College basketball’s coaching carousel never stops spinning. The sport had an active September of changes, with four head coaches departing headlined by Bruce Pearl’s retirement at Auburn. Might that pave the way for a busier-than-usual spring of coaching movement? With several big names potentially either on the hot seat or retirement watch, expect plenty of shake-ups after the 2025–26 season. Who are some names under the most pressure to win this season?
Hot SeatHubert Davis, North Carolina
Davis is under significant pressure to bounce back after a rough 2024–25 season that saw the Tar Heels barely sneak into the NCAA tournament. He has had two good seasons and two bad ones at North Carolina, and now enters a pivotal fifth season without many excuses to win. North Carolina has one of the most expensive rosters in the country, built with the help of a revamped “front office” that includes new general manager Jim Tanner. This team be much improved, and if it is toiling around the bubble again there will be significant pressure to make a move.
Jake Diebler, Ohio State
It’s just Diebler’s second season in Columbus, Ohio, but it’s worth keeping an eye on things after he missed the NCAA tournament in Year 1. Diebler was a surprise choice to replace Chris Holtmann given his lack of head coaching experience, and Ohio State could have a quick hook if he can’t right the ship and get the Buckeyes dancing for the first time since 2022. It’d cost less than $5 million to move on from him this spring.
Earl Grant, Boston College
BC’s problems go far beyond Grant, with no NCAA tournament appearances since 2009 and just two top-100 KenPom finishes in the last decade. That said, Grant did himself no favors going 4–16 in the worst ACC in recent memory last season. In total, he has just one winning season through four on the job. Plus, the athletic director who hired him (Pat Kraft) is no longer there. The program would need significant investment (particularly in the NIL and revenue-sharing space) from where things currently stand to command strong candidates should it move on from Grant.
Virginia Tech should bounce back some this season after last year’s 13–19 mark thanks to a better NIL/revenue-sharing situation, but will it be enough to at least get back on the bubble? If not, AD Whit Babcock will have a decision to make with Young’s contract up after 2026–27. Complicating matters is the Hokies’ current football head coaching search, which could eat up significant resources and might make Virginia Tech more inclined to stick with the status quo in hoops.
Adrian Autry, Syracuse
Following Jim Boeheim was always going to be a pretty significant challenge, but things haven’t gone well so far for Autry. Last season’s 14–19 mark was a disaster and turned the heat up early on Autry as he enters just his third season as head coach. It was a good offseason for the Orange with a strong portal class and the return of J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman, but Syracuse needs to take significant strides this season to feel good about the direction of the program.
Bobby Hurley, Arizona State
Hurley has frequently found his name on lists like this one in recent years but has managed to hang on despite four sub-.500 finishes in the last five seasons. Arizona State is letting him coach into the final year of his contract, a very rare move especially at the high-major level. This job would rank in the bottom tier of the Big 12 as currently constructed, but another rough season would likely signal it’s time for a change in Tempe, Ariz.
Miller enters Year 5 at Cincinnati without an NCAA tournament berth after last season’s very disappointing 19–16 finish. The Bearcats underachieved based on their talent level in 2024–25 and were brutal to watch offensively. Cincinnati spent big this spring in the portal to reshape its roster, so there will be few excuses if the Bearcats don’t go dancing for the first time in Miller’s tenure this season.
Johnny Dawkins, UCF
UCF has stuck with Dawkins throughout its transition to the Big 12 despite rumors each of the last two offseasons about the potential for a move. The 62-year-old Dawkins hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 2019, and his contract isn’t guaranteed after this season. The roster doesn’t seem likely to climb the Big 12 ladder much either. This could be termed a firing, retirement or mutual parting, but a vacancy in Orlando seems likely.
Matt McMahon, LSU
McMahon is just 14–40 in SEC play in three seasons after taking over for Will Wade in Baton Rouge. That won’t cut it for a fourth season, especially after being armed with significantly improved NIL resources this past offseason to build an improved roster. The talent has taken steps forward, but it will still take a lot to climb the ladder in the loaded SEC.