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College Basketball Hot Seat
Who will the next coach fired?
March Madness is near. Which means it’s time dreams come true for some and the end of employment for some head coaches. There will be some firings that all saw coming and some that will be a complete surprise. We take a look at both the obvious and the potential shockers in this 2022-2023 College Basketball Hot Seat report.
Also: Check out the NBA Hot Seat
WIN NOW OR ELSE
Patrick Ewing, Georgetown
Georgetown has given him a longer leash than most because of his alumni status. Things are getting worse. Zero conference wins last season and it doesn’t look like they get many this season.Jerod Haase, Stanford
Haase has been on the college basketball hot seat list before. Will this be the year it ends? He’s been above .500 in conference once since taking over the Cardinal in 2016. His best chance to retain his job is the Stanford administration not caring about basketball.Mark Fox, California
When Cal hired Fox, they were hoping for more of the Nevada version of Fox (123-43) than the Georgia version (163-133). They’ve gotten neither. Fox at California produced a record of 35-58 and likely has his worst squad this season.THINGS ARE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
This hire has been a disaster. A tough place to win, sure, but their previous coach, Tim Miles, had Nebraska hovering around respectable. Now, bottom of the conference.Mike Hopkins, Washington
A decent 17-15 record in 2021-22 may have bought Hopkins some additional time. Washington is looking at a a 4th straight season without an NCAA tourney appearance.POTENTIAL SURPRISES
Bobby Hurley, Arizona State
The Bobby Hurley era at ASU has been a disappointment. Hurley’s current squad has shown improvement, but will it be enough.Fran McCaffery, Iowa
You know what you are going to get with McCaffery at Iowa — a competitive team that may play a game or two in the NCAA tournament. Does the Iowa administration and boosters desire more? The handling of their football program suggests they prioritize continuity overall all else. -
NBA Hot Seat
Who will be the first NBA coach to be fired?
Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers It’s time for the 2022-2023 NBA hot seat. We are nearing the NBA All-Star Break, which means teams will soon be deciding if there coach will get another season or hit the unemployment line. There will be some firings that all saw coming and some that will be a complete surprise. We take a look at both the obvious and the potential shockers.
Also: Check out the list of top coaches in the NBA
WIN NOW OR ELSE
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
He had a good run in Chicago to begin his NBA head coaching career, but hasn’t found much traction since. The NBA would benefit from a better Knicks team and it will likely take someone other than Thibodeau to get there.Dwane Casey, Detroit Pistons
Casey made the playoffs in year one with the Pistons (2018-19). They’ve been on the decline since including a miserable start to the 2022-23 season. This team has some young talent that needs a new voice.Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers
It seems like Rivers will be on the NBA Hot Seat until he wins a championship. He’s piled up regular season wins as the head coach of the 76ers, but the playoffs have been a disappointment. Another earlier than expected exit from the playoffs may lead to Rivers’ firing.THINGS ARE GETTING UNCOMFORTABLE
Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls
This Bulls roster was not built to barely get into the playoffs. Short of a late season surge, it’s easy to picture the Bulls parting ways with Donovan.Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves made their big move by trading for Rudy Gobert. Their next big move may be finding a new head coach that can get this team closer to the top of the Western Conference and not a team that hangs around .500.POTENTIAL SURPRISES
Darvin Ham, Los Angeles Lakers
Sure, it’s only year one for Ham and the Lakers. The Lakers missing the playoffs will get a lot of attention and Ham might be the fall guy if the Lakers can line up a top-tier replacement.Michael Malone – Denver Nuggets
Malone currently has the Nuggets at the top of the Western Conference. But, another first round of playoffs flameout similar to last season may get Malone fired. -
Lowest Paid NFL Coaches 2022 – Top 5
Who is the Lowest Paid Coach in the NFL?
There is no reason to feel bad for the lowest paid NFL coaches. They are still making over 3 million dollars each season. And one good season is enough for some teams to award long term contract extensions — the Bengals signed head coach Zac Taylor through 2026. Let’s check out the top 5 lowest paid NFL coaches in 2022.
Also: How about the Top 10 Highest Paid Coaches in the NFL?
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns – $3.5 million
Never known to be big spenders, it’s not a surprise to find the Cleveland Browns head coach at the top of this list.Nathaniel Hackett, Denver Broncos – $4 million
A reasonable salary for a rookie head coach. Even though it’s season one, Hackett does find himself climbing up the hot seat ranks.Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys – $4 million
Jerry Jones didn’t have to break the bank because he didn’t have competition for McCarthy. Even though this was a surprise hire, it looks like McCarthy might be in Dallas longer than expected.Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals – $4.5 million
A surprise Super Bowl run last season got Taylor a contract extension through 2026. Will Taylor still be the head coach of Cincinnati in 2026?Robert Saleh, New York Jets – $5 million
This looks to be the steal of this list. Saleh has the Jets in playoff contention after years of being a league doormat.
*salaries are approximate**unknown NFL coaches salaries:
Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Lovie Smith, Houston Texans -
Top 10 Highest Paid NFL Coaches
Who is the Highest Paid Coach in the NFL?
Team revenues in the NFL increase every year which means a nice payday for the coaches that lead each NFL franchises. NFL Coaches salaries are on the rise. Sean McVay parlayed a Super Bowl championship and the threat of retirement into a new contract that likely makes him the highest paid head coach in NFL history. Let’s check out the rest of the top 10 highest paid NFL coaches in 2022.
Also: How about the lowest paid NFL coaches?
Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams – $18 million
There’s no better addition to your resume than a Super Bowl Championship.Bill Belichick, New England Patriots – $12.5 million
No longer the highest paid coach in the NFL. And the Patriots have gotten a great return on their investment.Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks – $11 million
Just when you think his career is nearing the end, Geno Smith might help get Carroll an extension.Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers – $9.5 million
Some coach’s agents will use this contract to get their more successful clients a raise.John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens – $9 million
Harbaugh has provided a solid return to the Ravens and shows no signs of slowing down.Frank Reich, Indianapolis Colts – $9 million
Reich is one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL, but on the NFL hot seat.
Matt Rhule, (former) Carolina Panthers – $8.5 million
The Panthers fired Rhule, but he leaves owed the remainder of this contract — nearly 40 million dollars.
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers – $8 million
No surprise one of the longest tenured coaches in the NFL is also one of the highest paid coaches.
Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs – $8 million
Why is he not higher on this list?
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills – $8 million
A Super Bowl ring and McDermott might shoot to the top of this list.*salaries are approximate
**unknown NFL coaches salaries:
Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
Brandon Staley, Los Angeles Chargers
Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints
Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears
Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Lovie Smith, Houston Texans -
Nebraska Hot Board – Who Might Replace Scott Frost?
A Look at the Nebraska coaching search
Scott Frost didn’t make it to game 4 of the 2022 season before being fired by Nebraska. *updated 9/27/22
In December 2017, Scott Frost left UCF after an undefeated season and accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, Nebraska. This was a slam dunk hire. A perfect fit. An A+ on everyone’s coaching hire grades.
Frost at Nebraska never took off. It started with a disappointing 4-8 in 2018 and never improved. After last season, and 4 years leading the Cornhuskers, his record was a miserable 15-29. In reality, anyone else would’ve been fired. Frost was given another year, but agreed to a restructured contract that included a lower salary and buyout.
As part of the restructured contract, Frost’s buyout dropped from $15 million to $7.5 million on October 1st. Nebraska’s season was in such a tailspin that Athletic Director, Trev Alberts, didn’t wait for the October 1st buyout decrease and fired Frost on September 11th.
Bruce Feldman reported a few issues that lead to the downfall of Frost at Nebraska.
We believe Nebraska is ready to spend top dollar for its next head coach. And we’ve heard Nebraska will prioritize coaches with Power 5 head coaching experience.
The names we hear for Nebraska coaching candidates.
THE FAVORITES
Nebraska is not satisfied with Aranda’s lack of experience as head coach and questions how much of his success his tied to previous Baylor coach, Matt Rhule’s recruiting.
Some smoke
Dave Doeren – NC State
Doeren is rumored to be looking for other jobs. His style seems like a great fit for Nebraska and the Big Ten.Matt Rhule – Carolina Panthers
NFL Insider, Ian Rapoport, reports that Carolina ownership will be patient with Rhule. We believe Rhule will ultimately be let go by the Panthers, but college teams may have already headed in a different direction.Jim Leonhard – Wisconsin DC
He’ll be a head coach soon. Wisconsin might move on from current coach, Paul Chryst to elevate Leonhard to head coach before he goes elsewhere. His lack of head coaching experiences makes a move to Nebraska unlikely.Urban Meyer – Free Agent
Initially, Dan Patrick shared an update from his source that Meyer to Nebraska is a legitimate possibility.Word since is that Meyer will remain at Fox and not return to coaching. Still, we believe that some team, likely in the Big Ten or SEC, will make Meyer an offer he can’t refuse.
And there’s this from the Nebraska Athletic Department.
Mark Stoops – Kentucky
It’s been said that Stoops is growing tired of coaching football at a basketball crazed university. Maybe Nebraska has a shot if Stoops likes his chances better against Michigan and Ohio State than Georgia and Alabama.OTHER NAMES WE’VE HEARD
Chris Klieman – Kansas State
His style of football and personality seem to be a good fit for Nebraska. There’s not much smoke here.Jeff Lebby – Oklahoma OC
We’ve heard this one a few times as well. We don’t anticipate Trev Alberts taking a hard look at someone without head coaching experience.OUR PREDICTION
Lance Leipold. Aranda and Stoops turn down Nebraska and receive pay raises at their respective schools. After both Nebraska and Leipold consider other options, they both realize they are perfect for each other.
Darkhorse – Matt Rhule
*updated 9/27/22.
We will continuously update this article as we hear new names or eliminate coaches as a possibility. -
Top 5 Mid-Major Basketball Coaches Most Likely To Be Part of Next Season’s Hiring Carousel
The Mid-Major Basketball Coaches Likely High On The List of High Major Conference Athletic Directors
After each season, the top coaches in mid-major basketball get courted by Athletic Directors looking to hire their next basketball coach. Inevitably, there will be a team that makes a surprise run in the NCAA tournament and their coach will receive a large pay raise to lead a team in a major conference.
We’ll rank the top 5 mid-major basketball coaches most likely to be high on the list of a hiring Athletic Director.
* This list excludes Gonzaga’s Mark Few because they are often part of the major conference discussions and, quite frankly, he’s not taking that Athletic Director’s call.
Grant McCasland – North Texas
Athletic Directors have an eye on McCasland because of his success at North Texas and his time at Baylor as an assistant.Pat Kelsey – College of Charleston
It was a disappointing first season for Kelsey and College of Charleston. If Kelsey can get produce wins at CoC like he did at he previous stop, Winthrop, he’ll have multiple job offers to choose from.Mark Pope – BYU
If Pope can get BYU into the NCAA tournament this season, he’ll be getting job offers.Rick Pitino – Iona
After a surprisingly successful two season run at Iona, Pitino, despite his advanced age, will likely get one more shot to lead a high major program.Kelvin Sampson – Houston
Houston will move to the Big 12 in 2023. The number of wins Sampson has racked up at Houston, puts his NCAA sanction days at Indiana behind him in the minds of Athletic Directors. -
2022 Big 12 Basketball Coach Rankings
This is a well coached league with a mix of high end veterans and up-and-comers.
Rankings are based on who an Athletic Director would most want to hire if they had an opening this year, and not based on lifetime achievements.
Our 2022-23 Big 12 Basketball Coach rankings.10. Jerome Tang – Kansas State
Tang left his Baylor assistant job to take over Kansas State. The Wildcats are hoping some Baylor success follows Tang to KSU.9. Mike Boynton, Jr. – Oklahoma State
Boynton has lead Oklahoma State since 2017 and has finished higher than 5th in the conference.8. Jamie Dixon – TCU
For reasons unknown to us, Dixon often gets overlooked. You could do much worse than Dixon.
7. Bob Huggins – West Virginia
A legendary coach with his star starting to fade.6. Mark Adams – Texas Tech
A great coach that will have to live under Chris Beard’s shadow for another season of two. We’ll really learn about Adams in year 3 and 4.5. Porter Moser – Oklahoma
We are only two years removed from Moser’s dream tournament run at Loyola-Chicago.4. T.J Otzelberger – Iowa State
Otzelberger at #4 is a great example of why there is the disclaimer at the beginning of this article. If ranking coaches by who Athletic Directors would desire at their school, Otzelberger got a lot of attention with what he did in year one for the Cyclones.3. Chris Beard – Texas
Beard performed magic at Texas Tech. The Longhorns hope with their resources he can be David Copperfield.2. Scott Drew – Baylor
Drew is a top 10 coach in the country. The only reason he’s not number one is because he coaches in the same league as Bill Self.1. Bill Self – Kansas
The undisputed patriarch of the conference.Baylor Basketball, Bill Self, Bob Huggins, Chris Beard, college basketball, Iowa State Basketball, Jamie Dixon, Jerome Tang, Kansas Basketball, Kansas State Basketball, Mark Adams, Mike Boynton, Oklahoma Basketball, Oklahoma State Basketball, Porter Moser, Scott Drew, T.J. Otzelberger, TCU Basketball, Texas Basketball, Texas Tech Basketball, West Virginia Basketball -
2022 ACC Basketball Coach Rankings
Some top tier coaching has recently retired, so there is a new crop leading this conference’s rankings.
Our 2022-23 ACC Basketball Coach rankings.
AVERAGE JOE
15. Earl Grant – Boston College
Grant finished 11th in the conference in his first season at BC.14. Jeff Capel – Pittsburgh
Heading into his 5th try, Capel is still looking for his first winning season at Pitt.13. Josh Pastner – Georgia Tech
It was rough last season for Pastner and Georgia Tech that put him under .500 for his career leading the Yellow Jackets.12. Kevin Keatts – NC State
Last season was Keatts’ first losing season at NC State. Is it a trend or a blip?11. Kenny Payne – Louisville
Payne has had an impressive assistant coaching career. We’ll see how that translates to his head coaching career.10. Jon Scheyer – Duke
This is going to be a short leash for Scheyer following Mike Krzyzewski’ at Duke.9. Brad Brownell – Clemson
Brownell has been at Clemson for 12 season and middle-of-the-pack in the ACC is the expectation.8. Mike Young – Virginia Tech
Young has lead Virginia Tech to the NCAA tournament the past two seasons.
7. Steve Forbes – Wake Forest
Forbes lead Wake Forest to 25-10 last season and probably should have been an NCAA tournament team.6. Jim Larrañaga – Miami
Maybe Larranaga has one more run in him after an Elite Eight appearance last season.5. Leonard Hamilton – Florida State
If these rankings were based on looking much younger than your age, the 74 year old Hamilton would top this list. He’s been a consistent winner at FSU.4. Hubert Davis – North Carolina
It can’t be easy taking over for a legend. Davis aced his first test with national championship game appearance in season number one.3. Jim Boeheim – Syracuse
It’s been a hall of fame career, but Boeheim hasn’t finished higher than 6th in the conference since the 2013-14 season.TOP TIER
2. Tony Bennett – Virginia
There aren’t many schools in the country that wouldn’t trade their current coach for Tony Bennett.1. Mike Brey – Notre Dame
Notre Dame isn’t an easy school to recruit basketball talent, yet Brey has consistently produced teams competing for ACC Championships for over 20 seasons.Boston College Basketball, Brad Brownell, Clemson Basketball, college basketball, Duke Basketball, Earl Grant, Florida State Basketball, Georgia Tech Basketball, Hubert Davis, Jeff Capel III, Jim Boeheim, Jim Larrañaga, Jon Scheyer, Josh Pastner, Kenny Payne, Kevin Keatts, Leonard Hamilton, Louisville Basketball, Miami Basketball, Mike Brey, Mike Young, NC State Basketball, North Carolina Basketball, Notre Dame Basketball, Pittsburgh Basketball, Steve Forbes, Syracuse Basketball, Tony Bennett, Virginia Basketball, Virginia Tech Basketball, Wake Forest Basketball -
2022 Pac-12 Basketball Coach Rankings
The Pac-12 is surprisingly more stable for basketball coaches than other conferences. Let’s take a look a look at all 12 from worst to first.
Our 2022-23 Pac-12 Basketball Coach rankings.
AVERAGE JOE
12. Mark Fox – Cal
Heading into his 4th season leading Cal, Fox is looking for his first winning season.11. Kyle Smith – Washington State
Maybe things are improving for Smith at WSU. They finished 5th in the conference last season after being near the bottom of conference standings his first two seasons.10. Mike Hopkins – Washington
We thought he’d be near the top of this list after winning the conference regular season in just his second season leading Washington (2018-19)9. Bobby Hurley – Arizona State
Things seemed to be well for ASU and Hurley in 2020, but the last two seasons show signs of regression.8. Wayne Tinkle – Oregon State
Tinkle might be the hardest coach to rank. He followed an Elite Eight appearance in 2020-21 with a 3-28 season in 2021-22.
7. Tommy Lloyd – Arizona
Lloyd had an impressive first season at Arizona. He’ll move up these rankings quickly if he can sustain that level of success.6. Jerod Haase – Stanford
Stanford is a tough school to win at and Haase has produced a better than .500 record (98-90)5. Craig Smith – Utah
His first year at Utah wasn’t great (11-20), but he belongs in the top half of Pac-12 coach rankings. He’ll have Utah playing at a high level soon.4. Tad Boyle – Colorado
Because Colorado hasn’t made much noise in the NCAA tournament, Boyle’s regular season success at Colorado is often overlooked.3. Andy Enfield – USC
After a rough first two seasons at USC (23-41), Enfield has turned USC into a consistent winner.TOP TIER
2. Dana Altman – Oregon
It’s hard to believe this will be Altman’s 13th season leading the Ducks. He’s 300-125 over his first 12 seasons.1. Mick Cronin – UCLA
Cronin seemed like an off fit at UCLA following a successful run at Cincinnati. But, he’s quickly elevated the Bruins in his three seasons.Andy Enfield, Arizona Basketball, Arizona State Basketball, Bobby Hurley, California Basketball, college basketball, Colorado Basketball, Craig Smith, Dana Altman, Jerod Haase, Kyle Smith, Mark Fox, Mick Cronin, Mike Hopkins, Oregon Basketball, Oregon State Basketball, Stanford Basketball, Tad Boyle, Tommy Lloyd, UCLA Basketball, USC Basketball, Utah Basketball, Washington Basketball, Washington State Basketball, Wayne Tinkle