ESPN names SEC head coach among top 5 that will be on hot seat in 2026
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Before you know it, the 2026 college football season will be underway again as Indiana looks to repeat as national champions.
At South Carolina, Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks are simply trying to return to bowl eligibility.
The 2025 campaign was a highly anticipated one thanks to a 9-4 record in 2024 that saw the Gamecocks finish in the College Football Playoff Top 25. But LaNorris Sellers — and the team as a whole — took a massive step back. They slumped to a 4-8 overall record and a 1-7 SEC mark, their worst conference record since 2015.
Beamer’s passion for South Carolina is unquestioned. Whether he’s the right man for the job is very much in question, though. And that’s why ESPN has him at No. 5 among coaches on the hot seat going into 2026:
[B]etter performances bring increased investment and expectations, and Beamer is coming off his worst season … in Columbia. The school stepped up to retain quarterback LaNorris Sellers, defensive end Dylan Stewart and others, and will demand better results this fall. Athletic director Jeremiah Donati did not hire Beamer.
That last part is probably the most important one: Beamer is a Ray Tanner hire. And he didn’t get off on the right foot for his new boss in 2025. A slow start to 2026, along with pressure from boosters and fans, could be the catalyst for Donati to make a change on the sidelines and bring in his own coach.
Topping ESPN’s list of the five coaches on the hot seat is Florida State’s Mike Norvell. Baylor’s Dave Aranda is at No. 2, with a pair of Big Ten coaches — Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell and Maryland’s Mike Locksley — at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
