Luke Fickell all face elevated pressure to turn around their respective programs. Maryland's Mike Locksley narrowly avoided that label at 4.9, and he's joined by South Carolina's Shane Beamer (4.3) and North Carolina's Bill Belichick (4.1) in the "Start improving now" tier.

Dave Aranda

After a rough start to his Baylor tenure, Aranda's Bears jumped from two wins in 2020 to 12 in 2021. He's struggled to maintain any consistency, as the Big 12 program has yet to achieve consecutive winning seasons under his watch.

Baylor recovered from a 3-9 record in 2023 to go 8-5 in 2024, but the Bears gave back some of those gains by going 5-7 last season. They allowed 32.6 points per game and surrendered a massive 194.9 rushing yards per contest.

Baylor permitted 210 combined points in five conference losses over the season's final six games. Aranda's squad may need to make a big statement when opening the season against Auburn at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 5.

Mike Norvell

Norvell was on top of the world when leading Florida State to a 13-win season marred by a dubious College Football Playoff snub in 2023. He appeared to be building a powerhouse in Tallahassee, but the program has since cratered.

The Seminoles entered the 2024 campaign ranked 10th in the AP preseason poll, but they woefully underperformed with 10 losses. Despite appearing to recover with a huge win over Alabama to start the 2025 season, they finished 5-7 with just two ACC victories.

Norvell is under contract through the 2029 season, but his job status could hinge on a bounce-back effort led by transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels.

Luke Fickell

Badgers fans are likely running out of patience with Fickell following two losing seasons. They're 16-21 behind the former Cincinnati head coach after going 4-8 in 2025.

Rather than pay a buyout north of $25 million, Wisconsin retained Fickell and committed to increased investment in the program. Fickell must repair an offense that scored an anemic 12.8 points per game last season.

Those efforts will begin with a Week 1 game against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field.

Copyright The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 12:36 PM.