3 SEC coaches alarmingly close to getting fired in 2024 ft. Billy Napier
The 2024 college football season is still young, but some SEC coaches are alarmingly close to getting fired. While some teams like Georgia and Alabama have gotten out to hot starts, others like Florida and Kentucky have struggled early on.
The coaches of those teams are on the hot seat and could be fired before the end of 2024.
Three SEC coaches who could be fired before the end of 2024
The SEC has a few coaches who were on the hot seat before the season started, and they haven't helped their cases early in the year. Others have exacerbated their positions after poor starts to the season. These are three coaches who could be fired in 2024.
#1 Billy Napier
Billy Napier was on the hot seat before the 2024 college football season began, and his start hasn't helped him.
Napier took over a Gators team in 2022 that was struggling but has failed to improve the team. He had a 6-7 record in 2022 and took a step back with a 5-7 record in 2023. Many fans called for Napier to be fired at the end of last year.
This season, Napier and the Gators have gotten out to a poor start. They started with a 41-17 loss to in-state rival Miami. Although the Gators bounced back with a win over Samford in week two, it lost a winnable week three matchup against Texas A&M in week three.
Napier's team has struggled offensively and defensively, so the coach could be out of a job soon.
#2 Sam Pittman
Sam Pittman is another coach who many fans thought wouldn't make it to this season. After a 4-8 record last year and 23-25 over his first four seasons with Arkansas, many thought he woudn't survive until the start of the 2024 season.
While the Razorbacks started the year strong with a 70-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, they have struggled since then. Pittman's squad lost 39-31 to Oklahoma State in week two and barely beat UAB 37-27 in week three.
Oklahoma State is an acceptable team to lose to, but barely beating UAB is not something that should happen to a team of Arkansas' caliber, which could cost Sam Pittman his job.
#3 Mark Stoops
Mark Stoops is not one of the coaches you would expect to find on the hot seat early in the 2024 season, but he is. He signed a contract extension in 2022 that keeps him with Kentucky until 2030, which might be the only thing that keeps him employed.
The Wildcats are the only SEC team with two losses against SEC opponents early in the season. The team is 1-2 overall but 0-2 against SEC teams. As a result, Stoops could lose his job, even with his big contract.