Which coaches are on the hottest seat and under the most pressure after Week 3 of the college football season?
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Which ten coaches are going to be feeling it if they don’t win … NOW.
The hot seat rankings are done in two ways. First, the five coaches who need a win for job security – even in a year when most coaches will get a whole lot of benefits of a whole lot of doubts.
Then come the five coaches who aren’t in any real danger of being fired, but could desperately use something positive.
Coaches On The Hot Seat: Win, Or Else
5. Dana Dimel, UTEP
It’s sort of hard to put him on any real hot seat list after winning as many games in the first three dates of this year than he did in his first two seasons combined, but the 2-1 start is a bit of a mirage. The two wins were too tight over Stephen F. Austin and Abilene Christian, and the loss was a blowout to Texas. Dimel won’t be fired anytime soon, but he could really use a win over an FBS team and win on the road against …
4. Matt Viator, ULM
Army has been great in its two games, so there’s some forgiveness for being off in the 37-7 opening win. However, getting boat-raced at home against Texas State 38-17 hurts. Lose at home to UTEP, and ULM could be facing a winless season.
3. Dino Babers, Syracuse
The games against North Carolina and Pitt were on the road, but those two aren’t that amazing. They’re both good, but not good enough to lose to by a combined score of 52-16. The offense is a disaster because the line is a mess, and now Babers – after winning ten games in 2018 and the 2019 season opener – has gone 4-9 in his last 13 games.
2. Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee
Chalk up the 42-0 clunker at Army to start the season as an opening weekend misfire when the team didn’t do much of anything right. Two weeks later, everything was supposed to start working at home against Troy, and … 47-14 loss. Stockstill might be a fixture for the program, but now he’s 5-13 in his last 18 games. Lose at UTSA, and there’s a problem.
1. Will Muschamp, South Carolina
The schedule is unforgiving.
South Carolina doesn’t have to play Clemson this season, but seven of the ten teams on the all-SEC schedule went bowling last year, and three of the first five games are on the road. After going 4-8 in 2019, a bad start with losses to Tennessee and at Florida would set up a true hot seat game at Vanderbilt.
NEXT: 5 Coaches Who Won’t Get Fired, But Need A Win
Coaches On The Hot Seat: Won’t Get Fired, But … WIN NOW
5. Gus Malzahn, Auburn
It’s a list of hot seat coaches – it’s as if we’re required by law to put Malzahn on here before the season starts. It’s not fair, and it’s not right considering he’s coming off a good 2019 with a win over Alabama. However, lose to Kentucky this week to kick things off, and there’s a big, big issue with three of the next four games on the road, starting with a trip to Georgia.
4. Les Miles, Kansas
The guy just started Year Two of a major rebuilding job, but …
Don’t get boat-raced by Coastal Carolina at home for a second straight season.
No excuses – a Power Five program shouldn’t look that much slower and out-of-sync than a Sun Belt squad that’s going to struggle to get to a winning record. The Jayhawks will come up with a win somewhere, but consider it a shock if they’re not double-digit underdogs the rest of the way.
3. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
He’s got the contract that’s going to keep him around several more years, but it’s time to take the program up a few notches and into the level of true SEC and College Football Playoff contenders.
With at Alabama and Florida coming up next, there can’t be even the slightest slip against Vanderbilt this week. No, he won’t be remotely close to fired even with an 0-3 start, but there will be a whole lot of grouchiness with a 1-2 start.
Duke has now lost seven of its last eight games, failed to score more than 27 in any of them, and haven’t scored more than 17 in six of those seven losses.
2. David Cutcliffe, Duke
He’s a made man and one of the true coach’s coaches in the business, but it’s been a rough, rough run since the middle of last year.
Losing at Notre Dame to start the season wasn’t any big deal, but getting rocked at home by Boston College 26-6 wasn’t okay, especially with three of the next four games on the road.
1. Dana Holgorsen, Houston
To be extremely fair, Holgorsen hasn’t had the slightest bit of luck getting this season up and going. Triple that considering 2019 turned into one big practice for 2020.
In so many ways it was the smart move after the gut-punch 38-31 loss to Tulane for a 1-3 start. A few key players – most notably now-Miami quarterback D’Eriq King – decided to sit out the last eight games to preserve their eligibility, the team played a whole lot of young options, and the 3-5 record the rest of the way wasn’t that awful considering the circumstances.
Now beat North Texas to finally start the season.
Who’s up next? The team that helped set the wheels in motion – Tulane.
ege
