There are five coaches that this article lists and for the most part I completely agree with the people he listed. I think there are others, but let's discuss this first.
5. Kevin Sumlin/ Texas A&M
Oh yes. I mean let's be real here Kevin Sumlin has been on the hot seat for a while and that seat is only getting hotter with the passing seasons. He was hired prior to the 2012 season with Kliff Kingsbury as his offensive coordinator. The Aggies were 11-2 that year and it was probably the most excited that A&M fans have been in a while. It was the introduction of Johnny Manziel at quarterback, a Heisman trophy, a win over Alabama, and in the Cotton Bowl. It was a promising year. 2013 was 9-4, not as good, but still not shabby plus they won over Duke in the Chick-Fil-A bowl so people were still looking up. 2014, 2015, and 2016 have been 8-5 seasons. Conference play has been 3-5, 4-4, and 4-4. It's not getting any better for the Aggies, it's staying the same. They had quarterback trouble after Manziel got gone, and it just seems like Sumlin's time is running up. I imagine that A&M fans are tired of the same record year after year, I can think of another SEC team where that is also ringing true not to mention any names outright (Auburn), and they want something to change. Their schedule isn't exactly the most favorable. Four away games at Florida, at Ole Miss, and at LSU and UCLA plus a neutral site game against Arkansas. It is not going to be easy to turn it around unless they have some miraculous season. If I were Sumlin I would be keeping packed bags in the closet just in case.
4. Rich Rodriguez/ Arizona
Oh Rich Rod. Poor guy. All he wanted was a chance to coach Michigan. And that did not work at all. AT ALL. So he went to Arizona instead. Expectations aren't as high. 8-5, 8-5 and then his third season. Oh yes that third season. 10-4, winner of the Pac-12 South for the first time in school history, second 10-win season ever.They did lose both their bowl and the conference game against Oregon, but it's still an accomplishment. But 2015 was a disappointment at 7-6 overall and 3-6 in conference play. Not the follow-up season that Wildcat fans hoped for. Then it fell completely flat in 2016 with a 3-9 season and only one win in conference play against rival Arizona State. Rich Rod needs to get it together this year. Although the Pac-12 is doing much better overall than in previous years. Washington made it to the College Football Playoff, although they lost to Alabama 24-7, and they along with Stanford, Colorado, USC, and Utah were all ranked in the final Top 25 as opposed to only having three ranked the previous year. Arizona needs a decent turnaround, at least eight games, for Rich Rod to keep his job. I think they'd give him one more if he could pull an eight-win season.
3. Kliff Kingsbury/ Texas Tech
I honestly have no idea how Kliff Kingsbury has a job still, to be honest. He's 24-26 at Texas Tech and his best year was his first in 2013 with an 8-5 record a win in the Holiday Bowl against Arizona State. He garnered attention because he was the offensive coordinator at A&M when Sumlin's Aggies went 11-2 and the quarterback that Kingsbury coached, one Johnny Manziel, became the first freshman to win the Heisman. Plus he had played QB at Texas Tech back in the day. And he was going to be one of the youngest head coaches ever, he's only 37 now. But 4-8, 7-6, and 5-7 are not good follow-ups. It's like he keeps getting worse at doing what he's doing. He'll be lucky to keep his job another year, although in all honesty I don't know who they'll pick up if they don't want to keep Kingsbury. But hey, if he does lose his job he can always get a job as a model. I mean look at this guy:
2. Brian Kelly/ Notre Dame
Ugh. Notre Dame. I really don't like Notre Dame. I think the only people that do are Notre Dame fans and Lou Holtz. That's really it. Every single year people are like yeah this is Notre Dame's year, they're gonna pull a Rudy and be miraculous and show everyone that they are it. They are THE team in college football. And then every year it's a lot of the same thing. Nothing. Plus Notre Dame is one of four teams that is Independent, which means they have no conference affiliation. They play teams from the ACC every year but otherwise no conference. Honestly Brian Kelly hasn't done all that bad as a coach. I mean it hasn't been the glorious recognition that Notre Dame fans would want, and there was that whole 12-0 regular season and BCS National Championship game that they proceeded to lose with a 42-14 stomping by Alabama. But Kelly really hasn't been awful until this past season. He's managed at least eight wins in each of the last seasons he's been part of. But 2016 was not good for the Irish. They were ranked in the first three weeks, but after two losses to both Texas and Michigan State they fell out of that around week four. They were 4-8 and to be fair they did beat both Miami who was 9-4 last year, shockingly, and Army who was 8-5. But the rest were losses that were just not good. I'm not sure I entirely agree that Kelly is on the hot seat. I mean yeah he hasn't had great years but they haven't been bad. He needs to turn it around next year. I mean like more than eight wins which I don't see happening. If that doesn't happen he probably won't be around for a ninth season.
1. Butch Jones/ Tennessee
Oh yes Butch. This one I completely agree with. Tennessee is expectation after expectation but nothing to show for it. People want Tennessee to do so well, and I really feel a little bad for them because they were trying so hard last year, but it just didn't happen. And for Butch Jones that has to be frustrating year after year having people be so hyped and so ready, and let's give credit to Tennessee fans they believe in Rocky Top, and then him not be able to do anything. They've had some bad luck with coaches since getting rid of Philip Fulmer, who I don't think should have ever been fired, what with Lane Kiffin running out on them and Derek Dooley just not panning out, I just don't think Butch Jones is the answer. He's been there since 2013 and is 30-21 overall and 14-18 in conference play. That's not good. They were 5-7 the first year and then 7-6 the next. There was a bowl win and Tennessee fans started to hope that maybe... just maybe. 2015 was 9-4. They were ranked in the final AP poll and second in the SEC East. They one the Outback Bowl against Northwestern. It was looking up. 2016 was the year. It was going to be the year. But it ended much the same. Second in the East with a 4-4 conference record, a win in the Music City Bowl against Nebraska, and a 9-4 record. Tennessee fans are holding onto hope that 2017 will be the year that they win the East and make a run for a championship. And maybe they will. But if Butch Jones can't pull the season together it will probably be his last.
Now let's talk my hot seat. Who do I think is the number one coach on the hot seat?
Rebekah's Hot Seat Pick:
Gus Malzahn/ Auburn
I mean is this really a shock? I'm so tired of 8-5 seasons. So, so tired of them. I mean let's be real. Gus' first season after a 3-9 horrible, miserable season that I never want to relive, was a beaut. It was 12-2, we beat Alabama, we beat Georgia, oh the joy of beating our rivals. I miss that so much. We went to the National Championship game and couldn't quite hold off Jameis Winston, but I mean it was still something. We were riding high. And then 2014 happened. 8-5, 4-4 in the conference. Lost to Georgia, lost to Alabama. We stomped on LSU, so that was something but it didn't matter to me because we didn't win the ones that mattered. Plus we lost our bowl in OT to Wisconsin. Ugh. Better luck next year right? Nope. 2015. 7-6, bottom of the West 2-6 in conference play. Almost became another Ole Miss and let FCS Jacksonville State beat us the second game of the season! Quarterback trouble, messy playing, Only conference wins were Kentucky and Texas A&M. Sad losses to Georgia and Alabama because we can't do anything except kick field goals. So I looked to the 2016 season with high hopes. We had to be turning a corner sometime. Please, football gods let us turn a corner. 2016. 8-5. 5-3 in conference play. I mean to be fair we were second in the West behind 14-1 Alabama, who we lost to AGAIN, but it was only because the West was struggling last season. I was confident. I was. We lost two of our first three then won 6 in a row. Wow. What happened. Defense, decent playing. I was shocked. Then we lost to Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma in a Sugar Bowl we didn't deserve to go to. Our rival games, nothing. Our bowl game, nothing. I'm disappointed. I don't have much hope for Gus and I don't think that fans do either. We want him to do well, but it's not happening. One more 8-5 season and that will be it for Gus.
Well so that's my analysis of the CBS article, plus my own personal critique. I'm looking forward to next season, mostly so I'll have things to write about. Until next time college football fans, and dad!
