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Early Hot Seat Watch: 4 Coaches Who Could Lose Their Jobs This Season

It’s Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, so how about we turn the heat up Not the grill, although I’ll take a burger and a glitzy with extra mustard if anybody is offering. I’m thinking more along the lines of turning up the always intriguing college football coach’s hot seat.

With the new season weeks away, different coaches are already making rounds in most of the top college football news outlets because of their job status. Some, like Houston’s Dana Holgorsen, Indiana’s Tom Allen, and Boston College’s Jeff Hafley could be accounted for as safe to coach at least another season.

Early Hot Seat Watch: 4 Coaches Who Could Lose Their Jobs This Season
Head coach Neal Brown of the West Virginia Mountaineers - Peter Aiken/Getty Images/afp

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But for others, their luck might not be the same. Who are some of college football’s coaches that are already on the hot seat and could end up losing their jobs this season? Let’s take a look.

1. Neal Brown, West Virginia Mountaineers

What do you get when you have three losing seasons in the past four years? Oh, and your only winning record came in a shortened season because of a pandemic? You get Neal Brown’s tenure as head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Entering his fifth season with WV, Brown cannot afford to have his team go down the same losing road once again. After a strong tenure with the Troy Trojans, winning three straight bowl games before leaving for the Mountaineers, the panorama for Brown is now full of uncertainty.

Simply put, if the Mountaineers start with a losing record once again, Brown could be the first head coach out of a job.

2. Danny Gonzales, New Mexico Lobos

How Danny Gonzales is still the coach of the New Mexico Lobos team either goes to show the school’s love for alumni, or no desire to be competitive. After hiring Gonzales in 2020, the Lobos hold a 7-24 record, including a 3-20 conference record, with an 0-8 season last year. To put it in perspective, it would be a better bet to bet on me making the Lobos the top college football odds squad in the land than Gonzales scoring 3 wins this season.

Having the worst offense in the country when it comes to yards per game with 228.1 does Gonzales no favors either. Given that New Mexico can find some ground to start a change within its mentality and culture, Gonzales could be able to buy himself a little more time.

But considering the team’s and coach’s track record, Gonzales should start getting his CV ready to find another job this year.

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3. Dino Babers, Syracuse Orange

Since taking over at Syracuse in 2016, you’d find it hard to pinpoint any valid high points in Dino Babers’ tenure with the Orange. With a record of 36-49, including 19-39 in ACC play, the time for Babers to leave his post at Syracuse might be coming soon.

Even with a background in offense-driven football, Babers hasn’t been able to lift his team within his conference regarding scoring. In the last four years, Syracuse has consistently finished below seventh place in scoring in the ACC.

Babers needs his team to have a complete turnaround to be able to keep his job. But if the Orange finish this season as they did last year, losing six of their last seven games and missing out on a bowl appearance once again, there won’t be a job for Babers anymore.

4. Mike Bloomgren, Rice Owls

The Rice Owls don’t ask for much every season. They just want to be in bowl contention conversation … like every other team. That’s where coach Mike Bloomgren’s record as coach of the Owls shows that his job might be in danger.

With a 5-8 record last season, making it the school’s eighth consecutive losing season, and just one bowl game in Bloomgren’s five seasons as Rice’s coach, the panorama for Coach B is not looking bright. Winning at least 7 games is a must in 2023, this time as a part of the AAC conference, one much tougher than Conference USA.

If Bloomgren can’t produce, Rice will be looking for a new coach before the season ends.

Should Be, But Won’t Because Of Money: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M Aggies

Do you know what $86 million can get you in Texas? Yes, a lot of things. For the Texas A&M football team, it would get them the chance to pay coach Jimbo Fisher’s buyout clause and send him packing.

 

But why would they do that? Fisher is considered amongst experts as a good coach. He could make any team a top CFP championship contender. Well, after a losing season in 2022, despite having their best recruiting class that same year, and without having a 10-win season since taking over the job, the teams’ patience for Fisher is starting to run thin.

With their rivals, the Texas Longhorns one year away from joining the SEC, the time for Fisher and the Aggies to pick up the slack and avoid another losing season like last year is now. If that winning season doesn’t happen, the Aggies might have to take the multi-million dollar blow and start over.

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