5 coaches on the hot seat entering the 2017 season
It's only a matter of time before the coaching carousel begins turning again, and several schools are likely to take a ticket.
These five head coaches enter the season under a microscope, and could be looking for work by the end of the year if their teams underwhelm this fall:
Butch Jones (Tennessee)
Jones probably needs at least nine wins in 2017 to retain his position at Tennessee, but that'll be tough to achieve with a rebuilding roster void of stars like Josh Dobbs and Derek Barnett. Fans in Knoxville have grown increasingly frustrated with Jones' inability to meet their expectations - realistic or not - leaving a divorce between the school and its coach all but inevitable.
Todd Graham (Arizona State)
Arizona State broke from its offseason tradition of awarding Graham a one-year contract extension, putting him on notice with the Sun Devils. After enjoying three straight winning seasons to begin his tenure, Graham has posted losing records in back-to-back years - a third will likely unleash the pitchforks in Tempe.
Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M)
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Texas A&M let everyone know in May its coach is on the hot seat, as athletic director Scott Woodward said publicly that Sumlin "has to win this year." The Aggies probably won't hesitate to pull the trigger on a change, especially with dream replacement candidate Chip Kelly set to grace the TV screens (he's joined ESPN as a college football analyst) of the school's top decision-makers all year long.
Brian Kelly (Notre Dame)
Kelly needs to bounce back from last year's 4-8 disaster, and shedding the reputation he's picked up as a player-blamer wouldn't hurt, either. A more experienced returning roster should help the Fighting Irish in 2017, but it's hard to envision a program as storied as Notre Dame sticking with Kelly for another season if it doesn't.
Kliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech)
Kingsbury might be the country's best offensive coordinator, but the head coach gets paid to work both sides of the ball and therein lies the problem for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders and defensive ineptitude have gone hand in hand throughout Kingsbury's tenure. His entertaining, prolific offense can only save him for so long.