How did the college football coaches on the hot seat list fare in Week 6?
Week 6 of the college football season is wrapped up except for a couple of games. With Week 7 on tap, some coaches have already sealed their fate or are fighting for their jobs at this point. The latter stages of the season are on hand and now it is time for coaches to produce or they could be sent packing.
This week, we had five coaches on on our hot seat watch and they fared well except for two. Two coaches that needed a win did not get it and it could have a big impact on both. The other three got huge victories and two of those three can breathe a lot easier now. The other is still in trouble. It’s time to look at how each coach did.
Gus Malzahn
Gus Malzahn can be taken off the hot seat watch for a while now. His Auburn Tigers had a nice win on the road over Mississippi State on Saturday. His two losses are to Clemson and Texas A&M. Both teams are top 10 teams in the nation and have playoff aspirations. Malzahn is fine, unless things just completely blow up in his face.
Darrell Hazell
Darrell Hazell is still gone from Purdue, unless his team finds a way to make a bowl game. Right now, they have a 3-2 record. While that doesn’t seem bad, he is still just 3-23 in the Big Ten. His team got the win on Saturday, but they need a lot more to save his job.
Jim Mora
Jim Mora isn’t as safe as he once was. On Saturday night, the UCLA Bruins lost in more ways than one at Arizona State. The Bruins suffered a huge dent to their chances in winning the Pac-12 South. While they aren’t out of it yet, they now have two conference losses and a deficit. Even worse, Mora allowed a hobbled Josh Rosen to play. He injured his wrist near the end of the game and if he’s hurt bad, it could spell the end of Mora. He’s had the talent, but the results haven’t been there.
Clay Helton
Clay Helton can breathe a lot easier these last two weeks. After starting off an abysmal 1-3 on the year, everyone thought he was a goner. He still might be if USC goes after a big name after the season. However, his team has beat Arizona State and Colorado the last two weeks. Both of those teams are tied for first in the Pac-12 South. USC is back in the race in their division.
Charlie Strong
The one coach that everyone is going to focus on is Charlie Strong. After dropping two straight and putting himself squarely on the hot seat, Strong’s Longhorns lost a tough one in the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma. The offense was good, but the defense was not. Now, the Longhorns have a losing record and a lot of people have had it with him. He might not be let go soon, but he might have already sealed his fate.