Our Five: Power Five coaches who could be on the hot seat
It’s inevitable there will be some coaching turnover after the 2018 season. And if the offseason is anything like it was after 2017, that turnover could be crazy. Here are five Power Five coaches whose teams are underachieving so far in 2018. And if those struggles continue, they could find their schools thinking about a coaching change.
Previously on Our Five: Biggest upsets, surprise undefeated teams, turnover celebrations, traditions
5. Bill Snyder, Kansas State (Buyout: $3 million): Snyder has had a really weird year. He’s reportedly feuding with his coaching staff over the team’s starting quarterback. Snyder wants Alex Delton. The coaching staff wants Skylar Thompson. Meanwhile, Kansas State has lost to Mississippi State, West Virginia and Texas. The 78-year-old coach is a Kansas State legend. But we’re wondering just how superfluous that contract extension he signed before the season actually is.
4. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech (Buyout: $4 million): Georgia Tech needs to go 4-3 over the next seven games to avoid a third season under .500 since 2015. Combine the lack of success with Johnson’s paltry buyout and a fanbase that wants more and Georgia Tech could consider a coaching change if things don’t get better over the rest of the season.
3. Chris Ash, Rutgers (Buyout: $10 million): Rutgers has swiped the mantle of worst Power Five program in the country from Kansas. Or given how many turnovers Rutgers had against the Jayhawks, maybe Kansas stole something from Rutgers. The Big Ten experiment has been disastrous so far but does Rutgers want to make another coaching change? And, perhaps more importantly, does it want to pay eight figures to do so?
2. Larry Fedora, North Carolina (Buyout: $12 million): North Carolina’s 2017 performance can be reasonably explained away by injuries. This season included some suspensions but also some flat-out awful offensive performances. UNC is in search of a quarterback, lost to East Carolina and has been blown out at Miami. A loss to Central Florida seemed inevitable until that game was canceled because of Hurricane Florence. Like Ash, Fedora’s buyout could be too large for his employer to make a move.
1. Bobby Petrino, Louisville (Buyout: $14 million): Here’s another guy with a massive buyout whose team has been awful so far in 2018. Petrino’s second stint with the Cardinals has cratered now that he doesn’t have Lamar Jackson at quarterback. There are literally 119 offenses better than Louisville’s in college football. The more Louisville struggles, the more Cardinal fans will be clamoring for hometown hero Jeff Brohm. But will the school want to have turnover at football coach, basketball coach and athletic director in such a short period of time?
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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