College Basketball 2011-2012: 10 Coaches on the Hot Seat Entering This Season

The summer warmth may be subsiding, but these 10 coaches will be feeling the heat throughout the winter. Whether it's because their success has dropped off recently, or they have yet to find any success at all, there are several head coaches who will need to succeed this year to keep their jobs.

Here are the 10 gentlemen who find themselves on the hot seat entering the 2011-2012 college basketball season, ranked in order of the amount of aloe they need for their backsides (from least to most).

10. Rick Barnes, Texas Longhorns

I wouldn't so much describe Rick Barnes' seat as hot. It's warm, but at a top-notch program like Texas Longhorns, a coach is held to higher standards.

Texas has never missed the NCAA tournament in Barnes' 13 seasons as head coach. Still, some argue the Longhorns have reached their ceiling under him.

Despite consistently pulling in elite recruiting classes, Texas has not moved past the second round the last three seasons and hasn't reached a Final Four since 2003.

Texas is a very wealthy, very heavily-supported school that expects National Championships in every sport. Barnes' job is safe for now, but one bad season could get him axed quickly.

9. Bill Carmody, Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern alumni desperately want that first NCAA tournament appearance.

Despite solid recruiting and improvement in the program, Bill Carmody still has yet to get the Wildcats over the hump.

I'd say after 11 seasons, fans are getting a little restless.

Since he took the Princeton Tigers to two NCAA tournaments in just four years as head coach, I imagine the Northwestern faithful assumed Carmody would have gotten them there by now.

With two straight 20-win seasons, Carmody's head is not yet on the chopping block. But a backslide in the program could put it there quickly.

8. Ben Howland, UCLA Bruins

At the most storied basketball program in the country, you don't face realistic expectations.

Despite the fact that he led the UCLA Bruins to their third-straight Final Four just more than three years ago, Ben Howland is now under heavy scrutiny.

After missing the NCAA tournament in 2010, the Bruins were bounced in the second round (third round with the new screwy format) last March by the Florida Gators.

The pressure will be on Howland this season. If he doesn't return UCLA to their elite status in the college basketball world, he may find himself out of a job.

7. Andy Kennedy, University of Mississippi Rebels

The Mississippi Rebels basketball team made five NCAA tournaments from 1997-2002, which makes it look even worse that Andy Kennedy hasn't led them to the Big Dance in his five seasons as head coach.

Despite playing in the poor SEC West, Kennedy has yet to find success with the Rebels. His 105-64 record is certainly not bad, but the 32-34 conference record could (and should) be better.

As long as he keeps a winning record, I don't think Ole Miss can dispose of him. But Coach Kennedy would still be well advised to get the Rebels in the NCAA tournament soon.

6. Bruce Weber, Illinois Fighting Illini

Bruce Weber's career started out magnificently with two consecutive Big Ten titles and a close loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in the National Championship.

Since then, his program has regressed significantly. Illinois has only been to the NCAA tournament twice in the last four years and has only won one tournament game.

More is expected of Big Ten programs, especially a storied one like Illinois. Fans and boosters demand progress, the opposite of which the team has experienced under Weber.

5. Trent Johnson, Louisiana State University Tigers

Trent Johnson also seems to be trending the wrong way in his college basketball coaching career.

In seven consecutive seasons, Johnson led three different teams to the NCAA tournament. His Nevada Wolfpack team reached the Sweet 16 in 2004, and his Stanford Cardinal team achieved the same feat in 2008.

Since his first season with Louisiana State University, in which he led the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA tournament, Johnson's team has been terrible, winning just 11 games each of the last two seasons.

Coach Johnson needs to right the ship this season if he wants to keep his job.

4. Johnny Dawkins, Stanford Cardinal

This protege of Coach Krzyzewski has not had a good start to his head coaching career.

In three seasons with the Stanford Cardinal basketball team, Johnny Dawkins' record is 49-48. Stanford went to the Sweet 16 the year before Dawkins arrived, but they haven't sniffed the NCAA tournament since.

While Dawkins' coaching career has been brief, I'm not certain how much more patience the Stanford faithful will have for him.

A program that went to 11 straight NCAA tournaments from 1995-2005 will not tolerate mediocrity for much longer. Dawkins needs to start winning, fast.

3. Jeff Bzdelik, Wake Forest Demon Deacons

With Sidney Lowe, Paul Hewitt and Frank Haith gone, Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik finds himself on the hottest seat by default.

Not that he didn't earn it. In his debut season, the Demon Deacons were a miserable 8-24 and only won one game in ACC competition. This is not a good start for a guy whose hiring was questioned from the get-go.

Dino Gaudio was fired after just three seasons, the latter two of which ended with NCAA appearances. A storied program like Wake Forest will not allow Bzdelik to embarrass them again.

2. Jim Christian, Texas Christian University Horned Frogs

Despite leading Kent State to the NCAA tournament twice, Jim Christian has yet to bring the TCU Horned Frogs anywhere close to that kind of success.

In three seasons as head coach, Christian is 38-58, with the Horned Frogs winning less games each year than the last.

If his team doesn't show significant improvement this season, TCU might not be bringing Jim Christian with them to the Big East.

1. Tom Crean, Indiana Hoosiers

Unfortunately for Tom Crean, his success with the Marquette Golden Eagles did not carry over into his tenure with the Indiana Hoosiers.

After leading Marquette to five NCAA tournament appearances in nine seasons—and three straight his last three years in Milwaukee—Crean has an abysmal 28-66 record at Indiana.

Granted, Crean came into a messy situation with the recruiting violations of the Kelvin Sampson era. But Crean has recruited well, and Indiana fans and officials will be expecting a significant improvement this season.

Mike Davis was forced out after four NCAA tournament appearances in six seasons. I can't imagine Tom Crean has many more chances with the Hoosiers.