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Coaching carousel....

Saw a poll over on philsteele.com about coaching hotseats. Here was the list of contenders from BCS schools. It got me thinking, what would it take for each of these guys to get fired at the end of the season?


  • John L Smith (Arkansas) - finish outside the top 15
  • Derek Dooley (Tennessee) - miss a bowl, but it might take 8 wins to keep the job
  • Joker Phillips (Kentucky) - miss a bowl
  • Frank Spaziani (BC) - miss a bowl
  • Mike Riley (Oregon St) - miss a bowl, but he should have the job for life if he wants it
  • Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) - not finish in the top 3 of the "Legends" division... he's making too much $$ for these results
  • Randy Edsall (Maryland) - probably safe since they're broke
  • Tommy Tuberville (TTU) - miss a bowl, but under 8 wins could end him considering Leach's record
  • Jeff Tedford (Cal) - worse than 4th place in the Pac-12 North, but finishing behind Furd again could do it
  • David Cutliff (Duke) - got to do better than a 3rd straight 3-9 season because he's not showing progress
  • Brian Kelley (ND) - miss a bowl or have mediocre results with more scandal (profanity tirade on sideline @ND is a no-no)

My thoughts ^^^
 
Here's my take:

Smith - probably gone no matter what unless a top name coach isn't available. I suppose he could save the job with an 11 win season.
Dooly - anything less than a bowl game and he's gone. Even if the make a game at 6-6 and gets blown out in the important SEC games, he might be gone.
Phillips - needs to make a bowl in the one of the next two seasons.
Spaziania - needs to make a bowl in one of the next 2 seasons. Can't do worse than 4-8 this season.
Riley - needs to finish 5-7 or better. needs to improve recruiting
Ferentz - needs to win at least 7 this year and next
Edsall - needs at least 5 this year, a bowl next year
Tuberville - needs at least 5 wins this year, needs a bowl next year. Needs to show improvement of defense this year.
Tedford - Needs to make a bowl this year and next. needs 8+ wins one of those years.
Cutliff - who cares
Kelly - needs at least 8 wins for the next 3 seasons. needs a BCS game at some point in there as well.
 
If Cutliffe doesn't make it, and our offense really struggles again, we better seriously consider making a play for him as OC.

Uh...we already have an OC. You might be familiar with him.

Edit: didn't read whole post correctly. Even so, no chance EB is let go.
 
Last edited:
Uh...we already have an OC. You might be familiar with him.
Ya, and so far, his name is his biggest contribution as OC. The results last year were horrible. We need to see improvement this year. Big improvement. Yes, even with a new QB.
 
Ya, and so far, his name is his biggest contribution as OC. The results last year were horrible. We need to see improvement this year. Big improvement. Yes, even with a new QB.

I have to disagree. I know that the offense production for the most part sucked last year, but it was the offense that we were told it would be. I think that the system, and players will continue to improve as opposed to the annual spin the wheel offense **** show that Dan Hawkins ran.
 
I have to disagree. I know that the offense production for the most part sucked last year, but it was the offense that we were told it would be. I think that the system, and players will continue to improve as opposed to the annual spin the wheel offense **** show that Dan Hawkins ran.
And if there is no improvement this year?
 
And if there is no improvement this year?

That's not a very high hurdle to clear so I'd be pretty unhappy if there's none. Not sure what could be done about it. We're not letting EB go and I don't think he's going to give up being OC.
 
That's not a very high hurdle to clear so I'd be pretty unhappy if there's none. Not sure what could be done about it. We're not letting EB go and I don't think he's going to give up being OC.
At some point, a coach HAS to be willing to cut non-performing assistants loose. HaLk infamously refused to do this.
 
At some point, a coach HAS to be willing to cut non-performing assistants loose. HaLk infamously refused to do this.

In his case, it was largely because he didn't have much of a coaching tree to draw from to find a replacement and it's not like former coaches and players were putting their reputations on the line to put in a good word.
 
In his case, it was largely because he didn't have much of a coaching tree to draw from to find a replacement and it's not like former coaches and players were putting their reputations on the line to put in a good word.
That is not the only reason. He also refused to admit fault or failure for any thing in any way.
 
At some point, a coach HAS to be willing to cut non-performing assistants loose. HaLk infamously refused to do this.

I agree and all coaches struggle with this (GB did before DH). If you think about it, who would want to work for a HC that would cut you loose if you had one subpar season? So, there is a balance between loyalty and assessment of performance.

In this case, however, EB and Embree sort of came as a package deal, or at least that's how I read it. I'm just not sure how you break that up.
 
With all do respect he did lose his OC to Oregon. And his DC to Boise. He lost a lot of coaches.

Every head coach loses assistants and even coordinators. It comes with the job description. The fact Hawkins was unable to find decent, experienced replacements is an indictment of his coaching ability. BTW, he did not lose his DC to Boise. Ron Collins was brought here with Hawkins and seemingly never had to do much to keep his job.

As far as EB, he ain't going anywhere unless he chooses to leave.
 
Tuberville, Spaziani, and Dooley are all making their ADs kick themselves for forcing the previous guy out the door. Tedford UCLAed (Texas A&Med? UGAed?) too many seasons in which he had the talent but they couldn't take the conference. I think for this his seat may be hotter than the rest on the list. John L Smith is a one-year rental unless he wins the West, gets the BCS at-large or, hell, let's give him the Cotton Bowl too. If he can't do that or get more recruits interested in that school as their recent W-L record indicates they should, they're gonna go at any bigger name available.

I don't know what Duke's standard is, but at some point they've gotta hire a magician who can get them to a bowl game (none since '95). Cutcliffe after this year will show whether he's the man who can do that and if he can't, I'll take him as Colorado OC should we have a good enough year to get EB a look at a college head coaching gig or something back in the NFL.
 
you know, it's funny. i read and post on another board with a ton of pompous SEC now is the ultimate forever reality posters...because ESPN says so.....and they ASSURED me that Dooley was a really good hire.

no offense to EB, and i agree that for once since Barney we did see the offense we were told we would see...but ouch. anyway, i'd sure like to see someone call the plays at CU who has done it with success before. all respect to Scooter...but, how many learn on the job OC's do we need....since shawn watson...and not even the bugeaters liked him?
 
When you really look into it. Colorado is the place were coaches go to end their career.

The weasel. Barney. Hawk. Hell even Bill retired here.
 
When you really look into it. Colorado is the place were coaches go to end their career.

The weasel. Barney. Hawk. Hell even Bill retired here.

Right ... all the weasel did was have two of the most lucrative and prestigious coaching gigs after he left CU. Yeah ... he sucked at both of them, but ...

If you were being sarcastic/facetious ... I apologize ... but it didn't exactly come off.
 
When you really look into it. Colorado is the place were coaches go to end their career.

The weasel. Barney. Hawk. Hell even Bill retired here.


Well in a way that is true they all either quit or were forced out. But Neuheisel was handed the keys to a Caddy and when he came back it was a pinto so he was let go. Then Came Barnett who started off red hot should of even played for a national championship, but he had some bad losses, the sexual allegations, and his "crappy kicker" remarks helped him out the door. And well Hawkins then happened. But the point I'm trying to get at is that it's not like CU is a retirement home where schmucks come to coach and make a few bucks before they retire. Aside from Bill Mccartney who built up the program and later retired all of the other guys were genuinely thought of as either pretty good coaches or that next big name if anything coaches come here to try and further their name and coaching prowess.
 
Well in a way that is true they all either quit or were forced out. But Neuheisel was handed the keys to a Caddy and when he came back it was a pinto so he was let go. Then Came Barnett who started off red hot should of even played for a national championship, but he had some bad losses, the sexual allegations, and his "crappy kicker" remarks helped him out the door. And well Hawkins then happened. But the point I'm trying to get at is that it's not like CU is a retirement home where schmucks come to coach and make a few bucks before they retire. Aside from Bill Mccartney who built up the program and later retired all of the other guys were genuinely thought of as either pretty good coaches or that next big name if anything coaches come here to try and further their name and coaching prowess.

Prior to the guys you listed.

Mac retired, he had made CU his dream job. Could have coached anywhere he wanted to but didn't want to coach anymore.

Fairbanks. Resigned before he was fired. The sham man, looking for a big payday to finish his career, didn't care anymore when he got here but we didn't know that. Was considered a huge hire when brought in and again could have had his choice of jobs.

Bill Mallory did go on to coach at Northern Illinous then Illinous after CU.

Eddie Crowder, retired to the AD job. After being ranked in the top 20 a number of times and ending as high as #3 another guy considered one of the coaching elite.
 
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