BCS Rankings: 10 Hot Seat Coaches Who Need Week 12 Win Most
BCS Rankings subplot here, we have ten coaches in college football that are on the verge of extinction. College football is a rough-and-tumble business. There is a small window of acceptance that each head coach receives from the students, alumni, and boosters. You have just enough years to get a recruiting class in and get results.
As you will see this is not always the case. At least one of our hot seat coaches does not even have the luxury of one year leeway before rumors circulate of his demise. That's what you get for accepting a job at Notre Dame, I guess.
Here are ten coaches that desperately need a win this week.
10. Houston Nutt, Ole Miss
1 of 10
Record: 22-14
Next Game: @ LSU
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Ole Miss has become the laughing stock of the SEC. They have lost the ability to compete with the big dogs. Two winnings this season have fans thinking about what this program is capable of. With upcoming games against LSU and Mississippi State, Ole Miss could very well end up with a three-win season.
How He Can Cool Off: Ole Miss brass may allow Houston Nutt to take a mulligan on this one. But he needs to at least challenge his opponents in the next couple of games. Depending on the outcome of the LSU game, Mississippi State may be a must win.
9. Randy Shannon, Miami
2 of 10
Record: 28-20
Next Game: #16 Virginia Tech
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Miami is one of the most storied programs in the modern era. Under Shannon, Miami has been a mediocre program. They may have three winning season during his tenure but have only finished the season ranked in the top 25 once. This season looks to be more of the same.
Miami showed that they are not an elite program dropping games against Florida State and Ohio State. A loss to Virginia further exacerbated problems.
How He Can Cool Off: Miami seems to be on the right track but they need to end strong. They will most likely lose against Virginia Tech but they absolutely need to beat South Florida.
8. Ron Zook, Illinois
3 of 10
Record: 26-43
Next Game: @ Northwestern
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Ron Zook deserves a little slack. He plays in a tough conference and expectations should be made accordingly. But Zook has had five dismal years with one outlier 9-4 season. This year he may be turning things around. The Illinois loss to OSU and to Michigan showed that the team is playing with heart.
How He Can Cool Off: The Illinis must build off the win against Minnesota. Zook does not have to win out, but he needs to at least split his last two games.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
4 of 10
Record: 5-5
Next Game: Army
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Brian Kelly left Cincinnati for greener pastures. The pastures are not exactly flush with green right now for Kelly. Notre Dame's impressive win last week against Utah did wonders for morale. But the slow start and the death of student and team photographer Declan Sullivan, still affect Kelly and the program.
How He Can Cool Off: Brian Kelly needs to win. That is something his predecessors have not been able to do consistently at the fabled program. It seems as though the leash is getting tighter with every new head coach experiment. Army at home this Saturday is a must win.
6. Paul Wulff, Washington State
5 of 10
Record: 4-31
Next Game: Washington
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Washington State used to be a proud program in the Pac-10. Recently, they have fallen on hard times. The program that was a perennial threat, has not been back to a major bowl game since 2003. Washington State may have just knocked off a Oregon State for a huge upset but two wins a season will not cut it.
How He Can Cool Off: They have a home game next against equally bad Washington. They need to get this win to forge some momentum going into the off season. If they get trounced at home, the Cougars brass will have no problem making a change.
5. Dennis Erickson, Arizona State University
6 of 10
Record: 23-24
Next Game: UCLA
Why He's on the Hot Seat: It is very easy for a program to become a bit envious. You look across the street and you see the Arizona Wildcats and all their glory. You then start to ask if you are on the right track. This is exactly where Erickson finds himself right now. After a 10-3 season to start off his ASU campaign, he has three subsequent losing seasons in a row. Now you assume that all of his personnel are his recruits, and they are not cutting it.
How He Can Cool Off: I'm not sure he can. Unless he proves he can win the big game. I'm looking squarely at the Arizona game at the end of the season.
4. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
7 of 10
Record: 15-19
Next Game: #7 Wisconsin
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Michigan has a respectable record this year at 7-3. But as we all know, Wolverines faithful demand more from their program. Michigan had suffered two straight losing seasons with Rich Rodriguez going into the 2010 campaign.
In 2010, the Wolverines seem to be a step behind the elite programs. They have yet to beat a ranked opponent losing to Michigan State and then Iowa a week later. Their loss against Penn State again put Rodriguez on the hot seat.
How He Can Cool Off: The Michigan boosters need to feel some semblance of comfort to end the season. Beating either Wisconsin or Ohio State will do that. If they lose, it will go a long way to prove that Michigan is headed in the wrong direction.
3. Bill Stewart, West Virginia
8 of 10
Record: 25-11
Next Game: @ Louisville
Why He's on the Hot Seat: West Virginia is a good team playing in a soft conference. With a program that has visions of national prominence falling behind in the Big East is unacceptable. They may be 6-3 but their two losses in conference has Mountaineers fans asking for Stewart's head.
How He Can Cool Off: You don't have to win a national title in West Virginia, but you need to challenge for the conference title. Winning out will do that. Three straight wins will secure Bill Stewart's job for another year.
2. Mack Brown, Texas
9 of 10
Record: 132-32
Next Game: Florida Atlantic
Why He's on the Hot Seat: It would have been considered blasphemy to put Mack Brown on the hot seat. His name has come to be synonymous with Texas football. That just shows how bad of a season this has been. The Longhorns are 4-6. Normally a program that has proved to be able to win the big game. Many of their losses came against smaller programs. Losses to Iowa State, UCLA, and Kansas State have you wondering if his players are playing for him anymore.
How He Can Cool Off: He needs to win out. The fact that I can not confidently say this program will beat Florida Atlantic this weekend should prove how shaky the Longhorns have become.
1. Mike Locksley, New Mexico
10 of 10
Record: 2-20
Next Game: @ BYU
Why He's on the Hot Seat: Mike Locksley is a bit of a hot head. In September of 2009, he was reprimanded for hitting an assistant. He missed the next game. So, what do the Lobos get for the trouble? They get a horrible football team with a scant number of wins every season. This year they beat Wyoming. That is the extent of what their football team has produced in moments of applause. They still have to play TCU to finish of the 2010 campaign.
How He Can Cool Off: I don't know that Locksley can save his job. It is clear that nothing is working in New Mexico. I guess an uproarious upset of TCU would do the trick.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
