5 CFB Coaches Entering The 2024 Season On the Hot Seat

5. Tony Elliott - Virginia

Tony Elliott is entering his third season in Charlottesville. The former Clemson assistant needs to get things going to coach a fourth season for Virginia. The Cavaliers went 3-7 in his first season and 3-9 in 2023. That included a 38-point loss to Virginia Tech to close the season. Virginia showed some progress, and quarterback Anthony Colandrea's development is a pleasant surprise. He offers hope for the 2024 campaign, but Virginia draws Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina, and at Notre Dame, along with the rivalry game at Virginia Tech. They also have a toss-up in the non-conference against Maryland that could be quite telling. Anything short of pushing for a bowl game could result in a change.

Virginia 2024 Win Total: 4.5

2. Sam Pittman - Arkansas

After an encouraging 2021 season that saw the Arkansas Razorbacks win nine games and bring home an Outback Bowl title, they took a step back in 2022. They went 6-6 in the regular season and won the Liberty Bowl. It was a sharp decline as quarterback KJ Jefferson regressed, and the Razorbacks went just 1-7 in the SEC and 4-8 overall. That included a few blowout losses, and it was a mild surprise that Arkansas did not move on from Sam Pittman after last season. He is now just 11-23 in the SEC, with the league only getting more challenging. Pittman needs to have a solid season to survive to 2025. Arkansas plays at Oklahoma State but has three winnable non-conference games. The conference slate is not unbearable, but they play a projected five ranked teams in the league, including a finale at rival Missouri.

Arkansas 2024 Win Total: 5.5

3. Dave Aranda - Baylor

Dave Aranda’s tenure at Baylor has been a confusing one. The Bears went 2-7 in his first season, but he was primarily forgiven because it was a rebuilt roster, and COVID restrictions were in place. Things took off in 2021 as Baylor went from two wins to 12 and won the Sugar Bowl. They finished fifth in the AP poll, and Aranda appeared to be a star in the making. Baylor took a step back in 2022, going 6-7, and last season showed further regression, sputtering to 3-9 and only 2-7 in the Big 12. With Texas and Oklahoma now out of the Big 12, Baylor believes they should be contending for conference titles. Can Aranda get them back to that level? He has publicly acknowledged that he did not handle the transfer portal well but has adjusted his philosophy. The Bears have a relatively demanding schedule, a challenging non-conference game against Air Force, and road trips to Utah, Colorado, Iowa State, Texas Tech, West Virginia, and Houston. Returning to a bowl is a must for Aranda to stick around.

Baylor 2024 Win Total: 5.5

4. Shane Beamer - South Carolina

Shane Beamer has not been a disaster as the head coach for South Carolina. Entering his fourth season, Beamer has a record of 20-18 with a conference record of 10-14. The Gamecocks went 7-6 in his first season and 8-5 in his second season but stumbled to a 5-7 record last season. Quarterback Spencer Rattler will be in the NFL in 2024, and South Carolina has had to dive into the transfer portal to fix many leaks on the roster for next season. South Carolina has a win total projection of 5.5; if they fail to make another bowl game, Beamer is likely out. They have a demanding schedule with conference games against Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Missouri. They also have the annual non-conference match against Clemson, this time in Death Valley.

South Carolina 2024 Win Total: 5.5

5. Tony Elliott - Virginia

Tony Elliott is entering his third season in Charlottesville. The former Clemson assistant needs to get things going to coach a fourth season for Virginia. The Cavaliers went 3-7 in his first season and 3-9 in 2023. That included a 38-point loss to Virginia Tech to close the season. Virginia showed some progress, and quarterback Anthony Colandrea's development is a pleasant surprise. He offers hope for the 2024 campaign, but Virginia draws Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina, and at Notre Dame, along with the rivalry game at Virginia Tech. They also have a toss-up in the non-conference against Maryland that could be quite telling. Anything short of pushing for a bowl game could result in a change.

Virginia 2024 Win Total: 4.5