Hot Seat Coaches
By Bruce Marshall
VegasInsider.com
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona...Rich-Rod's not-so-subtle December pursuit of other job openings (reportedly including Virginia Tech and Miami-Florida) left more than a few uncomfortable with the immediate future of the program in Tucson. Consistent winning has been hard to maintain at Arizona since Dick Tomey was dismissed in 2003, and Rich-Rod's curiosity suggests he might be the one to prompt a change with the Wildcats. But after slipping from 10 wins a year ago to 7 in 2015, a dip under .500 would likely get the rumor mill whirring regardless in the desert. We can already see the end of the Rodriguez regime not too far down the road in Tucson, though the coach might eventually beat any gathering posse out of town.
Todd Graham, Arizona State...Graham's history of job-jumping, having left previous assignments at Rice and Pitt after just one season, suggests he, like Rodriguez, is apt to have his eyes on openings elsewhere. Pac-12 sources believe that someday Graham would like to return to his native Texas, where a couple of jobs could be opening in the near future. In the meantime, however, Graham has to worry about keeping the Sun Devils afloat, as his career in Tempe is taking on many of the characteristics of predecessor Dennis Erickson, who was feted early in his regime before things went sour. For Graham, the just-completed 6-7 campaign represents his worst record with the Sun Devils, who will be breaking in another new starting QB this fall after the graduation of Mike Bercovici. ASU support is notoriously impatient, and another slip below .500 puts Graham in serious trouble. Though, like counterpart Rich-Rod at Tucson, Graham likely takes an escape route out of town if the walls appear to be closing in around him.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn...Regional sources report that Malzahn is on a short leash at Auburn after a couple of disappointing seasons in a row. Remember, the Tigers dismissed Malzahn predecessor Gene Chizik just two years after he won the national title in 2010. Malzahn reportedly was eyeing some of the recent openings at Miami and even South Carolina, and has the advantage of being a client of super-agent Jimmy Sexton. But sources say competing with the Nick Saban machine at Alabama has begun to wear on Malzahn, which means a double-barreled assault, as Tiger alums and boosters are notoriously impatient. Another underachieving 2016 greases Malzahn's skid out of Jordan-Hare Stadium. Remember, this is the SEC, where memories are short.
Jim Grobe, Baylor...The situation in Waco was turned upside-down in May after the disturbing off-field issues that resulted in the dismissal of HC Art Briles, and resignations of AD Ian McCaw and chanceller Kenneth Starr. The well-respected Grobe, who last coached at Wake Forest three years ago, has been hired on an interim basis to shepherd the program for 2016. Whether Baylor looks for a former branch of the Briles tree, such as Tulsa HC Philip Montgomery, sticks with Grobe, or goes in a new direction after the season, remains to be seen.
Brad Lambert, Charlotte...Lambert has been the only coach Charlotte football has ever known, leading the program from its inception in 2013. So it might be unreasonable to put him on this list. But in this day and age of college football, few coaches are completely safe, even those at nascent programs such as Charlotte; witness the pressure Larry Coker recently felt at fellow start-up UTSA, prompting Coker's recent resignation. The 49ers were 2-10 this past season and will be expected to make at least modest progress in 2016. Any regression could signal that Lambert isn't the man for a program that believes it should be on the map, and soon.
Tommy Tuberville, Cincinnati...The Bearcats' meek surrender in the Hawaii Bowl vs. San Diego State has turned up the heat on Tuberville, as Cincy's late-season efforts also included a 65-point allowance vs. South Florida. The Bearcat program already seems to be regressing from the highs it achieved during the Brian Kelly and Butch Jones years, and last season's 7-6 mark was not exactly a sign of progress. Possible issues with QB Gunner Kiel, scheduled to be a fifth-year senior in the fall but not with the team for bowl game in Hawaii (and a thumping loss to San Diego State), might be another situation to watch. Tuberville, who beat a forming posse out of Texas Tech after 2012, might have another quick escape up his sleeve if things begin to go pear-shaped at Nippert Stadium.
Mike MacIntyre, Colorado...Some Pac-12 sources thought "Coach Mac" might not survive 2015, his third straight losing season since being hired in Boulder. MacIntyre has yet to win more than four games with the Buffs, and the magic work he did previously at San Jose State is being quickly forgotten as CU continues to struggle. The Pac-12 remains a tough neighborhood, and the Buffs (who haven't been "bowling" since 2007, when still a member of the Big 12) have only hinted at a breakthrough. A legit surge to bowl eligibility in 2016 might be required for MacIntyre to stay in the saddle and also keep him a viable candidate down the road at alma mater Vanderbilt, where a faction of alums would like to move out Derek Mason and bring Mac back home, where his dad George (who passed away since the conclusion of last season) coached from 1979-85. But MacIntyre needs to win soon to stay a viable candidate anywhere, even in Boulder.
Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan...The task in Ypsilanti might be the most thankless in the FBS ranks, and Creighton might not be up to it after winning big at lower-level Wabash and Drake. But the just-completed 1-11 for the Eagles, after a 2-10 mark in Creighton's debut the season before, means progress at EMU remains hard to measure, with no more than two wins in any season since 2010. Like immediate predecessors Jeff Genyk and Ron English, the Creighton regime also appears destined to run aground at Rynearson Stadium.
Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State...Not long ago DeRuyter was considered an up-and-comer and a candidate for Pac-12 openings at Cal and Colorado. Now he is looking over his shoulder after back-to-back sub-.500 seasons and an unsightly 3-9 this past campaign. Some Mountain West sources believe DeRuyter was handed a loaded roster (including future NFL QB Derek Carr) from predecessor Pat Hill, which makes the dropoffs in 2014 & '15 a bit understandable but no less alarming. DeRuyter had the excuse of an extremely young roster in 2015, but another 3-9 or similar mark in 2016 turns the heat way up, as it would confirm the recent steep descent of the program.
Paul Petrino, Idaho...The pressure is not great in Moscow, where the Vandals have already announced they are downgrading to FCS status and full-time enrollment in the Big Sky beginning in 2017. In the meantime, remember that a few years ago the Vandals ran off a coach (Robb Akey) who got them to a rare bowl game in 2009. Petrino's record improved to 4-8 in 2015 after back-to-back 1-win campaigns, but that isn't enough to keep the war drums from beating, even at Idaho. A well-publicized confrontation with one of the Vandals' few beat writers last August has already landed Petrino in some trouble, and another sub-.500 mark in the Sun Belt might be too much to overcome.
Bill Snyder, Kansas State...There will never be any resignation pressure at K-State for Snyder, whose name appears on this list solely because some regional observers believe Snyder might decide to call it quite after the 2016 season, when Snyder turns 77. Snyder is effectively coaching year-to-year at this stage of his career, and he has recently announced that he will return for 2016. Beyond that, however, is anyone's guess, though Snyder is currently signed thru 2017.
Paul Haynes, Kent State...Kent State is not Ohio State, so there is usually little pressure on a coach with a losing record at Dix Stadium. Three losing years in a row, however, is a different story, and Haynes has not recorded a mark better than 4-8 since his first season heading the Golden Flashes in 2013. Even in the MAC, that sort of consistent losing is a problem, especially since Haynes replaced the successful Darrell Hazell, who moved to Purdue after getting Kent State to a bowl in the 2012 season.
Mark Stoops, Kentucky...There isn't as much pressure on Kentucky football as there is Kentucky basketball, but even with a relatively low threshold for safety, Stoops walks a thin line after failing to get the Cats to a bowl in his three years on the job. The past two seasons have been especially frustrating, as Kentucky has collapsed after fast starts, including this past season when fading to lose six of its last seven after a 4-1 start. In 2013, UK lost six straight after beginning 5-1. SEC sources say Stoops needs at least a minor bowl this coming season, as even Wildcat football fans have some expectations.
Les Miles, LSU...Annually on the hot seat in one of the nation’s most-demanding jobs, Miles look like a dead man walking at the end of last season before being thrown an unexpected lifeline in late November. That, however, might only prove a temporary stay of execution, though there is hope the exasperating offense might have finally turned the corner in a 56-27 Texas Bowl rout of Texas Tech Now Purdue transfer Danny Etling arrives to battle holdover Brandon Harris for the QB job, which this year might not mean much more than handing off to Heisman contender RB Leonard Fournette. Still, Tiger QBs have been notorious for the lack of progress in the recent years of the Miles regime, and the Baton Rouge faithful, while appreciative of the high-level recruiting maintained by the Miles staff, do not want to see reruns of the often-unwatchable offenses of the past few years. Miles might need a big season to survive into 2017.
Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss...The past few years have been a renaissance of sorts at Ole Miss in the best run of success since the Johnny Vaught era. But Freeze has been caught in some off-field crossfire with several controversies involving numerous players that have threatened to undermine all of the progress made since 2012. Though Freeze is not likely to land in hot water because of team performance, further escalation of those off-field distractions puts Freeze and his staff in the crosshairs.
Mike Riley, Nebraska...The Huskers were assuredly the best 6-7 team in the nation this past season, but Riley was not hired from Oregon State a year ago to shepherd a descent into mediocrity. Nebraska would lose five games in maddening, last-minute fashion in 2015, prompting some Husker backers to wonder why they had dismissed Bo Pelini, who could have just as easily lose almost every close decision. In the end, Riley might have been saved by a rousing early-November win over Michigan State, and the Huskers' bowl pounding of UCLA temporarily removed some pressure into the offseason. But another losing record in 2016 might prompt some Husker administrators into believing they made a mistake, as not even Bill Callahan posted back-to-back losing seasons before being dismissed after 2007.
Darrell Hazell, Purdue...Some Big Ten sources were wondering if Hazell would survive 2015 if the Boilermakers missed a bowl game for the third straight season on his watch. Not only did Purdue, miss, it didn't come close, regressing to 2-10, putting Hazell at a not-so-robust 6-30 in three years on the job at Ross-Ade Stadium. Failure to land a postseason slot in 2016 would likely prompt a revolt by whatever boosters are remaining in West Lafayette, so Hazell enters next season not only on the hot seat, but also as one of the coaches most likely to walk the plank before the campaign completes.
Ron Caragher, San Jose State...The Orlando Cure Bowl win over Georgia State was a nice way to end the season, but it only got the Spartans to 6-7, and Caragher has overseen a decline in the program since succeeding Mike MacIntyre in 2013. Some Mountain West observers thought Caragher might be in trouble this season until the unexpected bowl lifeline. More regression next season, however, will likely spell problems for Caragher, who has yet to post a winning record in three seasons since his hire from USD.
Clay Helton, Southern Cal...Don't let the full-time appointment AD Pat Haden bestowed upon Helton prior to the Pac-12 title game vs. Stanford suggest that the new coach is in the clear. Haden has since retired and Helton will be working for a new AD and another former Trojan great, Lynn Swann. And since some Pac-12 insiders already believe the job is too big for Helton, a repeat of recent messy scenarios at SC could be on the horizon. Note that the Trojans are 0-2 since Helton had the interim label stripped by Haden, and SC will be breaking in a new QB when it opens next season vs. Alabama in Arlington. The possibility of an 0-3 break from the gate by Helton is hardly a way to endear himself to some of college football's most demanding fans.
Butch Jones, Tennessee...Jones is facing pressure from two fronts as 2016 approaches. Off-field issues involving Vol players has cast the program in an unflattering light, and how deep those accusations eventually dig could negatively impact the coaching staff and administrators. But Jones has enough trouble on the football, with expectations sky-high in Knoxville and the Vols considered the team to beat in the SEC East. Last year, UT was probably the best team in the East but lost four games in close fashion, and strategy provign costly especially in the Florida loss when eschewing an obvious 2-point conversion try when up 12 in the 4th Q, in a game the Vols eventually lost by a 28-27 count. All adding to the perceptions that Jones might not be the best game coach. It is unlikely they will be awarding any mulligans at Neyland Stadium this fall if UT disappoints and falls short of expectations in Butch’s fourth season.
Charlie Strong, Texas... No seat might be hotter than Strong's after the Longhorns missed a bowl last season. Texas hasn't lost more games in a two-year stretch than it ahs on Strong;'s watch since 1955-56, preceding the Darrell Royal hire. Moreover, the Horns have often looked uncompetitive and the offense has fallen behind the high-tech race in the Big 12, which prompted Strong to seek a new offensive coordinator and landing upon Tulsa's Sterlin Gilbert, who will try to implement a Baylor quick-strike style, likely with true frosh QB Shane Buechele at the controls. Texas, which ranked 118th nationally in pass offense last season, has nowhere to go but up on the attack end, but the improvements need to be drastic and for Texas to get to 8 or 9 wins to give Strong a chance to last into 2017.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M...The recent forced resignation of Aggie AD Eric Hyman, ostensibly because he was such a pro-Sumlin supporter, should be a warning sign for the A&M coach, who has presided over three consecutive disappointing seasons at Kyle Field after his rousing debut with "Johnny Football" in 2012. Since then, however, the situation would sour with Manziel and a succession of other QBs (six in all) who have left College Station early during Sumlin's four seasons in charge, including both of this past season's QBs, Kyle Allen (transferring to Houston) and Kyler Murray (bound for Oklahoma). With the Aggies not competing at the top level of the SEC West in the past three seasons either, Sumlin has suddenly found himself in the crosshairs. It has been reported that Sumlin was once high on the list of potential college-to-NFL coaches, and Sumlin might still be desirous of such a move, but his marketability could be on the wane. Along with Gus Malzahn at Auburn, Sumlin's situation looms as one of the most treacherous in the SEC entering 2016.
Derek Mason, Vanderbilt...Though the Dores were a tough out in 2015, they have descended noticeably in two years under Mason, who hasn't come close to matching the stretch of bowl visits that highlighted predecessor James Franklin's regime. Moreover, the Dore offense has become unspeakably boring as the team has become painful to watch under Mason. With local support evaporating in the two losing seasons on Mason's watch, many alums are voicing their displeasure. Mason's fate, however, is aligned closely to Commodore Vice Chancellor for Athletics (the Dores' fancy name for their AD) David Williams, who is staunchly in Mason's corner. As long as Williams remains on the job, SEC sources believe Mason has a safety blanket for at least a couple of more years, but that won't stop some of the disgruntled alums from hoping.
Craig Bohl, Wyoming...Bohl's reputation continues to be burnished by the powerhouse he built and situation he left behind at North Dakota State, with the Bison continuing to win FCS titles (now five straight after claiming another last season!) as they did for three consecutive years with Bohl before he moved to Laramie in 2014. Which Bohl might be wondering about these days after back-to-back losing seasons and a painful 2-10 this past season, the Cowboys' worst since Vic Koenning's 2002 team finished with the same record. Wyo's small but hardcore support base knows that it might as well have kept predecessor Dave Christensen for a 6-18 two-year mark (indeed, Christensen never won fewer than nine over any of his two-year spans in Laramie). For the moment, Bohl is said to retain support of the administrators, but anything close to another 2-10, and the former NDSU coach could find himself in the soup at Laramie.