Dan Hawkins received a reprieve, but many of his coaching brethren may not be so lucky.
With the season winding down, here are a few coaches whose stints at their schools are winding down, listed in order of flame height:
Charlie Weis, Notre Dame, fifth year, 35-26 overall, 6-5 2009.
Speculation has gone flying past the firing right to coaching candidates, where Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly is fueling speculation about being atop the list by saying absolutely nothing.
Weis will go down as one of the worst hires in Notre Dame history. Not only is he an arrogant lout, but he and his staff never developed his highly ranked recruits. The defense has been a sieve and, until this year, so was the offensive line.
His record is worse than fired predecessors Bob Davie and Ty Willingham, and against teams that finished with winning records, he has won four of his last 24. If he loses Saturday at Stanford, a 10 1/2-point favorite, he’ll finish with a four-game losing streak and a 6-6 mark, 16-21 his last three years.
Athletic director Jack Swarbrick all but signed the firing notice recently when he told the South Bend Tribune, “We can and we should be competing for a BCS berth every year and for national championships with some frequency. And I have no question we can get there because we have all the assets one needs to be able to do that.”
There’s speculation that the browbeaten Irish may not play in whatever rinky-dink bowl will accept them. If they do, it’s doubtful Weis will get a swan song. Swarbrick has ordered him back from his usual West Coast recruiting swing after the Stanford game.
Weis could land with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he worked under general manager Scott Pioli when they both won Super Bowls with the Patriots. First-year coach Todd Haley fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in the preseason and has taken over the playcalling chores.
Al Groh, Virginia, ninth year, 59-52, 36-35 ACC; 3-8, 2-5.
If AD Craig Littlepage failed to give him an extension three previous times, he won’t give him one now. Recruiting has suffered enough and the record shows in his 1-7 mark against archrival Virginia Tech.
His roster has been rife with academic casualties due to an administration, to its credit, that hasn’t loosened entrance requirements for football players.
A possible replacement could be Richmond coach Mike London, who twice assisted Groh at Virginia. Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has also been mentioned.
Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville, third year, 15-20, 5-15 Big East; 4-7, 1-5.
He has two years left on a relatively affordable $1.1 million deal. After nine consecutive winning seasons and a No. 6 ranking the year before Kragthorpe arrive, the Cardinals have failed to achieve one winning record.
AD Tom Jurich, the ex-CSU chief, is planning to expand Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium next year from 42,000 to 55,000. Bad timing. Two weeks ago against Syracuse, Louisville drew 33,000.
Ralph Friedgen, Maryland, ninth year, 66-45, 38-33 ACC; 2-9, 1-6.
Maryland officials say they can fund the buyout, in this case $4 million. They have a coach in waiting with offensive coordinator James Franklin, a move Friedgen resented for the way it could affect the rest of the staff.
Losing to Middle Tennessee State two years in a row hurts the most. If Friedgen keeps his job, he’ll have to make mass changes on his staff.
Mark Mangino, Kansas, eighth year, 50-47, 23-40 Big 12; 5-6, 1-6.
In this ugly he-said, he-said tale, Mangino’s getting support from former players and ex-players’ parents. However, the accusations of verbal abuse — not to mention the five-game losing streak after the Jayhawks were favored by some to win the North — may have taken their toll.
One Kansas regent told , “Dragging it out does nobody any good. But we can’t rush it because of legal reasons.”
Last thought: If Kansas beats Missouri in Kansas City on Saturday — the Jayhawks are 3 1/2-point underdogs — he’ll be the only coach to have led the Jayhawks to bowls in three consecutive seasons.
Southern inhospitality
If you’re looking for an upset special, something that can tilt the top of the BCS rankings this weekend, good luck pulling for archrival emotion winning out over cold, hard facts.
Second-ranked Alabama visits Auburn today, and top-ranked Florida hosts Florida State on Saturday.
While Auburn (7-4) is a relatively tame 10 1/2-point underdog, this isn’t a great matchup. Auburn has lost four of its past six — with one of those wins over Furman.
Sure, the Tigers can eat the clock with Ben Tate, right, and his 109.9 rushing yards a game. That plays right into Alabama’s hands. The Crimson Tide has the strongest defense in the country and is second in rush defense at 70.55 yards a game.
In the past six games, Alabama has given up only three touchdowns.
Florida is a 24 1/2-point favorite over FSU (6-5), which has won four of five, but lost the past five to Florida — and it hasn’t been close. The past two years it was 45-12 and 45-15, and Saturday could be worse.
The Seminoles’ defense is ranked 106th in the nation.
John Henderson, The Denver Post
Southern inhospitality
If you’re looking for an upset special, something that can tilt the top of the BCS rankings this weekend, good luck pulling for archrival emotion winning out over cold, hard facts.
Second-ranked Alabama visits Auburn today, and top-ranked Florida hosts Florida State on Saturday.
While Auburn (7-4) is a relatively tame 10 1/2-point underdog, this isn’t a great matchup. Auburn has lost four of its past six — with one of those wins over Furman.
Sure, the Tigers can eat the clock with Ben Tate, right, and his 109.9 rushing yards a game. That plays right into Alabama’s hands. The Crimson Tide has the strongest defense in the country and is second in rush defense at 70.55 yards a game.
In the past six games, Alabama has given up only three touchdowns.
Florida is a 24 1/2-point favorite over FSU (6-5), which has won four of five, but lost the past five to Florida — and it hasn’t been close. The past two years it was 45-12 and 45-15, and Saturday could be worse.
The Seminoles’ defense is ranked 106th in the nation.
John Henderson, The Denver Post
