Sports Illustrated takes a detailed look at what coaches out there are on the hot seat, calling it "an investigation."
That might be a stretch. When you call up your contacts and ask them to speculate on who might lose their jobs four or five months from now, that doesn't really qualify as an investigation. But anyway, Pete Thamel of SI produced this article on what could be an offseason of massive coaching turnover.
Here's his pulse on ACC jobs:
Miami: Miami is in the same position Michigan and Florida were last season, as a job expected to set the market. The difference is that Miami's paltry finances and fickle fan base don't synch with its national championship pedigree. Al Golden isn't a bad coach, but he has been a horrible fit with the Hurricanes. The NCAA issues haven't helped. Golden, who is 28-22 in four years at the helm, would be smart to leave before he is inevitably fired.
Syracuse: Scott Shafer won a bowl game in his first season with Syracuse, but took a leap back to finish 3-9 in 2014. Combine that with a new AD, Mark Coyle, and there is a strong argument to be made for a potential job change. The Orange lack an identity and need to find one in a hurry. Four September home games could help his case.
Virginia: The same issue looms at Virginia as it did last season. If Mike London is going to get fired and the program is going to start over, it would be wise to replace 64-year-old AD Craig Littlepage. A new coach wants to know who his boss will be. Does Virginia care enough, or have the institutional fortitude, to do that by Thanksgiving? We'll see. In five years London has no bowl victories, one winning record and a 23-38 mark (11-29 ACC).
Virginia Tech: This is a tricky situation, as Frank Beamer is to Tech what Bill Snyder is to Kansas State and Joe Paterno was to Penn State. But the Hokies have finished unranked for three consecutive seasons, and Beamer turns 69 this fall and missed time in December for throat surgery. Athletic director Whit Babcock wasn't hired to sit on his hands. Another season outside the Top 25 and Tech will swallow hard and make a change.
North Carolina: Larry Fedora has handled a tough situation admirably. The actual NCAA sanctions probably won't end up hurting as much as the specter of them. If new coordinator Gene Chizik can fix a defense that finished No. 119 nationally in points allowed (39.0 per game), Fedora should be fine.
Then comes the most interesting part, the inclusion of Florida State's Jimbo Fisher:
Florida State: On the field, things are fine. Off the field, the Dalvin Cook situation was the latest reminder of the tumult with Jimbo Fisher's team. Personally, things have been trying in Tallahassee, too. Could Fisher want a change of scenery? Would NFL teams be interested? It's hard for anyone to leave a job considered the easiest path to a national title. And there's the pesky matter of a $5 million buyout.
And in SEC country...
South Carolina: Steve Spurrier, 70, tried too hard to convince everyone in July he'd stick around for five or six more years. The Head Ball Coach considered calling it quits after last season. If the Gamecocks tank, it's tough to see him sticking around. The man doesn't handle losing well. Remember, he still doesn't have a competent quarterback.
WORTH MONITORING
LSU: You can't argue with Les Miles's 103-29 record (54-24 SEC). But the combination of persistent off-field issues and a lack of quarterback development still nag at Miles. Someone has to finish last in the SEC West. If it's LSU, then the off-field issues like the June arrests of four players will be amplified. LSU power brokers can't love the seemingly annual return of a player in serious legal limbo. Miles's $15 million buyout if he's fired before Dec. 31 is big, but it isn't a number that would make an SEC powerhouse like LSU flinch.
Georgia: Without an established quarterback, Mark Richt's Bulldogs are set up again to be an SEC East tease. There's increased agitation that Georgia is failing to exploit the division in its current pathetic state. But would the Bulldogs ever fire Richt? Probably not.
A few Friday links:
-- If schools are going to fine players for misconduct, they better have their paperwork in order.
In order to avoid legal repercussions, the use of these funds for discipline must be written into the grant-in-aid agreements that are the basis for any athletic scholarship. The option must be a part of the scholarship transaction from the moment the athlete agrees to attend the university.
Unless the possibility of a fine is an express provision, there can be no withholding of such funds regardless of the conduct. Just like expulsion from the school or suspension from the team, the penalties for misconduct must be described in the agreement with specificity. If not, the school that fined a player would be subject to legal actions for breach of an agreement or for money damages as the result of tortious (wrongful) treatment of a player.
In addition, the grant-in-aid agreement must include a procedure for an appeal by the athletes just as it does for other disciplinary actions. The appeal is a bit of due process that is of benefit both to the athlete and to the school.
-- At SMU, Chad Morris delivers a surprising sales pitch to a 3-star QB recruit from Georgia.
He offered Moore a chance at a legacy, a name that would be forever synonymous with Mustangs football. He dabbled with the idea that Moore, a dual-threat quarterback from Milton, could be to SMU what Robert Griffin III was to Baylor.
Morris, formerly the offensive coordinator at Clemson, even mentioned the 3-star quarterback and Deshaun Watson in the same breathe.
“He said, ‘When people think of SMU, they’re going to think of David Moore,’” Morris told the AJC.
The speech was enough to win over the the 6-foot-2, 170-pounder, who is rated as the state’s No. 84 overall prospect. Moore committed to SMU a few days later.
-- In Birmingham, the challenges that might stymie the SEC Network's growth.
When conglomerates like ESPN are getting hit, it prompts the question: Is anyone truly safe?
The answer might be the SEC Network.
The SEC Network, which is owned by ESPN, saw the most successful network launch in cable television history. In only a year, it built up a following of 69.1 million subscribers, according to SNL Kagan, a media research firm, and likely generated more than a half-billion dollars on subscriber fees alone. Consumers cutting the cord and dropping down to a slimmed-down television package could directly cut into the SEC Network's revenue, but experts don't believe it will majorly impact the network focused on the Southeastern Conference.
"The top 38 cable networks by subscribers have all experienced year-over-year declines as they reach full multi-channel penetration. However, we don't see that affecting the year-old SEC Network," said SNL Kagan analyst Scott Robson.
-- More college athletes are seeking their own trademarks, writes the AP.
Like their counterparts in the pros, more college football stars are starting to snatch up trademark rights to their names, nicknames and fan slogans.
The NCAA generally forbids its players from cashing in on their athletic success, but by gaining legal ownership of phrases tied to their personal brands, players can pave the way for lucrative licensing deals in the future and can prevent others from exploiting their names.
This month, Ohio State University running back Ezekiel Elliott applied for trademarks to use his nicknames "Zeke" and "Eze" on merchandise, according to records in a public database kept by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Elliott also filed for a trademark on the restaurant name "Zeke's Crop Top Bar and Grill," a nod to the junior's preference to roll his jersey up like a crop top. Elliott was unavailable for comment, and his father declined to explain the trademarks.
At Mississippi State University, quarterback Dak Prescott applied for the trademark on his name last fall, along with "Dak Attack" and "Who Dak," phrases that fans have waved aloft on game-day signs.
-- And we close with a band suggested by a subscriber: The Mother Hips. Wow, what a cool sound. Enjoy.
LW
