Coaching Hot Seat: Which Big Name Is the Next to Go?

After a wild week of coaching changes that saw the return of Mike Leach and Urban Meyer, as well the departures of Ron Zook and Dennis Erickson, among others, many other teams will conclude their seasons this weekend and face decisions regarding the direction of their programs.

As we enter the second week of the coaching search season, here are five candidates to be the next coach joining the ranks of the unemployed.

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Derek Dooley, Tennessee

The 2011 season was one to forget in Knoxville. The Volunteers won only one SEC game, and they lost to Kentucky for the first time since 1984 en route to a 5-7 record.

Injuries and dismissals hurt Tennessee, but the Vols were not even competitive against marquee opponents. Dooley is expected to be back for a third season, but the program is trending in the wrong direction at a time when the SEC East is up for grabs.

Steve Fairchild, Colorado State

Since concluding his first season in Fort Collins with a win in the New Mexico Bowl, things have spiraled downward for Fairchild. The Rams will finish 3-9 for a third straight season with a loss to Wyoming on Saturday night in the Border War.

Fairchild was an offensive coordinator in the NFL, but CSU has struggled to score consistently, failing to reach 20 points in over half of their games this season. It may take a win over the Cowboys for Fairchild to be given a fifth season.

Mike Riley, Oregon State

Two consecutive losing seasons coupled with three straight Pac-12 titles for Oregon have Beavers fans concerned about the balance of power in the state known as the Beaver State. OSU has won only eight games in the past two seasons.

Riley built the program into a Pac-12 contender in his first stint in Corvallis, and he went to six bowl games in seven years after returning to the school. Oregon State does not have the resources of its in-state rival, but if the last two Civil War games are any indication, the Beavers have a long road back to regain their competitiveness with the Ducks.

Frank Spaziani, Boston College

The Eagles have seen their win total steadily decline from nine to eight, to seven to four since they promoted their longtime defensive coordinator to head coach. Boston College missed a bowl this season for the first time since 1998.

The administration will likely be patient do to Spaziani's ties to the school, and winning three of its final five likely bought him another season. However, the future does not look very bright in Chestnut Hill, especially with All-American linebacker Luke Kuechly likely to enter the NFL draft.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson

It's been a roller-coaster year for Swinney, who was put squarely on the hot seat after a 6-7 2010 season that ended with a poor performance by the Tigers in a bowl loss to South Florida.

Clemson ran off eight straight wins to begin the 2011 season, but now the Tigers face a potential 9-5 season if they don't win the ACC championship game or their bowl game. Clemson's fanbase is the most rabid in the conference, and the repeated failures in November will be Swinney's eventual downfall.