Ron Zook, Ralph Friedgen and Others Off the Coaching Hot Seat
Before the start of each season, we usually have a list of coaches that are on the annual "hot seat" in college football. After the midway point of each season, it's usually a good idea to look back at that list, and see what has changed.
The 2010 season saw a number of coaches enter the year with their jobs in jeopardy. Some of those coaches may still end up losing their positions when the season comes to an end. But for a select few, their future career prospects may have become a bit brighter with their early performances.
Ron Zook (Illinois)
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Ron Zook might be best known in some parts of the country as "that guy who used to coach Florida."
Zook cam from a decent Florida squad to an Illinois squad that was, well, not very good.
As Zook's old team in Gainesville took off towards the mountain peak, Illini fans figured that they were next.
Zook seemed to be poised to deliver as his 2007 squad shocked then-No. 1 Ohio State, 28-21, in the week before the final Big Ten games.
Lucky for Illinois, Ohio State still managed to reach the BCS Title Game, which opened the door for Illinois to play in their first Rose Bowl since the 1983 season (the 1984 Rose Bowl).
Illinois was steamrolled by a far-superior USC squad, and Zook followed that with an 8-16 record over the next two seasons.
As the 2010 season progressed, it looked as if Illinois was in for another disappointing year. However, it turns out Illinois has perhaps one of the more difficult schedules in the nation, and a 4-3 record to this point doesn't look so bad after all.
Illinois' three losses in 2010 have come to No. 11 Ohio State, No. 6 Missouri, and No. 5 Michigan State.
Illinois is beating the teams they're supposed to beat, and with their remaining schedule, Illinois could easily be poised for a 8-4 or even 9-3 record in 2010.
That kind of season will quiet the rumblings of discontent from Illini faithful, at least for now.
Ralph Friedgen (Maryland)
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Friedgen took over a Maryland team in 2001 that hadn't seen a single bowl berth in the previous decade.
Friedgen seemed like a gift from Heaven in that first season under his leadership as the Terps won the ACC, reached the Orange Bowl (a loss to Florida), and finished the year ranked No. 10.
That performance was followed up with an 11-3 season (tied for 2nd in the ACC) and a Peach Bowl victory. 2003 was similarly successful as the Terps again finished 2nd in the ACC and finished the year with a Gator Bowl victory.
After that, things never quite seemed the same at Maryland.
After two consecutive losing seasons in 2004 and 2005, Maryland again clawed their way into a post-season bowl game with a 8-4 regular season record. After winning the 2006 Champs Sports Bowl, Maryland struggled through a 6-7 2007 season that ended with an Emerald Bowl loss.
Friedgen's Terrapins won the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl en route to a 8-5 record right before the wheels came off.
The 2009 version of the Terrapins finished a horrid 2-10 (1-7 in the ACC). Talk quickly began to spread about replacing Friedgen. After all, a 2-10 season isn't exactly what Terps fans get excited about.
Friedgen entered 2010 with his fanny firmly planted in the hot seat.
For coaches on the hot seat, winning is like a bucket of ice water.
Maryland has fought to a 5-2, losing only to a good Clemson squad (that took No.1 Auburn to OT), and a ranked West Virginia Squad.
Maryland still can write its own ticket in the ACC-Atlantic, and the more wins the Terps rack up, the less Friedgen will feel any heat on his backside.
Rich Rodriguez (Michigan)
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When Rich Rod was hired by U-M, there were many, many people who predicted National Championships for the Maize and Blue.
Even those who didn't believe No. 1 rankings were on the horizon, no one predicted the Mighty M would post a school-worst 3-9 record. That's a pretty amazing record, considering Michigan's first season of football was in 1879. Just as disheartening, Michigan's 33-year bowl streak came to a close (impressive considering for 20 or so years, there weren't that many bowls from which to get invites, unlike today's glut of post-season options).
Rich Rod supporters blamed Lloyd Carr for "leaving the cupboard bare," but Rich Rod had bigger problems when the 2009 Wolverines began the season 4-0 only to go 1-7 to finish 5-7.
Rodriguez had put together the worst two-season span the Wolverines had seen in their 130-year history. The criticism cams fast and from all directions.
If there's one thing on which Michigan prides itself more than football is its academic prominence. U-M is arguably the top public institution in the nation, and Rodriguez's folksy vocabulary and optional grammar is a slightly-more-than-mild annoyance to the academic elite in Ann Arbor.
Expectations for the 2010 season were pretty low. Many expected another lack-luster performance to be followed by the dismissal of Rodriguez.
But for Rodriguez, a funny thing happened on the way to the unemployment office. Rodriguez made a bold decision to replace quarterback Tate Forcier with a young guy named Denard Robinson.
What seems like a no-brainer now was really a gutsy call by Rich Rod, especially when considering the tantrums and hissy fits (followed by transfers) players with the last name of Forcier have thrown when they aren't treated as the messiah of their respective programs.
U-M began the season 5-0, and ranked in the Top 25. All of the sudden, Rich Rod was Wolverine manna from God.
U-M has dropped two games to No. 5 Michigan State and No. 18 Iowa, but Big Blue is certainly in a position to win three of their last five games.
An eight win season, not to mention a bowl berth, will again have the student section at the Big House chanting "Rich Rodriguez! Rich Rodriguez!"
If Robinson can stay healthy, and Rodriguez can surround him with some impressive talent, a run at the BCS isn't entirely out of the question in 2011 or 2012.
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Mark Richt (Georgia)
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The simple fact that Richt was on the hot seat to begin with is simply stupid
Richt has been nothing if not successful at Georgia for quite some time. He's a combined 94-31 with six 10+ win seasons in his previous nine at Georgia. His worst performance is 8-4.
But for some odd reason, when Georgia starts 2010 1-4, Bulldog fans are calling for his firing.
The good thing for Richt is that no one with any power or ability to actually bring about his dismissal was so mindless to think he should be fired.
Nevertheless, Richt was still on the fans' hot seat, and was feeling intense pressure to win football games. Amazingly, Georgia is still in the hunt for an SEC title, even at 4-4.
The simple fact is the rest of the SEC-East haven't exactly been tearing through their schedules. Georgia currently sits in 2nd place in the SEC-East. While UGA needs a little help with South Carolina (SC topped Georgia 17-6 back on September 11), there's still an outside chance the Bulldogs could be playing in Atlanta come December.
Of course, No. 1 Auburn looms on Georgia's schedule (November 13 at Auburn). Plus there's the little matter of Florida this weekend.
But Richt has done enough to keep his team in the SEC discussion, even after a less-than-Georgia-esque start to the season.
The Bulldogs may not be tearing through the BCS this year, but firing a guy who is 53-25 against conference opponents in a conference as competitive as the SEC is pure lunacy.
Greg McMackin (Hawai'i)
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McMackin had the unenviable position of replacing June Jones. Jones led the Warriors to a BCS bowl and national relevance.
McMackin did his best, and had a couple of decent seasons (7-7 and 6-7). Those records don't exactly put a coach on the hot seat. Using gay slurs at a press conference does.
McMackin used the slur when describing Notre Dame's chant during the banquet for the 2008 Hawai'i Bowl.
McMackin made a tearful apology, was suspended, and took a pay cut amounting to $169,000 per year.
McMackin probably was on his way out when his contact expired unless the Warriors started winning, and winning in a hurry. Well, the Warriors are winning, including a 27-21 victory over then-No. 19 Nevada. Hawai'i's schedule also sets up nicely for a strong finish with visits from Idaho, San Jose State, and UNLV with trips to New Mexico State and Boise State (Hawai'i's only remaining likely loss).
A 10-3 season for the Warriors will put McMackin back in the good graces of those in charge at Hawai'i. With continues on-field success and off-the-field good behavior, McMackin should enjoy an extended tenure at Hawai'i.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
