Big XII coaches who must show improvement

[Jacie]

. . . or get fired after 2009?

The leading candidate on the hot seat this season is Dan Hawkins of Colorado. He has to do better than 5-7.

After all the hype surrounding this hire, having a ridiculous number of W's versus L's at Boise, he has coached three losing seasons at CU. And his son is the quarterback . . . with two years of eligibility remaining.

Seemingly immune but then what if the bottom falls out at K-State under Bill Snyder, whose return from retirement has Wildcat fans dreaming of lost glory days.

If old Bill (I realize at 68 he is a child compared to JoePa but Snyder looks older) hands em another 5-7 or worse, the second marriage in Manhattan might come to a premature ending.

The other bottom dwellers are safe this year. Iowa State's coach is in his first year, A&M and Baylor's just their second. Also, at 2-10, 4-8 and 4-8 respectively, they each face an easier task of improving upon 2008 than Bill & The Hawk.

[starclassic tama]

i really think it doesn't matter how good of a coach you are, baylor is a no win situation. i know they were good in the 80's but in this era of the big 12 i just don't see how they can be competitive considering their academic standards and such.

[huskermark07]

. . . or get fired after 2009?

The leading candidate on the hot seat this season is Dan Hawkins of Colorado. He has to do better than 5-7.

After all the hype surrounding this hire, having a ridiculous number of W's versus L's at Boise, he has coached three losing seasons at CU. And his son is the quarterback . . . with two years of eligibility remaining.

Seemingly immune but then what if the bottom falls out at K-State under Bill Snyder, whose return from retirement has Wildcat fans dreaming of lost glory days.

If old Bill (I realize at 68 he is a child compared to JoePa but Snyder looks older) hands em another 5-7 or worse, the second marriage in Manhattan might come to a premature ending.

The other bottom dwellers are safe this year. Iowa State's coach is in his first year, A&M and Baylor's just their second. Also, at 2-10, 4-8 and 4-8 respectively, they each face an easier task of improving upon 2008 than Bill & The Hawk.

Hawkins is gone after this year if he does not win at home against the Huskers, I think he opened his mouth and inserted his foot when he promised a 10 win season. Time well tell.

Old Bill will be safe after this year, no way do they fire the God of K-State after ONE YEAR BACK, he will need a couple years to pad the schedule to win again.

[Jello Biafra]

i really think it doesn't matter how good of a coach you are, baylor is a no win situation. i know they were good in the 80's but in this era of the big 12 i just don't see how they can be competitive considering their academic standards and such.

again, I will go out on a limb and claim baylor will make more waves this year...hide and watch. last season, they were 3 turnovers from winning 7 games. I know it sounds aggie like but, they play solid don't turn over the ball and they have a relatively powerful offense.

in my opinion, they will be 3-1 going into the OU game and they more than likely will beat ISU and texas a&m and could have a real good chance of beating missou and texas tech with both of those squads having new qbs especially since neither of last years backups saw ANY meaningful time under center.

Griffin is tough to defend. he has a qb rating of 142 and is 15 tds to 3 ints last season. most people will compare him to another number 10 out of the state of texas but i think he's faster and more accurate. as OU can confirm, if you allow them to stay in a game and they believe they can win, they will. they damn near beat us in 2 ots at our house in 2005. anyone remember how our 2005 season worked out for us? yeh 8-4. rather pedestrian for our standards but we were still a damn good team with a pshyco QB... if teams don't put them away and step on thier neck when they have the chance, some of them will be looking up at the score board deep in the game, nervous about the outcome.

[King Crimson]

Hawkins is gone after this year if he does not win at home against the Huskers, I think he opened his mouth and inserted his foot when he promised a 10 win season. Time well tell.


not true. and Hawkins talks so much no one really pays attention anyway. he said his first year winning the NC wasn't out of the question....and he won 2 games and lost to D-1AA Montana State in Boulder.

CU gets MU, KU, and NU in Boulder so if they aren't at least contending for the North it may be time for CU to reassess. but that means Coordinators. the fans are frustrated, but Hawkins isn't in any danger to lose his job unless they aren't bowl eligible or go 2-10. CU can't afford to fire him and after the way Barnett went out, what the CU admins want is good PR and Hawk gives them that....and for now that's enough (and 6 wins this year).

I live in Boulder. CU will win 6-8 games. they had an awful lot of injuries last year. They'll be improved and i wouldn't be surprised to see the Hansen kid beat out Cody.

[soonerfan28]

I think Texas A&M and Colorado would have to be tied for the hottest seats in the Big XII. Hawkins has got to get at least 8 wins and Sherman needs to at least get to a bowl game or he'll be retired at seasons end.

Personally I don't see either happening.

[King Crimson]

I think Texas A&M and Colorado would have to be tied for the hottest seats in the Big XII. Hawkins has got to get at least 8 wins and Sherman needs to at least get to a bowl game or he'll be retired at seasons end.

Personally I don't see either happening.

Hawkins is safe if he's bowl eligible. maybe even less. he's sold the AD on a total rebuild of the program and they will give him this year and next.

[badger]

I would nominate Colorado's Dan Hawkins and Texas A&M's Mike Sherman.

Coach Hawk had some embarrassing losses this past season in front of big audiences. Remember the students throwing their t-shirts at the field during the Homecoming Game versus Texas? That was lol funny, but had to be embarrassing for Colorado. More moments like that will lead to an ouster.

Coach Sherman is only in his second season, yes, but A&M relies too heavily on football-related donations for their program to falter much longer. He needs a good season NOW. Not next year, not the year after, NOW. If Aggie fans weren't satisfied with Fran Fran for his insider e-mails, or his Fran faces on the sidelines, or his 77-0 moments, or BEATING TEXAS FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD... they will not put up with Sherman in a second losing season.

Hawk will go if he can't show progress (student throwing marshmallows at the field instead of CU t-shirts would be a sign of progress). Shermanator will go if he doesn't get both (a) a winning, bowl-going season and (b) a big win. No, Arkansas does not count. He needs to be Tech, Texas or Oklahoma.

[soonerfan28]

Hawkins is safe if he's bowl eligible. maybe even less. he's sold the AD on a total rebuild of the program and they will give him this year and next.

I think with the expectations that he had coming him that he needs to show big improvement and I don't think 6-6 will do the trick.

[badger]

Hawk just needs progress... whether that means winning season or not comes down to how their rivals do. If Nebbish is back in the BCS, Kansas State is back in the rankings, KU is back in the Orange Bowl, ISU has another Seneca Wallace... oi! Hawk would be gone under those scenarios even with a 6-6 season!

Hawk needs to keep Colorado in line with the rivals. It's what doomed Fran Fran (other than the insider e-mails) at A&M. Sure, A&M was beating Texas and going to bowl games, but A&M wasn't on the same level as Texas and Oklahoma. Bye!

If Hawk can be comparable to its North brothers this season and the rest of the Big 12 North craps it up this season, Hawk only needs to show that the program is heading the right direction.
EDIT: A Nebbish blog (http://www.huskerlocker.com/blogs/view/bid/1039/i/the_six_easiest_football_jobs_in_the_big_12) has this discussion going too.

[MichiganSooner]

Every team wants to win, no doubt. And the cash flows to those schools who have a winner and doesn't flow as well to those who don't. But in the end, it is mathematically impossible for every team in America to have a winning season. If every team wins its out of conference games, then every team is 4-0. But then head to head play starts and in every single one of those games there is going to be one loser. Since that is a fact and coaches are fired if they lose too much, coaching turnover will continue. A good question is why do most all div 1 coaches get paid $300,000 -$1,500,000 per season? Compare that salary to a solid engineer.

[soonerfan28]

Sep 05 Colorado State Toss Up
Rivalry game and it could go either way

Sep 11 @ Toledo W
3-9 last year.

Sep 19 Wyoming W
4-8 last year

Oct 01 @West Virginia L
No Pat White but way more talent then Colorado has.

Oct 10 @ Texas L
Blowout.

Oct 17 Kansas L
3 year starter at QB.

Oct 24 @Kansas State Toss Up
No Josh Freeman but also no altitude.

Oct 31 MISSOURI L
Finally a QB who can see over his linemen.

Nov 07 TEXAS A&M L
Only because it's in College Station.

Nov 14 @Iowa State W
Damn they suck.

Nov 19 @Oklahoma State L
Top 10 team next year.

Nov 27 Nebraska L
By this point the Buffs have lost 7 or 8 games and Nebraska will have a much improved defense next year and will be the leader in the North.

2 Toss ups, 3 wins and 7 losses. They might actually go 4-8.

[King Crimson]

CU-A&M is in Boulder. and CSU will be terrible next year. that game is also in Boulder.

i'd still put the over/under at about 6 to 6.5 wins and Hawk keeping his job (In Boulder and around CU there is almost no real "Fire Hawk" contingent....there just isn't). now, 6 wins or less. the seat will be retroactively white hot....for next.

they'll be 3-1 OOC, and need to go .500 against a 6 game conference schedule (minus OSU and UT which are auto losses).

[badger]

But in the end, it is mathematically impossible for every team in America to have a winning season

The SEC does not buy your logic :D

I like OU's chances of continuing to win. We're the only ones consistently recruiting top talent (with no apologies to Texas, who simply stay in their state borders and get all of the talent they choose obligatory 4/5 star ratings). We own and operate the Big 12. Get used to it!

[soonerfan28]

Sep 05 Colorado State Toss Up
Rivalry game and it could go either way

Sep 11 @ Toledo W
3-9 last year.

Sep 19 Wyoming W
4-8 last year

Oct 01 @West Virginia L
No Pat White but way more talent then Colorado has.

Oct 10 @ Texas L
Blowout.

Oct 17 Kansas L
3 year starter at QB.

Oct 24 @Kansas State Toss Up
No Josh Freeman but also no altitude.

Oct 31 MISSOURI L
Finally a QB who can see over his linemen.

Nov 07 TEXAS A&M W
Only because it's in Boulder.

Nov 14 @Iowa State W
Damn they suck.

Nov 19 @Oklahoma State L
Top 10 team next year.

Nov 27 Nebraska L
By this point the Buffs have lost 7 or 8 games and Nebraska will have a much improved defense next year and will be the leader in the North.

2 Toss ups, 4 wins and 6 losses. They might actually go 5-7.
Fixed

[King Crimson]

i don't think CU loses all 3 to KU, MU (new QB, no defense), and NU (new QB) in Boulder.

personally, i'd laugh my way through a 3-4 win CU season since all my CU buds are sky high for Hawk-"he does it just like Coach Mac did"-Jesus for the 4th year in a row. "new pound the ball out of the I" running game, dominating OL".....etc. etc.

last year "this no huddle will make Cody great", etc.

Cody would be as good as Bradford with the same OL, that was a popular one too.

[badger]

Does CU even have any big name talent that could be a game changer?

The only player I can name on their team in Cody Hawkins, and that' only cuz he's the coach's son!

My gawd, how in the eff did we lose to them two years ago :mad:

[unbiasedtruth]

i don't think CU loses all 3 to KU, MU (new QB, no defense), and NU (new QB) in Boulder.

personally, i'd laugh my way through a 3-4 win CU season since all my CU buds are sky high for Hawk-"he does it just like Coach Mac did"-Jesus for the 4th year in a row. "new pound the ball out of the I" running game, dominating OL".....etc. etc.

last year "this no huddle will make Cody great", etc.

Cody would be as good as Bradford with the same OL, that was a popular one too.

do you post on allbuffs.com.... you post here in this thread are a mirror image of what is said there.... (wife is a cu grad and big time fan)

oh and everytine one of the posters mad the comment about Cody and the OU line, I kwould ask if Cody has grown another 5-6 inches...

[unbiasedtruth]

Does CU even have any big name talent that could be a game changer?

The only player I can name on their team in Cody Hawkins, and that' only cuz he's the coach's son!

My gawd, how in the eff did we lose to them two years ago :mad:

1st off my bad on multiple post, just now saw the multiqote option....

they did sign the #1 RB (ya right) Darrell Scott in 2008.

[soonerfan28]

Darrell Scott got out played by a 2* recruit. Rodney Stewart came in in the same class and beat Scott for playing time. I think OU actually got the #1 RB in the nation in Jermie Calhoun. Scott was ranked ahead of Calhoun, but I think you get my point.

[King Crimson]

do you post on allbuffs.com.... you post here in this thread are a mirror image of what is said there.... (wife is a cu grad and big time fan)

oh and everytine one of the posters mad the comment about Cody and the OU line, I kwould ask if Cody has grown another 5-6 inches...

i mostly read netbuffs with a heavy grain of salt. i have some buddies who read and post on CU boards. i think i have a pretty good read on the CU program from them and otherwise. I live in Boulder and work at CU.

[King Crimson]

Darrell Scott got out played by a 2* recruit. Rodney Stewart came in in the same class and beat Scott for playing time. I think OU actually got the #1 RB in the nation in Jermie Calhoun. Scott was ranked ahead of Calhoun, but I think you get my point.

Scott will have a good year. wait and see.

[soonerfan28]

King, he'll have to get past Stewart on the depth chart. I had heard that Scott has no work ethic and was not working out during the summer like he should have been. We'll see. I'm all for what helps the conference and they aren't on our schedule.

[King Crimson]

King, he'll have to get past Stewart on the depth chart. I had heard that Scott has no work ethic and was not working out during the summer like he should have been. We'll see. I'm all for what helps the conference and they aren't on our schedule.

Stewart is not an every down back. word is Scott is 25 lbs under his weight from last year.

[soonerfan28]

Stewart is not an every down back. word is Scott is 25 lbs under his weight from last year.

Okey dokey.

[King Crimson]

Okey dokey.

interesting dismissive attitude you have.

[soonerfan28]

I'm just being a smartass so I thought I would sound as much like a ten year old as I could.