Home / Sports / Playoff or Bust: Top College Coaches Facing Intense Pressure in 2025

Playoff or Bust: Top College Coaches Facing Intense Pressure in 2025

Summary

  • Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers need playoff berth to save his job
  • Lincoln Riley's USC Trojans in steady decline since 2024
  • Brent Venables' Oklahoma Sooners must bounce back from 6-7 season

As the 2025 college football season gets underway, a number of prominent head coaches are feeling the heat to produce winning results. At LSU, Brian Kelly is facing a "playoffs-or-bust" year after the Tigers' 9-4 finish in 2024 fell short of expectations. Kelly, one of the best coaches in the country, has seen life in the SEC prove much tougher than his successful tenure at Notre Dame.

Over at USC, Lincoln Riley's Trojans have gone into a steady decline since his impressive 11-3 debut in 2024. With the team finishing just 7-6 last season, Riley's seat is scorching hot as he enters his third year in Los Angeles. However, his massive contract buyout may buy him some time, barring a disastrous 2025 campaign.

Meanwhile, Brent Venables is under immense pressure at Oklahoma. After a stunning 6-7 finish last season, the former Clemson defensive coordinator needs his Sooners to bounce back and contend for a playoff spot, or his job could be in jeopardy. With the high standards at Oklahoma, anything less than double-digit wins is considered a disappointment.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.

FAQ

Brian Kelly, one of the best coaches in college football, is facing a "playoffs-or-bust" year at LSU. After a 9-4 finish in 2024, Kelly needs the Tigers to reach the playoffs in 2025 to save his job.
Lincoln Riley got off to a fast start at USC, going 11-3 in his first season. However, the Trojans have since gone into a steady decline, finishing just 7-6 in 2024. Riley's seat is now scorching hot as he enters his third year in Los Angeles.
Brent Venables, the former Clemson defensive coordinator, is under immense pressure at Oklahoma. After a surprising 6-7 finish last season, Venables needs his Sooners to bounce back and contend for a playoff spot in 2025, or his job could be in jeopardy.

Read more news on