Coaches on the Hot Seat
It's about that time to discuss coaches that are on the hot seat and may be shopping for new jobs come the off-season.
I thought I'd talk a little bit about C-USA. Interested to hear what other school's fans think, as this is my perspective as a Charlotte fan:
UAB: Haase posted a respectable 18-12 record in his second year, but early season struggles this year put him in jeopardy. The Blazers are off to a solid 6-1 start in conference following the shaky early season.
Thoughts: The Blazers record has improved in each of his first two years and appear to be righting the ship. Safe
So. Miss: Doc Sadler's first year has been a tough one. Sitting at 6-12 overall and 1-6 in conference, So. Miss is struggling to recapture some of last season's success.
Thoughts: Coaches typically get a pass for their first few years while they get their players, install their system, etc. Safe
FAU: Michael Curry's first year has been a little rough. After starting out decently, the Owls are now 1-4 in conference.
Thoughts: Like So. Miss, it's way too early to tell. Safe
North Texas: Tony Benford is in his third season at North Texas, sporting a 36-47 overall record. With a few bad losses and an 8-11 record on the season, the Mean Green are not where they hoped to be in year 3 of Benford's tenure.
Thoughts: Hot
Rice: Mike Rhoades' team has struggled in his first year; but Rice had a long way to go. Additionally, Rice has been showing signs of improvement being competitive in their last 10 games and winning 2 out of their last 3. Rhoades appears to be a good fit for the Owls and has them playing better each game.
Thoughts: Safe
UTSA: Brooks Thompson has coached the Roadrunners since 2006. From 2006-2010 UTSA's record improved every year, culminating in an NCAA berth in 2010. Life since then has not been overly kind to UTSA fans, however. In each of the past three seasons Thompson's teams have posted successively worse records, with an 8-22 mark last season. This year's team has already surpassed last year's win total, sitting at 9-9, but UTSA fans don't seem too pleased with the recent trends.
Thoughts: Depending on how he finishes the rest of this season, his seat is very warm.
Charlotte: Alan Major was in his 5th season coaching the 49ers when he had to take a medical leave of absence. While the 49ers improved in each of his first three years (from 10-20 in 2010-2011 to 21-12 in 2012-2013), last season's team underperformed at 17-14. Additionally, this season's team, while playing one of the hardest OOC schedules in the country, was a disappointing 6-7 at the time of his leave. It should be noted that his staff's recruiting has been fantastic to date.
Thoughts: Hot. It's tough to tell how his medical issues may play into the AD's decision. Is it a convenient reason for the parties to mutually agree to part ways? Will he be forced to step down because of the toll it's taking on him? One thing is for sure, Charlotte fans expect more from their teams than 1 post-season appearance in his four full seasons as a coach.
Other notable coaches: Roy Williams, UNC-CHeat (may be forced out because of violations); Donnie Tyndall, Tennessee; Andy Enfield, USC
(This post was last modified: 01-27-2015 10:51 AM by TribeNiner.)
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