Rank the ACC Hot Seats

Remember when all the football coaches in the ACC were hot commodities? Seems like a million years ago. Anyway, more than half of the ACC’s 12 head coaches face varying levels of grumbling. How do you rank them? Here’s my list, from hottest seat to (relatively) coolest:

Coker, Groh, Bunting, Amato, Friedgen, Gailey, Roof.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

'06 Football Chuck Amato General NCS Football

75 Responses to Rank the ACC Hot Seats

  1. ncsu81 09/18/2006 at 3:29 PM #

    Evans will start against Boston College
    Coach Chuck Amato announced at the Monday Press Conference that sophomore Daniel Evans has been named the starting quarterback for NC State when they take the field Saturday against ACC foe Boston College.

  2. BoKnowsNCS71 09/18/2006 at 3:33 PM #

    The buzz on the radio is that Coker will be gone by mid-season. He got the kiss of death also. His AD said he fully supported Coker. And that evaluations should be done at the end of a complete season.

  3. McPete 09/18/2006 at 3:54 PM #

    As much as i’d like to see it happen, the idea of Bill Cowher leaving an elite NFL franchise where he has already won a championship to coach NC State football is more than a pipedream, it’s a ridiculous waste of time. If he wants to coach, he’ll coach in the NFL where he’ll be paid more money than NC State can offer. He’ll work less hours, and never have to worry about his daughters feeling unsafe in the community if he loses too often UNC. A young up-and-comer is out there. Cowher won’t be coming, but there is enough talent on next years squad that whoever it is could win right away. I hope it’s not Amato.

  4. vtpackfan 09/18/2006 at 4:12 PM #

    Coker is a goner. Period.
    The ACC clubhouse of alumni coaches is pretty pathetic. Amato, Groh, Friedge, Bunting. They (AD and coaches themselves) need to realize that the fanbase has a hard time with stomaching the alumni bit for a long period. Instead of fans criticizing other fans, the media shites coming down on restless fans (AD’s taking cracks at fans) who think the alumni crap is over hyped, lets try a change of prospective. Should’nt an “alumni” coach care more about the state of the program then say the average “coach Joe” who is just looking out for his own hide?
    Lets say Chuck takes credit for alot of the progress we’ve seen at State the last seven years (unlikely, but play along with me) and wants to see more improvement but has his doubts sometimes where to find all the answers. Would’nt a true Wolfpack red guy move aside to make way for another candidate who may be ready to take what has been a improving situation to new heights? Doesn’t any alumni coach take the job knowing that he will be held to his belief that the schools well being be given some consideration when it comes to his own career personel goals?
    Lastly, on this thread something has to be metioned about offensive cordinator job at FSU. They thought last year was bad. Clemsons Bowden is on stready ground for know, but he has to know that the pitfalls are nearby. He is not only the head coach but the special teams coach for the Tigers and if this season starts to head south and the problems in that area continue then there is no where else for the buck to stop.

  5. Spin Wolf 09/18/2006 at 4:15 PM #

    Treat this as exactly what it is – an internet rumor. My wife has a friend whose mother works at the WPC.

    She said that Cowher was seen around the football facility and WPC repeatedly in the off-season. Now IF – and I mean IF that rumor were to be true, combine it with the fact that Cowher’s wife and daughter are in Raleigh – one could surmise that Cowher still feels his Wolfpack ties strongly, a possible difference maker in trying to lure an NFL coach.

    But, as mOOkie outlined, a lot of dominoes have to fall and I don’t see them falling. I do think that if the timing ever worked out, we could make him an offer he’d seriously consider.

    I have always heard that whem Amato was hired, we first went to Cowher, who gave us a crazy $$ figure. We called his bluff, and met it, but he still backed off, supposedly because he didn’t have “the ring.”

    These things are all in the timing. Amato wanted to come to Raleigh years before it worked out. Unfortunately, we have an administration who doesn’t seem to care as much about winning, and Amato’s mediocrity will flounder at C-F for some time to come.

  6. redfred2 09/18/2006 at 5:22 PM #

    ^vt

    In a perfect world that’s the way it should be, unfortunately Chuck Amato is not another Les Robinson, and I’m afraid ego may outweigh all of your good intentions.

    ^Spinwolf

    I’ll take your site name to be just as it implys, literally.

  7. class of 74 09/18/2006 at 5:40 PM #

    Cowher vs. say Butch Davis. Give me Davis. Proven college coach with Florida ties (recruiting). Not that either will be our next coach but surely Amato is on thinning ice.

  8. WolfpackSteelerfan 09/18/2006 at 5:48 PM #

    BoKnowsNCS71 Says:

    “Yes — Cowher has a ring. Cowher has the longest tenure. The Rooney family (unlike Pack fans and most NFL team owners) stayed with him 12 or more years during the good times and the bad times. Stability brings rewards.”

    Yes, the Rooney family did stick with Bill Cowher through the bad times, but he had also more than proven that he was a great coach. When he took over the Steelers, they were coming off a 9-7 season, I believe, maybe worse. That was with the great Chuck Noll coaching. Cowher took Noll’s team, won 11 games, and gave Steelers fans hope again. He was the youngest coach ever to take his team to a Super Bowl, in his third year. Every year for three years straight, the Steelers lost more high profile free agents than any other team. Cowher still fielded winners.

    Chuck made things look wonderful his first 3 years, but his achievements were not nearly what Cowher was able to accomplish his first few year. The Gator Bowl year is more analogous to winning a Wild Card game in the NFL. Cowher’s achievements (prior to winning the Super Bowl) would be more like winning a BCS Bowl every year, but not quite getting to the championship.

    Also, Bill Cowher has matured alot over the last 5 years or so. I remember him chasing the official and stuffing a picture in his pocket after a horrible call a few years. Compare that with him telling his players in the Super Bowl to just play, regardless of whether calls went their way or not.

    He would no doubt be a huge upgrade as a coach. My only concern would be recruiting. With his fame it should be a snap, but he’s never done it before, as far as know. You just never know how good someone will be at something until they do it.

  9. packpigskinfan23 09/18/2006 at 5:55 PM #

    “With his fame it should be a snap”

    who would not want to play for him?!?!?! The Steelers I would have to say have the largest fan base through out the world. There is a Steelers fan club in almost EVERY city big enough to fit a couple decent sports bars in. Cowher is more popular than Dick Cheney and Hilary Clinton, and ALL MOST as popular as W him self!!!

  10. packpigskinfan23 09/18/2006 at 5:56 PM #

    ALMOST…. sorry, I’ve been awake since 3am… don’t ever work for UPS. Its the #1 cause of dilusion in America.

  11. WolfPup35 09/18/2006 at 6:20 PM #

    Hrmmmm………..let’s see here..
    1. Larry Coker. Can’t meet those high Hurricane standards

    2. Ralph Friedgen. Seems like the fat man can’t recruit, and his boys play down to their competition.

    3. Chuck Amato. Good recruiter. Can’t seem to keep assistants, and that hurts the team—obviously.

    4. Al Groh. A once proud program…..Sucks!

    5. John Bunting. Carolina is struggling Duke style….500+ yards to a 1aa squad???

    6. Gailey. Safe because of the down year in the ACC

    7. Roof. He’ll keep his job after he beats UNC.

  12. CaptainCraptacular 09/18/2006 at 7:06 PM #

    Class of ’74: Butch Davis will be the coach of the Hurricanes next year, announced about 2 days after the firing of Larry Coker or the end of the season, whichever comes last. Probably best to cross his name off your wish list. Being here in Florida, I can tell you Coker is dead man walking. After the Louisville game all remaining bastions of support have totally and utterly eroded away. Davis is #1, #2, and #3 on the fans and alumni’s list and they can put 2million+ reasons in his pocket to return.

  13. Wolfpack4ever 09/18/2006 at 7:27 PM #

    Forgive me if this has been said: Hearing about Bunting standing in the rain with his hat over his heart singing the UNC Alma Mater, is something I have to listen to often when the UNC program comes up with many Carolina fans. They think Bunting is an average football coach but admire his character. He surely doesn’t sugar-coat his defenses short-comings. Still, I dislike the general arrogance of the tarhole fans.

  14. tvp 09/18/2006 at 7:29 PM #

    Great minds think alike. I started a thread about this on PackPride this weekend:

    1. Coker – Hopefully renting, not buying. Status: Dead.

    2. Jeff Bowden – Nepotism has taken him about as far as it can. Status: Dead, unless Bobby pulls a “if he goes, I go!”

    3. Amato – His hot seat-edness has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Not first on this list only because our AD has a coach-firing phobia. Status: In his last throes?

    4. Groh – A missed XP away from an 0-3 start v. Pitt, Wyoming, Western Michigan. Status: In his last throes?

    5. Bunting – “Thrilling comeback” v. Furman probably saved his job. Status: Dying, slowly but surely.

    6. Roof – Not that it matters who coaches here, but Duke probably fires him anyway. Status: Dying, slowly but surely.

    7. Fridge – Starting to catch heat from a sizeable portion of his fanbase, but those 10 win seasons are still relatively fresh in the memory. Status: Morbidly obese yet still going strong.

    Didn’t include Gailey – he just got a huge contract and the AD basically admitted they aren’t looking to compete in a huge way, so he’s safe.

  15. Wolfpack4ever 09/18/2006 at 7:42 PM #

    in the rain with his hat over his heart singing the UNC Alma Mater, AFTER A BLOW-OUT LOSS.

  16. Mike 09/19/2006 at 12:16 AM #

    Cowher is not coming to NC State as head football coach. Was he hanging around CF and Murphy Fieldhouse? Probably. Check out the other alums that hang around there. The Holts have spent a lot of time there too, does not mean they are coming to coach. Cowher has a house in Raleigh, it is a great place to live. Does not mean he is coming to coach. It is very diffifult to make the transition from pros to college, more so in football than any other sport.

    If Chuck’s seat is hot, lets throw our support behind him to turn this thing around. If he cant, lets talk hot seat in the off season. Talking now only hurts the team.

  17. class of 74 09/19/2006 at 6:41 AM #

    Wolfpack4ever,
    You and I do not agree on Amato at all but our politics are spot on!

  18. class of 74 09/19/2006 at 11:29 AM #

    CaptainCraptacular:
    I have a place in Fla and spend several months a year there. I know of the U’s interest in having Davis return, but we can afford $2m too. Remember we were ready to pour that in our basketball coach just a few months ago so why couldn’t we do the same for a first rate proven college football coach? It’s all about what we really want. If we are satisfied with mediocrity we don’t need to make a move, we’ve got that in spades with our present situation. But if we really want a first class program here, there is no better guy than Butch Davis IMHO.

  19. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 09/19/2006 at 12:29 PM #

    Has Amato done anything to compare to O’Cain’s sweep of McNabb’s Syracuse? Came close at Ohio State and Notre Dame was a good win but ND was down and that was the best we have been in a decade.

    I don’t buy into Amato has put us on any kind of national stage. The money folk have built nice facilities and Rivers was given some national press but I don’t think Amato has done anything to put us on the map. I would argue the consecutive year sweap (2nd game Thursday ESPN) of Syracuse was bigger than anything Amato has done.

    SFN: We considered deleting this because of stupidity. But decided to comment on it instead.

  20. redfred2 09/19/2006 at 2:32 PM #

    Oh but, we’re on the map for sure already. Have been for years, just in another sport. Now it’s time for the football program to waste away all it’s talent and opportunities and stink up the place. Then we’ll be in line for even more of this great publicity.

    Sorry for the attitude, but when someone wants to throw in the towel, feels ashamed, and starts chastising the whole football program and the university itself, all because of what Tank Tyler did, it makes me think that there is no hope for this place.

    The mindset is so far out of whack with the rest college world that it is depressing. Academically speaking and otherwise.

    C Paul, R McCants… reasons to hate them personally, and the teams they represent, but their actions should not downgrade their overall universities in anyone’s eyes.

    Of the players that were major contributors on UNC’s latest nat’l championship basketball team, I just wonder if anyone knows how many graduated? It’s just not the goal anymore.

  21. Wolfpack4ever 09/19/2006 at 5:13 PM #

    tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc Says:

    “Has Amato done anything to compare to O’Cain’s sweep of McNabb’s Syracuse?” I don’t remember Syracuse’s record or ranking but being the first ACC team to beat FSU at home in my opinion is right up there with beating Syracuse twice. And did we not beat FSU twice in a row? I’m not sure.

    Came close at Ohio State and Notre Dame was a good win but ND was down …”

    So a winning season and the Gator Bowl is down? ND fans were wearing T-shirts saying they were on “The Road to Glory.”

    “I don’t buy into Amato has put us on any kind of national stage.” He’s on a national stage now for sure — the mext stage out of of Raleigh. 😉

  22. youchuck 09/25/2006 at 7:55 AM #

    I think Coker is gone as well, however, it may not be Butch Davis. Donna Shalala runs that school and she used to be at Wisconsin, where she hired Barry Alvarez. He conveniently retired last season and is available to coach again, I wouldn’t be suprised if she got him to coach. Butch Davis will coach again but there will be many openings next year, he could end up at a number of schools.

  23. RAWFS 09/25/2006 at 1:22 PM #

    It would be VERY interesting to see the weekly re-ranking.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. The ACC Basketblog - 09/19/2006

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  2. Chuck Chuck » Friday Roundup - 09/22/2006

    […] The ACC has been taking hard hits in the press regarding the stregth of our football and the caliber of coaching. On the hot seat watch though, its Coker at Miami who is on the hottest seat, not Chuck. We don’t see that changing even if Chuck loses out the rest of the way because Miami loves their football. […]

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