The year 2025 has been an extremely tough one for college football coaches across America, not just in the FBS. It all started with DeShaun Foster, Sam Pittman, and James Franklin. Then it became a domino effect that eventually reached the likes of Brian Kelly and Hugh Freeze. Now, even a head coach from the Southern Conference (not the SEC) just got fired over the weekend after a disastrous season.

On November 9th, Southern Conference (SoCon)’s Samford University decided to make a big change and let go of head football coach Chris Hatcher over the weekend. The university released the statement: “Coach Hatcher has always represented the university and our football program with dignity and class,” Samford VP Martin Newton said. “We’ve enjoyed some incredible moments together with our success on the field and in the classroom. However, the results on the field the last few seasons have not met our expectations, and it’s time to go in a different direction. I wish Chris and his family all the best moving forward and know the Bulldog family is appreciative of all his hard work.”

Truth be told, it wasn’t hard to justify his firing. The move comes after a pretty rough 1-9 start to the 2025 season. The university’s athletics director said the team’s performance just wasn’t meeting expectations anymore. Chris Hatcher’s been coaching this program since 2025. It’s a tough end to an 11-season run for Hatcher, who had a final overall record of 62-59 at Samford.

The decision feels extra sudden considering the team’s Cinderella run wasn’t too long ago. Back in 2022, Hatcher actually led the Bulldogs to an amazing 11-2 record and their first-ever outright Southern Conference championship. In fact, he even got named the conference Coach of the Year for that fantastic season. Because of that success, he was given a four-year contract extension in August 2023.

However, things went downhill pretty quickly after that big championship. After a disappointing 2023 season, the 2025 season kicked off with a 6 game losing streak. In between, they pulled their sole dub of their season against the VMI Keydets, that too a 24-22 close dub. Then again, got onto a 3 games loss streak. The board said, ‘Alas,’ and felt it was time to head in a new direction to get the program back on track.

Presumably, the Bulldogs will be naming an interim coach to finish out the season anytime now. The university is already on the lookout for a permanent replacement. So, a new coaching era for the Bulldogs is officially in the works. Unfortunately, the coaching carousel is about to claim another one of its victims.

The next man in line

Maryland football is in trouble after another tough loss, this time to Rutgers, 35–20, over the weekend. Surprisingly, the Terrapins started the season at 4–0, but things have quickly fallen apart with five straight losses. Now 4–5 overall and 1–5 in Big Ten play, Maryland needs to win two of its last three games just to make a bowl game. Fans are frustrated and calling for change after seeing the same struggles year after year.

Head coach Mike Locksley has been with Maryland for seven seasons, but his record hasn’t been great. He’s 36–41 overall and just 16–40 in Big Ten games. While he has led Maryland to three bowl wins, the team has continued to struggle in conference play, losing nine of its last ten Big Ten matchups. Many fans and analysts believe Locksley’s time is probably limited, especially after such poor results the past two years.

If Maryland decides to pull the trigger on Locksley after this season, it would owe him about $13 million – a big number, but still smaller than many other coaching buyouts in college football. Whether the school makes that move or not remains to be seen. For now, the Terrapins must regroup quickly as they prepare to face Illinois next week.