10 Power 5 head coaches most on the hot seat in 2016
By John Buhler
The North Carolina State Wolfpack are a solid ACC team trying to make the push towards relevancy in an Atlantic Division that features three perennial powers in the Florida State Seminoles, the Clemson Tigers, and the Louisville Cardinals.
Under head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack have gone 18-20 overall, 6-18 in ACC play, and are 1-1 in bowl games since Doeren came aboard from MAC power Northern Illinois in 2013. North Carolina State has improved in ACC Atlantic standings each under Doeren, but will anything less than a fourth place finish be enough for him to get a fourth year in Raleigh?
Realistically, yes, that should be enough, but the ACC has intensified its football prowess these last few years. North Carolina State will have to battle presumably Boston College and Syracuse for fourth place behind Clemson, Florida State, and Louisville in 2016.
North Carolina State has the resources to be a bowl eligible team annually in the ACC Atlantic, so failing to reach a bowl for the second time in four years might be a tipping point for Doeren’s tenure with the Wolfpack.
He’ll likely get to coach in 2017, but failing to even challenge the big three in North Carolina State’s division in 2016 might bring the university back to the drawing board with its football program.
Next: 8. Butch Jones, Tennessee Volunteers