College football coaches on the hot seat in 2024

College football is a win-now business. There's too much money at stake to plod through losing seasons. There are major NIL deals to strike, a facilities arms race to keep up with and the threat of being left behind in conference realignment and television contracts.

Because of that, the hot seat burns hotter than ever before and there are several coaches who are feeling the heat as the 2024 season begins. Here's a look at four coaches who need a winning season to cool off the pressure they face.

Ryan Day | Ohio State | Last season: 11-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten

There are very few places on Earth where a coach could hold this resume and somehow be on the hot seat: a 56-8 overall record in five seasons, a 39-3 record against Big Ten foes, back-to-back Big Ten championships and one of only three programs in the nation to qualify for the College Football Playoffs three times since 2019. But this is Ohio State and Day's Buckeyes have slipped behind arch rival Michigan.

The Buckeyes have lost three straight to the Wolverines, and had to watch Michigan win the national championship last season. Day and his staff have reloaded. Chip Kelly left UCLA to become OSU's offensive coordinator and Day made a slew of other changes .

Day also cleaned up in the transfer portal. He signed seven players, including five from the SEC. Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard and former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins join the offense. Safety Caleb Downs transferred from Alabama and should make a major impact.

The time is now for Day and Buckeyes to get back on top of the Big Ten.

Billy Napier | Florida | Last season: 5-7 overall, 3-5 SEC

A pair of losing seasons have made Napier and the Gators afterthoughts in a loaded SEC. The head coach is now feeling the heat. But while fans, boosters and the general public may consider Napier on the hot seat, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin told the Orlando Sentinel in January that he doesn't consider Napier's job to be on the line.

"I don’t care," he said. "It doesn’t matter. It’s a made-up term. People can put them on whatever list they want. It has nothing to do with reality."

In the same article, Stricklin mentioned that if given time he believes Napier will succeed. This season might be another tough one in Gainesville though. The Gators have road games at Tennessee, Texas and Florida State, plus their annual neutral site game against Georgia. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Miami come to The Swamp.

Stricklin believes Napier needs time. How long are Gator fans willing to wait?

Dave Aranda | Baylor | Last season: 3-9 overall, 2-7 Big 12

An embarrassing loss to Texas State in the season opener was just the beginning for Baylor last season. The Bears closed the year on a five-game losing streak and Baylor's 2021 Big 12 championship feels like ages ago. Since then, Aranda is 9-16.

The quarterback position was a mess last season as Blake Shapen was injured in the opener and ended up appearing in eight games, while Sawyer Robertson made six appearances. This year, Toledo transfer DeQuan Finn will start at QB and Jake Spavital takes over as offensive coordinator. Aranda hopes that duo injects some juice into an offense that ranked last in the Big 12 in 2023.

Sam Pittman | Arkansas | Last season: 4-8 overall, 1-7 SEC

Pittman's Razorbacks lost six straight games in the middle of the 2023 season and are 2-9 in their last 11 SEC contests. That simply won't do. Another tough schedule awaits Arkansas this season and November could be pivotal for Pittman's future. The Razorbacks will host Ole Miss and Texas before finishing the season at Missouri — three teams who are likely to be highly ranked.

Could an old friend be the key to success? Pittman hired former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator in November. Petrino led the program to a 34-17 mark in four seasons from 2008-11. His job is to rejuvenate an offense that ranked in the bottom half of the SEC last season.