Coaches on the Hot Seat

Here is a mid-week look at our Coaches On the Hot Seat. If anyone on this list played last weekend, they lost. It's been a terrible week on the Hot Seat, and this week, one more gets added to the list.

Randy Edsell, Maryland
Edsell is now just 1-4 since that awful loss to Florida State that kicked off ACC play for the Terps. Edsell had a shot to pull out a 6th win in a winnable game and get the Terps back bowling for the first time since Ralph Friedgen was shown the door, but he failed miserably in 20-3 loss. With 3 games to play in 2013, Edsell is just 11-22 in his 3rd season, and Maryland has been terrible since the start of October.

Tim Beckman, Illinois
Beckman is new to the list this week, even though he is in his second season. After finishing 2-10 in 2012, the Illini are 3-6 this season. Word out of Chicago via the Sun Times is that Beckman must win two of his final three games this month, or else he is out. Beckman said in this week's Big 10 coach call that he says some development from his club, but it obviously hasn't been enough for the administration or a rather myopic fan base that really has no concept of what kind of program this is. Pushing Beckman out this soon would scare off other potential hires. Who wants to work for a school with a quick trigger finger? Especially when talent isn't very good on the roster, and the competition is fierce.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Where Illinois has no patience, the Wildcats have plenty. Fitzgerald's teams have been known for mid-season collapses that usually last until the end of the season, and this season is no different. The Ohio State loss in Evanston was the first of 5 straight, and not only has Northwestern not won a Big 10 game, they also haven't won since you could go out at night without a coat in greater Chicagoland.

Charlie Weis, Kansas
Another week, and another Big 12 loss for Weis and Kansas. Weis' record at KU is now 3-18 overall, with an 0-14 record in conference play. I haven't heard a word on what's going on in Lawrence, but they can't be happy about this. He likely gets 2014 to figure it out.

Garrick McGee, UAB
Blazer fans (yes, they exist) are not happy with McGee so far, and they are taking to the web in searches for news on his job status. I'm getting online inquiries in form of searches on this site, so yeah, things are getting heated in Birmingham. UAB is just 5-16 so far including his second season in 2013. Patience is wearing out quickly, with little in the way of improvement showing.

Ron Turner, FIU
You don't have to go far to feel the temps rising under Turner. He's in his first year, but it's largely looking like a mistake hire of a guy who had a 42-61 overall record entering 2013. At 1-8, it's not looking good. Turner, however, should get one more season to put something together. According to online searches and trending, many don't feel as I do.

Bill Blankenship, Tulsa
After what was a surprising 2012, it's been a nightmarish 2013, with the Golden Hurricane sitting at just 2-7. This season has been a disaster, with Tulsa falling short of just about every stat throughout from last season, and this wasn't supposed to happen. Blankenship is still playing with largely the same club from a before he took over, but as his guys bleed into the system, it feels like the life is bleeding out of the program. I believe that he gets 2014 to make it right, but the heat is on now.

Rich Ellersen, Army
I haven't heard any news coming out of West Point for a while. We can probably blame poor QB play, with Trent Steelman graduating after last season, and let's face it, Angel Santiago is no Trent Steelman. However, there's more to Army's fall, and someone will have to figure it out. Ellersen is a West Point man, so I see another season for him, but it'll be bowl or bust.

Dave Christensen, Wyoming
The Cowboys are yet another team in a collapsing mess. After a hot start, they now find themselves at 4-5, and that is a year after Christensen was a chronic hot seater who somehow finagled another season out of his administration. He's in his 5th season, with a record of just 26-33. That's a failure, and with another loss, it'll be a dip in the Dead Pool.

Troy Calhoun, Air Force
Largely popular at the Academy, Calhoun is feeling some pressure in a season that shows wins over just Colgate and Army. He's in his 7th season, but could things be getting stale? Calhoun is saved largely from his popularity, and from an overall 49-39 record. I feel that he comes back in 2014, but there will be a serious fire burning.

Bobby Hauck, UNLV
This may be a one week stay on the Hot Seat, but Hauck has struck out the last two weeks in getting to 6 wins, and if UNLV falls in their final two games, the Rebels would miss a bowl yet again. If that happens, Hauck could be on the outside, especially with a new AD coming on un Vegas.

Mark Richt, Georgia
Richt is 6-3 this season, but so much more was expected. Remember, UGA fired Jim Donnan with a solid record. The Bulldogs are not afraid to fire successful coaches, and Richt has been an underachiever.

Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
Mullen has not been the savior in Starkville that many felt he would be, and that's bad news for Mullen. In his 5th season, he is currently just 33-27, which is fairly almost irrelevant in the SEC West. Pressure is rising, and many sources have him on the radar for potentially being gone.

Todd Berry, UL-Monroe
With a 5-5 record in 2013, Berry is just 22-25 overall in his 4th season, and is just 27-67 for his career. If ULM misses out on a bowl, it may be time to think about another direction.

Larry Blakeney, Troy
The Hot Seater with the longest tenure, Blakeney is in his 13th season with the Trojans. He is 82-74 overall, but the last three years have seen this program hit the skids, despite having all everything QB Corey Robinson. There may be a change with a failure to reach a bowl, and Troy has just two remaining games to make that happen, sitting currently at just 5-5.

Coming Up Tomorrow...Bilo's Week 12 Picks, and Coaches Swimming in the Dead Pool