College Coaches in the Hot Seat

[Bigdaddydvo]

I'll preface this by saying Charlie Weis isn't going anywhere soon. If next year remotely resembles this season, then we can talk. With that said, a poster on an ND message board offered this list of coaches who could be on their way out. Of the list, I think Bill Callahan has got to be in the most trouble, he being in his fourth year and coming off of back to back blowouts. Thoughts from the 2+2 community...

Mike Stoops (Arizona): 12-22 coming into this year and 2-5 thus far. Spunky effort against USC but without at least one major upset 4-8 is going to be the top end. Muerto.

Guy Morriss (Baylor): I actually think he's a pretty good coach and maybe the situation at Baylor is just hopeless. But he's got 3 wins this year and that's probably all he'll get. Hard to say.

Lloyd Carr (Michigan): I doubt that they'll out and out fire him, but I can easily see him being forced out after the way they started. Michigan will likely struggle next year in any event.

Bill Callahan (Nebraska): 22-15 coming into this year and the owner of a shiny new contract extension for five years. I would have said 3 weeks ago that I was 99% sure he'd be back next year, but combined losses by a score of 86-20 to Missouri and Oklahoma State have rocked the program to its foundation. His DC Cosgrove is certainly going to be gone. If NU winds up 6-6 or worse (which is a real possibility) I think Callahan probably will be gone and so too will the A.D. who hired him.

Houston Nutt (Arkansas): Muy Muerto. All the offseason stuff, a new A.D. and their poor play this year have doomed him. Funny, he was actually one of NU's choices before Callahan.

Bill Doba (Washington State): Muerto. Even if they beat Stanford and UW (their only two winnable games remaining) they'll be 4-8 and sliding downhill quickly.

Dave Wannestedt (Pitt): I said this was a terrible hire when it was made, and for once I was right. Wanny is now 13-16 at Pitt and the Navy loss sucked whatever breath remained here. The only thing that could save him is his connections in the Athletic Dep't but his only remaining winnable game is Syracuse, which brings me to:

Greg Robinson (Syracuse): An even worse hire than Wanny. Aside from the shocker win at L'ville and a 3-point loss to Miami of Ohio the Orange hasn't been close. Robinson will likely end 3 years with 6 or so wins. The only question is whether Syracuse's punk A.D. can admit he made a mistake.

Karl Dorrell (UCLA): Muerto. The N.D. and Utah losses coupled with the high expectations this year have doomed him.

Dennis Franchione (Texas A&M): Muy Muerto. I'm not even going to elaborate further.

Ed Orgeron (Ole Miss): 7-16 coming into this year. The Rebs are more competitive this year but are 2-5 and are looking probably at two more wins tops. Probably gone.

Sly Croom (Mississippi St.): He was 9-25 coming into this year. I kinda like him and actually hope he gets another year. MSU is 4-3 right now and they are playing better ball. He really probably needs two more wins and Arkansas and Ole Miss looks like the best bets. Road wins over Kentucky or WVU or a home win over Bama would be major surprises.

Ty Willingham (Washington): I can't add much to whatever has been said. After Oregon hands UW its heads next week, the Huskies will be 2-5. That will make Willingham 9-21 at UW. They have winnable games against Stanford and Arizona but very likely losses on the road at Oregon State and Hawaii and to Cal. The Apple Cup is always a toss-up. 5-8 looks like about the best he can do. UW should fire him but who knows what they'll do.

Phil Fulmer (Tennessee): Probably safe but if they wind up 6-6 (now at 4-2) it could happen.

Bobby Bowden (FSU): I doubt that they'll out and out fire him, but despite the staff changes this year, FSU looks to be no better than 7-5. They are 4-2 and have very difficult road games against 3 teams in the top 15. That would give them 5 losses and losses to Miami and Maryland are not entirely out the question.

[mmbt0ne]

It really is a crying [censored] shame that Chan Gailey keeps pulling off enough random wins every year to not make this list.

It tilts the everliving [censored] out of me. STOP WINNING GAMES LIKE AT AUBURN AND AT #3 MIAMI AND THEN LOSING AT VIRGINIA, OR AT DUKE, OR HOME VERSUS NC STATE YOU GODDAMN BUM

[JaredL]

Once again it's a joke that you include Willingham.

I'm a duck fan and hope he goes. He has brought that program up from the total [censored], may or may not beat Idaho level to bad but respectable it will be a tough game we'll probably win level.

All domerism aside, Willingham has shown at Stanford, Notre Dame and now Washington that he's a top coach that has brought those programs above average success looking at their recent past and present.

[Bigdaddydvo]

[ QUOTE ]
It really is a crying [censored] shame that Chan Gailey keeps pulling off enough random wins every year to not make this list.

It tilts the everyliving [censored] out of me. STOP WINNING GAMES LIKE AT AUBURN AND AT #3 MIAMI AND THEN LOSING AT VIRGINIA, OR AT DUKE, OR HOME VERSUS NC STATE YOU GODDAMN BUM

[/ QUOTE ]

I've meant to ask you this, but why has Tenuta been consistently passed up as a H.C. candidate? The guy is a freaking defensive genius. Is he simply one of those Norm Chow types that just loves one side of the ball and wants to forego the hassles of becoming a head coach?

[polkaface]

I realize everything you said is regarding coaches in BCS conferences. But one 95% sure bet is that Phil Bennett is out at SMU after being on the verge of a bowl game last year (and the AD wanted him gone last year, but players stuck up for him in a big way and saved his job, including the then Freshman school Record setter at QB[Justin Willis])

I do not think Justin Willis can save his coach's job this year.

I think you are dead on with Franchione, Nutt and Callahan. I would like to see Morriss get one more year. I think Willingham gets one more year. I hope Croom gets one more year. Robinson needs to go. No opinion on the others.

[mmbt0ne]

You know what, I have no idea. I knew Reuben Houston, of pot-selling fame, from high school and I remember after the 2004 season talking to him and him saying that everyone on the defense thought that he was leaving for a HC job. Somehow he ended up staying and you never really even hear his name come up as a serious candidate for jobs.

I don't understand it, but I'll take it. Of course the other [censored] thing is that Gailey is becoming a much better recruiter and the high school parents love him. For a long time he was able to get underrated recruits and turn classes that ranked in the 60's into top 30 teams, and now he's getting better classes. It's just that he's a terrible game coach.

[Austiger]

Great thread.

Willingham should not be fired, nor should Croom (Beating Bama at home would not be a major surprise, by the way. That game will be a tossup.) The Callahan situation is pretty amazing. How do you [censored] up that bad at a traditional power? I'm also amazed at how bad Pitt is this year. I thought they were recruiting at a pretty high level.

[Bigdaddydvo]

[ QUOTE ]
Great thread.

Willingham should not be fired, nor should Croom (Beating Bama at home would not be a major surprise, by the way. That game will be a tossup.) The Callahan situation is pretty amazing. How do you [censored] up that bad at a traditional power? I'm also amazed at how bad Pitt is this year. I thought they were recruiting at a pretty high level.

[/ QUOTE ]

Regrettably for Husky fans, Ty will probably get at least one more year.

Wanny has done quite well on the recruiting trail, as he's plucked away lots of top talent from W. PA that would otherwise end up in JoePa's hands. His game day abilities and skill with developing players is what's being questioned now.

[gjv76]

[ QUOTE ]
Greg Robinson (Syracuse): An even worse hire than Wanny. Aside from the shocker win at L'ville and a 3-point loss to Miami of Ohio the Orange hasn't been close. Robinson will likely end 3 years with 6 or so wins. The only question is whether Syracuse's punk A.D. can admit he made a mistake.

[/ QUOTE ]

Robinson better get fired this year. Losing to Miami OH should be the nail in the coffin. How many of his wins in the last 3 years came aganist University of Buffalo. How the hell does one of the better programs of the 90s become one of the worst in college football?

[Anacardo]

[ QUOTE ]

Regrettably for Husky fans, Ty will probably get at least one more year.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are completely, totally out of it w/ re: to Ty Willingham's worth as a head coach. Just completely blinded by fanaticism.