10 College Football Teams That Have Been Rebuilding for Too Long
Promises, promises, promises.
College football coaches are great at making them, but a lot of times, they aren’t so great at keeping them. Coaches always like to come in and promise the fans that they will build the team into a contender, but there are many instances when it just doesn’t come to fruition.
Some teams get stuck in the “rebuilding” mode for far too long.
Here are ten college programs that need to snap out of that mode and actually make something happen in 2010.
South Carolina Gamecocks
1 of 10
Steve Spurrier came to South Carolina with his pride wounded after a failed stint in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. His return to the SEC was big news, and it had a lot of people believing that the Gamecocks would soon be playing in conference championship games and big name bowl games.
The former Florida coach has found it difficult trying to repeat the success he had in Gainesville up in Colombia.
Spurrier has brought some talented players to the school, but his teams have only been able to average seven wins a season during his five year tenure. After back-to-back seasons of averaging only 20 points a game, many are now starting to question the coach’s “Offensive Guru” title.
His 2010 squad looks like it’s the most talented he’s had yet, but can Spurrier finally break through and carry them over the hump this season?
Texas A&M Aggies
2 of 10
Mike Sherman started off his coaching career in Aggie Land with a loud and deafening thud. In Sherman’s first game at Kyle Field, A&M was upset 18-14 by Arkansas State of the Sun Belt Conference to open up the 2008 season.
Things haven’t gotten much better since. The team is just 10-15 during Sherman’s two seasons, which is unacceptable considering they have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation—senior Jerrod Johnson.
Sherman has to turn things around in his third season and show that A&M can actually compete in the Big 12 South, especially with arch rival Texas looking a bit vulnerable this season.
UCLA Bruins
3 of 10
Rick Neuheisel came to UCLA with some mighty big talk, but so far he has yet to match that with big results. The coach is just 11-14 in his two years at the school even though he inherited a team that had gone to six straight bowl games before his arrival.
Neuheisel has recruited well, but he just hasn't been able to get his quarterbacks to play consistent enough to win on a regular basis.
The Bruins have enough talent on both sides of the ball to do some big things in 2010, but it's up to Neuheisel to mold Kevin Prince into a winner if he wants to make a run at a conference championship, which is something he promised when he signed on to become coach.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Florida State Seminoles
4 of 10
It’s been tough to a watch a team once so dominant marred by mediocrity over the last few years. Florida State—once the king of the conference—has finished 7-6 in three out of the last four seasons, which is something that certainly contributed to the ousting of long-time head coach Bobby Bowden.
The program needs a new face and some new energy and Seminole fans are hoping that new coach Jimbo Fisher can add that.
Fisher has a lot to work with this season, including all star quarterback Christian Ponder, who returns from a shoulder injury that ended his season early last year.
Under Fisher, the Seminoles could be on their way back to the top of the ACC.
Syracuse Orange
5 of 10
During the 90s, former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni had the program near the top of the Big East standings on an almost yearly basis. He compiled three 10-win seasons and three nine-win seasons during his time as coach.
His successor, Greg Robinson, was unable to match that kind of success in his four years at the school. Robinson struggled to bring quality recruits to upstate New York and finished his four years without a winning season.
Doug Marrone took over the the Orange last season but failed to make a big impact, only winning two games against BCS opponents (Northwestern and Rutgers).
Marrone will need a better effort out of his team this season in order to show that they are headed in the right direction.
Colorado Buffaloes
6 of 10
After a tumultuous end to the Gary Barnett era, the Colorado football team was looking for someone with strong leadership skills that could keep the team at a competitive level in the Big 12 North. They thought they found that person in Dan Hawkins, who experienced tremendous success while at Boise State in the early part of the decade.
So far though, Hawkins has been less than stellar as the leader of the team. The coach started out his career at Colorado with back to back losses to FCS Montana State and in-state rival Colorado State on his way to a 2-10 record in his first year.
Things haven’t gotten a whole lot better in the three years since, and many of the fans and alumni have turned their backs on the coach.
His large contract made him relatively unfireable last year, but Colorado is going to need to make a vast improvement this season if Hawkins wants to remain at the school.
Michigan Wolverines
7 of 10
One season without a bowl game at Michigan feels like a lifetime, but two seasons starts bordering on an eternity.
Rich Rodriguez brought the spread offense to Michigan and told the fans to be patient as he implemented his system. Now with all the recent allegations and transgressions that have taken place, that patience is wearing thinner with each passing day.
It’s now year three and people want results.
The coach has to, at the very minimum, get Michigan back to a bowl game or else it’s "bye bye, see you later" for Rich Rod.
Washington Huskies
8 of 10
Under Ty Willingham, the Huskies were one of the worst teams in all of college football. During his four years as Washington’s coach, Willingham totaled just 11 wins in four seasons.
One great thing Willingham did do for the program though was recruit talented players such as star quarterback Jake Locker. He left the cupboard full for new coach Steve Sarkisian, who was able to do some nice things in his first year in Seattle including upsetting USC at home.
Sarkisian has Locker and a slew of talented players on his roster and now is the time to take a step up in the Pac 10.
Washington started off last decade with a bang, going 11-1 and winning the Rose Bowl. Sarkisian won't need to reach that milestone to start off this decade, but with Locker back, expectations are high and fans want their first winning season since the Rick Neuheisel era.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
9 of 10
It’s no secret that outside of Vanderbilt, Mississippi State is the hardest school for recruiting in the SEC. The facilities are dated and the school lacks a lot of the eye-catching essentials that excite big-name kids.
Still, a few years ago it looked like Sylvester Croom could actually rise above that road block and turn the program into a winner. In 2007, Croom led the team to their first bowl appearance in seven years when he guided the Bulldogs to a victory in the Liberty Bowl over UCF.
That was the lone bright spot of his coaching career, however, and Croom was let go after the 2008 season.
The school hired former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen to take over for Croom in 2009. So far, Mullen has done an admirable job, and has even been able to sign some talented JUCO recruits, like running back Vick Ballard.
Now it’s up to Mullen to lead his team to a winning season and get the Bulldogs back to a bowl in the ever-so-tough SEC.
Minnesota Gophers
10 of 10
Tim Brewster didn’t start off all that well at Minnesota. In his first year as coach back in 2007, Brewster’s Gophers were only able to manage one victory.
In the two seasons since, the team has been average but often uninspiring. Brewster promised he would bring a new attitude to the school, but that attitude has yet to show itself on the field.
With the brand new TCF Bank Stadium, people are now expecting a lot out of the team. But with just two starters back on defense, this year could prove to be very challenging for Brewster and the Gophers.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
