By Mike Huesmann
Top 10 Coaches Hot Seat- Week 5 (9-30-2023)
We have our weekly addition of the Coaches Hot Seat here for you.
10. Matt Campbell, Iowa State
Record at current school: 48-44. 2023 record: 2-2
Last week: Beat Oklahoma State 34-27
Losses to Iowa and Ohio put him in that limbo where things could either get better or get way worse the rest of the way. A gambling scandal mixed with his shameful behavior after the Ohio game will make the brass in Ames wonder if something needs to be done. The Cyclones got a nice win over a not so good Oklahoma State but the schedule heats up now with Oklahoma next. Campbell probably needs to win 5 or 6 of the remaining 8 to truly be safe.
9. Dave Aranda, Baylor
Record at current school: 20-19. 2023 record: 1-3
Last week: Lost to Texas 38-6
Baylor is not performing up to standards in 2023. Many predicted they’d have the best defense in the Big 12 but that hasn’t come close to being true. Losses to Texas State and Utah preceded a win over FCS LIU. Most recently the Bears got handled by Texas at home. A trip to UCF this weekend is a big game for Aranda. A loss here makes the path to a bowl game very difficult.
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8. Billy Napier, Florida
Record at current school: 9-8. 2023 record: 3-1
Last Week: Beat Charlotte 22-7
An opening loss really had Napier on the hot seat. A huge home win versus Tennessee moves Napier from #3 to #8 on this list, but he isn’t all the way safe yet. The Gators schedule is a gauntlet and a string of losses will make people forget the win over the Vols. Florida travels to undefeated Kentucky in a big game for both sides.
7. Tony Elliott
Record at current school: 3-11. 2023 record: 0-4
Last Week: Lost to NC State 24-21
The Cavs look like a trainwreck this year. Just when they appear to be competitive and maybe winning a conference game they have a series of awful mental mistakes and poor discipline to give the game to NC State. It will take a lot to make me think this match will work. The Cavs’ next two games, at Boston College and hosting FCS William & Mary, look like two of the three winnable games on the schedule this year. They’d better take advantage of that or else this looks like a lock to be a double-digit loss team. Will Elliott see season #3? I think so. Should he? I’m not so sure.
6. Neal Brown, West Virginia
Record at current school: 25-26. 2023 record: 3-1
Last Week: Beat Texas Tech 20-13
I wasn’t sure if Neal Brown would ever get out of the #1 spot before he lost his job but here we are. Wins against Pitt and Texas Tech give him a little breathing room and buys him a few more weeks. Another couple wins and Brown may be out of the top 10.
5. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Record at current school: 42-21. 2023 record: 3-1
Last Week: Beat Auburn 27-10
Former national champ, Fisher, has a good record here but with what his salary is and the expectations it hasn’t lived up to standards. A #4 finish in 2020 is their only top-notch season. The Aggies won’t be as bad on D as they were at Miami, but can Connor Weigman keep playing as well as he has? A win against Auburn helps Jimbo a bit but losing to Arkansas today would put him right back in the dog house.
4. Butch Jones, Arkansas State
Record at current school: 6-21. 2023 record: 2-2
Last Week: Beat Southern Miss 44-37
Butch won at Central Michigan and Cincinnati but did not at Tennessee, well he actually had a decent 34-27 overall record, but the Vols weren’t in contention to win the SEC. He has not shown that he can get it done for the Red Wolves. Poor losses to Oklahoma and Memphis were expected, as was a win over FCS Stony Brook. A recent win over Southern Miss helps but doesn’t save. The Sun Belt schedule and results will determine if Butch sees the end of this season, let alone 2024.
3. Dana Holgorsen, Houston
Record at current school: 29-22. 2023 record: 2-2
Last Week: Beat Sam Houston 38-7
Holgo and the Cougars had a bad loss to Rice two weeks ago and got throttled by TCU last week. Concerns there are if he can maintain a solid squad in the Big 12 where he was once okay, not great, at West Virginia. Houston has a great recruiting base and wealthy boosters. I’d be shocked if these boosters are pleased with the results and aren’t thinking they can be better.
2. Danny Gonzales, New Mexico
Record at current school: 9-26. 2023 record: 2-2
Last Week: Beat UMass 34-31 in OT
We have a new #1 on the Hot Seat. New Mexico is a tough place to win but Gonzalez hasn’t come close, never winning more than 3 in a season. Gonzales got a nice OT win against UMass last week, but the overall record and state of the program only drop him this far on the list.
Brent Pry, Virginia Tech
Record at current school: 4-11 | 2023 record: 1-3
Last Week: Lost to Marshall 24-17
I dislike putting 2nd-year coaches on the hot seat, I fundamentally disagree with firing them that early and don’t feel like they’ve been given enough time. That certainly is the case with Pry, but considering the modern history and success at VT, some will be wondering if he’s the guy. Pry has lost 3 in a row to Purdue, Rutgers, and Marshall with Pitt and Florida St. up next. He moves into the hottest of seats here.
Fired List:
Mel Tucker, Michigan State (Week 4)
