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The SEC is one of the most difficult conferences in college football to compete in. Every coach has an uphill battle every season to put together a winning season.
The competition within the conference will only heat up when Texas and Oklahoma join the SEC in 2024. Many coaches could have their jobs on the line during the upcoming season, making each matchup mean that much more.
Here's a look at five Southeastern Conference football coaches who are on the hot seat and at risk of losing their jobs in 2024.
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Five SEC coaches close to being fired in 2024
#5 Hugh Freeze, Auburn
It could be now or never for Hugh Freeze in 2024, after joining the program in 2023. Auburn finished 6-7 and 3-5 in conference play during Freeze's first season in charge of the team.
With the expansion of the Southeastern Conference in 2024, Auburn will want to prove that they can still be one of the top teams in the conference.
Michael Bratton, the host of 'That SEC Podcast', said on Hugh Freeze's reputation and why he doesn't consider him an elite college football coach.
"I'm not buying the hype," Bratton said. "I don't like the way Freeze is going about this... I think his reputation is overblown because he beat Alabama twice. People forget that he lost to Vanderbilt twice in that same span."
Freeze had a lot of success at Ole Miss and Liberty before taking the job at Auburn. He had a 39-25 record at Ole Miss and 34-15 at Liberty, with three bowl wins.
#4 Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea could find himself on the hot seat this year if the Commodores fail to put together a winning record for a fourth straight season. Lea took over as the Vanderbilt coach in 2021 after four seasons at Notre Dame as a defensive coordinator and linebacker coach.
Lea went 2-10 in his first season and failed to win a game against a conference opponent. The program began trending in the right direction during his second season, going 5-7 with a 2-6 conference record.
Howeverv, the team fell to 2-10 once again in 2023 and failed to win a conference game for the second time in three seasons. The pressure is on Lea to put together a team that shows significant improvement this season to allow him to keep his job for another year.
#3 Shane Beamer, South Carolina
It was looking like Shane Beamer was going to turn things around for South Carolina after taking over in 2021. The team had won six combined games in 2019 and 2020 but would go 7-6 in Beamers first season as coach.
They improved to 8-5 in 2022, but their record fell to 5-7 last season. Beamer has also struggled to beat SEC opponents, with a 10-14 conference record since taking over.
Expectations are not extremely high for South Carolina in 2024, but if Beamer can't put together a winning season, his job may be in jeopardy.
#2 Sam Pittman, Arkansas
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is in danger of being fired in 2024 after going 4-8 last season with just one conference win. His four years as the Razorbacks coach have been up and down, and 2024 could be a make-or-break year for Pittman.
He has taken Arkansas to two bowl games, both of which were victories. But he has struggled to beat Southeastern Conference opponents, with an 11-23 conference record in four seasons.
If Pittman fails to prove his team could be a force in the loaded SEC, it could be the end of his time with the Razorbacks.
#1 Billy Napier, Florida
Billy Napier took over a struggling Florida Gators team in 2022 but has yet to show much improvement in two seasons. Napier led the Gators to a second-consecutive 6-7 season in his first year and took a step back in 2023, going 5-7.
The Gators have gone 3-5 in back-to-back seasons against conference opponents under Napier. They missed out on a bowl game appearance last season after losing five games in a row to close out the season.
It needs to be a big 2024 season for the Gators to prove they have a coach who can keep them competitive in the Southeastern Conference. The schedule will not do the Gators any favors, as they have the most difficult strength of schedule, according to 247Sports and Sports Illustrated.
Which SEC coach do you think is in the most danger of being fired in 2024? Let's know in the comments:
Also Read: Auburn playoff projections 2024: 3 reasons why Hugh Freeze will struggle in SEC this season
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