The hot seat is never a comfortable place. But for a handful of college basketball coaches, the pressure is real as we inch closer to the 2025-26 season.
For programs with expectations, whether it’s making a tournament run, turning around recent mediocrity, or simply showing progress, this year could be make or break. Here are five coaches with more at stake than usual, and how they got here.
Hubert Davis – North Carolina
What a ride it’s been in Chapel Hill. Davis reached the national title game in his first season but missed the tournament entirely the following year despite being ranked No. 1 in the preseason. Then came a bounce-back campaign that ended in the Sweet 16, followed by a frustrating 2024-25 season where the Tar Heels underachieved and were bounced in the first round after controversially sneaking into the field.
At most schools, that résumé would be acceptable. But not when you wear Tar Heel blue. Davis has essentially been on the bubble in three of his four seasons and has struggled to maximize blue-chip talent. The fan base is restless, and another rollercoaster year could force a change.
Fred Hoiberg – Nebraska
Now entering year seven, Hoiberg has yet to truly turn the corner in Lincoln. He inherited a mess and started with back-to-back seven-win seasons. A modest climb followed, but his teams still failed to post a winning record until the 2023-24 breakthrough with 20 wins and a No. 8 seed.
That progress quickly evaporated last season as Nebraska dropped six of its final seven games and missed both the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments. Hoiberg has landed a top-50 recruiting class just once, and while expectations aren’t sky-high at Nebraska, this was not the vision when he was hired.
Wes Miller – Cincinnati
This one is simple. In four years as Cincinnati’s head coach, Miller has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament. He was seen as a rising star after his decade at UNC Greensboro, but has not yet delivered the results the Bearcats hoped for.
Last year, Cincinnati climbed as high as No. 14 in the rankings, only to fade in the Big 12 gauntlet. Despite respectable records, the lack of postseason appearances has started to raise eyebrows. Miller still has plenty of support, but that patience has limits.
Bobby Hurley – Arizona State
Hurley enters his eleventh season at Arizona State with just three NCAA Tournament appearances to his name. His teams have just one tournament win in that span and have posted losing records in six of his ten seasons, including back-to-back down years.
Hurley has recruited well at times, but the move to the Big 12 raises expectations and scrutiny. Momentum is hard to find right now in Tempe, and a third straight losing season could be tough to overcome.
Matt McMahon – LSU
McMahon arrived at LSU with momentum from a strong run at Murray State, but life in the SEC has been difficult. The league has grown into a basketball powerhouse, and McMahon’s Tigers are 45-53 over his first three seasons. A promising 11-2 start last year turned into a 14-18 finish once conference play began.
There’s pressure to compete despite this being a football-first school, and McMahon hasn’t yet moved the needle. His long contract and buyout may offer short-term protection, but LSU is not shy about making big moves when the results aren’t there.
Parting Shot
Results matter. Fan bases expect progress, boosters want to see return on investment, and patience has never been shorter. For these five coaches, the margin for error is shrinking. One breakthrough season can change everything. But if things go sideways early, some of these coaches could be heading for the unemployment line.
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