Hawaii Warriors head coach Norm Chow. (Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports)
There were only 20 head coaching changes after last season — that’s a low number in these high-pressure, high-stakes times — which means there will be plenty of low- hanging fruit on the coaching tree this winter. Here is a look at eight coaches clinging to life, trying to avoid being gathered up in what figures to be a big winter crop:
1. Will Muschamp, Florida
He put in a go-go-go offense this spring, trying to put some distance between these Gators and the ones who went 4-8 and averaged a ghastly 18.8 points last season. Rocking a white visor in the spring game was a nice call back to the Steve Spurrier glory days, but Muschamp’s 22-16 record is more like the Zooker than the Ol’ Ball Coach or that Urban Meyer guy.
2. Norm Chow, Hawaii
Chow finally got his shot with the big-boy headsets on the sideline, coaching his first game in 2012 at the age of 66. The decorated offensive coordinator hasn’t gotten dumb in the past two seasons, but his 4-20 record suggests he wasn’t the right guy at the right time for the Warriors. And tossing a columnist from practice this spring — the scribe was critical of one of Chow’s hiring decisions — shows he might not have the right temperament for the job either. Remind us again why Hawaii never hired Duane Akina as its head coach.
3. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia
Holgorsen has gone from 10 victories in his debut season, to seven wins, to
a mere four Ws last year. The Mountaineers ranked 99th nationally in scoring defense and 101th in total defense last season, and we’re dubious that installing Tony Gibson as defensive coordinator is the magic answer. This is the program’s third season in the Big 12 and it should be easier to determine Holgorsen’s true level after 2014 is done.
4. Mike London, Virginia
London’s recruiting has been decent enough; the Cavs have been between No. 23 and No. 31 in 247Sports’ Composite recruiting rankings in each of the past four seasons. It’s the coaching’em up part that seems to be the problem. Five of his 18 victories in four years came against lower-division schools. Without a winning record this season, the administration will have all the information it needs to make a change.
5. Tim Beckman, Illinois
Beckman’s teams are 1-15 in conference play in his two seasons, saved from the dreaded goose egg by a four-point victory last season over a Purdue team that didn’t win a game against an FBS opponent. If he and offensive coordinator Bill Cubit can get along on the sideline, they need to channel some positive energy toward likely new starting quarterback Wes Lunt, the Oklahoma State transfer, who is the best hope for the progress Beckman desperately needs.
6. Charlie Weis, Kansas
Weis has picked up where he left off at Notre Dame, where his teams went 16-21 in his final three seasons. Problem is, he doesn’t have Notre Dame-quality players, so the record is worse — much worse. He has mashed together an unusual group of transfers in his first two seasons, coming up with a 4-20 mess only notable for ending a 27- game Big 12 losing streak last season.
7. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
The marriage seems a bit shaky after six seasons, and last year’s starting quarter- back, Vad Lee, opted for a divorce, skip- ping to James Madison with two years of eligibility remaining. The past four years have seen the program tread a lot of water, but it’s probably going to be sink or swim with Johnson, whose buyout sat at $7.5 million after last season.
8. Brady Hoke, Michigan
The Wolverines repeatedly fell short last year, posting a 7-6 mark — the same record Rich Rodriguez had in his third season at Michigan before the administration booted him out the door. Hoke has more goodwill in the bank than Rich Rod ever did, but his account could go into the red with another season filled with close losses.
