By Loveth 
Let’s talk about which SEC football coaches are feeling the heat heading into 2025—and why Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer isn’t one of them.
Yes, DeBoer is under the microscope in Tuscaloosa after a four-loss season. But even if things don’t go perfectly in 2025, his job is still safe—for now. His buyout is around $60 million, which makes firing him super unlikely unless things totally fall apart. Plus, he’s only in his second year, and SEC teams usually give new coaches more time unless something really wild happens.
Same goes for other second-year coaches like Jeff Lebby (Mississippi State) and Mike Elko (Texas A&M). Sure, their buyouts are smaller, but it’s still risky and expensive to keep shuffling coaches, especially when programs are trying to rebuild.
Now, Mark Stoops at Kentucky? His team hasn’t been great since 2021, but he still holds the best winning percentage at Kentucky in over 60 years. That’s probably enough to keep his job safe—plus, a $37 million buyout helps too.
Clark Lea at Vanderbilt is in a trickier spot. He had a 7-6 season last year, but his overall record (16-33) isn’t great. His buyout’s smaller (around $14 million), so if things go bad again, Vanderbilt could decide to move on.
Aside from DeBoer, there are other SEC coaches who are safe heading into 2026—guys like Kirby Smart, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, Shane Beamer, and Eli Drinkwitz. They’re not going anywhere soon.
Now let’s talk about the real hot seats.
The Top 5 Coaches in Trouble for 2025:
1. Sam Pittman (Arkansas) – Things haven’t been great, and with a $9 million buyout, it wouldn’t be hard to cut him loose.
2. Brent Venables (Oklahoma) – Decent protection with a $35 million buyout, but if Oklahoma disappoints again, it might not be enough.
3. Hugh Freeze (Auburn) – Auburn would owe him about $20 million, which is a lot, but not out of reach if fans lose patience.
4. Billy Napier (Florida) – He’s 19-19 over three years and has a brutal schedule in 2025. He has to win more, or his $26 million buyout might not save him.
5. Josh Heupel (Tennessee) – This one’s a maybe. He’s got a 37-15 record over four years, but if the Vols flop in 2025 (despite an easy schedule), his $6 million buyout makes him a possible target.
So yeah, DeBoer’s future depends on 2025, but he’s far from the hottest seat in the SEC. There are plenty of other guys who should be way more worried.