ESPN includes pair of SEC coaches on hot seat entering 2024 season
By Paul Harvey
Published:
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has two SEC coaches squarely on a hot seat entering the 2024 season.
Those two coaches are Arkansas’ Sam Pittman and Florida’s Billy Napier. Both coaches are coming off disastrous seasons with a lot on the line entering 2024.
Pittman is just 2 years removed from a 9-4 record and Outback Bowl win. Unfortunately, the Razorbacks went 4-8 in 2023 after back-to-back bowl victories to drop Pittman’s overall record to 23-25.
According to Rittenberg, Pittman “probably” needs a bowl appearance to be safe while “anything resembling” the 4-8 performance of last season will “ensure” a change in Fayetteville. AD Hunter Yurachek hired Pittman, but the Razorbacks need to see an upswing in 2024.
The issues facing Napier in Gainesville are apparent. He is 11-14 overall with the Gators and started his tenure with back-to-back sub-.500 seasons. One of those included a bowl appearance but Napier has struggled with positive momentum under his tenure.
Here’s what Rittenberg had to say about Florida under Napier:
The Gators’ hire of Napier looked strong at the time, as they landed a coach who had been very selective about his first Power 5 job after a successful stint at Louisiana. But Napier is just 11-14 overall, 6-10 in the SEC, and has had challenges with on-field consistency, retaining and attracting top players, and maintaining a strong staff. Florida hasn’t had a coach make it through Year 4 since Urban Meyer and might be hesitant about another quick change. The status of athletic director Scott Stricklin, who hired Napier, also should be monitored here. But if Napier can’t navigate a brutal schedule — Florida State, Miami and UCF in nonleague play, plus SEC trips to Texas and Tennessee and Georgia in Jacksonville — it’s hard to see him back in 2025.
Florida enters 2024 with a lot of pressure and a brutal slate with the SEC officially welcoming Texas and Oklahoma to the fold. As teams prepare for the season, fans can utilize SDS’s host of mobile sportsbook apps to track the latest odds and trends for the 12-team Playoff.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
