Now that Paul Chryst is gone at Wisconsin and Karl Dorrell is out at Colorado, who are ten other coaches on the hot seat after Week 5 of the college football season?
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There aren’t any major surprises anymore when it comes to firing college football coaches.
It seems strange that one loss would be enough to become that final push to force a coach out early in the season, but Scott Frost (Nebraska), Herm Edwards (Arizona State), and Geoff Collins (Georgia Tech) are done, and now Colorado got rid of Karl Dorrell after a miserable start and Wisconsin pulled a shocker by firing Paul Chryst after winning 72% of his games and going 6-1 in bowls.
And why would the Badgers do that? The team started 2-3 with an ugly loss to Illinois last week, this season appears to be lost, and more than anything else, in his eighth year without a Big Ten Championship or taking the program higher, the trend is down.
Oh, and defensive coordinator and former Badger great Jim Leonhard is a red hot coaching prospect and Wisconsin is the place for him over, say, Nebraska.
So now what?
Dorrell was No. 1 on last week’s list of Hot Seat Coaches who needed a win immediately, and the 43-20 loss at Arizona turned out to be too much.
Colorado was 0-5 this year, was blown out in every game, and outside of a minor miracle appeared to be head to a winless season. That probably doesn’t change now that Dorrell’s gone, but the calls for a change became too loud.
This can flip, though. Boston College head man Jeff Hafley was able to get a win over Louisville to potentially change his fortunes, and Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz got a great performance out of his guys in the loss to Georgia.
But …
First we start with five coaches who won’t get fired, but they’re off to a rough start. With that said, Chryst would’ve been in that category last week.
Next are the coaches who need to win this week or very, very soon, or else.
Starting with five who could use a W …
– 5 college football coaches who had better win now, or else
Five college football coaches who won’t get fired and aren’t on a real hot seat, but could use a big win this week
5. Jeff Monken, Army
Up Next: at Wake Forest
There is zero win-or-else job pressure – everyone knows he’s a great head coach. However, it would be nice to get the season going with a good win.
Okay, so he lost to Navy last year. He followed it up with a win over Missouri in the bowl game for a second straight nine-win season and fourth in five years.
This year the team appeared to be loaded, the schedule didn’t seem that bad, the experience was in place, and it all started 1-3 without a win so far over an FBS team.
Last week it lost to a previously winless Georgia State 31-14.
Lose at Wake Forest this week – it lost 70-56 last year – and it’s going to be an uphill climb to get bowl eligible in a season when at least nine wins were expected.
4. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Up Next: at Alabama
Considering the hype, the preseason ranking, and the expectations, this isn’t going well.
It’s Year Five under Fisher, and there will be a Year Six and Seven because of his contract. However, 37-16 isn’t what the base signed up for, and getting rocked 42-24 by Mississippi State wasn’t where the program was supposed to be.
Yeah, A&M beat Arkansas, but if the kid’s field goal attempt went four inches to the left this conversation takes a different tone. Yeah, A&M beat Miami, but that might not mean much right now. Yeah, the team is 3-2, but …
At Alabama, at South Carolina, Ole Miss, Florida, at Auburn, LSU. They’re all still on the slate.
Beat Bama, though, and all will be right with the world.
3. Brady Hoke, San Diego State
Up Next: Hawaii
The offense just can’t be this bad.
Okay, so the team lost starting QB Braxton Burmeister against Boise State, but the defense didn’t step up when other options filled in. The Aztecs were rolling early, and then it all fell apart 35-13.
It’s going to be a grind this season to come up with a winning campaign, but the offense has to be able to – and this isn’t hyperbole – complete a forward pass.
Hawaii is up next. That might be the worst team in college football right now, and Nevada isn’t anything great. Getting to 4-3 is a must, because at Fresno State, UNLV, San Jose State, at New Mexico, and Air Force suddenly doesn’t look as easy of a run as it did before the season.
2. Tony Elliott, Virginia
Up Next: Louisville
He’s just getting started in his first year as a head coach. This wasn’t a total rebuild job, though, and the pieces are there to at least go bowling.
However, the three road losses to Illinois, Syracuse, and Duke didn’t look good – the Cavaliers are too talented to drop all three. Fortunately, a reeling Louisville is up next.
Get to 3-3 and a bowl shot is still on. Lose, and suddenly the road trip to Georgia Tech and date with Miami don’t look so good.
1. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Up Next: at Illinois
He’s an institution, a made man, and everything University of Iowa.
He also has a team that’s struggling to do anything on offense.
Iowa is 3-2 and Ferentz isn’t on a real hot seat – again, he’s Iowa football, and he’s coming off a trip to the Big Ten Championship. However, it’s one thing to lose, and it’s another to lose and be painful to watch with one of the worst attacks in college football.
The 27-14 loss at home to Michigan was a fight. Dropping that was acceptable against one of the best teams in the country. However, lose at Illinois, and with a trip to Ohio State to follow it might be a tough few weeks.
– 5 college football coaches who had better win now, or else
