College Football Hot Seat Watch: Dan Lanning, Brent Venables, P.J. Fleck Among Coaches On Notice

Alec Elijah Sun, September 13, 2026 at 3:07 AM UTC

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College Football Hot Seat Watch: Dan Lanning, Brent Venables, P.J. Fleck Among Coaches On Notice

Week 2 of college football is nearly in the books, which means it’s time for another edition of the College Football Hot Seat.

From getting blown out to losses against unranked teams to being winless to start the season, several coaches across the nation should be worried about their job security.

Dan Lanning, Oregon

Let’s just be straightforward about this one: Oregon came into Week 2 ranked the No. 6 team in the country and lost to unranked Oklahoma State. That just isn’t a good look for Dan Lanning whatsoever.

For a program that has national championship aspirations, the 2026 season has looked like a step backward compared to last season. Between their dog fight with Boise State last week and their loss to the Cowboys on Saturday, Oregon’s playoff chances are beginning to look slim if they don’t end up winning the Big Ten conference.

The Ducks have over $40 million in NIL invested in this team, so if Oregon continues to look underwhelming this season, the program may be inclined to consider other options if Lanning cannot get the job done in Eugene.

Brent Venables, Oklahoma

This week, Lanning isn’t alone when it comes to being on the hot seat for losing to an unranked opponent. Oklahoma’s Brent Venables is right there as well after the Sooners’ 17-10 loss to Michigan.

While Venables-coached teams have always been known for their impactful defense, it’s become apparent that his offense has stagnated against tougher opponents, despite the games being winnable.

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Barstool Sports’ Brandon Walker took to his X account to sum up Venables’ tenure at Oklahoma: “Brent Venables inherited a team that was great on offense, terrible on defense. And the only thing he’s done in five years is flip which side of his team is horrible.”

Greg Schiano, Rutgers

Joining this list for a second week in a row, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is somehow still employed at the time of this writing, but that may change very soon. After starting the year 0-2, it may be time to change the locks on Schiano if Rutgers wants the program to turn the page.

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After losing in Week 1 despite being 30-point favorites, fans immediately called for Schiano’s removal, but, given that he’s spent 18 seasons with the Scarlet Knights, perhaps the program felt the coach earned an opportunity to pull himself out of the hole he dug.

Now in an even deeper hole after losing to Boston College, Schiano may just have the hottest seat in all of college football, and there may be no way of cooling it down.

Mike Norvell, Florida State

No, Florida State did not have a game this week, but that does not mean Mike Norvell is exempt from our Hot Seat Watch. He managed to escape our list last week because of FSU’s game being on Monday, but it’s time to seriously talk about the Seminoles moving on.

Yes, it will be a huge financial cost to buy out Norvell, who would command anywhere from $46-49 million if fired before December 1, but how much more losing does the Seminoles fan base and program want to endure?

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It wasn’t that long ago FSU was one of the top teams in the ACC and regarded as one of the most decorated programs, but with the NIL era evening the playing field, perhaps Norvell’s days in Tallahassee are numbered.

P.J. Fleck, Minnesota

It’s a tough pill to swallow for Gophers fans, but given that it’s been 10 years under P.J. Fleck and Minnesota has yet to see anything past a bowl game, it may be time to part ways with the head coach.

Week 2’s loss to Mississippi State certainly didn’t help Fleck’s case either, as Minnesota fell 38-13 despite coming off a steamrolling victory the week prior against Eastern Illinois.

This now raises the question, “Can Minnesota beat actual competition this season?”

Honorable Mention Hot Seat Coaches -

Dan Mullen, UNLV

Blake Harrell, ECU

Jeff Monken, Army

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”