SEC coaching hot seats (or lack thereof...)

RobK

All-SEC
Aug 27, 2004
1,506
7
0
47
Holts Summit, MO
knodell.blog-city.com
With a full 50% of SEC head coaches entering year one (Derek Mason), two (Bret Bielema, Butch Jones, Gus Malzahn, Mark Stoops), or three (Hugh Freeze, Kevin Sumlin), “honeymoon” seems to sum up more situations than “hot seat”.

Should Florida’s season tank again, I could see them thinking about cashiering Muschamp. But the Gators have enough talent to contend in the SEC East and could get really good really quickly IF they put it all together.

Mark Richt always seems to be one underachieving season from feeling some heat from a disgruntled fan base, but there’s no reason to believe he’s in any imminent danger unless Georgia totally collapses.

Among the new coaches, Malzahn, Freeze, and Sumlin have all earned job security by winning early. Bret Bielema, Butch Jones, and Mark Stoops probably each get at least a couple more years to clean up the messes they inherited. Derek Mason should get a full honeymoon at Vandy.

Mullen and Pinkel have made their fan bases happy and don’t face championship pressure, so they’re safe barring consecutive losing seasons.

Coaches Saban and Spurrier seem to be the most fire-proof coaches in the league. Les Miles should be in that same category, but will always feel a slight bit of pressure as long as CNS is in the same division.

In terms of coaches leaving voluntarily, I think Sumlin will remain on a lot of elite college and pro hot lists unless the Aggie nosedive post-Manziel. Dan Mullen would make a fine coach at a lot of places where it’d be easier to win than Starkville, but he hasn’t shown much of a desire to leave (yet). Should Stoops bring improvement at Kentucky, his brand-name last name probably gets him a lot of looks elsewhere. And Derek Mason will almost certainly use Vandy as a stepping stone to better things if he succeeds. And if a blue blood program opens up (Florida?), you have to think Malzahn listens.
 

JustNeedMe81

Hall of Fame
Sep 30, 2011
14,906
6,190
187
42
Huntsville, Al
I will say this.. I don't see Malzahn staying at Auburn long time. If Arkansas job opens up, he'll take the chance to go back home, Home is where he wants to be at this point in his life. Give Arkansas one more year and Gus will take that job.
 

Con

Hall of Fame
Dec 19, 2006
6,399
4,230
187
Northern Hemisphere
I will say this.. I don't see Malzahn staying at Auburn long time. If Arkansas job opens up, he'll take the chance to go back home, Home is where he wants to be at this point in his life. Give Arkansas one more year and Gus will take that job.
You think so? I just don't see that Arkansas is a better place to be. I don't like Auburn, but the campus isn't bad. Their baseball facility is much nicer than their football stadium to me. If you are a duck hunter now, I am moving now. I guess timing is everything, so it could happen after Brett goes 0-8 again this year.
 

RobK

All-SEC
Aug 27, 2004
1,506
7
0
47
Holts Summit, MO
knodell.blog-city.com
You think so? I just don't see that Arkansas is a better place to be. I don't like Auburn, but the campus isn't bad. Their baseball facility is much nicer than their football stadium to me. If you are a duck hunter now, I am moving now. I guess timing is everything, so it could happen after Brett goes 0-8 again this year.
I could see Malzahn going to Arkansas if they offered him, because it is home, and there is quite a bit less pressure than there is at Auburn. He would have a much greater chance of lasting 10 or so years at Arkansas than Auburn.

I agree that Auburn rates well above Arky in terms of the college football pecking order, but the pressure is very unique: pressure to contend in the conference, pressure to contend nationally, pressure to compete in-state with the hottest program and best coach in the country, having the success or failure of your season come down to one game, etc. Bowden, Tuberville, and Chizik all went from hero to fired in very fast order.

I think Malzahn looks at Arkansas, but I think he'd look at a few other top-notch places too. If Florida opens up, I bet he looks there.
 

gohogs14

Suspended
Jan 27, 2012
19
0
10
Arkansas used to be Malzahn's dream job, but with everything that has happened since then who knows how he feels anymore. I don't think it's like a Mike Anderson and Missouri type situation. I do think that if Malzahn ever got offered the job with the Dallas Cowboys he would be VERY intrigued...he grew up a huge fan of them. But I think he stays at Auburn for a little while.

I'm not sure if we would ever go after him no matter how much success he has though because a lot of our fanbase can't stand him
 

jthomas666

Hall of Fame
Aug 14, 2002
22,587
9,642
287
60
Birmingham & Warner Robins
I agree that Auburn rates well above Arky in terms of the college football pecking order, but the pressure is very unique: pressure to contend in the conference, pressure to contend nationally, pressure to compete in-state with the hottest program and best coach in the country, having the success or failure of your season come down to one game, etc. Bowden, Tuberville, and Chizik all went from hero to fired in very fast order.
All three of those were out of the ordinary in different ways. Bowden's fall was as much for off the field shenanigans as on the field, Tuberville quit because he got fed up with BoT shenanigans and because Jimmy Rane is terminally stupid, and everyone knew Chizik had little to do with that MNC; he was a lame duck the moment Gud skipped town. But your point still holds--it's a livestock-filled circus.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,947
15,956
282
Boone, NC
Arkansas used to be Malzahn's dream job, but with everything that has happened since then who knows how he feels anymore. I don't think it's like a Mike Anderson and Missouri type situation. I do think that if Malzahn ever got offered the job with the Dallas Cowboys he would be VERY intrigued...he grew up a huge fan of them. But I think he stays at Auburn for a little while.

I'm not sure if we would ever go after him no matter how much success he has though because a lot of our fanbase can't stand him
Care to elaborate?

All three of those were out of the ordinary in different ways. Bowden's fall was as much for off the field shenanigans as on the field, Tuberville quit because he got fed up with BoT shenanigans and because Jimmy Rane is terminally stupid, and everyone knew Chizik had little to do with that MNC; he was a lame duck the moment Gud skipped town. But your point still holds--it's a livestock-filled circus.
The history of long term coaches isn't very good there. Dye basically was in the catbirds seat in the "Bear-less" SEC after the death of CPB.
 

gohogs14

Suspended
Jan 27, 2012
19
0
10
Care to elaborate?
After what happened with Nutt and Mustain in the 2006 season he could have bad blood towards the university. He got called "high school" by our DC at the time and no one really respected him. Nutt severely limited his playbook and after the season he left for Tulsa and Mustain and Damian Williams transferred.

It was a big mess.
 

BamaMoon

Hall of Fame
Apr 1, 2004
20,947
15,956
282
Boone, NC
Auburn folks are concerned about Guster being so successful that he goes straight to the pros. They are even saying that they hope Skip Kelly fails at Philly because if he is successful the NFL will come calling for someone like Gus.

If Auburn puts together two or three seasons of 10+ wins and/or they win a NC under Gus, he might decide to stay, but if they suddenly find that most teams don't win the SEC or get the the NC game on "lucky charms" and they have a season or two of 8-4 or 9-3 results, he might would be will to listen to others.
 

jthomas666

Hall of Fame
Aug 14, 2002
22,587
9,642
287
60
Birmingham & Warner Robins
After what happened with Nutt and Mustain in the 2006 season he could have bad blood towards the university. He got called "high school" by our DC at the time and no one really respected him. Nutt severely limited his playbook and after the season he left for Tulsa and Mustain and Damian Williams transferred.

It was a big mess.
To be fair, can you blame Nutt for limiting the playbook to "get the ball to Darren McFadden as many times as possible"? ;)
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
18,810
6,245
187
Greenbow, Alabama
IIRC, Malzahn is a native of Texas and spent quite a few years coaching at the high school level in Arkansas. He was used by Nutt to get Mustain, Williams and Cleveland (?) all from Gus's team. I do agree that the Arkansas job is at least, maybe even a little better, than the auburn job. No head to head instate recruiting battles with Alabama and close to both LA and TX for talent. A lot will depend on his relationships with that bunch of yahoos on their Board.
 

Crimson1967

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2011
18,735
9,919
187
Charlie Strong will prove to be a total disaster and will be fired after a 2-10 season. The Shorthorns hire Nick Saban as his replacement and Lane Kiffin coaches us to a win in the national championship game.
 

Catfish

Hall of Fame
Oct 11, 2005
6,566
2
45
60
Birmingham
The *U has some serious drawbacks, most importantly a disfunctional BOT. But, IMO there's no way I'd leave there for the Arkansas job. But, then again, Gus does have ties to the state. If I had to guess, if he goes anywhere, it'd be to the pros.
 

RdunawayTX

3rd Team
Sep 24, 2011
272
59
52
Charlie Strong will prove to be a total disaster and will be fired after a 2-10 season. The Shorthorns hire Nick Saban as his replacement and Lane Kiffin coaches us to a win in the national championship game.
That, sir, is some epic blue font right there.
 

graydogg85

1st Team
Feb 7, 2006
934
169
62
Huntsville, AL
IMO, Gus has still got a lot to prove before we start lumping him in with the elite coaches. A fast riser? Absolutely. That said, 2010 and 2014 were "perfect storm" situations and there have been more than a few coaches who had "flash in the pan" debut seasons followed by diminishing returns.
 

Blindside13

All-SEC
Oct 22, 2011
1,846
1
0
Near the Barn
Auburn folks are concerned about Guster being so successful that he goes straight to the pros. They are even saying that they hope Skip Kelly fails at Philly because if he is successful the NFL will come calling for someone like Gus.

If Auburn puts together two or three seasons of 10+ wins and/or they win a NC under Gus, he might decide to stay, but if they suddenly find that most teams don't win the SEC or get the the NC game on "lucky charms" and they have a season or two of 8-4 or 9-3 results, he might would be will to listen to others.
I think Gus will be at the Barn as long as he is a yes boy to Pat Dye.If he does leave they will just replace him with another one.
 

pigsinspace

1st Team
Jan 26, 2011
609
27
47
The Auburn BoT is on the hot seat more than Gus is. Either an underachieving elite college program or an NFL team will come calling because they want the offensive "genius" to jazz up their team and put fans in the seats. The BoT will then have to decide whether they want to spend the really big bucks to match any offers he may get, especially when the rest of the SEC adapts to the "unstoppable" offense.
 

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