Brent Venables, Sam Pittman lead hot seat talk in 2025
Brent Venables, Sam Pittman and Mike Gundy lead the list of coaches under pressure in 2025.
When the NCAA allowed college athletes to transfer once without the penalty of having to sit out a year, players were offered an opportunity to seek fresh starts elsewhere while benefitting from the kind of unrestrained mobility coaches had enjoyed for decades.
One of the effects of that change, though, has been a widening gulf between college football’s haves and have nots, with programs from the sport’s biggest, most powerful conferences routinely plucking standouts from lower-level schools that don’t have the platform or financial resources to hold on to them.
It’s a reality that has caused frustration for many, particularly those outside of the Power Four conferences.
This week, one coach gave a loud, passionate voice to those feelings.
During a news conference on August 13, Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock said the ability to move from program to program has led to misplaced priorities from players and their parents, who he believes increasingly don’t value some of the non-monetary benefits that college can provide.
“I enjoyed my college experience,” Hammock said. “I didn’t get one dime. But the lessons I learned were more valuable than any money you could ever pay me. I appreciate that because that’s long term. People are losing the fact this is short term…Don’t lose focus of the long term. Get your degree and learn valuable lessons that are going to help you in the long term of your life. That’s the whole purpose. This is a transition from being a kid to a grown up. I hope people don’t lose focus of that.
“Everyone’s talking about everything else…
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/08/14/northern-illinois-coach-thomas-hammock-nil-transfer-portal-football/85663241007/
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Publish date : 2025-08-14 19:04:00
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