College Football: Coaches Face Quick Firings

**The Collegiate Chronicle**

**Beyond Buyouts: College Football’s Accelerating Impatience Puts Coaches on a One-Way Street**

**ATHENS, GA – January 29, 2024** – In an era where astronomical coaching contracts are becoming the norm, job security in college football is increasingly a fleeting concept. A recent hypothetical scenario involving Auburn coach Hugh Freeze — not a firing, but the mere *thought* of one after a middling 4-5 start to the 2025 season — quickly unspools into a stark reminder of how rapidly programs are willing to part ways with their head coaches, regardless of the financial cost.

While Freeze remains firmly at the helm for the Tigers, having just completed his first season (6-7 overall), the speculative exercise highlights a pervasive trend. Athletic directors and booster collectives, fueled by ever-escalating expectations and financial stakes, are showing unprecedented impatience, often pulling the plug after just a handful of seasons, or even less.

The prime example of this ruthless calculus is Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. Despite signing a colossal 10-year, $95 million contract extension in 2021, Fisher was formally dismissed on November 12, 2023, midway through his sixth season. The buyout alone for the Aggies was a staggering $76 million, a figure widely reported by outlets such as ESPN and CBS Sports. Yet, A&M prioritized change over financial prudence, signaling a shift in priorities where winning *now* trumps all other considerations.

Michigan State’s Mel Tucker presents another cautionary tale. Also a recipient of a 10-year, $95 million deal in 2021, Tucker’s tenure came to an abrupt and controversial end early in his fourth season. Following a formal suspension and eventual termination for cause on September 27, 2023, just a couple of games into the season, the Spartans navigated a messy separation. Though Michigan State sought to avoid the full buyout by firing for cause, the initial investment and the expectation of long-term stability were clearly shattered much sooner than anticipated.

These high-profile departures underscore a broader shift in the college football landscape. The advent of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape, coupled with the ease of the transfer portal, has intensified the “win-now” pressure. Fan bases, often empowered by direct financial contributions and unprecedented access, demand immediate returns. Schools, in turn, are quick to react, believing that a new voice, no matter how expensive the transition, is the fastest path to competitiveness.

Programs like Nebraska with Scott Frost (fired early in his fifth season in 2022 with a significant buyout) or Arizona State with Herm Edwards (also fired early in his fifth season in 2022) echo this trend of shortening leashes. Even coaches in their second or third seasons, such as Billy Napier at Florida, find themselves under intense scrutiny, showcasing the increasingly minimal grace period afforded in modern college football.

The message is unambiguous: the leash for college football head coaches is shrinking at an unprecedented rate, sometimes spanning just one or two full seasons. Whether it’s the colossal sums involved in buyouts or the sheer embarrassment of a failed long-term investment, institutions are demonstrating a willingness to absorb enormous financial hits if they don’t perceive quick results. For aspiring and established coaches alike, the era of building a program over many years is rapidly fading, replaced by a cutthroat environment where every game, every season, can be a referendum on their employment.