The Five Coaches with the Highest Expectations in 2023

Which coaches have the biggest weight on their shoulders?

Author:
Mike Farrell
Publish date:
Dec 18, 2022

Which coaches have the biggest weight on their shoulders?

— Ready for some high expectations? These coaches are going to know pressure next season. This isn’t a hot seat thing, it’s just eyes of the world on them expecting great things which are unlikely to happen.

1. Deion Sanders, Colorado

I'm not sure there's ever been more hype around the hiring of a head coach than what we've seen over the past couple weeks in Boulder. But that hype brings massive expectations, and the Buffs' roster is in shambles. Don't be shocked when they're 4-8 and some of the shine has worn off.

Dec 8, 2022; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the game Colorado State Rams the second half at the CU Events Center.
© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jeff Brohm, Louisville

People who assume that the prodigal son is going to return home and magically get double-digit wins out of this team are sorely mistaken. There are serious issues with the offensive line that won't be fixed overnight, as well as a defense that has a lot of holes to fill.

U of L Athletic Director Josh Heird, left, presented Jeff Brohm with a jersey after he was announced as the new head football coach at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 8, 2022.
© Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

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3. Sonny Dykes, TCU

What Dykes and the Frogs have done this year is nothing short of miraculous. Making it to the CFP as the first non-Oklahoma Big XII team and looking dominant in the process was something that almost no one was expecting to happen. But with success comes expectations, and next year's team won’t be as loaded, even if they're off to a hot start in the transfer portal. It's hard enough to catch lightning in a bottle once. Twice might be too much to ask for.

Oct 29, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes yells at an official during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.
© Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

4. Brian Kelly, LSU

The Tigers came on very strong down the stretch, and they'll be expected to be even better in 2023 as they fully embrace Brian Kelly's system. But they caught Alabama on a down year and it's going to be a very tall task to defeat the Tide in consecutive seasons. And let’s not forget the SEC West has to be better as this was one of the worst years for the division in ages.

Oct 15, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (7) and head coach Brian Kelly celebrate after they beat the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

5. Josh Heupel, Tennessee

Much like Sonny Dykes, Heupel will have a ton of pieces to replace from a historic offense in Knoxville. But now that Volunteers fans have gotten a taste for success, they are thirsty for a lot more even though they are still a couple of seasons away from truly being able to compete with Georgia in the SEC East.