When the 2026 season started, there were some ACC football coaches on the hot seat, and it was anyone's guess as to who would be fired first. Last season, it didn't take Virginia Tech long to move on from head coach Brent Pry in September of 2025, but three months later, he walked back through the door as James Franklin's defensive coordinator. It was a shocking move.
As for the 2026 coaching carousel, it took eight weeks, but we had our first ACC coach fired. North Carolina State fired Dave Doeren on Saturday night after a 31-28 loss late Friday night at Stanford. It was a surprising move, but one that athletic director Boo Corrigan made after his team fell to 3-4. That move came three days after Maryland fired Mike Locksley.
Doeren's firing might not be the last ACC firing this cycle. Here are four coaches for whom it wouldn't be surprising to see a school make a move and fire their head coach.
4 ACC coaches who could be fired after Dave Doeren is let go at NC State
Mike Norvell, Florida State
Ok, so we'll start with the most obvious candidate. Mike Norvell has survived a 3-4 start and is coming out of their bye week, hosting Clemson. To his credit, his team hung tough on the road at No. 1 Miami last weekend, taking them to overtime before falling.
There is a path to becoming bowl-eligible for the Seminoles this season, and a win over the Tigers this upcoming weekend is a must. If FSU doesn't make a bowl game, then it wouldn't be surprising to see the school come up with the money to part ways with Norvell after the season.
Dabo Swinney, Clemson
This might seem like a long shot, but after losing to Virginia Tech at home on Saturday night, more and more frustration is growing within the fanbase. The Tigers are 4-3, and if they had any functional offense with their stout defense, they would at least be 5-2 right now.
Swinney has had a lot of success at Clemson, but sometimes a coach wears out his welcome. If the Tigers somehow don't become bowl-eligible, then things could really get interesting. A regular-season final against Shane Beamer and South Carolina could be two coaches coaching for their jobs in 2027.
Fran Brown, Syracuse
It was a great start to the Fran Brown era in Central New York, but things have slowly been heading in the wrong direction. An upset of Bill Belichick and North Carolina on Saturday night might have quieted things down for Brown for now, but you can bet a loss at home this upcoming weekend to SMU will get the whispers going again. This is one to watch if the season ends rough over the final month-plus.
Tony Elliott, Virginia
Well, it didn't take long for the Tony Elliott love in Charlottesville to hit a bump in the road. After a fluke 2025 season, the Cavaliers are 4-4 after a home loss to Duke on Friday night. A trip to Wake Forest this upcoming weekend might not end well, and if it doesn't, then frustration is going to get bigger and bigger within the fanbase.
Injuries have been a big problem this season, but some fans need to check their expectations at the door under Elliott at Virginia. Heck, high school football games in the Commonwealth drew more fans Friday night than UVA did at home.
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