SEC Football Head Coach Hot Seat Index: Brian Kelly Reaches His Lowest Point

Which SEC football coaches are under the most pressure and could be fired soon?

Tanner Johnson | 16 Hours Ago

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly speaks with the officials during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies defeated the Tigers 38-23; at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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Which SEC football coaches are under the most pressure and could be fired soon?

Welcome back to the SEC Head Coach Hot Seat Index.

Week 12 of the SEC calendar witnessed some exciting endings and monumental victories. While certain head coaches experienced an upward trajectory in their postseason hopes, others faced the wrath of their fan bases. Here’s the latest update to the SEC Head Coach Hot Seat Index.

SEC Head Coach Hot Seat Index - Week 12

Scorching: Mark Stoops (Kentucky), Jeff Lebby (Mississippi State), Hugh Freeze (Auburn)

Stoops and Kentucky got a victory over Murray State to end their four-game losing streak. Even though this season has been a disaster and Stoops seems to have no momentum going forward, it is very unlikely that a head coaching change will be made this off-season. His buyout is simply too large for them to pull the trigger.

Lebby and Mississippi State were on a bye this past week. They will host Missouri next with an opportunity to get the Bulldogs’ first SEC win of the season. Freeze and Auburn are hosting Texas A&M after just beating UL Monroe 48–14. This game gives the Tigers an opportunity to pull off their biggest upset win of the year. Both of these coaches desperately need wins to take some of the pressure off them.

Hot: Billy Napier (Florida), Brian Kelly (LSU), Brent Venables (Oklahoma), Sam Pittman (Arkansas)

Napier finally moves away from the scorching section after a 27–16 upset victory over LSU. The Gators have already announced that Napier will return for the 2025 season and he is now starting to build some momentum. D.J. Lagway is proving to be a terrific prospect for Florida's future at the quarterback position.

Pittman and Arkansas had an opportunity to get another signature upset victory on Saturday. They were close for most of the game with Texas but were unable to make plays when it counted. A loss like this sums up Pittman’s time in Fayetteville. However, Arkansas still has an opportunity to finish the season strong with a win over Louisiana Tech and then a road test at Missouri.

Venables and Oklahoma were on a bye as they prepare to host Alabama. The Sooners need to win one of their final two games to reach a bowl game. If they can't beat the Crimson Tide, then they will have to try and win at LSU.

Kelly and LSU are having a disastrous season and are now 6-4 after losing on the road to Florida. Kelly’s teams have regressed with each season since he arrived in Baton Rouge. His massive buyout will also prevent him from being fired anytime soon, but LSU is starting to fall well below its standard of excellence.

Room temperature: Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri), Shane Beamer (South Carolina)

DeBoer is continuing to have a strong close to the season. The Tide defeated Mercer 52–7 and appear to be in a great spot to reach the College Football Playoff. The early season losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee certainly angered Alabama's fan base, but DeBoer is recovering nicely from those early losses.

Drinkwitz’s Tigers are continuing to be a disappointment after dropping a close game at South Carolina. Missouri somehow managed to stay in the top 25 this week and did not even drop from No. 23 despite losing. That makes no sense, but Missouri can still close the season strong with wins over Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Beamer and South Carolina have now won four games in a row and are playing like one of the best teams in the country. It has been a remarkable coaching job for Beamer this season. If not for close losses to LSU and Alabama, South Carolina would be a real contender for the playoffs.

Ice cold: Kirby Smart (Georgia), Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Clark Lea (Vanderbilt), Mike Elko (Texas A&M), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss)

These head coaches have the safest jobs in the SEC, but that does not mean they are in perfect shape.

Sarkisian now leads the only one-loss team in the conference. Texas is well-positioned to make the playoffs and the SEC championship as long as they take care of business the rest of the way. Smart and Heupel both have two-loss teams that are trying to make it into the 12-team field. George has a slightly better chance of making the playoffs after just beating Tennessee 31–17.

Kiffin and Ole Miss had a bye week after their monumental victory over Georgia. Elko and Texas A&M are heading straight into a potential trap game at Auburn on Saturday. The Aggies need to make sure they take Auburn seriously and are not looking ahead to their showdown with Texas. Meanwhile, Lea and Vanderbilt were on a bye week as they prepare to face struggling LSU team on the road.

The SEC Head Coach Hot Seat Index will fluctuate as the season continues. Stay tuned for an update next week.