College Basketball 2012-13: 5 Coaches Already on the Hot Seat

Coaching has always been a 'what have you done for me lately' type business. With the contracts these coaches are receiving nowadays, bigger and better things are expected, and if you don't produce, there is a good chance you will not be around long enough to turn things around.

Coaches are expected to land the best of the best recruits and have to compete for conference titles and national championships. If yours fails to do those things, there is a high probability that he will end up on the hot seat sooner than later.

With the season still about four months away, here are five head coaches that may be looking for a new job if things don't turn around in 2012.

Stan Heath, South Florida

Stan Heath may have bought himself some extra time in South Florida by leading the Bulls to their first postseason appearance since the 1991 season, but he still should remain on the hot seat. South Florida is not an easy place to have success, especially being in the Big East, and Heath hasn't exactly done well with this program.

His overall winning percentage is 44 percent at the school and last season was his first NCAA Tournament appearance in his five years with the program.

If Heath can build on last year's success, he may be fine, but I have a feeling that leash remains a little short.

Bill Grier, San Diego

Besides coaching San Diego to an upset victory over Gonzaga in the 2007 WCC Championship, head coach Bill Grier hasn't accomplished much at San Diego. He is 68-93 overall at the school and has only reached the NCAA Tournament once during his tenure.

The Toreros have only won 19 combined games during the last two seasons and were involved in a point-shaving scandal as well last year that resulted in several arrests. 

It is pretty apparent that things must turn around quickly for this program or Grier will be looking elsewhere for a job.

Herb Sendek, Arizona State

Herb Sendek is really losing his team in Arizona State. He has been the head coach of the Sun Devils since 2006, but his team has not been ranked in three years and has not reached the postseason since 2008 (when James Harden was the leader of the squad). 

The Sun Devils are struggling mightily to win in its own conference (which isn't exactly the strongest to say the least), finishing with a combined 10-26 record the last two seasons.

To be fair, Sendek has had to deal with his fair share of transfers and incidents, including four-star recruit Jahii Carson being ruled ineligible. Still, the head coach will have to show some type of improvement in his seventh year or things could get ugly.

Jay Wright, Villanova

Villanova is a team that lands big-time players in the recruiting world, but can never see to compete with the big-time programs. Head coach Jay Wright has led the Wildcats to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the last eight years, but never seem to take that next step in the process.

Last season was extremely painful to watch, as Villanova finished with a 13-19 record, including losing to Santa Clara, a team that only won eight games in 2011. With the amount of talent on this team year in and year out, there is not an excuse good enough for last season’s results. During the last two seasons, the Wildcats are a combined 14-22 in the Big East.

Wright may have a little bit more wiggle room because of his coaching resume, but this is a program that should be competing with the big boys of the conference, not taking a backseat.

Ben Howland, UCLA

Ben Howland is a highly respected coach. He is one of a selected few to take three different programs to the NCAA Tournament and only one of two other active coaches to take a team to three consecutive final fours. The other two coaches are Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Michigan States Tom Izzo.

But despite his great coaching career, the Bruins haven't had much success lately. They have only made the NCAA Tournament once in the last three years and last season, despite the huge expectations, there were issues with the best player on the team in Reeves Nelson. He was suspended and then eventually kicked off the team for conduct issues, removing almost any hope of a successful season.

Howland may have given this program new life after putting together the best recruiting class in the country, but those talented players may bring added pressure. Now is the time to turn things around with a loaded roster.