Toasty Buns: 5 college football coaches on the hot seat midway through 2023
It's gettin' hot in herre! These five college football head coaches are not living up to the lofty expectations at their Power Five gigs. They are feeling some pressure and heat from the hot seat.
By John Buhler
While so many college football teams still have everything in front of them, it might be time to turn the page for a few of them on their current head coach. With four new schools joining the Power Five over in the Big 12, more and more gigs carry that robust distinction. Though not every job is the same, you are under the microscope at this level of competition. Sometimes even good is still not good enough.
Once again, it is time for us to toast some buns. It's gettin' hot in herre, aight. We have seen enough over the first five weeks of the season to let us know that something ain't right at a few schools. Frankly, it all comes down to the equation of happiness, which is the same as it ever was: Reality minus expectations. When that number dips too far into the red, then you have got a serious problem.
Of course, this list will adjust over the next several weeks. Someone on here may get the ax prematurely, whereas others will struggle mightily in conference play to merit their future inclusion. Naturally, just because you are on here does not mean you have to stay. Just look at our favorite Mountaineer Neal Brown. He was horrific at West Virginia last season. WVU is now 4-1. Good for him!
So with that in mind, we have some buns to toast. Congratulations, y'all. You are so on the hot seat.
College football: 5 Power Five head coaches feeling the heat in Week 6
5. Jeff Hafley might have saved his job (for now) with win over Virginia
It was not much, but it was something. Jeff Hafley's Boston College Eagles not only got their first Power Five win of the year last week, but they also got their first conference win of the season. Of course, that win was of the three-point variety at home vs. hapless Virginia to improve to 2-3 (1-2) on the season. BC's only other win this season came against Holy Cross, with a loss to Northern Illinois...
Even if the Eagles split with Army and UConn in the non-conference, that is only three wins on the year for Hafley's squad. No, he does not need to achieve bowl eligibility this fall to keep his job, but four wins may do the trick, five definitely will, but what about three? BC is fortunate to have a few very winnable games in conference play remaining with at Georgia Tech, home vs. Virginia Tech and at Pitt.
If Hafley is serious about getting another year in Chestnut Hill, then BC needs to go 3-2 in that cluster of games, the three very winnable ones in ACC play, as well as the two winnable ones vs. national independents in the non-conference. While BC is definitely losing to Miami at the end of the year, the fact I feel like at Syracuse is a certain loss says everything you need to know about Hafley's program.
While a home win over Virginia did take some pressure off Hafley, he is still far from being in the clear.