It Coaching week here at Aubievegas, looking at all of the failures, successes and challenges faced by college football head coaches as they were fired, hired or coaching this season. Today we kickoff with the fired crew (in order of prominence).
Joe Paterno – Penn St.
What was his biggest failure?
Not doing more with the Jerry Sandusky case.
When did it start to go wrong?
When Sandusky was arrested, just a few days before Paterno was fired.
Legacy on the job
One of the greatest coaches ever. His legacy will be stained by the Sandusky scandal (at least on a national level), just as Woody Hayes' legacy at Ohio St. was stained for punching an opposing player. Locally within Happy Valley, Paterno will be beloved after he passes away whenever that is (and it sadly seems to be coming soon based on recent reports about his health) as the football program rebuilds.
Jim Tressell – Ohio St.
What was his biggest failure?
Not realizing the cover p is always worse than the crime.
When did it start to go wrong?
When the tattoo five were suspended last season, but not for the Sugar Bowl.
Legacy on the job
A legend in Columbus, but a pariah everywhere else. There had been whispers about his program for many years, even going back to his FCS days at Youngstown St. (who ended up on probation after he left). His national title will always be an Ohio St. high point though.
Butch Davis – North Carolina
What was his biggest failure?
Giving his friend John Blake a little too much leeway within the coaching staff.
When did it start to go wrong?
When much of the team was suspended for the opener against LSU in 2010.
Legacy on the job
An incredible recruiter prone to some major judgment lapses. Other than Blake, remember that Davis recruited the Miami National Title team in 2001, but didn't stick around to coach it because he went to the dead end Cleveland Browns job.
Dennis Erickson – Arizona St.
What was his biggest failure?
A total lack of discipline even when his teams won. This pattern started with Miami in the late 1980s after Jimmy Johnson and continued through his stints at Oregon St. and Arizona St.
When did it start to go wrong?
3rd and 29 against UCLA late in the game. Before that play, the thought Erickson would end up fired would have been laughable. Then UCLA somehow converted and won the game and the Sun Devils went completely in the tank.
Legacy on the job
An undisciplined leader that had a great eye for talent early in his career that waned later on, especially at Arizona St.
Mike Sherman – Texas A&M
What was his biggest failure?
Blowing huge leads in the second half, part because of conditioning and part because of an ingrained conservative NFL mindset.
When did it start to go wrong?
Lowing a huge lead at home against Oklahoma St. On that day, the Aggies showed talent to be a national title contender but ended up 6-6.
Legacy on the job
Another in the long line of NFL retread failures. Sherman even had the token year 3 breakthrough that all the others have had, going 9-4 last season before the wheels come off again this season.
Rick Neuheisel - UCLA
What was his biggest failure?
Trying to be like USC, Nevada or any other program on any given day.
When did it start to go wrong?
Week 2 of year one. The Bruins had shockingly upset Tennessee the week before to move into the national rankings. They then faced a road trip to BYU, who they had split two games with the year before under Karl Dorrell. One 59-0 beatdown later and an era of routs in big games was on.
Legacy on the job
Puzzling. Neuheisel said all the right things and seemed to be a perfect fit. That said, he inherited strong teams that got even stronger his first two years at Washington and Colorado before falling off. Here, he didn't inherited a strong team and was never able to build.
Houston Nutt – Ole Miss
What was his biggest failure?
Bad recruiting and a mismanaging of the press that goes back to his days at Arkansas.
When did it start to go wrong?
Most would say the loss to Jacksonville St. in 2010. Not me. It was the loss to Auburn in 2009 that ensured Ole Miss would never reach any of the prestated goals as a top 10 team in the preseason.
Legacy on the job
A strong coach of linemen and running backs that always struggled to recruit and couldn't develop a quarterback to save his life. Milked a lot out of his career given those limitations.
Ron Zook - Illinois
What was his biggest failure?
Being Ron Zook. Seriously. This hire was the Charlie Weis to Kansas hire when Illinois announced it and Zook was pretty much always on the hotseat from very early on.
When did it start to go wrong?
The 2008 opener. The Illini were coming off a surprise trip to the Rose Bowl and opened in St. Louis against a top 5 Missouri team. They ended that game with a quarterback controversy and another blowout defeat to Missouri (this had happened the three previous years too). By season's end, there was no bowl game and Zook was right back on the hotseat.
Legacy on the job
A survivor whose great skills on the recruiting and an occasional burst of intellectual brilliance allowed him to maintain a much longer career than anyone could have possibly expected when Illinois hired him.
Mike Stoops - Arizona
What was his biggest failure?
Having the gall to have a rebuilding year when starting against the toughest schedule in college football over the opening few weeks after finishing with the same ridiculous schedule the year before.
When did it start to go wrong?
Getting blown out by Stanford in 2010 to start the downward spiral.
Legacy on the job
Did a great job of rebuilding the program, but his sideline rage was too much to overcome with many boosters as soon as the winning slowed a bit.
Paul Wulff – Washington St.
What was his biggest failure?
??? Not much he could do. It appears now he was the obvious stopgap coach to bridge from the failed Bill Doba era to a fresh start.
When did it start to go wrong?
Immediately. Wulff was slapped with limited recruiting visits for his role in recruiting violations at FCS Eastern Washington before he coached a game. Then the blowouts came. And came. And continued.
Legacy on the job
An overmatched coach who walked into a nearly impossible situation and got destroyed regularly because of it.
Turner Gill - Kansas
What was his biggest failure?
Walking into a talentless situation with an impatient fanbase that didn't realize the situation was talentless.
When did it start to go wrong?
Immediately. Game one last season was a horrifying loss to an FCS team and it never really got much better.
Legacy on the job
In over his head at the Big 12 level at this point in his career.
Non-BCS coaches after the jump
Non-BCS coaches after the jump
Pat Hill – Fresno St.
What was his biggest failure?
Never prioritized winning the WAC over non-conference scalps.
When did it start to go wrong?
When Boise St. entered the WAC, meaning winning the WAC had to be prioritized. Even in the incredible 2001 season where Fresno St. beat Colorado, Wisconsin and Oregon when all were ranked in the top 10, Boise St. won the WAC.
Legacy on the job
Anytime, anywhere, as long as it wasn't conference play.
Mike Locksley – New Mexico
What was his biggest failure?
Everything. Locksley was a failure both on and off the field in every sense of every word possible. The worse non-BCS conference coaching hire of all-time.
When did it start to go wrong?
Immediately. Locksley inherited a team that won four games the year before and nine two years before and, combined with his interim successor, went 3-33.
Legacy on the job
Steve Fairchild – Colorado St.
What was his biggest failure?
Never getting the offense going, even when he won.
When did it start to go wrong?
Nine game losing streak to end year 2 on the job after a 10-6 start over the first season and three games.
Legacy on the job
An offensive guru who couldn't lure the talent to Fort Collins to ever run a competent offense.
Larry Porter - LSU
What was his biggest failure?
Everything on the field.
When did it start to go wrong?
Immediately. It has to start immediately to get fired after two years.
Legacy on the job
Beware what happens when hiring a coach whose main strength is recruiting at a level lower than said coach has ever recruited at, especially if said coach has never even been a coordinator.
Bob Toledo - Tulane
What was his biggest failure?
Nothing. Toledo was the very definition of a retread hire. This was always going to end in firing at some point.
When did it start to go wrong?
When Matt Forte graduated and Tulane still didn't make a bowl. At that point, it was just a matter of time.
Legacy on the job
Gave the program a stable (if unsuccessful) hand to start the process of rebuilding both the athletics programs and the school after Hurricane Katrina. Still the last coach at UCLA to have success.
Neil Callaway - UAB
What was his biggest failure?
Never got his team to play consistently inspired football like the two Thursday night upsets over Southern Miss and UCF this season (Blazers gave Florida Atlantic its only win)
When did it start to go wrong?
When football moved to division 1 at UAB. This school, even more so than awful programs at New Mexico St. and UNLV, should not be playing football. They are overseen by the trustees of another football playing school (Alabama) that doesn't want to support them.
Legacy on the job
Nothing. Callaway was essentially deported to this job by the Georgia administration five years ago and enjoyed his head coach paycheck.
Rob Ianello - Akron
What was his biggest failure?
He took this job.
When did it start to go wrong?
Right away. When year one needs an upset over a two win team just to get in the win column, it was an awful start.
Legacy on the job
For himself, none. For his predecessors, they should be knighted for winning and lasting as long as they did here, especially J.D. Brookhart, who won the MAC at this school.
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