Rating Job Safety for BCS College Football Coaches: Will Your Coach Get Canned?

Coaches around the nation are getting ready for summer practices to begin and while they may be feeling the summer heat, some coaches are having the temperature turned up on their job security.

When looking at the college football landscape, some coaches are untouchable and others are going to get time as they are just taking over the program. On the other hand, some are beginning to wear out their welcome or the writing is already on the wall.

Starting with the most secure jobs, here is a look at job security around the nation.

No. 120: Chris Petersen

The most secure job in the nation belongs to Chris Petersen. Petersen has been at the center of success for Boise State for five years now and is at no risk of losing his job any time soon.

The only risk around Petersen is if he leaves and heads to a bigger program.

No. 119: Mack Brown

Despite having his first losing season in 2010, Mack Brown is a legend in Texas and will always have top recruits at his disposal.

It would take a lot of things going wrong for Brown to be fired.

No. 118: Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno has been at Penn State forever and is not going to be forced out at this point.

While there is speculation that every year will be his last, Paterno's time at Penn State will be over when he says it is.

No. 117: Gary Patterson

In 10 seasons at TCU, Gary Patterson is two wins shy of 100 for his career.

He has done an incredible job of making this program a top 15 team every year and will be the man they want leading them into the Big East.

No. 116: Frank Beamer

After 24 seasons with Virginia Tech, Frank Beamer is still one of the top coaches in the nation and keeps the Hokies near the top of the ACC.

Beamer is another coach that will likely go out on his terms.

No. 115: Bob Stoops

Despite his struggle in big games, Bob Stoops has a secure position at Oklahoma and has a national title to his credit.

If the failures in big games have not forced him out by now, not much else would.

No. 114: Chris Ault

Chris Ault has spent 26 years with Nevada and will be there until he decides he is done coaching.

Ault has won over 200 games and is loved by the program.

No. 113: Pat Hill

Pat Hill has helped Fresno State remain competitive and turned them into a good program. The program has made major strides under him and hope that he is the man to take them to the next level.

Based on his history, Hill will be given all the time he needs to get this done.

No. 112: Nick Saban

The only risk around Nick Saban is the idea of him bolting for another job. Saban has done an outstanding job at Alabama and has a lot of talent around him.

Saban has the Crimson Tide read for another title run in 2011 and should be losing zero sleep over his job security.

No. 111: Kyle Whittingham

Another coach who has done a great job at a smaller program is Kyle Whittingham.

Whittingham has put together 58-20 record over six years and is hoping to see that success translate to the Pac-12.

No. 110: Mark Dantonio

Mark Dantonio has the Spartans playing at a completely new level and winning the battle for Michigan.

Dantonio has not only helped to even out the rivalry with the Wolverines but has helped make Michigan State a contender for the Big Ten title.

No. 109: Larry Blakeney

Entering his 21st season with Troy, Larry Blakeney will be able to go out on his terms and his timeline.

Blakeney has gone 161-82-1 overall and led Troy to a 8-5 season last year.

No. 108: Randy Edsall

Randy Edsall did a great job at Connecticut and will be given adequate time and resources to do the same at Maryland.

The heat will not be on Edsall for a few seasons, even if he struggles during his first couple of seasons.

No. 107: Kirk Ferentz

Kirk Ferentz is another coach that is loved by his program and is their unquestioned leader.

Ferentz has done a great job at Iowa and will look to have another strong season in the Big Ten.

No. 106: Les Miles

Les Miles is an interesting case to look at. Miles does an outstanding job of preparing his team and his success backs it up.

The only risk Miles has of being fired is if too many of questionable calls start to fail, until then, Miles will remain down south.

No. 105: Bo Pelini

Bo Pelini has spent three years with Nebraska and is the leader of the Huskers as they enter the Big Ten conference.

Pelini has done a great job at Nebraska and has people believing that they are the favorite to win the conference in 2011.

No. 104: Will Muschamp

In his first season at Florida, Will Muschamp is going to be given time to get the Gators back to dominance.

Will expectations are high, he will have a few years with the Gators before he starts to worry about job security.

No. 103: Ken Niumatalolo

Ken Niumatalolo is doing an amazing job at Navy and has the Midshipmen competing on a new level.

Despite dealing with the normal struggle of being a service academy team, Niumatalolo has not allowed them to use that as an excuse.

No. 102: Bill Snyder

Bill Snyder has a strong tie with Kansas State and has returned for a second run with the Wildcats.

While the past two seasons have not gone that well, Snyder's history is too strong with the school to be released anytime soon.

No. 101: Troy Calhoun

Another service academy gaining more and more success is Air Force. Air Force is led by Troy Calhoun, and he has been there for the past four seasons.

During his time at Air Force, Calhoun has gone 34-18 and led them to a 9-4 record in 2010.

No. 100: Bronco Mendenhall

BYU has benefited from the leadership of Bronco Mendenhall and seen the program go 56-21 under him.

If Mendenhall continues to help the program progress, he will be able to determine his own timeline with the Cougars.

No. 99: Gene Chizik

My belief is that 2011 will show us a lot about how secure Gene Chizik is at Auburn. After leading the Tigers to a undefeated national title season, you would think that he is locked in at Auburn.

With how competitive the SEC is and the uncertainty of future performance without Cam Newton, Chizik will face his challenges but should be at Auburn for a while.

No. 98: Mike Riley

The way that Mike Riley handles the Oregon State program works for the fanbase and alumni.

He is not afraid to take on big challenges and often helps the team perform above their talent.

No. 97: Gary Pinkel

Gary Pinkel has done a nice job at Missouri over the past year and has transitioned well from year to year.

Things will be interesting in 2011 as he loses Blaine Gabbert to graduation.

No. 96: Brady Hoke

While most Michigan fans are used to competing for Big Ten titles, the time under Rich Rodriguez was so bad that Wolverine fans are just looking for Hoke to show that the program is going in the right direction.

A win against Ohio State at the end of the year could unite the entire fanbase behind Hoke for years to come.

No. 95: Steve Spurrier

While Steve Spurrier has not been able to get South Carolina over the hump quite yet, he has an offense loaded with talent heading into the 2011 season.

Spurrier is still a name that carries weight when recruiting and will continue to help the Gamecocks program grow.

No. 94: Bret Bielema

Despite the loss in the Rose Bowl, Bret Bielema has done a great job at Wisconsin.

Entering his sixth season, Bielema has a team loaded with talent that only got stronger with the addition of Russell Wilson at quarterback.

No. 93: Jimbo Fisher

While replacing a legend like Bobby Bowden may be difficult, Jimbo Fisher appears up to the task.

Last year the Seminoles went 10-4 and look to do even better in 2011. Right now the furthest thing from Florida State's mind is firing Fisher.

No. 92: Howard Schnellenberger

After 26 years with the program, Howard Schnellenberger does not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

With a smaller school, comes smaller expectations, and Schnellenberger will likely retire from Florida Atlantic.

No. 91: Al Golden

Like most other first year coaches, Al Golden is not worrying about job security, but instead, he is focusing on turning Miami around and bring "The U" back to dominance.

No. 90: Mike Gundy

While Mike Gundy might be better known for his postgame explosion, that is quickly becoming a footnote to his coaching career.

Gundy has done a great job over his six years at Oklahoma State and has little risk of being fired.

No. 89: Steve Addazio

Steve Addazio is getting his first shot as head coach and will be leading the Temple Owls.

Addazio is stepping into a good situation as Temple returns a majority of its starters and give him a chance to have a successful first year.

No. 88: June Jones

After doing a great job with Hawaii, June Jones was given the opportunity to try and turn the SMU program around.

While 16-23 over three years may not seem that impressive, Jones has this program improving and is in no jeopardy of losing his job.

No. 87: Mark Hudspeth

Mark Hudspeth will have his hands full this year.

He is taking over Louisiana, and with the lack of talent and depth, he will need time to get this program turned around.

Fortunately for him, he should receive plenty of time to get things moving in the right direction.

No. 86: Greg McMackin

Greg McMackin is keeping Hawaii towards the top of the WAC, and last year, the Warriors were able to win a co-conference championship.

Overall, McMackin is 23-18 as the Warriors head coach and has his eyes set on back-to-back conference titles.

No. 85: Darrell Hazell

Darrell Hazell is getting his first chance to be a head coach and is taking over at Kent State.

When hiring a first-time head coach, programs generally give a little bit more time for the coach to implement his system and go out and get his players.

No. 84: Brian Kelly

For the first time in a while, Notre Dame seems to have found the right fit at head coach.

Last year, Kelly led the Irish to a 8-5 record but have the full faith of the Notre Dame following.

No. 83: Dan McCarney

New to the Sun Belt and North Texas is Dan McCarney. McCarney has 12 years of experience as a head coach but will be challenged with taking over the Mean Green.

McCarney will have to look to turn around both the offense and defense in 2011.

No. 82: Mike Price

Mike Price has spent a lot of time coaching football and has been at UTEP for seven season.

Last year, Price got the Miners into a bowl game and is in no danger of losing his job regardless of what happens in 2011.

No. 81: Todd Graham

After the game of musical chairs ended, Todd Graham ended up with the head coaching job at Pitt.

Graham will face high expectations but will be given time to implement his system and bring a couple of recruiting classes in.

No. 80: Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen's attitude and approach to the game has won over fans of the Mississippi State program. He is 14-11 through two seasons and has the Bulldogs improving.

His comments regarding never losing to Ole Miss again has also earned him more points with the program, as long as he backs them up.

No. 79: Pete Lembo

Much will be expected of Pete Lembo as he has 10 years of coaching experience and is expected to bring a new style of offense to Ball State.

With a new offensive scheme will also come more time to implement it and give the system a chance to work.

No. 78: Bobby Petrino

Arkansas looks to be in good hands for the time being with Bobby Petrino as the program's head coach.

Overall Petrino is 23-15 but did get them to a BCS bowl game in 2010 and should be able to fair well without Ryan Mallett.

No. 77: Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin is going to earn some extra time just due to the fact that you cannot judge him until he is outside of the infractions that USC earned.

Once USC puts those infractions behind him, the heat to win and win now will pick up quickly.

No. 76: Tommy Tuberville

Tommy Tuberville has spent one year with Texas Tech and is currently secure in his position.

In 2010, he went 8-5, but the program will be looking for him to earn some key victories in 2011 and 2012.

No. 75: Bill Blankenship

Bill Blankenship is getting his first shot and doing so with Tulsa.

This first year is going to be tough for him considering the success that Tulsa had in 2010.

With a tough schedule in front of him, a repeat of last year may be a stretch.

No. 74: Steve Sarkisian

Steve Sarkisian has helped put some buzz back around the Washington program during his two years with the Huskies.

Last year, Washington not only got into a bowl game but won and will now be setting their eyes on going for the conference crown.

No. 73: Jerry Kill

Another new coach in the Big Ten is Jerry Kill.

Kill is taking over at Minnesota and will have to work hard to improve the overall talent and depth of the program but will be given the time to do so.

No. 72: Jeff Tedford

Jeff Tedford is entering his 10th season as head coach of Cal and has done a good job for the Golden Bears.

Tedford has gone 72-42 and is hoping to rebound from last year's disappointing season.

No. 71: Doug Marrone

Last year, Syracuse got themselves back on the map and much of that success was due to head coach Doug Marrone.

Over two years, Marrone has gone 12-13 but posted an impressive 8-5 with the Orange in 2010.

No. 70: Dave Doeren

Dave Doeren is taking over at Northern Illinois and has a good team heading into 2011.

With the roster he currently has, this could be a great chance for Doeren to get off on the right foot with the Huskies.

No. 69: Skip Holtz

In his first year with the program, Skip Holtz led the Bulls to an 8-5 record. South Florida also found themseleves in a bowl game and hopes to build on that this year.

South Florida is viewed as a top contender for the Big East title and winning that would only further the strong relationship the program has with Holtz.

No. 68: Mike Sherman

Mike Sherman has gone 19-19 with Texas A&M, and while the record is not all that impressive, he appears to have the Aggies moving in the right direction.

No. 67: Kevin Wilson

Kevin Wilson is the new head coach at Indiana and will have his work cut out for him.

Wilson must try and find a way to help this program become more consistent and become a Big Ten contender.

No. 66: Greg Schiano

While his time at Rutgers has had its ups, Greg Schiano is experiencing some of the downs right now.

If the downward trend continues and he cannot turn this program back around, Schiano could find his job in jeopardy.

No. 65: James Franklin

Taking over at Vanderbilt is a huge undertaking for James Franklin.

Franklin is playing in one of the toughest conferences in the nation and will struggle to get things turned around.

No. 64: Paul Johnson

Paul Johnson is entering his fourth year at Georgia Tech, and it will be a key year for him.

After losing some key talent in his triple threat option, Johnson will need to retool the offense and have them ready for 2011.

No. 63: Don Treadwell

Like most first-year coaches, Don Treadwell will have job security for a couple of years to allow him to put his system in place.

Treadwell must be careful though. He is inheriting a team that went 10-4 last year, and expectations will be high.

No. 62: Pat Fitzgerald

Based on the talent and depth that Pat Fitzgerald coaches with, he has done a great job.

Over his five years, Fitzgerald has gone 34-29 but continues to push this program towards a new level.

No. 61: Derek Dooley

While a 7-6 season is nothing to be overly impressed by, Dooley did a good job at Tennessee last year but more will be expected in 2011.

Dooley has some solid depth and talent that should translate into more victories.

No. 60: Kevin Sumlin

Assuming Case Keenum remains healthy in 2011, Kevin Sumlin will not be facing the hotseat for a while at Houston.

Sumlin is now entering his fourth season with the Cougars and has gone 23-16 overall, and with Keenum, Houston could make a run at a 10-win season.

No. 59: Rich Ellerson

While Rich Ellerson has done a good job at Army over the past two years, he must continue to push this program to catch up with Navy and Air Force.

If 2011 shows another step forward, Ellerson will have job security for years.

No. 58: Jon Embree

Jon Embree is stepping into an interesting situation.

Colorado has been struggling as of late and is now moving to the Pac-12 in 2011.

Embree needs to help the program adjust to the new style of play and help them compete on a consistent basis.

No. 57: Tim Beckman

Tim Beckman spent his first year with Toledo in 2010 and led them to a 8-5 record.

Beckman is in no immediate danger of losing his job and will look to help the program make its next step forward in 2011.

No. 56: Hugh Freeze

Hugh Freeze is taking over at Arkansas State and will have his work cut out for him.

Freeze must start to build up the depth on the team before they can start to challenge for the Sun Belt title.

No. 55: George O'Leary

George O'Leary has spent half his career with UCF and has gone 45-44 with the program.

O'Leary has done a good job in his current position and led the Knights to a Conference USA title in 2010.

No. 54: Paul Pasqualoni

Paul Pasqualoni has a tough act to follow.

Randy Edsall helped build this program up and now Pasqualoni will be called on to pick up where he left off.

While he may be given a few years to bring in his players, fans will not be happy if he is unable to maintain what Edsall built.

No. 53: Frank Solich

Frank Solich has been at Ohio for six seasons now and has helped Ohio be a competitive program in the MAC Conference.

During his time with the school, Solich has done enough to secure his position for the next few years.

No. 52: Tom O'Brien

While the loss of Russell Wilson will certainly effect the outcome of the 2011 season, it may earn Tom O'Brien a full pass on this coming season.

O'Brien has spent four years with the Wolf Pack and should be on board for a few more.

No. 51: Todd Berry

Todd Berry did a good job in his first year at Louisiana Monroe and helped pave the way for a chance at an even better 2011.

The program returns all but one starter on offense and hopes that the defense does enough to help them reach a bowl game.

No. 50: Larry Fedora

Last year, the Golden Eagles finished second in Conference USA, and Larry Fedora is hoping to take them to a conference title in 2011.

Over his three years, Fedora has gone 22-17 and has the program improving.

No. 49: Dabo Swinney

Entering his fourth season as head coach for Clemson, Dabo Swinney must start showing results on the field.

Swinney continues to bring in good talent and must see that translate into wins.

No. 48: Mike Stoops

Mike Stoops has a fiery personality that may have allowed him to last longer at Arizona than he deserves. Stoops is entering his eighth season with the Wildcats and is 40-45 overall.

If the Wildcats are not competing for the Pac-12 championship over the next couple season, Arizona may need to make a change.

No. 47: David Shaw

Just because this is David Shaw's first season, does not mean he is without pressure.

Over the past few seasons, Jim Harbaugh put Stanford back on the map, and with Andrew Luck at quarterback, Shaw will have pressure to win and win now.

No. 46: Mike London

While 4-8 may not look like a team that showed improvement, Mike London did a decent job with Virginia last year and has some strong talent going into 2011.

If London can get the Cavaliers into a bowl game this season, he will secure his position for quite some time.

No. 45: Bill Cubit

Bill Cubit has kept Western Michigan competitive in the MAC and led them to a 6-6 record in 2010.

2011 appears to be even brighter for Western Michigan as key starters return and could push them over the top and into a bowl game.

No. 44: Gary Anderson

Utah State is not Utah, and with that, comes lower expectations and more time for Gary Anderson.

During his first two years, Anderson has gone 8-16 and is going to be given more time to try and get this program turned around.

No. 43: Turner Gill

Turner Gill did a great job at Buffalo and has rewarded with an opportunity at Kansas.

In his first season, things did not go well as the Jayhawks went 3-9.

Gill will be given based on his history but needs to rebuild this talent base fast.

No. 42: Mario Cristobal

Mario Cristobal has gone 16-33 during his career at FIU, but last year, he was able to lead the team to the Little Caesars Bowl.

While the defense took a hit in the offseason, the offense could be enough to get them back to a bowl game.

No. 41: Art Briles

Art Briles is the head man at Baylor and has done a decent job in his three years with the program.

Overall, Briles has gone 15-22, but 2011 could be a good year for the Bears and their offense.

No. 40: Joker Phillips

Coaching in the SEC is tough enough, but doing so at a school that cares more about basketball is even tougher. In his first season, Joker Phillips went 6-7, but the major concern will continue to be the lack of depth and talent.

The upside for Phillips is that this isn't the Kentucky basketball program, so as long as he can show improvement, he will be given time.

No. 39: Bob Toledo

Bob Toledo led Tulane to a 4-8 record in 2010, but the outlook on 2011 is a lot brighter.

Tulane does not have a very difficult schedule, and with their returning starters, a bowl game is not out of the question.

No. 38: Dana Holgorsen

Another first-year coach that will face some heat to win now is Dana Holgorsen.

With the way that the coaching transition occurred, Holgorsen must know that the program is going to look for reassurance that they made the correct choice.

No. 37: Charlie Strong

Year one at Louisville was fairly average for Charlie Strong as he went 7-6.

While Strong will get time to help move this program in the right direction, he needs to make sure he does not have them take a step backwards.

No. 36: Sonny Dykes

Sonny Dykes completed his first year at Louisiana Tech last year and led them to a 5-7 record.

In his second year with the program, they will be looking for consistency from Dykes.

No. 35: Butch Jones

Although 4-8 may not have been what Bearcat fans had in mind for last season, Butch Jones is trying to build the depth back up on this team before the program can move forward.

No. 34: Rocky Long

In 2011, Rocky Long is taking over at San Diego State and looking to pick up where Brady Hoke left off.

After a good 2010 season, fans will not be happy if Long takes a step backwards.

No. 33: Dave Christensen

Dave Christensen has the unenviable task of trying to turn Wyoming into a winner.

In two years, Christensen has gone 10-15 with Wyoming but is running into the typical challenges of recruiting solid talent to the state of Wyoming.

No. 32: Ruffin McNeill

Ruffin McNeill is entering year No. 2 as head coach for ECU and will need the Pirates to improve on their 6-7 mark in 2010.

The bad news for McNeill is that the roster took a hit and 2011 may see them go backwards.

No. 31: Doc Holliday

Doc Holliday will have his work cut out for him at Marshall. Last year was Holliday's first year and Marshall went 5-7.

In 2011, he will be replacing some key pieces to the team and could see the record take a step back.

No. 30: Robb Akey

Robb Akey has spent all four years of his coaching career with Idaho and has struggled, going 17-33.

While Idaho is not know for having a great football program, people surrounding the team will be looking for Akey to show signs of improvement.

No. 29: Jim Grobe

Jim Grobe has spent 10 years with Wake Forest, but last year's 3-9 season did not help things.

Overall, Grobe is 62-60, but another down year could raise some eyes around the program.

No. 28: Paul Rhoads

Paul Rhoads has been a head coach now for two years and took a step back during his second season with Iowa State.

With the amount of talent on the roster in 2011, Rhoads will have few excuses to not have a good season.

No. 27: Frank Spaziani

Frank Spaziani is going into year three at Boston College, and the season outlook is not good.

With a 16-11 record at BC, Spaziani could be in for a bumpy ride as the 2011 roster lacks depth and talent.

No. 26: Rick Sockstill

For the past five years, Rick Stockstill has been the head man at Middle Tennessee.

Stockstill has gone 33-30 during his career but had some major losses to graduation and will need to rebuild through 2011.

No. 25: Dan Enos

Seems like just yesterday that Central Michigan was getting into the Top 25 and winning the MAC.

Last year, Dan Enos struggled in his first year, going 3-9. In 2011, he has a lot of talent back on offense but will only go as far as the defense will take them.

No. 24: Danny Hope

Purdue is a proud program that always wants to see its football team competing in the Big Ten.

Over the past two years, Danny Hope has gone 9-15 and may find himself in some hot water if things do not look to be turning around in 2011.

No. 23: Bobby Hauck

Last year, UNLV went 2-10, and Bobby Hauck knows that even at UNLV that will not win him a lot of favors if things are not improved in 2011.

No. 22: DeWayne Walker

DeWayne Walker has two years under his belt as a head coach and has gone 5-20 with the Aggies.

Last year's two-win performance must be improved upon for Walker to see a fourth year with the program.

No. 21: Ron English

If you are going to improve by baby steps each year, you must be consistent.

In his first year as head coach, Ron English failed to win a game but did win two games in his second year.

English must continue to move Eastern Michigan forward in 2011 to gain the confidence of the people around the program.

No. 20: Jeff Quinn

Replacing Turner Gill and the success he had at Buffalo is a tough spot for Jeff Quinn to be in.

Last year, Quinn and Buffalo went 2-10 and must get back on the road to improving this season.

No. 19: Steve Fairchild

In three years, Steve Farchild has taken Colorado State to a 13-24 record.

Last year, the Rams won three games and will need to take steps forward in 2011 to keep his job secure.

No. 18: David Bailiff

Time may be running out for David Bailiff at Rice.

During his four years with Rice, he has gone 19-30 and does not appear to be moving forward anytime soon.

No. 17: Houston Nutt

Things may start to warm up for Houston Nutt if things do not improve in 2011.

Over his three years with Ole Miss, Nutt is 22-16, and the OIe Miss fans are anxious for a winner.

No. 16: Dave Clawson

Taking a big step forward is never a good thing for a coach and Dave Clawson finds himself in that situation.

After a good 2009 season, Bowling Green went 2-10 last year and will not find things easier this season.

No. 15: Willie Taggart

Willie Taggart is back for his second season at Western Kentucky, and things must get better from last year's 2-10 season.

Taggart knows that the depth chart is not stocked with talent but still must find a way to show improvement.

No. 14: Paul Wulff

Despite the fact that the program appears to be making steps forward, the belief may soon become that Paul Wulff has gotten Washington State as far as he can.

During his time with the Cougars, Wulff has gone 5-32 and time is starting to work against him.

No. 13: Neil Callaway

After a four-win season this past season, Neil Callaway is finding that things are not going to get easier this season at UAB.

Based on his overall record and the way this season is shaping up, Callaway's time could be limited.

No. 12: David Cutcliffe

David Cutcliffe has spent three years coaching at Duke and has hit a wall.

He has led them to a 12-24 mark during his time with the Blue Devils and will have a hard time getting to four wins this season.

It may be a good move for both parties to make a change for 2012.

No. 11: Larry Porter

Anytime you go 1-11 in your first season as head coach, the heat is automatically turned up.

Larry Porter must find a way to help Memphis improve on last year's record.

No. 10: Rob Ianello

Another coach on a slippery slope is Rob Ianello. Ianello went 1-11 at Akron last year and the downside for him is that 2011 does not look to be much better.

A repeat performance could put him directly on the hot seat.

No. 9: Mike MacIntryre

Being 1-12 is not a blueprint for long-term job security—no matter where you are.

Mike MacIntryre had a rough first year at San Jose State and must bring in additional talent to help this program out.

No. 8: Luke Fickell

Despite not coaching one down as the head coach of Ohio State, you get the feeling that Luke Fickell is going to be replaced after the season is over.

Unless the Buckeyes have an amazing season, Fickell will likely be replaced by someone like Urban Meyer.

No. 7: Chip Kelly

Coach Chip Kelly is right at the center of the Will Lyles' investigation and stands a lot to lose. Throughout the investigation, Kelly has continued to state how he looks forward to being able to speak about the situation and clear up misconceptions.

If Oregon and Kelly are cleared by the NCAA, Kelly will continue to have a strong hold on his job, but if more information comes out that shows Kelly broke NCAA guidelines, it could be enough to force Oregon's hand.

No. 6: Ron Zook

Year No. 7 may be the last one for Ron Zook as he has failed to make Illinois a consistent competitor in the Big Ten.

He has compiled a record of 28-45 with the Illini, and there doesn't appear to be much magic left.

No. 5: Everett Withers

Everett Withers stint as interim head coach may end up being very short.

After the abrupt firing of Butch Davis, Withers is stepping in as head coach, but it is clear that Withers will have to do something incredible in 2011 for North Carolina to keep him in that spot.

No. 4: Mark Richt

Mark Richt's time is coming to an end at Georgia. Richt has had some past success with Georgia, but over the past few years, he has fallen out of favor in the program.

With games against Boise State and South Carolina to start the 2011 season, things may come to an end early in the year.

No. 3: Dennis Erickson

The heat is on in Arizona, and it is not the summer sun.

Dennis Erickson and Arizona State have underachieved for a few years now, and 2011 needs to show changes.

Erickson has a team loaded with talent and should compete to win the Pac-12 south division.

No. 2: Rick Neuheisel

Rick Neuheisel is the classic case of over promise and under deliver. He came into UCLA with the promises of becoming a dominate program in the Pac-10 and has seen the program struggle year after year.

Unless the Bruins are able to have a dream season, Neuheisel will be looking elsewhere next year.

No. 1: Mike Locksley

The only thing that is likely saving Mike Locksley's job right now is his contract.

While going 2-22 in his first two years, New Mexico may just have to bite the bullet and go in a different direction.