Every head coach in college football is under extreme pressure on a yearly basis.

The transfer portal and NIL/revenue sharing have erased any of the patience fan bases possessed (which wasn’t much to begin with). There are no more “Year Zeros” and the adage that coaches get three years before they’re judged no longer applies, even in the G6. 

Fans want to win. Administrations want the money they’ve raised to translate into on-field success. And every coach in the country understands this reality. But not every situation is built the same. Some face pressure because their jobs are on the line. Others face pressure because of the talent on the roster. And then some others face it because circumstances, and expectations, have changed. 

There are 13 FBS programs in Texas and each of the head coaches will tell you that they feel pressure to deliver. Though, admittedly, the pressure on Year 1 North Texas head coach Neal Brown is different than, say, Baylor’s Dave Aranda. Guys like Willie Fritz (Houston), Joey McGuire (Texas Tech), Rhett Lashlee (SMU) and Mike Elko (Texas A&M) know that the pressure is on, but we admit not to the same level as others on the list below.

Here are the seven coaches in the Lone Star State feeling the most pressure heading into 2026. 

7. Phil Longo, Sam Houston

Longo is only entering Year 2 at Sam Houston and he was dealt a tough hand to play in 2025 because of the timing of his hiring and the fact that the Bearkats didn’t have a usable home stadium. Yet, it doesn’t feel like the fan base is bought into the idea that he is the right man to lead them forward for the next 5-10 years. Sam Houston was 2-10 last year while ranking dead last in Conference USA in scoring offense and scoring defense. With Bowers Stadium renovated and a full portal cycle under his belt, Longo needs to deliver a bowl trip to build some confidence in Huntsville. 

6. Jeff Traylor, UTSA 

Traylor won back-to-back conference championships in Conference USA and then hit the ground running in the American in 2023 with a nine-win season. His Roadrunners are 12-12 in the regular season over the last two seasons, however. Traylor knows something needs to change and that’s why he made multiple staff moves after last year, including a change at offensive coordinator. UTSA remains great at home with a 10-2 record at the Alamodome during that span, but a 2-10 mark on the road is a head scratcher. Traylor isn’t on the hot seat, but another .500 season could result in the fan base moving onto the NBA season sooner than normal. 

5. Sonny Dykes, TCU    

The Dykes situation at TCU is interesting. On one hand, he just signed an extension after leading the Frogs to back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time in a decade. He had them in the national championship game a few seasons ago and TCU has more wins since he was hired than any other program in the Big 12. But the online discourse is that Dykes should be fighting for his job in 2026. That’s because the program is 14-13 in the Big 12 since the start of 2023. SMU and Texas Tech’s rise coinciding with those results doesn’t help. TCU should be in Big 12 contention come November in most seasons and that hasn’t been true since 2022. That needs to change. 

4. G.J. Kinne, Texas State 

This is another interesting one because Kinne is a Made Man in San Marcos. The Bobcats could go 2-10 in their first season as a Pac-12 program and no one outside of a few Twitter burners would push for a coaching change. But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a huge year for Texas State and for Kinne. They want to hit the ground running in the new conference and prove that the Pac-12 made the right bet. Sure, Kinne has led the program to three straight bowl wins, but his conference record during his time in San Marcos is 12-12. The competition level will increase in the Pac-12 and his Bobcats need to at least reach another bowl game to keep momentum high and the recruiting trail hot. 

3. Steve Sarkisian, Texas 

Another coach that probably wouldn’t lose his job if 2026 doesn’t go as planned. It is true that Sarkisian has reestablished the Longhorns on the national stage and helped them fit in as an SEC program. He’s won 10+ games three straight years and led Texas to the CFP twice. But Texas went all-in in the offseason to give Arch Manning a supporting cast that can win the conference, and maybe even the national championship. Texas measures success in championships and Sark has a team that’s as good as anyone else in the country. If he doesn’t deliver, the noise will get loud on the Forty Acres. Think Ryan Day before the national championship run a couple of seasons ago. 

2. Scotty Walden, UTEP 

I think UTEP is the toughest job in Texas and the move to the Mountain West might make it even tougher, at least in the short term. The Miners hired Scotty Walden ahead of the 2024 season believing that his energy and enthusiasm would help the program raise its ceiling and capture the city of El Paso. Instead, it’s been much of the same in the Sun City. The Miners are 5-19 overall and 4-12 in conference play under Walden and the step up in competition from Conference USA to the Mountain West is significant. 

1. Dave Aranda, Baylor 

Aranda wouldn’t still be the head football coach at Baylor if Mack Rhodes had not resigned at the end of the 2025 season. The Bears didn’t want to rush the athletic director hire and they didn’t want to hire a head football coach without a sitting AD, which makes sense. But I understand the apathy infecting the Baylor fan base and it would take a real herculean effort for Aranda to win them back en masse. How many wins would Aranda need for the average Baylor fan to want him back in 2027? 7? 8? I don’t think 6-6 would cut it.