Rapid Fire: Focus on Fulmer, Tub, Fridge, Willingham & Shannon

“Rapid Fire” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on multiple coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on no less than five jobs which could soon be open…

Fulmer and Tuberville

Beating a mid-level Division 1 team, 13-9, while recording just 10 first downs, or losing 14-13 to the No. 19 team in the country while rushing for just four yards in the second half. Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville appear to be the same canoe, both with a quarterback to help them paddle before they fall over the edge of a waterfall… Tennessee and Fulmer are rapidly becoming college football’s punchline. Such as the rumor that Fulmer will leave his job to join FEMA, because he’s so good at evacuating 100,000 people in 10 minutes. Tuberville is drawing heat also, because the offensive coordinator (Tony Franklin) and scheme (the spread option) that Auburn switched to doesn’t fit the personnel. The most alarming thing about the Tigers in their 14-13 l oss to Vanderbilt was their 11 penalties. That’s just sloppy, undisciplined football. – Commercial-Appeal

Ralph Friedgen

Ralph Friedgen, frankly, seemed out of answers. He said he is not reaching the players. He said they lacked focus. You know how it is, they have been through this before, like last month in Murfreesboro. But this loss was even more damaging for the Terps… Maryland can win or lose any game left on its schedule. – Washington Post

Tyrone Willingham

But just moments later, Washington athletic director Scott Woodward said that his football coach will not be leaving the program anytime soon, despite the Huskies’ 48-14 loss to Arizona. “I told you last weekend that I was less satisfied than I was the week before, and I’m even less happy today,” Woodward said. “But we have seven games to play, and we’re going to play those seven games. And, no, there’s not going to be a change this week. Like I said, (I will) look at the whole body of work of this season and assess it at the end of the season.” The loss dropped Washington to 0-5, leaving the Huskies and North Texas as the only winless teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. It also was UW’s seventh straight loss, now the longest losing streak in the FBS. Willingham said that his team can play better, but added that he believes his players are still giving full effort. Woodward said he believes that, too. “Coach Willingham’s coaching as hard as he can, and the kids are playing hard,” he said. “I didn’t see quit in these guys. They didn’t play well, but I didn’t see quit. I didn’t see bad dissention. But it’s not good. I don’t want to sugar coat it, but it’s not good.” Woodward said an in-season firing would be bad for the university’s image and also bad for the players, who he believes have enough going on as students and athletes without having to deal with losing one coach and adapting to a new one. – Bellingham Herald

Another night. Another embarrassing loss. Another reason to end the misery now. In the latest installment of dismay, the Washington football team lost 48-14 to Arizona with the resistance of an unlocked door and insisted afterward that redemption could be had. At 0-5 now, the Huskies still look at their seven remaining games as an opportunity instead of a slow countdown to destruction. As new owners of the nation’s longest losing streak (seven games), they still dream of accomplishing more than a coaching search. “We can play better,” Willingham claimed… Because of his own mismanagement, he’s a suffering Dawg, and every game he limps onto the field, overmatched and overwhelmed, dying slowly and cruelly. Lord, please take him. End the pitiful play. End the trampled looks on the players’ faces. End the fan outrage. Fire Willingham for his own good. For his health. For his sanity. For his family, which cannot be fully shielded from the public rancor. This is an ugly situation that, barring a miracle, will only get worse. The season isn’t half over, but we’ve seen enough. We know Willingham won’t be back next season. – Seattle Times

Washington athletic director Scott Woodward pulled the trigger — but it wasn’t on football coach Tyrone Willingham. Not even three weeks into his tenure, Woodward has dismissed Marie Tuite from her positions as senior associate athletic director for sports programs and senior women’s administrator. – Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Randy Shannon

“We’re that close,” Shannon said. Close, of course, isn’t good enough for the Hurricanes, who are reeling once again. Saturday’s 41-39 loss to Florida State was Miami’s 12th defeat in its last 15 Atlantic Coast Conference games, its fifth straight league loss at home, and left the Hurricanes at the bottom of the standings. A different play here against North Carolina, a different play there against the Seminoles, and Miami could be in first place, probably back in the national rankings for the first time in two years as well. Instead, the Hurricanes (2-3, 0-2) now stand on the brink of a second straight disappointing season… All of it, he insists, is correctable. And with seven games left, starting Saturday at home against Central Florida, he believes there’s still time to save this season. “You’ve got to keep banging away on pride, the pride factor that you have inside of you,” Shannon said. – Sporting News