How Scoring Works
Four systems power Coaching Buzz. Here's what each one measures and how to read it.
Hot Seat Score (0–100)
Our editorial rating of a coach's job security, informed by record trajectory, buyout situation, administration signals, and reported pressure. Higher is hotter. Every score change is reviewed by a human before it publishes.
| Score | Band | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 98–100 | FIRING WATCH | Credible reporting that a change is imminent or decided. The rarest state — a firing is actively unfolding. |
| 93–97 | NUCLEAR | Program in open crisis: sustained losing plus public administration or booster pressure. Beyond ordinary fan outrage — almost never assigned. |
| 85–92 | SCORCHING | Win-or-be-fired season. Reached in-season as results pile up, not before kickoff. |
| 75–84 | VERY HOT | Heavy pressure; the fanbase expects results now. An in-season band — off-limits during the preseason. |
| 62–74 | HOT | Significant pressure; a bad season likely ends it. The preseason ceiling for the hottest seats. |
| 45–61 | WARM | Pressure building; needs visible progress. |
| 0–44 | SAFE | Secure. |
The top two tiers are exceptional states, not the top of the normal scale. NUCLEAR (93+) means a program is in open crisis — sustained losing plus public administration or booster pressure, beyond ordinary fan outrage. FIRING WATCH (98+) is gated: a coach only reaches it when fresh, credible reporting says a change is imminent or decided. The preseason cap is 74 (the top of HOT) — the 80s and 90s are earned once the season is underway, so nobody starts the year VERY HOT, SCORCHING, NUCLEAR, or on firing watch.
Buzz Meter (0–100)
Fully automated: how much coaching-related news volume a coach is generating over the last 7 days, weighted by recency and story weight. Buzz is not danger — it's attention. A coach can be buzzing because of a contract extension just as easily as a losing streak.
Fan Approval
A weekly community vote: do you approve of your coach? One vote per fan per coach per week. It resets weekly so the chart tracks how the fan base's mood moves through the season.
Pick’em scoring
Carousel Pick'em rewards courage: base points are inverse to how obvious a pick was at lock (calling a shocker pays more than calling a sure thing), with a timing bonus for early entries and a hire prediction bonus if you also nail the replacement.
Scores and analysis are editorial opinion for entertainment. Buyout figures are sourced estimates unless officially disclosed.