College Football Coaches Who Will Get off the Hot Seat in 2016-17
The hot-seat talk eventually comes for almost every head coach in college football. Yesterday's hottest names can quickly cool off with a bad season or two, changing their job security in a heartbeat. Others tasked with massive rebuilding jobs can see their clocks run out well before the task is complete.
With skyrocketing pressure and high demands from supporters, especially in cutthroat Power Five conferences, hot-seat talk can creep up for anyone with underwhelming results.
These seven head coaches have varying levels of heat under their seats right now, but they all have one thing in common: solid potential to get off of them this fall. Thanks to favorable schedules, returning talent or smart assistant hires, these seven hot seat coaches have good chances at keeping their jobs for at least another season.
Let's take a look at these under-pressure head coaches and why they potentially have what it takes to turn their programs around in the 2016 college football season.
Which coach on the hot seat do you think will make the great escape this fall? Think any of these selections have zero chances at survival? Sound off in the comments below.
Auburn HC Gus Malzahn
1 of 7
Since making it to the national championship game in his first season as Auburn head coach in 2013-14, Gus Malzahn has been on a steady decline. The Tigers have gone 6-10 in the SEC in the last two seasons, and last year's 2-6 mark in the conference was far from acceptable on the Plains.
A major reason behind Auburn's fall from potential title contender to barely bowl-eligible was an offensive switch that relied more on pocket passing with Jeremy Johnson. But Johnson was abysmal early, and eventual replacement Sean White wasn't much better. Now the Tigers, who are low on established targets at wide receiver, may have to turn to a run-first, Nick Marshall-esque JUCO transfer in John Franklin III.
Will Muschamp's short stint at Auburn didn't produce the wholesale improvement fans wanted on defense, but the Tigers got better on that side of the ball as the season progressed. Now former LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who is quite similar to Muschamp in scheme, inherits a defense that should be the best of the Malzahn era with the likes of end Carl Lawson, tackle Montravius Adams and cornerback Carlton Davis.
Auburn has a tough schedule that opens with defending national runner-up Clemson and ends with a trip to defending national champion Alabama. If Malzahn's team can take advantage of a home-heavy start and find its offensive magic again—think of the run-heavy ways of 2013—he should stick around in Auburn.
Malzahn's recent contract extension was nothing more than a recruiting tool, as B/R's Barrett Sallee explained, and Auburn isn't afraid to pull the plug on head coaches just a few years removed from great success. But if the Tigers continue to improve on defense and go back to what worked well in Malzahn's first two campaigns, Malzahn can buy himself some more time with an understandably tough schedule.
Colorado HC Mike MacIntyre
2 of 7
Mike MacIntyre has already gone through a massive rebuild. At San Jose State, he went 1-12 in his first season and went 10-2 two years later. At Colorado, he had a similar slow start, but last year wasn't the big breakout year that it could've been for the Buffaloes.
Colorado went 4-9 and finished dead last in the competitive Pac-12 South for the third straight year. It's hard to imagine a former giant like Colorado staying patient with MacIntyre if it doesn't sniff bowl eligibility for the fourth time in four tries. But there's potential here for a breakthrough.
Last year, five of Colorado's nine losses came by a single possession, with a few of them in heartbreaking fashion. Being that competitive in the midst of a rebuild is important, and the Buffs can build on that with 17 returning starters. Despite losing transfer quarterback Davis Webb's commitment to Cal, there is still a deeper amount of talent than MacIntyre has ever had in Boulder with a stacked linebacker corps and some exciting playmakers.
The schedule could help Colorado out, too. The true road games—Michigan, Oregon, USC, Stanford and Arizona—will be brutal. A neutral-site opener against Colorado State will set the tone. But the home slate includes Idaho State, Oregon State, Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Utah. Win most of those and snatch an upset or two away from home, and the Buffaloes will be bowling again.
MacIntyre is clearly building something in Colorado, and the tough breaks that went against a young team last season masked that improvement. He should knock on the door of the postseason and keep his job secure after a rough start to life in Boulder.
Kent State HC Paul Haynes
3 of 7
Kent State was one of the oddest teams in the country last season. The defense was one of the best by Group of Five standards, but the offense was perhaps the worst at the FBS level. The Golden Flashes finished dead last nationally in yards per play with 4.11, scored in the single digits in three losses and were shut out in three more defeats.
Those woes piled the pressure on Paul Haynes, who has gone 9-26 with a 6-17 mark in MAC play so far at Kent State. The Golden Flashes won a division title right before Haynes became head coach, and they have been unable to keep up that momentum.
But the pieces are there for a turnaround in Kent. Haynes has 18 returning starters on his hands, including all but one from that offense that struggled to do much of anything in 2015. Thanks to an experienced and stingy defense, the Golden Flashes should be able to pick up some early wins if the offense gets off to a better start this time around. As Bill Connelly of SB Nation wrote:
"With a couple of explosive offensive weapons, solid overall experience, and six opponents projected 95th or worse in the first eight games, it's possible that we see a pretty robust start from the Golden Flashes this fall. And while two FCS opponents means they'll have to get to 7-5 to reach bowl eligibility, it's at least possible if they handle their business early on.
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Outside of trips to Penn State and Alabama, there isn't a game on Kent State's schedule that doesn't look winnable until the final stretch of Western Michigan, Bowling Green and Northern Illinois. If that massive amount of returning experience pays off, Haynes could have a bowl bid in his grasp.
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Kentucky HC Mark Stoops
4 of 7
Mark Stoops isn't on as hot of a seat as others on this countdown, and for good reason. He inherited a mess at Kentucky, one of the worst programs in college football's best conference. But Stoops has recruited well with the Wildcats and brought some new excitement to the basketball-crazed school.
However, Stoops hasn't gotten Kentucky over the hump of bowl eligibility. For the last two years, Kentucky has gotten off to a hot start only to slump in the second half of the season and finish with a 5-7 record. There are plenty of question marks surrounding this squad, but the potential is there for Stoops to relieve some of the pressure on him with a postseason appearance.
A new offensive scheme at Kentucky should take full advantage of the returning talent the Wildcats have around Drew Barker at quarterback. Kentucky has a deep group of wide receivers led by Garrett Johnson and Dorian Baker, and running back Stanley "Boom" Williams should still have big numbers in an offense that returns a strong offensive line.
The front seven at Kentucky needs to be rebuilt, but the Wildcats won't be completely inexperienced there. Kentucky picked up a pair of Power Five transfers at linebacker in Courtney Love and De'Niro Laster, and early enrollee linebacker Kash Daniel should bring more power up the middle with massive tackle Matt Elam. UK has quite a bit of talent in its secondary as well.
Playing Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisville away from home will be tough, but Kentucky should grab momentum with an easy start to the home schedule. Picking up a home victory over Mississippi State or Georgia will be huge for the Wildcats' postseason hopes. They'll grab at least one of those and give Stoops more breathing room in 2016.
Penn State HC James Franklin
5 of 7
James Franklin's seat might not be "hot" just yet, but it won't get any more comfortable if Penn State pulls out another 7-6 season like his first two with the Nittany Lions. It's definitely warm, and he'll break in two new coordinators in what will be a make-or-break season for him in Happy Valley.
Penn State's offense was rough as quarterback Christian Hackenberg's stock fell quickly behind a thin offensive line that surrendered 83 sacks in the last two seasons. The consistency wasn't there, even with the presence of dynamic weapons such as Saquon Barkley, DaeSean Hamilton and Chris Godwin. The hire of FCS coaching star Joe Moorhead to command a fast-paced, quick-strike offense should serve that trio's talents well as Penn State gets stronger up front for 2016.
Bob Shoop's departure to Tennessee to become the Volunteers' defensive coordinator will be felt on a unit that only returns five starters from last season. The Nittany Lions were excellent on defense last year, especially up front, where a deep line racked up sacks and tackles for loss. There's experience at linebacker and in the secondary, so the pressure is on to keep the momentum rolling up front from a strong 2015.
A stronger offensive identity should work wonders for Penn State in 2016. Franklin's first two years still had some of the effects of scholarship sanctions, and year No 3 will mean most of the players on the roster will be the ones he recruited. Life in the Big Ten East is tough, but improvement is on the table if the right pieces fall into place at quarterback and in the trenches.
Outside of a trip to Michigan, Penn State's road schedule isn't too treacherous, and it gets the luxury of hosting Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan State. That sets up well for a stronger season, which should silence any whispers of a hot seat for the former Vanderbilt head coach.
Texas HC Charlie Strong
6 of 7
Perhaps the most famous hot seat on this entire countdown, Charlie Strong needs to turn things around at Texas this season after finishing with a losing record last year. The Longhorns have been erratic on offense since Strong's arrival, which might ultimately squander the solid defense he's building in Austin.
Strong took a chance and hired Sterlin Gilbert to run his offense late last year. Although he doesn't have much experience, Gilbert has worked with some of the best uptempo offensive coaches in the game, and he'll inherit an offense that returns seven starters. True freshman Shane Buechele might be the answer at quarterback after outshining Tyrone Swoopes in a rain-shortened spring game.
Although Texas has been young, thin and inconsistent during Strong's rebuild, it has had its high points on the defensive side of the ball and has recruited well there. The Longhorns need to do much better against the run in 2016, but it has the pieces to have an excellent secondary in a pass-heavier Big 12.
Texas opens with a tough test against Notre Dame, but if folks in Austin can stay positive early, the Longhorns have plenty of chances to pick up impressive wins. Notre Dame, Baylor and TCU all come to Austin, and Texas already showed last season it can stun Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.
As I wrote in April, letting the true freshman Buechele take over a brand-new offensive scheme could buy more time for Strong if the Longhorns show some signs of improvement. They won't have to light up the conference, but forward momentum and a solid bowl bid should be enough for Strong to continue building Texas into what it wants to be again—a title contender.
Texas A&M HC Kevin Sumlin
7 of 7
Kevin Sumlin's star in the coaching world has faded in a big way, as Texas A&M has gone 11-13 in SEC play over the last three seasons. Last year, Sumlin's once-electrifying offense ranked an eye-opening 69th nationally in yards per play, and it scored a combined 20 points in losses to Ole Miss, Auburn and LSU.
The offensive decline coincided with quarterback turmoil in College Station, with a pair of former 5-stars in Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray deciding to transfer from the Aggies within weeks of each other.
But Texas A&M picked up an experienced option for 2016 in Oklahoma transfer quarterback Trevor Knight, and UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone has arrived to bring a new look to an attack that has grown stale in the SEC West, as Sallee wrote:
"[Mazzone] will utilize bubble screens—a common complaint among UCLA fans (and Texas A&M fans, for that matter)—but is more interested in stressing a defense's weaknesses with run/pass options, creating favorable matchups with pre-snap motions and using inside zone and trap concepts in the running game.
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On defense, John Chavis will continue to work his magic on a unit that made great strides in 2015 and has incredible star power up front with Myles Garrett and Daylon Mack. If Texas A&M can run the ball effectively and take advantage of talents such as Christian Kirk in different ways, the Aggies have the ingredients to be a balanced team on both sides of the ball.
The schedule will be tough as always in the SEC West, but Texas A&M has some breathing room between big games. The Aggies' only back-to-back set of projected Top 25 opponents, Tennessee and Alabama, has a bye week between the two. A&M has the experience to be successful and a tweaked offensive identity that should allow Sumlin's talent to make some serious noise.
Stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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