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Tennessee

 

In the most prestigious available job in the country, there were many top coaches looking praying to be called the next head coach. Guys like Butch Davis, former Miami (FL) coaching great and current UNC coach, and Brian Kelly, current Cincinnatti head coach who turned Central Michigan and Cincinnati into great teams in a very brief time, were available for this job. But, at the end of the day, the former USC Offensive Coordinator and former Oakland Raiders head coach got the job. It’s safe to say he would have gotten a big job like this if he stayed in college coaching, but his ties to the pros helped him even more. He needs to get a solid recruiting class in there and start to show some signs of life in that terrible offense. Also, there is a very good possibility that he may bring his father, Monte Kiffin, defensive coordinator extraordinaire for the Tampa Bay Bucs, along with him.

 

Winner:Lane Kiffin 
Clemson 

While not as prestigious as Tennessee, Clemson fans and staff feel they are entitled to win the ACC each year. The problem with Tommy Bowden was that he had the talent to do it. The next head coach will have to convince CJ Spiller to stay, but will have a young and experienced offensive and defensive line and a highly touted QB in Willy Korn. Dabo Sweeney is the current interim coach and has done a great job. He will be the next coach of the team and could continue Bowden’s recruiting classes while being a better coach.

 

Winner:Dabo Sweeney 

Washington 

About 5 years ago it was USC and Washington fighting for the Pac-10 crown every year. After some terrible seasons, Washington is once again looking for a change. They wanted Lane Kiffen, but he’s now a Volunteer. They wanted Gary Pinkel of Missouri, but he just signed an extension. Chris Pederson of Boise State is the best option, but word is that he loves it in Boise and may not leave for any job. Tim Brewster makes sense because of his quick turnaround for Minnesota is exactly what Washington needs. Also, Dennis Franchione is rumored to be a top contender, though I really feel there are much better options.

 

Top Contenders:Dennis Franchione, Chris Pederson, Tim Brewster 

Syracuse 

Over the past few years, ‘Cuse has been the worst team in the lackluster Big East. With the likes of all time greats like Jim Brown and current NFL stars like Donovan McNabb, Syracuse has tradition and the potential to be a Big East contender. When watching their team this season, they lacked overall depth at many positions, but they definitely had some talented players that the new coach will inherit. While they won’t get the Butch Davis-es or the Mike Leach-es, some smaller school guys may be just as good. The top candidate as of now is Turner Gill, whose record at Buffalo isn’t great but his coaching ability has not been overlooked. He may, however, be holding out for the Nebraska job, if it ever opens up. Also, Skip Holtz from East Carolina looked like one of the best coaches in the country when he started the season, so he could be looking for a bigger job. And, the best of the bunch in my opinion, Randy Edsall of UConn, who has made this UConn team that has few big time players, winners because of tough defense, tough running game, and great coaching.

 

Top Contenders:Randy Edsell, Turner Gill, Skip Holtz 

Mississippi State

 

This had to be a long time coming. Sly Croom has been on the hot seat nearly every season he has been the coach. While he had a decent season a year ago, he hasn’t have any consistency and has been nearly overtaken by Vanderbilt to become the worst team in the SEC yearly. He did resign, so I would assume he’ll get a coordinator job somewhere. They will probably like to look in conference, and the best option would be Dan Mullen of Florida. But, with a great defense already, Bud Foster of Virginia Tech could be an option. And, let’s not forget that the last Utah coach to go to the SEC wasn’t bad (Urban Meyer), so Kyle Whittingham could be a great option.
Top Contenders:Dan Mullen, Bud Foster, Kyle Whittingham 
Purdue 

While this job has been locked up all season, as coach Joe Tiller announced his successor, I would like to point out something Tiller has said over the last few years. He said many times, not pointing out anyone in particular, that kids don’t care anymore. Guys run out of bounce instead of cut up-field, kids have tons of off-the-field issues, and far too many don’t care about college, only what is after college. Tiller is absolutely right. It may not be tied, but I have noticed that Purdue’s last two quarterbacks, Kyle Orton and Curtis Painter, were hyped as the best at their position coming into their senior season. Both were benched mid season and struggled throughout. I don’t know them personally so I can’t say much on the subject, but the idea of the NFL Draft may have had an unnecessary impact on their team’s season. 

Winner:Danny Hope 
Kansas State 

With Bill Snyder back as coach, the Wildcats should have a shot once again. When he left in 2005 to retire, he was the all-time winningest coach in school history, and the only reason that they are even division one most likely. When he left and gave the reins to Ron Prince, things looked ok. But that didn’t last long. In Prince’s 3 seasons, they were 0-9 vs. Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas combined. He only had one winning season, his first season, in which he had all of Snyder’s players. He was 3 -13 away from home, something that can’t happen in the Big 12 if you wish to compete. The only bright spot was that Prince was 2-0 vs. Texas, for whatever reason. But, with Bill Snyder back in charge, Kansas State fans should see a lot more bright spots very soon.

Winner:Bill Snyder
 
Miami (OH)While this was a little unexpected, it may be a time for change. Head coach Shane Montgomery just recently resigned, after going 17-31 with Miami (OH) since 2005, only boasting one winning season, his first, in which he went 7-4. This year he finished the season with a 2-10 record, with only 1 win in conference. It’s too early to see who may be the next coach, and a mid-eastern FCS coach or a MAC assistant may be the best option.

Top Contenders:Unknown as of now
 

Bowling Green

 

To me, this is the biggest surprise so far of all the firings as of now. While they weren’t dominating the conference, they were competitive every year he was there, posting 5 winning seasons out of the 6 years he was there. He finished with a respectable 44-30 record, won or tied his conference 3 times, and went to three bowl games. Similar to Miami (OH), Bowling Green could look inside the MAC or the FCS ranks around the area to find their replacement. It is still too early to pick out a leading candidate however.

Top Contenders:Unknown as of now
 
WyomingIt’s weird to think but this 4-8 team, 2nd to last in the Mountain West, beat Tennessee a few weeks ago. Well, after another losing season, coach Joe Glenn was fired after 6 seasons and a 30-41 overall record. The word is, however, is that Dave Christensen will be the next coach, as his Missouri offense has been among the best in the nation. Walker and Anderson would be good options too, but they seem to have their sights set on Christensen.

Winner:Dave Christensen
 
Utah StateWhile it may not be a highly coveted job, Utah State has quite a few suitors looking to take the job. DeWayne Walker of UCLA makes sense, but he will most likely rather wait for a bigger job. Gary Anderson of Utah would be an ideal option, but he may also be looking for a program with a little more success. The top candidate right now is former coach John L. Smith, who was 15-18 with the team, much better than Brent Guy was.

Top Contenders:DeWayne Walker, John L. Smith, Gary Anderson
 
San Diego StateThis job being open is a case of a bad program thinking they are much better than they are. Chuck Long didn’t have great success there, but no one really had in the past. The team was faced with acedemic issues along with much more, and Long was changing that. He should land on his feet and get a job somewhere, becoming another head coach in 5-6 years. They have the same candidates as Wyoming and Utah State for the most part, but the new one is Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. He has ties to San Diego and would like to return, which would be a great hire for the Aztecs.

Top Contenders:DeWayne Walker, Ken Niumatalolo, Gary Anderson
New Mexico State 

After another poor year for the pass happy Hal Mumme-lead team, he is out as head coach. They finished 3-9, including 1-7 in WAC play. This probably isn’t a coveted job by most because of the conference they are in (non-BCS and having to get past Boise State and Fresno State) and the lack of overall talent. The next coach will have some receiver weapons, but a new quarterback and a lackluster unit. Good luck next coach.

 
Top Contenders:Unknown as of now
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Hot Seat

 

 

 

 

Notre Dame?

 

It’s time that the Charlie Weis era ended in South Bend. Nothing good has come from him. He won his first two years, with a team of Tyrone Willingham’s guys which included Brady Quinn. In 2007 and 2008, he was terrible, with a combined record or 9-15 record. This is Notre Dame. He should be able to recruit and win on accident. Also, a report I heard when he was just hired really set the stage. After he accepted the offer with Notre Dame, New Orleans offered him a bigger contract. Instead of saying “No I’m at my dream job” he said to Notre Dame “Match this offer or I’m leaving”. That, coupled with disrespect to the alumni, should really be the straw on the camels back to get him out. Butch Davis would be the perfect hire. Skip Holtz also has the bloodlines to make a strong case for the job. Also, there are rumblings about Urban Meyer, but that is yet to be seen. It should very interesting to see what happens with the most prestigious school in all of college sports.

Top Contenders:Charlie Weis, Butch Davis, Skip Holtz
 
Auburn?I really don’t think Tuberville will loose his job for two reasons. One, there isn’t anyone great to replace him that would really want this job over others. And two, he has the record and past to prove his is a great coach. This is his 2nd losing season in his 10 years at Auburn, the 1st being his 1st season. He has an 85-40 record. He is 52-30 in the best conference in the country. He is 5-3 in bowl games, including 4 or his last 5. He has 2 western division titles and one SEC title. He went 13-0 in 2004 which ended with a Sugar Bowl victory. And finally, he was 7-3 versus Alabama in the Iron Bowl. There may not be a better fit for Auburn that Tuberville.

Top Contenders:Tommy Tuberville, Brian Kelly, Dan Mullen
 
Michigan?To Michigan fans everywhere, this needs to happen. I said from the get-go that the running option won’t work in the physical, run stuffing Big Ten. If West Virginia last season was in the Big Ten, they would have not been ranked as high as #2 in the country. I don’t think they can afford to “wait for the recruits Rodriguez will get” because it still won’t work. A hire like Harbaugh or Brian Kelly would give this team the old smash mouth football they used to play when they were successful with Chad Henne and Mike Hart just a season ago. It may cost some money, but Harbaugh and Kelly won’t have 3-9 seasons at a place like Michigan, ever, not even in years one and two.

Top Contenders:Rich Rodriguez, Jim Harbaugh, Brian Kelly
 
West Virginia?West Virginia is not as prestigious as any of the three schools above, but that have some things that the schools above don’t have. They have a great rushing offense, one of the best in the country. They have Noel Devine, a future 1st round running back. They place in the easiest conference in college football. I don’t get why Bill Stewart was the pick for the Mountaineers, but they have a chance to change that now. I doubt they could find a guy to run the spread offense like they did with Rodriguez, so a smart coach is needed. Bud Foster would be great to help that always beaten defense, and keep the offense on track. Turner Gill could run the option like the old Nebraska teams did before him, and still start to ease themselves away from that. In either case, Bill Stewart does not look like the smart pick.

Top Contenders:Bill Stewart, Bud Foster, Turner Gill 
 
Best Available

1. Mike Leach-Texas Tech Coach

2. Butch Davis-North Carolina Coach

3. Lane Kiffen-Fmr. USC Off. Coor; Fmr. Raiders coach

4. Brian Kelly-CIN Coach

5. Gary Patterson-TCU Coach

6. Chris Pederson-Boise State
7. Kyle Whittingham-Utah Coach

8. Tim Brewster-Minnesota Coach

9. Bobby Johnson-Vanderbilt Coach
10. Brent Venables-Oklahoma DEF Coor.

11. Brady Hoke-Ball State

12. Bud Foster- VT-DEF Coor.

13. Turner Gill-Buffalo

14. Skip Holtz-ECU

15. Randy Edsall- UConn Coach

16. Dan Mullen-Florida Off. Coor.

17. DeWayne Walker-UCLA Def. Coor.

18. Pat Fitzgerald-Northwestern coach

19. Todd Graham-Tulsa Coach

20. Al Golden-Temple Coach

 

Others:

John L. Smith (Fmr. Utah State Coach)

Gary Anderson (Utah Def. Coor.)

Dave Christensen (Missouri Off. Coor.)

Pat Hill (Fresno State Coach)

Ron Prince (Fmr. Kansas State Coach)

Danny Hope (Fmr. Eastern Kentucky Coach)

 

Ken Niumatalolo (Navy Coach)