Updated October 26, 2026, 8:45 a.m. ET
The coaching wheel of death began spinning with Mike Locksley, and Maryland’s prodigious losing streak against Power Four competition made him an obvious early passenger.
On Sunday October 25, the wheel had turned twice again. Baylor fired Dave Aranda. NC State dumped Dave Doeren. And just like that, three of the four Power Four conferences have openings.
The only resistance? The SEC, where Shane Beamer’s resurgence at South Carolina has quieted what once looked like the league’s most obvious hot seat.
Elsewhere, however, the losses have not stopped. Neither is discomfort.
From Atlanta to Boulder, Colorado, to Piscataway, New Jersey, some coaches may want to avoid sitting down for a while.
It’s time for another heat check from USA TODAY Sports: back discomfort.
Greg Schiano, Rutgers
We said it last week about Maryland and Mike Locksley, and it applies here as well: Rutgers received an additional $5 million earmarked by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill for support roles to bolster NIL efforts.
The return on investment does not exactly appear in the ranking.
Since the middle of the 2024 season, Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights are 6-17 against Power Four opponents. Two of those six wins came against Locksley’s Maryland teams.
Then came the final indignity: an uncompetitive loss to Northwestern.
There is, however, a very costly reason why Rutgers tolerates this discomfort. Firing Schiano effective October 25 would cost the school a whopping $19.102 million.
Deion Sanders, Colorado
This isn’t breaking news, but it’s still worth repeating: The last 20 games of Karl Dorrell’s tenure in Colorado and the last 20 under Sanders look remarkably similar. Both produced 5-10 records with an equal number of blowout losses.
Colorado’s Last Cowpie comes courtesy of the Cowpokes. Oklahoma State turned a 24-20 Buffaloes lead just before halftime into a 57-24 demolition.
Welcome to Boulder, Fernando Lovo.
Colorado’s new athletic director inherited the expensive mess Rick George left behind. Deion Sanders is making $10 million this year, with another $34 million planned for the next three seasons.
Colorado isn’t exactly flush with money. But at some point the question becomes inevitable: How much money can you afford to keep hunting?
Is Florida State really going to ignore this mess because the Seminoles managed to lose a close game to the no. 1Miami?
Here’s the ugliest number: From December 3, 2023 to October 25, 2026, Florida State won just five games against Power Four opponents. That’s five wins in 1,057 days.
Then there’s the $48 million problem.
That’s what FSU would owe Norvell if it fired him without cause, a massive bill for an athletic department without a permanent leader and already facing well-documented financial problems. Norvell also has another potential lifeline: The ACC is by far the weakest Power Four conference in college football this season.
So, yes, even at 3-4, Norvell could wander into this wilderness and stumble upon bowl eligibility. Keep him around for another calendar year and FSU’s buyout bill drops to around $36.5 million.
But patience also has consequences.
As a person with knowledge of the situation in Tallahassee told USA TODAY Sports this week: “The FSU president (Richard McCullough) and the board of trustees are now starting to get criticized about the football program, and they don’t like it – nor are they used to being criticized in these positions.”
Scotty Walden, UTEP
Walden brought energy to UTEP when he arrived from the FCS Austin Peay program, and he achieved strong community involvement.
These external investments have not generated a significant return on investment; UTEP is lukewarm, Walden is 7-27 and FBS newcomer North Dakota State, already bowl eligible in its first year at this level, comes calling. It’s a disaster for Walden.
Phil Longo, Sam Houston State
The legendary former offensive coordinator who didn’t work with Luke Fickell at Wisconsin but landed the head job at Sam Houston State just hasn’t had success translating to the top presidency.
The Bearkats are a measly 3-16 over that span, winless this season against FBS foes. Given the rise of the FCS program at Tarleton State, which has made no secret that it would like to move up to the FBS level if it can find the right fit, just a few hundred miles away, the pressure is increasing on Longo. He is owed about $2.2 million through the end of his current pact, less mitigation measures.
WARMING WATCH
Less than 11 months ago, Georgia Tech extended Brent Key amid slight outside interest from Florida and Penn State. At the time, there was something to please.
The Yellow Jackets opened 2025 with eight straight wins and moved into the top 10 nationally.
Since then? Nine defeats in 12 matches. Two-digit five.
And with former offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner now at Florida, Georgia Tech suddenly looks like a program heading in the wrong direction.
Speaking of uncomfortable trajectories, hello Dabo Swinney.
Clemson infamously opened last season with a top-five finish. In the 21 games since, the Tigers have achieved a putrid 11-10 record. Swinney changed offensive coordinators and reshuffled his team, but ultimately, only one change matters: results.
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