We’re only two weeks into the college football season but certain things are already coming into focus. The teams everyone thought were the best in the conference have played like it. The SEC is extremely deep meaning conference wins won’t be easy to come by, so some of the lesser teams are in danger of falling off hard. Which coach’s seat temperatures are already rising?
SEC Coaches Hot Seats Already Heating Up
Simmering
Shane Beamer, South Carolina
So much can change in a week. After South Carolina could barely beat Old Dominion in week one, the Gamecocks reputation was in question. The week two beat down of Kentucky on the road delayed a full-on panic. This is Beamer’s fourth year and after starting with back-to-back winning seasons and bowl appearances, the 2023 team was a disappointing five and seven. Their remaining schedule is tough with six ranked teams left, but with a record of 22-18 during his tenure the pressure is off for now.
Heating Up
Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Stoops has been at Kentucky since 2013 and has an overall record of 74-66. He was the 2018 SEC coach of the year and has the most wins in school history. Teams rarely make hasty decisions on someone with that kind of resume, but he does only have two ten-win seasons in 11 years and, in the last two, they were seven and six. Currently at one and one following that embarrassing home loss to South Carolina, this week they face top-ranked Georgia. Even with only three games against ranked teams remaining after that, the Wildcats must play better or the school could move on, citing a need for some fresh blood.
Boiling
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Auburn is a storied college football program with high expectations. The last three years have been rough with a combined 17-21 record and no bowl game wins since 2018. After successful runs at Ole Miss and Liberty, they hired Freeze at the beginning of last season and in his first year he only won six games. This might not seem like enough time to judge him, but the school did fire Bryan Harsin in the middle of the 2022 season when his overall record was nine and 12. After this past weekend’s terrible loss to Cal, there’s reason for concern. Their remaining schedule has three top-six teams and if things don’t improve they could decide a quick hook is necessary.
Boiled Over
Billy Napier, Florida
With some hype coming into the season, the Gators immediately hit rock bottom after their week one shellacking by in-state rival Miami. Florida beat up on lowly Samford last week, but that did nothing quell the criticism of Napier. Now into his third season, he’s amassed a 12-15 record and that simply won’t cut it in Gainesville. Dan Mullen was fired in the middle of the 2021 season with a far superior record of 34-15 when he was let go. With a schedule considered the hardest in the country by 247Sports, it’s not a question of if Napier gets fired, but when.
