John Goodman released his Coaches on the Hot Seat commentary today, so thought I'd post it. I think it's worth having a thread dedicated to discussing who's in trouble elsewhere, creating competition for candidates, and who the forum is viewing as potential candidates for the GT job in what's looking like the likely event of a regime change.
Outside of posting press coverage as to why BG is likely to go, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not turn this in to an opportunity to ramble on with criticisms of him. The goal here is to look towards the future and what we'd like to see, not keep commiserating about the past & present.
With that, here's Goodman's commentary...
Once you are on the dreaded hot seat, there are usually only a few ways off. Below we give you 10 coaches who need to finish strong to make certain they don't end up on the chopping block, and three who have managed to quiet the hot seat talk via different methods.
Coaches on the hot seat, Part I (NCAA and off-court issues)
1. Donnie Tyndall, Tennessee Volunteers
The Vols (12-6, 4-2) are tied for second place in the SEC, but I’m not sure winning games matters all that much for Tyndall, whose previous school, Southern Miss,
just self-imposed a postseason ban due to issues from his time in Hattiesburg. There’s an NCAA investigation ongoing, and it could wind up costing him his job. Don’t be surprised if the NCAA ends up hitting Tyndall hard enough to make it tough for Tennessee to retain him.
2. Dana Altman, Oregon Ducks
On the surface, Altman looks safe. His deal is through 2020, he’s taken the Ducks to the NCAA tournament in each of the past two seasons and is 14-6 this season. However, it’s a lingering off-court issue -- an alleged sexual assault involving three players who have all been booted from the school -- that has Altman’s future in jeopardy. The victim in the case
filed a federal Title IX lawsuit against Altman and the university earlier this month, and the coach's status could depend on how that situation plays out.
3. Larry Brown, SMU Mustangs
Brown is currently in the midst of
an NCAA investigation tied to academics. At 74 years old, I wouldn’t be surprised if he walks away (or is told to walk away) after the season in order to avoid having to go in front of the NCAA’s Committee of Infractions. Then the question may become whether coach-in-waiting Tim Jankovich can still get the job.
Coaches on the hot seat, Part II (Not winning enough games)
4. Brian Gregory, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Gregory, who came from Dayton in 2011, hasn’t been able to turn the Georgia Tech program around. The Yellow Jackets haven’t finished higher than ninth in the ACC in his first three seasons, and Tech is 0-7 in the conference this season (the most recent loss a home setback to Boston College on Sunday). Gregory got a one-year extension in 2013 that takes him through 2018, but it doesn’t look great for him, especially since current athletic director Mike Bobinski isn’t the one who hired him.
5. Oliver Purnell, DePaul Blue Demons
Yes, I know the Blue Demons are 5-3 in Big East play. But I also know DePaul is 11-10 overall and has finished 16th out of 16 (twice), 15th out of 15 and 10th out of 10 in Big East play in his first four seasons. Purnell is a great human being, but he’s 61 years old and the end of his 7-year deal (he was hired in 2010) is approaching.
6. Steve Lavin, St. John’s Red Storm
Lavin took a team filled with Norm Roberts’ recruits to the NCAA tournament in his first season (2010-11), but hasn’t gone dancing since. He’s been to a pair of NITs, and with St. John's sitting at 13-6, 2-4 in the Big East, the finish to this year could determine whether Lavin -- still working under his original six-year deal inked in 2010 -- receives an extension.
7. Travis Ford, Oklahoma State Cowboys
It’s never a good sign when the athletic director basically says
he screwed up by giving you a long-term extension. Ford got a 10-year extension back in 2009 and the school will still have to pay Ford nearly $10 million if it severs ties after the season. That could protect him, and what could really help solidify his job security is if he can get to the NCAA tourney this season. The Cowboys are 13-6 and 3-4 in the Big 12, and Ford could certainly use a strong finish.
8. Matt Painter, Purdue Boilermakers
Painter inked an eight-year deal in 2011 when he was contemplating going to Missouri, a time when he was also in the midst of a tremendous run of six consecutive NCAA tourney appearances. Since then, the Boilermakers (12-8, 4-3 Big Ten) had back-to-back seasons under .500 and though improved in 2014-15, are in danger of not going to the tourney for the third consecutive season.
9. Herb Sendek, Arizona State Sun Devils
Sendek received a three-year extension after last season’s NCAA tournament appearance, but it’s still unclear what the buyout would be if the school wanted to make a move. Sendek is in his ninth season, has gone to just a pair of NCAA tourneys -- and the Sun Devils are just 10-10 overall and 2-5 in the Pac-12 this season.
10. Dave Rice, UNLV Rebels
There aren’t many better people in the industry than Dave Rice, but there’s a certain level of expectation with heading up the Runnin’ Rebels program. He took his alma mater to the NCAA each of his first two seasons, but didn’t go a year ago and the school is 11-9 overall and 2-5 in a lackluster Mountain West this season. Rice just inked a two-year extension through 2019 this past offseason after South Florida made a run at him, but he also doesn’t make a ton of money.
Three coaches who have moved off the hot seat in 2014-15
Mark Turgeon, Maryland Terrapins
I’ve made it no secret that I thought the Terps' hire of Turgeon, a guy who can really coach, was the correct one after the school misfired in its pursuit of Sean Miller back in 2011. Turgeon had a rough first three seasons, making some recruiting mistakes, and it culminated in an offseason in which numerous players left to go elsewhere. However, those defections were a case of addition by subtraction, and Turgeon has the program rolling with a 18-3 record (6-2 in the Big Ten). Much of the success can be attributed to the presence of talented and mature freshman point guard
Melo Trimble. Don’t be surprised to see Turgeon receive an extension on his original 8-year deal signed in 2011.
Tom Crean, Indiana Hoosiers
Crean has done a nice job with this team (15-5, 5-2 Big Ten), putting the Hoosiers in position to challenge for one of the top spots in the league. It’s not as if the Hoosiers are loaded, but they should get into the NCAA tourney. Crean has also been the beneficiary of a mediocre Big Ten, and has a hefty buyout that will go from $12 million to about $7.5 million in the summer.
Billy Kennedy, Texas A&M Aggies
Kennedy is in his fourth season, hasn’t gone to the NCAA tournament (after the program made six straight appearances under Billy Gillispie and Mark Turgeon prior to Kennedy's arrival) and probably won’t make it this season. But the Aggies (13-5, 4-2 SEC) will make the postseason and Kennedy and his staff have put together a recruiting class that currently ranks behind only Kentucky and Arizona. The Aggies have four players ranked in the top 65 in the country -- that’s a great way to save your job.
