Coaching Carousel Update
By Bruce Marshall
Get ready everyone, the college coaching rumor mill is about to start whirring.
We’ve already had three coaches sent packing before the end of this season, with blogs and chat rooms starting to buzz about possible replacements and other projected openings. But more are still on the firing line, and with a couple of weeks still to go in the college campaign, it behooves us to keep abreast of which coaches are under the gun, and which teams might fall into the abyss down the stretch. Here is a quick look at where the current openings stand and who's on the hot seat as the campaign winds down...
Colorado... At the moment, the Buff opening is creating the most buzz across the country after Dan Hawkins’ dismissal on November 9. Excitable interim HC Brian Cabral, Hawkins’ LB coach and long an institution in Boulder, had an uplifting debut in last week’s 34-14 win over Iowa State, but his chances at landing the job on a permanent basis appear slim with no background as a coordinator. Still, Cabral might be given some consideration if he can steer the Buffs to an unlikely bowl, which is possible with wins in CU’s last two games. Cabral is immersed in Buff culture, with his wife also working for the Alumni Association, and he would probably come cheaper than some of the names being mentioned for the job.
Of those, perhaps the most interesting is that of former HC Bill McCartney, who has been out of the profession since leaving the Buffs following the 1994 season. The now 70-year-old McCartney did resurrect CU in the decade previous to his retirement, but it would be a stretch to equate McCartney’s situation to that of Kansas State’s Bill Snyder, who had stepped away for only three years before reassuming command of the Wildcats in 2009. McCartney’s very visible involvement with the "Promise Keepers" might also rub some the wrong way, so we suspect his candidacy is probably a non-starter. There have been reports, however, of trial balloons being floated to a couple of SEC coaches who have heard the war drums beating in their current locales, although neither Georgia’s Mark Richt nor LSU’s Les Miles have indicated any interest in leaving their current positions. In Richt’s case, he might not have much choice (read on). Big XII sources indicate the Buffs are not necessarily going to be wed to a candidate with CU ties, such as former star and current Vikings RB coach Eric Bienemy. Rather, a couple of high-profile ex-coaches, Texas Tech’s Mike Leach and Oregon’s Mike Bellotti, both of whom apparently wanting "back in" to the profession, are reportedly high on the CU list.
A couple of others to watch could be Air Force’s Troy Calhoun, who reportedly turned down an offer from Tennessee last January, and San Diego State’s Brady Hoke, who seems ticketed for bigger things than his current San Diego State gig after steering the Aztecs and previous team Ball State quickly into prominence. Another longshot name is that of Jon Gruden, although it would seem very unlikely that the former Raiders and Bucs HC would pursue an opening in Boulder with NFL teams likely to inquire about his services if he were interested in leaving his cushy ESPN Monday Night Football gig.
Minnesota... This position has been open since mid-October following Tim Brewster’s ouster, and no shortage of names have suffered in Minneapolis. A couple of familiar coaches looking to get back into the rat race, the aforementioned Mike Leach and Kansas’ Mark Mangino, have both been mentioned as possibilities, although considering the quirks of each, some sources wonder if their candidacies could be too easily scuttled by outside factors. Former NFL offensive assistant Marc Trestman, a long-ago Miami Hurricanes QB and now HC of the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, has been mentioned, as have a couple of Minnesota Vikings assistants, d.c. Leslie Frazier (who has interviewed for NFL openings before and could be ready to take Brad Childress’ spot at any time) and o.c. Darrell Bevell, a former Wisconsin QB.
An influential sort in the process will be high-profile alum Tony Dungy, who quickly rejected any feelers about being interested in the job right after Brewster’s ouster but has pledged to offer his assistance in finding a new coach. The Vikings’ Frazier is thought to be preferred by Dungy, although with Frazier likely to be on any short list for potential NFL openings, many do not see him taking a rebuilding job with the Gophers. There could be sentiment for a minority hire in Minneapolis, given that there hasn’t been an African-American coach in the Big Ten since 2002, Bobby Williams’ last season at Michigan State. Which means that Houston Cougar HC Kevin Sumlin could definitely be in the mix, as might New Mexico State HC DeWayne Walker, a Minnesota alum. Walker might be a tough sell in the Twin Cities after winning just five games the past two years in Las Cruces, although many believe that to be quite an accomplishment, and Walker’s previous work as a defensive aide in the NFL and a d.c. at UCLA (where he narrowly lost out to Rick Neuheisel to land the Bruin gig) put him in the mix for a various openings a few years ago.
North Texas... Though not generating quite the attention of openings at Minneapolis and Boulder, the Mean Green are also looking for a replacement to Todd Dodge, who was dismissed three weeks ago once it became impossible for UNT to record an above-.500 mark, which was going to be Dodge’s safe-water mark this season. But unlike the situations in Minnesota (with Jeff Horton) and Colorado (with Brian Cabral), the Mean Green’s interim HC, Mike Canales, might have a decent shot at landing the job on a full-time basis. Canales, who was serving as Dodge’s offensive coordinator, has made an impressive debut with two wins in his first three games, and narrowly missing a major upset at Troy in the lone defeat. Canales’ candidacy is also bolstered by impressive work in his most recent gig as o.c. at South Florida, where he gained notice before becoming involuntarily entwined in the unraveling of the Jim Leavitt regime for the Bulls. Cast aside with the rest of the staff when Leavitt was dismissed under controversial circumstances well after most of the coaching jobs were filled last winter, Canales surfaced at UNT to fill the open o.c. position, and many believe he would be the perfect fit in Denton.
A familiar name has surfaced as a possibility if the Mean Green don’t look in Canales’ direction, however. Former Southern Miss HC Jeff Bower is reportedly interested in the position and will likely be on any short list complied by North Texas AD Rick Villarreal.
Other situations to watch in the coming weeks...
Ron Zook, Illinois... Zook seemed to have weathered the storm and appeared safe as recently as a few weeks ago, but back-to-back losses to Michigan and Minnesota (particularly crushing) have recalled some of the vultures to Champaign-Urbana. The consensus seemed to be that a bowl berth of any kind would probably put Zook in safe territory, but with the possibility that the Fighting Illini could end the season with four straight defeats if they lose on Saturday (at Wrigley Field) vs. Northwestern and in the finale at Fresno State, thus missing out on the postseason, Zook might have a hard time surviving after barely hanging on to his job thanks partly to financial considerations after last season.
Mike Locksley, New Mexico... The 2010 season has unfolded in almost the same way as 2009 for Locksley, who has again avoided a winless campaign with the Lobos thanks to a narrow November home win over another struggling Mountain West outfit (this year Wyoming, last year Colorado State) while New Mexico offers modest pointspread value as huge underdogs against disinterested foes. Not quite the recipe to stay employed. Mountain West sources indicate that New Mexico insiders realize the Locksley hire was a mistake, but there is no word yet on any resolution to the financial implications of paying off the remainder of Locksley’c contract, reportedly in the $3 million range. Locksley can thus be grateful that no well-heeled Boone Pickens-type booster is pushing the buttons in Albuquerque. Various MWC observers are wondering if AD Paul Krebs might feel some kind of backlash, too, for not only hiring Locksley, but failing to terminate him a year ago with cause and likely saving the school a huge buyout.
Bob Toledo, Tulane... If Tulane is indeed going to make a change, Bob Toledo is making sure his Green Wave go down with a fight, as recent competitive efforts have reverses what looked to be a worrying repeat of past midseason collapses that put Toledo’s tenure in jeopardy. Unfortunately, the Wave are no closer to a bowl than they’ve been in four years on Toledo’s watch, and CUSA sources who thought Toledo was fortunate to survive last year’s 3-9 are wondering if the school is going to be in the same forgiving mood next month.
Paul Wulff, Washington State... The jury is no longer out on this year’s Cougs, who have made marked improvement over a year ago, confirmed by numerous pointspread covers and their first Pac-10 win in two years, last week’s 31-14 thrashing of host Oregon State. Now, the question is whether that’s enough to convince new AD Bill Moos to give Wulff one more year to get Wazzu near bowl contention. Remember, the Cougs are still just 2-9 this season, and their improvement is really a function of how far the program dropped under its first two seasons for Wulff. Some Pac-10 observers wonder if Wulff’s job will be on the line for the upcoming Apple Cup vs. U-Dub on December 4 in Pullman.
Dennis Erickson, Arizona State... Hmmm. Last Saturday’s loss to Stanford means that ASU (which can only count one of its wins over FCS foes Northern Arizona and Portland State toward bowl eligibility) will miss the postseason for the third straight year, pretty hard to do in this era of college football. Although the Sun Devils have been painfully close, not only against Stanford, but in most of their other defeats (lost by 1 at Wisconsin, 3 at Oregon State, 1 at Southern Cal, and now 4 vs. Stanford), Erickson might get cut some slack, setting up 2011 as an absolute must-win year. But most disturbing about ASU’s 4-6 mark is the apathy that het descended upon Tempe; Sun Devil Stadium was barely half-full for last Saturday’s game vs. the Cardinal. If Erickson gets the boot, that might be the determining factor. Bellotti and especially Leach have been mentioned as possible successors should Erickson walk the plank.
Mark Richt, Georgia... Can Richt survive a bowl-less campaign in Athens? We might find out in a few weeks after the finale vs. Georgia Tech, a win the Dawgs need to reach 6-6 and bowl eligibility. But would that even be enough to save Richt, whose star had already fallen in Bulldog Nation the previous two years? Should this job open, it becomes the plum coaching opportunity of the offseason.
Robbie Caldwell, Vanderbilt... There have been reports that interim Dore HC Caldwell is working on a multi-year contract in Nashville, although Vandy Nation arose in an uproar after believing that might have meant Caldwell was going to be sticking around as head coach, hardly an appealing thought with the Dores in the midst of a brutal collapse. SEC sources not tell us that Caldwell is almost assuredly not going to return as head coach, though he could be retained by the new coach. A name to watch could be Green Bay Packers QB coach Tom Clements, once a Notre Dame QB (on the national title ‘73 team) and Ara Parseghian’s preferred candidate for recent South Bend openings. Others say to keep an eye on Miami-Florida o.c. Mark Whipple (who apparently inquired about the Vandy job when Bobby Johnson retired in summer) or James Madison HC Mickey Matthews.
Bill Lynch, Indiana... Administrators are on record in Bloomington as saying they want to give Lynch every chance to succeed, and that the coaching turnover this decade has been a negative. But after getting clocked 83-20 by Wisconsin last week, some Hoosier backers have seen enough. The team obviously isn’t progressing and IU risks significant collateral damage to the program if Lynch is allowed to hang on one more year as a de facto lame duck. His fate likely rests in the last two games vs. Penn State and Purdue, a sobering thought with QB Ben Chappell now hurting.
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan... Rich-Rod is officially safe after a pair of wins over Illinois & Purdue have the Wolverines within sight of a decent bowl bid. But the stop unit remains a mess, and if nothing else we would suspect d.c. Greg Robinson is in danger of getting thrown under the bus if the recent fade continues.