Who are the 10 Coaches With the Most to Prove Entering the 2025 CFB Season?
Going into the 2025-26 season, a number of high-profile coaches are facing pressure to win this year or are potentially looking for work next offseason.
These are the 10 with the most to prove entering the 2025 College Football season. 10 Coaches With the Most to Prove Entering the 2025 CFB Season? 10. Kalen DeBoer - Alabama
DeBoer took the Alabama job following maybe the greatest coach of all time in Nick Saban, which led to some massive expectations. After losing three games combined in his final two seasons at Washington, DeBoer lost four in his first year with the Tide, while also missing the CFP. That won't fly for two years in a row. He is going to need a big second year to prove he can hack it in the SEC and make it through his full contract. 9. Brian Kelly - LSU
Kelly has been at LSU for three years and has yet to post a campaign with fewer than three losses. That hasn't been good enough to earn a CFP bid to this point. Once he was hired, there was concern he wouldn't be able to compete at the highest level of the SEC. Going into his fourth season, Kelly has a lot to prove if he truly wants to be at that highest level. 8. Billy Napier - Florida
After a great run with Louisiana, Napier took his talents to Gainesville in 2022. Fast-forward to 2025, and he has had two under .500 seasons leading into last season's 8-5 campaign. That won't cut it long-term. If Napier is going to stick around with the Gators, he is going to need a much more successful year in the highly competitive SEC. 7. Mike Norvell - Florida State
Hard to believe, but Norvell is entering his sixth season with the Seminoles. Unfortunately, though, his last season was by far his worst. After going a combined 23-4 over the previous two seasons, Florida State finished last season at just 2-10. A lot of that can be traced to injuries and some poor roster fits, but either way, Norvell has a lot to prove in 2025. 6. Hugh Freeze - Auburn
The start of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn has not been a stellar one. With back-to-back seasons under .500, Freeze is going to feel some real pressure in 2025, despite being in the extremely competitive SEC. If he is going to prove he can stick in the new-era SEC, he is going to need a much better season this year. 5. Mario Cristobal - Miami (FL)
After two lackluster seasons with the Hurricanes, Cristobal and Miami turned it around to the tune of a 10-3 season. That comes after he combined for 13 losses in those first two seasons. The question is if Cristobal and Miami can repeat last season's 10-win performance in an ACC that is likely to be a little better than last season's. 4. Luke Fickell - Wisconsin
Fickell's first two seasons at the head of the Badgers have been anything but noteworthy. His current record at Wisconsin sits at 13-13, a steep drop-off from Paul Chryst leading the team to three straight 10-win seasons from 2015-2017. The job won't get any easier in 2025 with a loaded Big Ten set to challenge them at every turn. 3. Matt Rhule - Nebraska
Two seasons into his time at Nebraska, Rhule is 12-13 overall. The good news is, last season was a two-win improvement, and the recruiting and transfer portal have both been very kind to the Cornhuskers. If he can help lead the team to another small step forward, Rhule will once again prove he is a master at rebuilding, but with the Big Ten stacked, there is a lot for him to prove. 2. Lincoln Riley - USC
After going a combined 21-5 in 2021 and 2022, Riley has struggled in 2023 and 2024, sporting a 15-11 record overall. Those two seasons do include two bowl wins, something that most schools would love to be able to say, but at USC, that is not what they are after. The CFP is where USC wants to be. In 2025, the Trojans are expecting another CFP berth, something Riley will need to prove he can deliver in a fierce Big Ten. 1. Brett Venables - Oklahoma
It is now or never for Venables, who has one 10-win season sandwiched between two 6–7 campaigns at Oklahoma. This is his first head coaching stop, and over three seasons it has been anything but a home run. Oklahoma is in a crunch now, with its move to the SEC, there are a lot of schools competing for CFP spots, including the Sooners. Venables will need to prove he can coach at the highest level in college football if he is going to stick, a tall task for the former Clemson DC. Honorable mentions: Bill Belichick - UNC
Jonathan Smith - Michigan State
Josh Heupel - Tennessee
James Franklin - Penn State
Trent Dilfer - UAB
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