News Article: Six SEC coaches facing the most pressure this spring

B1GTide

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I don't get how Freeze isn't ranked #1. That program is being raked over the coals by the NCAA. Will they really thumb their noses at the NCAA by keeping Freeze? How might the NCAA react to that?
 

Bamabuzzard

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I don't get how Freeze isn't ranked #1. That program is being raked over the coals by the NCAA. Will they really thumb their noses at the NCAA by keeping Freeze? How might the NCAA react to that?
Because ultimately job security (outside of extreme, extreme circumstances like Baylor) is tied to winning football games and until the pesky investigation Hugh was winning and Botch was not. So Botch gets the trophy. Don't try to take Botch's first place trophy away. He's worked hard for it.
 

RTR91

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I don't get how Freeze isn't ranked #1. That program is being raked over the coals by the NCAA. Will they really thumb their noses at the NCAA by keeping Freeze? How might the NCAA react to that?
The list can very well change after the second letter is released. If the NCAA indicates there's more than the first letter said (and we all know that's likely), Hugh will get more pressure.

Putting that aside, Hugh hasn't had the preseason expectation like Botch. Media and fans have expected UT to contend for the East by now. He's fallen on his face thus far.
 

Bazza

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IMHO...

Sumlin should be at the top.

I don't see Jones being on the hot seat at all. UT is on an upswing.

And McElwain being on the list is simply preposterous.

But hey....it's the off season - gotta write about something! :rolleyes:
 

rgw

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Hugh Freeze has more heat applied from the NCAA than his own fanbase. The NCAA could punish him directly in such a fashion that Ole Miss is left with no choice but to terminate him no matter how they feel about him as a coach. I pretty much agree with this list through #5. I don't think McElwain is really under pressure right now. He went 10-4 in year 1 and would've went 10-4 in 2016 if they didn't have to cancel one of their layup OOC games to play LSU. 19-8 isn't that bad for the first two years.

I do think the ordering is a bit different in my mind though: Jones, Malzahn, and Sumlin are all in put up or shut up years. The only thing that may save one of these three if they match or slightly decline on their prior year's performance is the fact that their administration may be concerned about competing against 3 or more SEC schools for a major hire. The fact that so many coaches are likely to be fired is probably the best news for Bret Bielema. He can probably pump out another 7-6 or 8-5 season and stick around if the wheels start coming off in Auburn, College Station, and Knoxville.
 

crimsonaudio

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I don't see Jones being on the hot seat at all. UT is on an upswing.
Then you haven't been listening to their fans. They all bought into the expectation that UT would win the SECE last year and they fell far short of that. Beyond that, they lost a huge amount of talent from last year's team - 2016 pretty much had to be their year...
 

RTR91

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IMHO...

Sumlin should be at the top.

I don't see Jones being on the hot seat at all. UT is on an upswing.

And McElwain being on the list is simply preposterous.

But hey....it's the off season - gotta write about something! :rolleyes:
UT fans aren't happy with Botch for not winning the East last year, and they're becoming very tiresome of his constant cliches.

And clearly something isn't complete roses in Gainesville because Mac has gotten defensive at times when asked about the offense improving.
 

Bamabuzzard

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UT fans aren't happy with Botch for not winning the East last year, and they're becoming very tiresome of his constant cliches.

And clearly something isn't complete roses in Gainesville because Mac has gotten defensive at times when asked about the offense improving.
Is this why he almost starts crying during every post game interview while looking up at the crowd and saying "Isn't this great? Can you believe this?" LOL!
 

MattinBama

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Butch Jones' take away from this article.

"Listen recruits, I've been working hard year after year and I'm finally being recognized as the No. 1 coach in the SEC. And since you have 1 star but 12 stars in heart we're asking you to join us and be 1 together."
 

tidefanbeezer

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I don't get how Freeze isn't ranked #1. That program is being raked over the coals by the NCAA. Will they really thumb their noses at the NCAA by keeping Freeze? How might the NCAA react to that?
Because his fan base has their head in the same...sand that he has his in.

If this is strictly feeling the most pressure (and not hot seat), Kirby should be on there. That fan base has incredibly high expectations. They are looking at Chubb/Michel returning, a #3 recruiting class, and looking at what Saban did in Year 2. That has the fan base almost certain that and SEC East Championship is in the bag and potentially an SEC title. Throw in the contingent that is already grumbling about "We fired a 10 win coach for a guy who goes 8-5 and loses to Tech" and I think Kirby is under a lot of pressure from that fan base.
 

rgw

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Excluding the Zook and Muschamp years, Florida has spent the majority of the last 3 decades being at or near the top of college football. Heck, Florida had one year under Muschamp where they got midway through the season before losing and went to the bowl season with only a single loss before getting spanked by Louisville in the Sugar Bowl.

They expect to win big and there is a whole generation of people who are now the boosters and season ticket holders who came up on nothing but a steady diet of SEC championships, 10 win seasons, and a few national title runs. They may end up chasing off McElwain like Curry was ran out of town here. They've got to go through their wilderness as a fanbase maybe?
 

MBA_99

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Re: Freeze, first let's assume that lots of recruits were paid lots of cash since Freeze came. I easily make the assumption that it was so rampant that a player, L Tunsil, could matter-of-factly state during the NFL draft how they paid him cash. Now, if I'm an Ole Miss fan I probably have an easy time clinging to the fact that it's not proven and all. If I'm a top booster or AD, though, surely some part of me has to realize that Freeze brought all this on us, and isn't likely to repeat his success by just rampantly paying players in the future.
 

Bamabuzzard

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Because his fan base has their head in the same...sand that he has his in.

If this is strictly feeling the most pressure (and not hot seat), Kirby should be on there. That fan base has incredibly high expectations. They are looking at Chubb/Michel returning, a #3 recruiting class, and looking at what Saban did in Year 2. That has the fan base almost certain that and SEC East Championship is in the bag and potentially an SEC title. Throw in the contingent that is already grumbling about "We fired a 10 win coach for a guy who goes 8-5 and loses to Tech" and I think Kirby is under a lot of pressure from that fan base.
If Kirby doesn't win at least ten games this season he'll be on that midnight train but it dang sure won't be to Georgia.
 
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rgw

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No doubt every fan base has their share of the dissatisfied.

I was looking at it from my perspective only as a neutral observer.
Right, Alabama will have the same people invariably when Saban hangs 'em up. I think the analysis of what ails the Florida fanbase is not wrong though. Long run of mostly excellence...breeds irrationality from fanatics.
 

B1GTide

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Re: Freeze, first let's assume that lots of recruits were paid lots of cash since Freeze came. I easily make the assumption that it was so rampant that a player, L Tunsil, could matter-of-factly state during the NFL draft how they paid him cash. Now, if I'm an Ole Miss fan I probably have an easy time clinging to the fact that it's not proven and all. If I'm a top booster or AD, though, surely some part of me has to realize that Freeze brought all this on us, and isn't likely to repeat his success by just rampantly paying players in the future.
The top boosters know what happened - they funded it. They are as responsible as Freeze for this mess.
 

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