OT: College Football coaches on the hot seat. What do you think?
If "week zero" counts as the start - in less than two weeks - college football kicks off the '23 season.
Several publications have released their "hot seat" lists for this season.
At the bottom of the list - the five "coolest, most comfortable seats" - according to College Football News - belong to 1) Georgia, 2) Bama, 3) LSU, 4) Kansas State, and 5) Michigan.
Here's the link to CFN's article on the topic: https://collegefootballnews.com/cfn/preseason-hot-seat-rankings-of-all-133-college-football-coaches
From my perspective - the hot seat list includes:
1. Texas A&M - if not for the huge buyout to get rid of Jimbo Fisher.
2. Texas - Steve Sarkisian hasn't done much - and, they'll join the SEC next season. It would seem that the Longhorns' boosters expect a bit more in this final Big 12 season - before joining the SEC next year.
3. Florida - Billy Napier - it doesn't seem like he's competing effectively in the SEC East.
4. Miami - Mario Cristobal - though a favorite son - they need to improve on the field, perhaps their change at OC will help - but, will it be enough?
5. Oklahoma - Brent Venables - he's only in year two - but, like Sarkisian, an SEC schedule looms in '24 - and, they appear to have a "need to find something" when it comes to offense.
6. West Virginia - Neal Brown is entering his fifth season leading the Mountaineers - and, has a 22 - 25 record.
7. MSU - Mel Tucker - just like Jimbo - it's the buyout that will extend his tenure.
8. OSU - Ryan Day - I wouldn't say his seat is warm / hot - however, if he doesn't win in Ann Arbor this November - the rumblings will grow louder for sure.
9. Notre Dame - Marcus Freeman. He's only in year two - but, the expectations of the Irish faithful are National Championship - or - at a minimum - the CFP.
So - which college coaches do you think are on the hot seat?
August 14th, 2023 at 2:25 PM ^
Agree, but with Arch and Ewers & their WRs, Sark has a great roster at UT and he's not that bad of a coach to only win 7 games with that talent level.
August 14th, 2023 at 1:02 PM ^
No issues with most of the list, including the Ryan Day thing - people are already thinking of him as John Cooper 2.0.
The one I disagree with is Marcus Freeman. He's in year 2, went 9-2 with a bowl win after dropping the first two early (to osu and Marshall). I have no idea what their talent is like, but they have another tough slate featuring osu, USC, Clemson, and Wake Forest (hey, they've been a solid ACC team lately). There are at least 2 likely losses (osu, usc) in there, with at least one more loss. I'm guess they repeat the 8-4 regular season from last year, with a decent shot at 9-3.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
10. Iowa - Brian Ferentz - if it wasn't for his daddy being the HC.
August 14th, 2023 at 9:19 PM ^
That being said, Kirk has the 6th coolest seat. Given that huge buyout Iowa would need to swallow, ain't ever going to happen. His lawyer must be the same that the ACC used to lock up the Grant of Rights, lol.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:44 PM ^
Not sure that's it's fair to put a coach on the hot seat when they're entering year two. So I'll do wait and see with Napier and Venables.
Marcus Freeman is entering year two as well....but it's Notre Dame. And they can go f*ck themselves with a rusty nail.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
I would add Tom Allen to that list.
August 14th, 2023 at 8:27 PM ^
Yes, probably should be first on the list.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
So the Napier one is funny, because if you're being rational he shouldn't be anywhere near a hot seat. McIlwain was a mediocre recruiter who got their recruiting rankings to look less shit by taking low character high star players that Alabama and Georgia didn't want who inevitably washed out, and Mullen was just the worst recruiter at a major program we may have ever seen in the modern era. The talent level at Florida is sub-South Carolina, and the angst over Mullen's bad recruiting was such that I think it's bought Napier some time. Then again, it's a major SEC job and if he goes 4-8 who knows?
Venebles is in the put up or shut up territory. He took over a playoff caliber team, yes they got decimated by the portal but the portal goes two directions. There's really no excuse for them bottoming out like that. If there's not some proof of concept there, I'm not sure he gets a year 3. They fired Howard Schnellenberger after one embarrassing year, John Blake got 2-3 and that was when schools were much more forgiving than they are now. He can't do that again.
Oil prices are pretty high, Jimbo's buyout won't save him if they're embarrassing again this year. They already made him have a shotgun wedding with Petrino that could turn into a disaster, if they're 5-7 or 4-8 I think he's gone.
Ryan Day is fired if Michigan wins 3 in a row and I don't care if that's not rational, this sport isn't rational and Ohio State ain't accepting John Cooper 2.
Neal Brown is going to be lucky to make it week 3. They start the season with two massive out of conference games against the programs WVU views as their arch rivals, Penn State and Pitt. If he beats Pitt and has a respectable showing against Penn State, maybe he survives until the end of the season. Blowout loss to Penn State and a loss to Pitt, he's looking for a realtor.
After Neal, Freeman looks like the likeliest to get fired. Losing Rees and not being able to replace him while his promises of great recruiting fail to materialize has him on the ropes already. He made a ton of big promises that he could make Notre Dame recruit like Georgia and it's not showing up.
August 14th, 2023 at 6:09 PM ^
This is a little unfair to Venebles. Oklahoma has had systemic defense issues for well over a decade now, and that's not something that gets fixed in a year even with the portal. Plus he did not in any way take over a playoff caliber team...OU had an 11-2 year that was propped up by 6 one-score wins. Then the program is left in disarray by the way Riley left (taking coaches and players with him, including their starting QB).
August 15th, 2023 at 6:58 AM ^
Though I agree with you, I think many Sooner fans are thinking: our record went from 11-2 to 6-7, this better get fixed in a hurry.
August 14th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
Kirk Ferentz.
Hahahaha
Yea right.
August 14th, 2023 at 8:18 PM ^
Of these I would say Brown and Napier are most at risk. Day will be interesting if they lose decisively to Michigan plus lose another game or two. AD Smith is on his way out and might be willing to do the dirty work. Vrable is the coach in waiting so timing doesn’t matter.
August 15th, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
Vrabel is an NFL guy, the college game doesn't appeal to him. Only way he goes the college route would be similar to Harbaugh, where he gets fired and he just wants a reset, but he'd jump back to the NFL in a heartbeat. Even when he was at OSU he was vocal about wanting to be in the NFL.