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USA Today releases SEC Football Hot Seat Rankings
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:08 am
Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:08 am
quote:
Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Toppmeyer ranking: No. 1 Adams ranking: No. 1
Pittman is No. 1 on the list for both analysts. No SEC coach has more pressure than the lovable Arkansas leader.
However, the program rebounded a bit last year with a 7-6 record, but since that 2021 campaign when they finished in the top 20, it hasn’t been stellar. Expectations are higher for the Razorbacks than a 30-31 record in five years.
Hugh Freeze, Auburn
Toppmeyer ranking: No. 2 Adams ranking: No. 5
Topmeyer has Freeze much higher than Adams, but one thing’s for sure, he has to deliver in Year 3. There’s no guarantee another average or subpar season will lead to his dismissal, but five or six wins isn’t cutting it in the SEC.
Freeze has a new QB in Jackson Arnold after he transferred in this offseason. Anything less than seven, maybe even eight wins, could lead to the end of the Freeze era.
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Toppmeyer ranking: No. 3Adams ranking: No. 4
Venables was great as a defensive coordinator during his initial stint at Oklahoma, and of course Clemson. But as a head coach? He’s fallen short of expectations.
Both Toppmeyer and Adams feel he’s in the middle of these rankings, if not lower. But he’s still under more pressure than most SEC coaches this season considering he’s just 22-17 in three years and has yet to win a postseason game.
Billy Napier, Florida
Toppmeyer ranking: No. 4Adams ranking: No. 3
Napier has seen some highs and lows in the SEC since taking over as Florida head coach. But with what he has at QB in DJ Lagway this year, plus some development around him, Florida could very well be a playoff dark horse.
But that’s the issue. Napier was hired to usher the Gators into the new era and is just 19-19 in three seasons. To be fair, they won eight games last year so the trajectory is pointing up.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky
Toppmeyer ranking: No. 5Adams ranking: No. 2
Toppmeyer and Adams differ greatly on the SEC hot seat rankings again here. Stoops’ seat is scorching for one and just a bit hot for another.
There’s no doubt Stoops has been successful for the Wildcats, being the program’s winningest coach and longest tenured SEC coach. But after last year’s 4-8 campaign, there are serious questions if he can push the right buttons to make them ultra competitive like 2021 or even 2018 (both 10 win seasons).
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This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 1:10 am
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Posted on 7/24/25 at 1:11 am to TrueLefty
Sam Pittman and Stoops are untouchable. They will retire before they get canned at their respective schools.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:21 am to TrueLefty
Posted on 7/24/25 at 2:48 am to TrueLefty
Mark Stoops is surpring.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 3:04 am to Colonel Ingus
Kelly's seat is room temperature. He's still well under the buyout/bad season line.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 4:51 am to Gatorbait2008
quote:
Mark Stoops is surpring.
Why?
Posted on 7/24/25 at 7:14 am to Gatorbait2008
quote:
Mark Stoops is surpring.
No, it’s not.
tRant: Kentucky sucks, you shouldn’t have any real expectations. You can’t fire that guy.
Also tRant: Why doesn’t Kentucky do anything to be better in football?
Posted on 7/24/25 at 7:59 am to BluegrassBelle
Nailed it. These guys clearly haven't paid a lick of attention to what's been going on here in Lexington. The fan base is furious. Stoops seat is red fricking hot.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 8:00 am
Posted on 7/24/25 at 8:05 am to LSUSkip
quote:
Kelly's seat is room temperature.
Other fans will keep that narrative and will harp on LSU paying that much for HC not to win a natty. I guess aggies fans shouldn't have anything to say. How long did they keep jimbo around?
AU, Arky, UK and UF..... they will all have a new HC before BK is truly on the hot seat.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 8:14 am to TrueLefty
quote:
Sam Pittman, Arkansas
The good news for Pittman has been the 3 decade erosion of passion from the Arkansas fan base.
We used to fly banners and FOIA coaches for going 8-4. Now we give them extensions.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 9:53 am to UKWildcats
quote:
Nailed it. These guys clearly haven't paid a lick of attention to what's been going on here in Lexington. The fan base is furious. Stoops seat is red fricking hot.
The only thing that's holding it back is the buyout. That's it.
And Barnhart should get all of the heat for that one too.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 10:20 am to TrueLefty
[bConcerning Venables . . . he’s still under more pressure than most SEC coaches this season considering he’s just 22-17 in three years and has yet to win a postseason game.
[/b]
This has become a non-issue for Sooner fans who consider anything other than a CFP game little more than a scrimmage.
[/b]
This has become a non-issue for Sooner fans who consider anything other than a CFP game little more than a scrimmage.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 11:17 am to JacieNY
It’s important to have context around this. He rebuilt a roster that was constructed in a polar opposite way he would run it. The record isn’t really indicative of his success/failure.
I would say this year is the first year he is under the microscope, but barring a catastrophe, I fully expect him to get another year after this one assuming he wins 6 games.
I would say this year is the first year he is under the microscope, but barring a catastrophe, I fully expect him to get another year after this one assuming he wins 6 games.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 11:24 am to SouthernInsanity
quote:
will harp on LSU paying that much for HC not to win a natty.
Always a weird talking point, he makes like $500k more per year than Kiffin, Drinkwitz, and Stoops.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 11:38 am to SidewalkTiger
quote:
Always a weird talking point, he makes like $500k more per year than Kiffin, Drinkwitz, and Stoops.
Yup. The $9-10M range of coaches salaries is jam packed with plenty of coaches - many who are perceived as meh.
The guarantee was off-putting, but Kelly making $9.5M+ yearly or whatever he makes is not that crazy.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 11:48 am to UKWildcats
Remember Kentucky is a terrible football program. Stoops made you feel good, now it is back down to reality. You are clearly a basketball school(Right there with Duke and UNC for the best).
But Footballl...just no.
Remind me when your last National or SEC title was in CFB again?
1976 google says was your last SEC title...you are not a blueblood in Football.
But Footballl...just no.
Remind me when your last National or SEC title was in CFB again?
1976 google says was your last SEC title...you are not a blueblood in Football.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 11:50 am
Posted on 7/24/25 at 11:57 am to Gatorbait2008
quote:
Mark Stoops is surpring.
Is it though? I’ve been sounding the alarm on Stoops for years but for some reason so many people act like he’s this great coach.
First the numbers:
Overall Record: 77-73 (.513)
SEC Record: 36-62 (.367)
Record against ranked opp: 6-36 (.143)
On its face, that’s a bad record and any other coach at any other program would have been fired years ago. But when you zoom in and look at the true accomplishments, it gets even worse.
No coach has played so easy a schedule in the SEC. For his first 11 seasons at UK, they got to play in the easier East division. Their annual West opponent was Mississippi State… about as easy as it gets. And they only ever play Louisville OOC as far as power opponents go, and the Cardinals haven’t exactly been stellar most of those seasons.
Out of his 36 SEC wins, only 3 were against opponents that finished ranked in the Top 25. Only 9 of those 36 conference wins came against foes that had a winning record. His average SEC win came against teams that averaged just 5 wins on the season.
With the scheduling supposedly becoming more balanced in the future, and without the easier SEC slate of opponents he enjoyed with divisions, Stoops will be exposed as the less than mediocre coach that he is.
This post was edited on 7/24/25 at 11:59 am
Posted on 7/24/25 at 11:59 am to BennyAndTheInkJets
quote:
The good news for Pittman has been the 3 decade erosion of passion from the Arkansas fan base.
decade and a half but yes
Posted on 7/24/25 at 12:02 pm to ibldprplgld
quote:
The guarantee was off-putting, but Kelly making $9.5M+ yearly or whatever he makes is not that crazy.
Yep, he's not even in the top five "cost of buyout" according to 247.
Posted on 7/24/25 at 12:06 pm to OKinTX21
quote:
OKinTX21
Venables is doing an outstanding job. You all need to extend his contract mightily.
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