UPDATED HOT SEAT LIST!!!

Football Rumor Mill’s HOT SEAT RANKINGS are hot off the press! READ MORE HERE!

The Name Game: New Mexico, Utah State Coaching Search Updates

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on two jobs…

New Mexico

Two Oklahoma State football assistants reportedly are candidates for the head-coaching position at the University of New Mexico. Rivals.com reports that Joe DeForest, OSU’s associate head coach and special-teams coach, and Cowboy running backs coach Curtis Luper are being considered for the New Mexico job. The University of New Mexico president is David Schmidly, who from 2002-07 was the OSU president. DeForest, Rivals reported, “may be an early leader for the New Mexico job.”Also listed as New Mexico candidates are Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen, Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes and UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. – Tulsa World

Utah State

Earlier this week, Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads’ name popped for a head coaching vacancy. The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that Rhoads was a candidate for the Utah State opening after the Aggies fired Brent Guy last week. The paper said that Rhoads wasn’t in the top four, but made a “push for the position in previous days.” When asked after Auburn’s 36-0 loss to Alabama on Saturday night if he had been contacted by Utah State for the opening, Rhoads said he wasn’t ready to talk about future possibilities. “We just got off this Iron Bowl game and I’m not very happy about it,” the defensive coordinator said, “and I’ll take that from there and address those things in the future.” Rhoads just finished his first season with the Tigers after spending seven years at Pittsburgh. Rhoads was a graduate assistant at Utah State from 1989-90. He received his masters in education from USU in 1991. – Dothan Eagle

The Firing Line: Tuberville Waits on AU Decision

“The Firing Line” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville…

But, at least for now, it doesn’t seem likely that Auburn’s embarrassing 36-0 loss to Alabama will change head coach Tommy Tuberville’s job status. Sometime in the coming week, he will meet with athletics director Jay Jacobs and president Jay Gogue.  He will tell them what he plans to do to bring his program back from the 5-7 disaster that was 2008. Jacobs will make a recommendation to Gogue. As it stands today, that recommendation will be that Tuberville, based on 10 mostly successful season, be given the opportunity to turn things around. And as it stands today, Gogue will agree. Will Gogue and/or Jacobs be affected by the surge of anger sure to come before the weekend is over? Will they decide that there is so much angst among Auburn people that a change has to be made, even though it would cost $6 million to buy out Tuberville’s contract, millions more to pay off assistants and millions more than that to hire a new coach? That’s a question that won’t be answered and can’t be answered for sure until after Tuberville sits down with his bosses. But one thing is certain. What happened this season shouldn’t have happened. What happened Saturday against Alabama shouldn’t have happened. I truly don’t believe anger is an appropriate emotion for college football, but Auburn people have every right to be upset and concerned. – AuburnUndercover.com

I really don’t know if Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville will rebound from this one. It will be an interesting week to see if the Auburn hierarchy comes out in support of their coach, or begins a search for another one. From hiring Tony Franklin to implement the spread offense, to firing him because it wasn’t working out, Tuberville has had one of those years that seems to be jinxed. Still, he’s the one who has to be held accountable. – Dothan Eagle

Tommy Tuberville stepped to the podium and laid it all out. His fault, his mistakes, his job to make it work next season. If he gets the chance, that is. Tuberville, the dean of SEC coaches with 10 seasons on The Plains, explained Auburn’s disappointing 5-7 season thusly: He blew it by trying to drastically change his offensive philosophy from power running to spread passing. “I put (the team) in a very tough situation with what I did on offense,” Tuberville said. “We just never recovered from it.” Tuberville said he’s committed to “getting this turned around” and that it begins with recruiting — the winter contact period begins Sunday. When asked if he’d like to have a vote of confidence from Auburn president Jay Gogue to help recruiting, Tuberville said, “I’m sure he’ll evaluate that.” – Sporting News

Tommy Tuberville says he’s “committed to turning this around” and says he plans to be Auburn’s coach next season. Tuberville had to answer to his future after Alabama beat the Tigers 36-0 Saturday in Bryant-Denny Stadium to snap Auburn’s six-game winning streak against the Tide. “If I didn’t think I could do it, I’d be the first one to tell the Auburn people,” Tuberville said. “It won’t take that much to turn it around.” After 50 wins in the previous five years, Auburn finished 2008 with a 5-7 record. Tuberville is to meet with university President Jay Gogue in the next few days. “I’m sure he’ll evaluate that,” Tuberville said. – Birmingham News

Tommy Tuberville said he’s young enough, plenty motivated and a few moves here and there from putting Auburn back among the elite teams in college football. He’ll just have to wait a couple more days to see if he’ll have a chance to turn around a team whose 2008 struggles were totally his fault, Tuberville said. “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Tuberville said. Tuberville’s future at Auburn will likely become clearer in the coming weeks. He will meet with athletic director Jay Jacobs and school president Dr. Jay Gogue sometime in the near future, but no sooner than Tuesday, as Tuberville said he will be out recruiting. Jacobs has said that he will take Tuberville’s entire body of work into consideration when evaluating the 10-year coach. Gogue has said he will take a recommendation from Jacobs before ultimately making his decision. Neither has said Tuberville will return for 2009, but neither has given any indication that he will not. Tuberville remained ambiguous when asked if a positive endorsement would ease his mind and, perhaps, the minds of potential recruits. – Dothan Eagle

The Firing Line: Weis Hanging By a Thread at ND

“The Firing Line” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on coaches around the country who are in serious jeopardy. The latest edition centers on Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis…

To fire Charlie Weis, the man in charge of that business, it will cost Notre Dame nearly half that sum. Following reports this week that Weis’ buyout ranges from “loose change” per the Chicago Tribune to “stupefying” per ESPN, Irish Illustrated has learned that figure is at least $10 million. Weis signed a 10-year contract midway through his first season in South Bend, not long after he moved into his Guglielmino Center office, complete with a balcony overlooking Notre Dame’s outdoor practice fields. Now there’s a distinct possibility a new coach will inhabit that work space next season. – Irish Illustrated

fter an embarrassing home loss to 2-8 Syracuse, Charlie Weis’ job security is sticky at best.  From what I’ve heard and gathered, I think we may be on the lookout for a new coach if Notre Dame loses it’s final regular season game against the Trojans of Southern California.  When there’s smoke, there’s fire, and we haven’t heard a peep out of new Irish AD Jack Swarbrick about a public backing of the 4th-year head coach.  We’ve also heard that some of the people who’s opinion actually matters (Fr. Jenkins and the Board of Trustees) have not been happy with Charlie since the disastrous 3-9 campaign a year ago. – Rakes of Mallow

If this indeed was Charlie Weis’ swan song, it sounded a lot like one of those “American Idol” outtakes – off-key and painful to the senses. Offensively inept and defensively worn out, Notre Dame limped to the regular-season finish line with a 38-3 defeat at rival USC, the Trojans’ seventh straight victory in the series. – Blue and Gold

They should make the decision because either they believe that Weis is not the man for the job, or because they think he may indeed be and that the risk of firing him outweighs the reward. If they don’t like the direction of the program, they should not retain him for a fifth season out of some flimsy, arbitrary moral obligation. – South Bend Tribune

The Name Game: Dabo Time at Clemson?

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Clemson Tigers…

It’s Dabo. Has to be. Within the next two days, I’m pretty sure Dabo Swinney will be named Clemson’s next head coach, and, quite frankly, the man has earned it. Clemson was never really challenged today in a 31-14 rout of USC, the Tigers’ fourth win in six games under Swinney and third straight. They’ve now qualified for a bowl game (one of 10 - yes 10 - ACC teams to do so - the only slackers are Virginia and Duke). And while two of those wins were over the Cavaliers and Blue Devils, the other two came against Clemson’s biggest rival (USC) and the Atlantic Division’s rep in next weekend’s ACC title game (Boston College, at Boston College no less). The Tigers appear a far healthier team emotionally than they were under Tommy Bowden; when Bowden and Rob Spence left town, they were 3-3 (with only one win over a FBS team, N.C. State) and on the verge of a total breakdown. Now, these Tigers seem to genuinely like each other. The seniors are excited about finishing their careers in a bowl game. The program seems headed in the right direction again. – Independent Mail

Whether that gratitude has extended to his superiors in the Clemson athletic department, Swinney will soon find out. He said he was scheduled to meet with athletic director Terry Don Phillips this afternoon to discuss his future with the Tigers. Clemson opened its season as a top-10 team, but it lost its season opener to Alabama and fell to 3-5 before coach Tommy Bowden stepped down. Since that point, Swinney, who previously coached Clemson’s wide receivers, has led the Tigers to wins in four out of their last six games, including their last three. “People have decisions to make and there’s tough decisions in every business,” said Swinney, who also served as Clemson’s recruiting coordinator. “Certainly, I’d love to be here. I’d love to continue what we started, (but) that’s out of my control.” With Saturday’s win, the Tigers moved to 7-5 and gained bowl eligibility. Clemson doesn’t know yet where it will be going, but Swinney plans to be there. – Index Journal

The decision on whether Dabo Swinney has the interim tag lifted from his head coaching title ultimately rests with Clemson president James Barker and athletic director Terry Don Phillips. If the decision rested with the Tiger players, however, Swinney would already be in contract negotiations. As the seconds ticked away on Clemson’s 31-14 victory over South Carolina on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, thousands of fans chanted, “Dabo! Dabo!” while Clemson players raised their arms and led the cheers. In the locker room afterwards, many of the young men who capped off a 7-5 regular season continued to sing Swinney’s praises. “Coach Swinney pulled us all together,” said junior cornerback Chris Chancellor, who had two interceptions in the victory. “A lot of people would’ve quit on us, but he never did. He’s a great coach and I hope he gets the job.” -
Independent Mail

Dabo did it, leading Clemson from college football’s biggest embarrassment to a bowl game. Whether it’s enough to give Clemson’s interim coach the job full time is another matter. “My job was to get them ready to play,” Dabo Swinney said. “It’s somebody else’s job to determine if they want me to continue here or somebody else. Quite frankly, I’m at peace either way.” Although the Tigers players and fans might not be should Swinney not be retained after the team’s 31-14 victory over rival South Carolina on Saturday. Clemson, 3-4 a month ago, has won four of its final five and is now in line for the Champs Sports Bowl, whose representatives attended the game. – Savannah Morning News

At that point — when Phillips told Swinney he was the new captain of a sinking ship — all that could really be expected was a salvage job. Just ride out the string, try to keep the players from falling even further into a funk, and get them to the finish line. I don’t know if Phillips truly believed he was giving Swinney a real audition or if Swinney believed it himself, but ol’ Dabo has certainly acted like he wants the job. More importantly, he’s coached like he deserves it. A team that opened the regular season totally unprepared for Alabama ended it by handing its biggest rival a good, old-fashioned whipping. The Tigers were fired up at the start, fired up in the middle and fired up at the finish. The emotion that was lacking through the first six games was evident from wire-to-wire Saturday. Swinney told his players to believe in him and themselves and they did — and still do. As Phillips continues to ponder the right move for the football program, the players are starting to wonder why Swinney hasn’t moved all his stuff to the head coach’s office. – Independent Mail

Lynch Back at Indiana; Samford Back at UNLV

Indiana

Glass told me last night that it’s his hope that Lynch will turn things around and that he will be IU’s coach beyond this contract. If Lynch can have a couple of seasons in a row where he makes the kind of progress that Glass is searching for, then it will become particularly interesting heading into the 2011 season when IU’s new athletic director opts to do. Nothing is more difficult in college athletics from a recruiting standpoint, then recruiting without at least a three or four year contract. It’s tough to go into the home of a recruit and not be able to convince them that you’ll be the coach long term. As Lynch begins to make home visits in the next few weeks, he will still be able to point to his three-year deal and to the vote of confidence he received from his athletic director as assurances to a recruit that he’ll be around. Things will no doubt get interesting on that front in the future though as ultimately Lynch will become Glass’s first tough decision when his contract comes due, or if he doesn’t feel the program is heading in the right direction after the 2009 season or 2010. For now though, Bill Lynch is your football coach at IU for 2009. That much we are now certain of. – Indianapolis Star

UNLV

With one year remaining on his contract, UNLV football coach Mike Sanford’s job status for the 2009 season is safe. This was confirmed by athletic director Mike Hamrick Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center prior to UNLV’s hoops game against California. “Yes,” Hamrick said emphatically. It’s Sanford’s status beyond 2009 which is the big mystery. At least for a few more days, that is. The two will sit down early this next week and hammer out the details of the program’s future. This, of course, includes whether Sanford’s contract will be extended. “We’ll sit down and evaluate the program and talk about what we need to do, what’s worked, what doesn’t work,” Hamrick added. “I’ll give him my perspective, I’ll hear his perspective, then we’ll go from there and see where we go.” – Las Vegas Sun

The Name Game: Christensen, Barnett Serious Candidates at Wyoming

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Wyoming Cowboys…

Even if there’s not much coming out of the UW camp during the holidays, Burman appears to have left some clues other than a flight plan that essentially spelled out his first three candidates this week. Obviously Nebraska assistant Ted Gilmore is in the running, as is highly regarded offensive coordinator Dave Christensen from Missouri. But as appealing as those two options might be, ideally Burman is after somebody with experience at the top of a program — which might make former Michigan State coach John L. Smith or ex-Colorado and Northwestern coach Gary Barnett more attractive when UW gets back on the road. – Casper Star-Tribune

Dave Christensen didn’t have much to celebrate in the afternoon. But even a disappointing loss to rival Kansas doesn’t appear to have done much damage to the Missouri offensive coordinator’s job prospects. A chartered plane left Laramie bound for Kansas City on Saturday afternoon and was expected to return early in the evening, and Christensen was likely on the way for his second interview for Wyoming’s vacant head coaching gig. – Casper Star-Tribune

The Name Game: Huskies May Look to Hill, Leach or Kelly

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Washington Huskies…

Gary Patterson is apparently the latest coach to scratch himself off Washington’s wish list. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in today’s editions that Patterson, 71-27 in nine seasons at TCU, was on Washington’s list but that there is “no interest on his part.” A Star-Telegram columnist said on KJR-AM earlier in the day that Patterson had been approached by UW officials on Sunday but told them he wasn’t interested. Other coaches thought on UW’s list who are also staying put include Missouri’s Gary Pinkel, who has agreed to a new deal with the Tigers; and Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who agreed to a deal to become the head-coach-in-waiting of the Longhorns. – Seattle Times

One source said this week that Fresno State’s Pat Hill could be one of the top targets, though his prospects might not have improved with his team’s 61-10 loss at Boise State Friday night. Hill is known to be interested in the job and comes highly recommended by Alabama coach Nick Saban, with whom he worked as an assistant in the NFL. UW athletic director Scott Woodward was at Louisiana State when it hired Saban. When asked after his Bulldogs got trounced Friday whether UW had contacted him, Hill said flatly: “No.” Another source said the Huskies may still take a run at Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, whom many speculate is open to leaving the Red Raiders. One source said the Huskies made initial contact with Leach earlier this week but were told Leach would not listen until the end of his team’s regular season, which ends today. There is also speculation UW may still make a run at Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, also thought originally high on Tennessee’s list. One coach thought not to be a candidate in any way is Seahawks coach Jim Mora. – Seattle Times

The Name Game: Bowden, Holtz, Patterson Venables Lead Miss. St. List

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the Mississippi State Bulldogs…

Mississippi State appears to have a successor in mind. Tommy Bowden, who resigned from Clemson mid-season, also coached at Tulane. Bowden left Clemson in October. Croom’s record is 21-38 in five season, 10-30 in the SEC. MSU had just one winning season, 8-5, 4-4 in 2007 and earned a trip to the Liberty Bowl. His resignation leaves just two African-American head coaches in Division I football. – Sun-Herald

Among the coaches Mississippi State might target to replace Croom are Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, East Carolina coach Skip Holtz and TCU coach Gary Patterson. “Looking forward I plan to work closely with athletic director Greg Byrne to move quickly, but with due deliberation, to find a new head football coach with high energy and a commitment to compete for championships and bowl opportunities in the best conference in America,” Keenum said. – ESPN

The Name Game: Edwards, Mason Candidates at SDSU

“The Name Game” at Football Rumor Mill focuses on active coaching searches around the country. The latest edition centers on the San Diego State Aztecs…

When told his name was popping up in connection with the vacant coaching job at San Diego State, Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards delivered a glib and funny reply. “I’ve got a college team right now that I’m coaching,” the embattled leader of the very youthful and 1-10 Kansas City Chiefs said with a laugh. “Next question.” Asked again, he repeated the same line and the matter was dropped. But given an opportunity the next day to put an end to any speculation his non-denial might fuel, the third-year Chiefs coach had even less to say. “I’m just not talking about that at all,” he said. So might Edwards be inclined to give serious thought to leaving the NFL and returning to San Diego State, where he graduated in 1976? Or was he simply laughing off an idea that seemed preposterous? Could he be leaving his options open because Chiefs owner Clark Hunt is losing patience with a coaching staff that’s 1-19 since a year ago last October? That, too, is not known. Since July, Hunt has mostly avoided speaking with the media, promising to sit down with individual reporters at the end of this season as he did at the end of last season. In the two times he has spoken publicly on the Chiefs, Hunt has expressed support for Edwards and his staff. – Seattle Times

After Chuck Long was fired last week at SDSU, history has a chance to repeat itself. Schemmel again is in a position to hire his old colleague, whose achievements include breathing life into hapless programs at Minnesota, Kansas and Kent State. Just don’t expect either of them to talk about it right now. Schemmel conducts coaching searches amid sworn secrecy for all participants. Mason, who was fired at Minnesota in December 2006, works as an analyst for the Big Ten Network. After The San Diego Union-Tribune asked to talk to Mason, a network spokesman responded with an e-mail that said, “Glen Mason is not available.” Mason’s agent has not returned e-mail or phone messages. A message left at Mason’s home has not been returned. “After today, I won’t have any comment until we’re all done,” Schemmel said Wednesday… But there’s little doubt Mason fits the job description. Schemmel said he’s looking for “the same things I was looking for the last time,” when he hired Long in 2005. Schemmel said that includes somebody who “is a solid CEO, can motivate, is innovative, who can lead effectively, can motivate effectively and puts together a good recruiting team.” It also helps if the candidate knows how to turn around bad programs and succeed despite the disadvantage of playing in an off-campus stadium. Mason knows plenty about both. – Union-Tribune

« Previous Page — Next Page »