12 college football coaches who could be fired by December

12 college football coaches who could be fired by December originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With LSU parting ways with Brian Kelly after reaching a reduced buyout, the 2025 season has now seen 12 FBS programs make coaching changes, the most ever by late October. What started off as a slow build has turned into a full-on turnover season, and we’re still a few weeks out from rivalry weekend.

Here are twelve coaches who could soon join college football’s most expensive unemployment line.

1. Luke Fickell — Wisconsin

Nobody expected Wisconsin to beat Oregon, but a 21-7 no-show didn’t help Fickell’s cause. The Badgers have sleepwalked to 2-6, showing none of the edge that once defined them. Running the table would only reach a pre-Christmas bowl — and that isn’t happening.

If Fickell survives, it’ll be because Wisconsin doesn’t want to eat the buyout.

2. Mike Norvell — Florida State

Administrators don’t want to pay another huge check, but logic left the building a long time ago. The Seminoles followed an undefeated 2023 regular season with a disastrous 2024, and the shine from two seasons ago has completely vanished.

They opened this year by beating Alabama and jumping out to 3-0, only to then lose four straight. Momentum turned to mayhem in a hurry, and patience in Tallahassee is wearing thin.

3. Bill O’Brien — Boston College

That’s seven straight losses now after falling to Louisville 38-24 this weekend. The Eagles have gone from competitive to collapsing, and the schedule offers no favors — Notre Dame, SMU, and Georgia Tech still ahead. It’s starting to feel like Bill O’Brien may not have to worry about working Thanksgiving.

4. Jeff Choate — Nevada

It’s bad enough to be 1-7, but the Wolf Pack have now lost six straight and sit 4-17 under Choate. The energy that marked his arrival has faded fast, replaced by empty seats and familiar frustration.

With a bye week on tap, the timing lines up perfectly for an administrative “evaluation.” It wouldn’t surprise anyone if a change came before Halloween candy goes stale.

5. Jeff Lebby — Mississippi State

The Bulldogs move the ball, then fall apart. Fourth-quarter collapses have turned winnable games into heartbreakers. Even worse, Lebby is 0-12 in SEC play in his second season in Starkville.

6. Jonathan Smith — Michigan State

Smith is now 3-11 in Big Ten play, including 0-5 this season after another rivalry loss to Michigan. The rebuild excuse only stretches so far when the results don’t follow.

Attendance is still holding up but enthusiasm is waning. As frustrations are rising, and the noise around East Lansing is getting louder, a move may be in the works.

7. Mark Stoops — Kentucky

The Wildcats are 2-5, and the schedule isn’t doing Stoops any favors. The next stretch, at Auburn, home vs Florida, at Vanderbilt, and a season finale against rival Louisville, looks daunting.

It’s now 10 straight SEC losses dating back to last season, and the program feels stuck in neutral. It’s hard to see how this team climbs to 6-6 and reaches a bowl game. Stoops’ early success built equity, but that cushion is running out fast in Lexington.

8. Derek Mason — Middle Tennessee State

The Blue Raiders are 1-6 this season and 4-15 in Mason’s two years in Murfreesboro. That’s not the progress the program envisioned when it hired the former Vanderbilt head coach to reset its identity.

The road ahead isn’t kind either — at Jacksonville State (Oct 29), FIU (Nov 8), at Western Kentucky (Nov 15), Sam Houston (Nov 22), and at New Mexico State (Nov 29). If Mason can’t turn it around quickly, the administration may not wait until December to make its move.

9. Greg Schiano — Rutgers

Schiano’s second stint once promised stability. Instead, he’s 14-36 in Big Ten play, and the gap between Rutgers and the rest of the league feels wider than ever.

There have even been rumblings about disappointing NIL opportunities, a surprising setback given the school’s proximity to New York City. Now comes a crucial two-game stretch with Illinois and Maryland before closing out against Ohio State and Penn State.

It’s a massive $23 million buyout, but if the whispers about James Franklin’s allure in Piscataway ever gained traction, the price tag might suddenly seem worth it.

10. Scotty Walden — UTEP

UTEP takes on a tough Kennesaw State squad on Tuesday, and it feels like a must-win moment. The Miners have struggled to establish consistency and desperately need a few victories down the stretch to quiet the noise.

If Walden’s team can’t respond soon, this coaching staff might not get the chance to finish out the season.

11. Dave Doeren — NC State

Doeren is now in Year 13 at NC State and has never won double-digit games. His 91-69 record is solid but far from spectacular. In a season filled with coaching movement across the country, a change in Raleigh wouldn’t be shocking.

With a buyout hovering around $15 million, the Wolfpack may finally decide it’s time to take a big swing, and find a candidate who can bring new energy to a program that’s grown predictable.

12. Bill Belichick — North Carolina

The Tar Heels nearly snapped their skid with a close overtime loss to Virginia on Saturday, showing signs of life after a rough stretch.

We’ll see if they can continue to show improvement when they travel to Syracuse on Halloween night. For now, the novelty has worn off, and the gruff NFL legend still looks out of place in the college grind.

Five More Names to Watch

Major Applewhite — South Alabama
Deion Sanders — Colorado
Dell McGee — Georgia State
Shane Beamer — South Carolina
Thomas Hammock — Northern Illinois

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