When the odds for the first college football head coach to be fired were released, it was no surprise who was at the top of the list. Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman and Florida head coach Billy Napier look like they are on borrowed time. How much longer will they be given if results don't start to go their way?
Odds on the first college football coach to be fired from @BetOnline_ag pic.twitter.com/xW1qCgQMuy
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) July 24, 2024
Ole Miss will face both football programs near the end of their regular season schedule. Both games will be on the road, with Arkansas in week 10 and Florida in week 13. With such a long time till they face off, is there a chance Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin will not be greeting them before the game?
Looking at both team's schedules, there is a definite chance that both head coaches could have been fired by the time Ole Miss rolls into town.
The 2024 schedule does not help Billy Napier
Billy Napier is the No.1 candidate to be fired first, which shows due to past performances and the 2024 schedule in front of his team. In their first five games, Florida will face Miami, Samford, Texas A&M, Mississippi State on the road, and UCF. If Napier only comes away with the win over Samford, his job security will be alarmingly high.
If Napier makes it through those five games unscathed, he will be greeted with a road game in Tennessee, back-to-back home games against Kentucky, Georgia, and Texas on the road, followed by LSU at home. Has Florida got the team to navigate that schedule successfully? It's likely not, but if Billy Napier can, he will deserve to keep his job.
I give Billy Napier a 30% chance of being the head coach of Florida when they face Ole Miss at the Swamp in week 13.
The appointment of the new OC puts more pressure on Sam Pittman
When Arkansas hired Bobby Petrino as the new offensive coordinator, rumors suggested he was the ready replacement for head coach Sam Pittman. Petrino was the Razorbacks' head coach from 2008-2011, bringing high success to the program. Pittman can shrug off any added pressure from the hire, but it is there.
The first five games are okay for Arkansas, with games against AR-Pine Bluff and UAB expected wins. In between those games, they have a challenging out-of-conference road game against Oklahoma State, with Auburn on the road in week 4. In week 5, they face Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Heading into the middle of the schedule with a 3-2 record could ease some pressure for Sam Pittman.
The four games proceed with home games against Tennessee and LSU, followed by Mississippi State on the road, the Ole Miss. It's a tough run, but if Arkansas is at least 4-4 before facing Lane Kiffin's team, Sam Pittman will likely still be head coach of the Razorbacks.
I give Sam Pittman a 70% chance of being the head coach of Arkansas when they face Ole Miss in week 10.