College football hot seat: 5 coaches who could be fired in 2026

1. Shane Beamer – South Carolina

Shane Beamer has faced significant challenges in his tenure at South Carolina, as the program has not improved significantly under his leadership. Despite initial optimism after two consecutive winning seasons, Beamer's teams have struggled to make a bowl game in two of the last three seasons. Last season's dismal 4-8 record further solidified the belief that change is needed.

With this poor performance and the team's failure to adapt to the transfer portal and NIL era, it appears that South Carolina may reconsider their position with Beamer.

2. Mike Locksley – Maryland

Mike Locksley has been the head coach at Maryland for eight seasons, but has yet to achieve consistent success. His record stands at a 37-49 overall, with no significant improvement over the last few years. The team's best performance came with two consecutive 8-5 seasons in 2022 and 2023, but that progress quickly faded. Since then, Maryland has struggled, failing to compete at the highest level in the Big Ten, and consistently underperforming even by their own standards.

With a history of underwhelming results, Locksley may find himself on the hot seat again in 2026 if the team's fortunes do not improve.

3. Dave Aranda – Baylor

Dave Aranda was initially successful at Baylor, leading the team to a 12-2 record and a Sugar Bowl victory in his second season. However, this success was an anomaly, as Baylor has struggled to replicate that level of performance since. In the three seasons that followed, Baylor has finished with a losing record in three of those years, with only an 8-5 record in 2024 marking a brief respite.

Aranda's contract extension through 2029 indicates his importance to the program, but if he fails to turn things around in 2026, Baylor may choose to part ways with him once more.