In the age of expansive contracts and hefty buyouts, very few feel sorry for coaches mired in disappointment who aren't retained at the end of the season. Within the SEC specifically, a league with several of college football's highest-paid program leaders, job security hangs in the balance every year for the coaches not living up to expectations.

More than a quarter of the SEC made managerial changes at the top at the end of the 2019 campaign, an attempt to alter momentum and get back on the right track. No Power 5 league has more new faces entering spring practice, including three from one division.

247Sports national analyst Bud Elliott recently pinpointed several program leaders who face pivotal seasons this fall, but may not necessarily be on the hot seat due to a variety of circumstances. There are a few SEC names in his list, guys who need to show improvement in 2020 to prove upward trajectory heading into the future ... or else.

Taking that a step further, College Football News editor Pete Fiutak recently put a price on everyone's head, ranking the SEC's head coaches in relation to job security from top to bottom. Here are his picks from safe to hottest seat entering the 2020 season: