PRESS PICKS (Week 9): The new rules of college football lend to mid-season firings
STAFF REPORT
We’ve reached a point where we can expect 1-2 coach firings each week.
It’s not a trend. It’s the way of the Transfer Portal/NIL/Early Signing Period world.
Gone are the days of buying those recruiting magazines or calling “1-900” numbers to learn more about recruits. Gone are the shows featuring Max Emfinger and Forrest Davis, who would look the camera in the eye (or stare solidly at the mic) and state “this guy is without a doubt, going to X University,” only to guess wrong but that was in mid-January and they had plenty of time for a redo.
The game has officially changed and with it, the handling of the poor performance of a head coach. Schools can’t wait any longer or get left at the alter by a recruit or possible transfer who will make their decision soon after the season is over in December.
The irony of it all is the coach everybody wants will have his team in the playoffs and may not be done until mid-January. Unless they are after an assistant, the coach isn’t leaving until his team has completed his season.
Nick Saban’s narrative when he ended up at Alabama had the same timeline. Saban was not able to leave the Miami Dolphins until the season ended in mid-December. It’s a reason why he stood at the podium almost every day and had to deny he would “be the next coach at Alabama,” even though stories later said he was planning to take the job about a week before the NFL season ended.
He was called a liar and a scumbag for leaving the Dolphins high and dry, but in all honesty, he was making a wise choice and the Miami media knew it. It just gave them one more shot at the coach who ridiculed them on a regular basis.
In this day and age, coaches will earn a nice raise if their season is going on an upward trend. Indiana just gave Curt Cignetti a nice bump in salary last week. Coaches such as Clark Lea at Vanderbilt, Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri and Joey McGuire at Texas Tech can plan on a raise while James Franklin, Sam Pittman and Billy Napier are handed their walking papers.
Firing coaches in the middle of the season is not a new occurrence. We all remember the Lane Kiffin episode when he was met on the tarmac at the LA Airport after a loss to Arizona State.
Ron Zook was fired from his job at Florida in mid-October, 2004. He made the mistake of following a legend in Steve Spurrier.
Six coaches in 2022 were fired midseason, including one at Auburn.
That would be Brian Harsin, who was let go on Halloween that year.
There are plenty more to come and we might just see a record number of coaches fired from the FBS level.
Then again, maybe we already have.
2025 Standings (Last week)
1. Michael Butler 103-32 (13-2).763
2. Graham Dunn 99-36 (13-2) .733
3. Tim Gayle 95-40 (11-4) .704
4. Barry McKnight 92-43 (10-5) .681
Wesley Lyle 92-43 (13-2) .681
5. Doug Amos 91-44 (10-5) .674
6. Mike Peacock 90-45 (10-5) .667
8. Rick Hendrick 89-46 (10-5) .659
9. Rosie Langello 87-48 (13-2) .644
10. Lindsey Bonner 84-51 (11-4) .622
Michael Butler (WTLS 101.1&94.7 FM/1300 AM/Tallassee Times)
103-32 (13-2).763
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Wetumpka
Andalusia at Catholic - Catholic
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St - Iowa St
Illinois at Washington - Illinois
Graham Dunn (River Region Sports/WTLS/Voice of Alabama State Hornets)
99-36 (13-2) .733
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Stanhope Elmore
Andalusia at Catholic - Andalusia
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - Memphis
BYU at Iowa St - Iowa St
Illinois at Washington - Washington
Tim Gayle (River Region Sports/Montgomery Independent)
95-40 (11-4) .704
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Wetumpka
Andalusia at Catholic - Catholic
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Arkansas
Texas A&M at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Missouri
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St - BYU
Illinois at Washington - Washington
Wesley Lyle (River Region Sports)
92-43 (13-2) .681
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Wetumpka
Andalusia at Catholic - Andalusia
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - Texas A&M
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St - Iowa St
Illinois at Washington - Washington
Barry McKnight (Voice of Troy Trojans)
92-43 (10-5) .681
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Wetumpka
Andalusia at Catholic - Andalusia
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - Texas A&M
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Texas at Miss St - Miss St
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St - BYU
Illinois at Washington - Washington
Doug Amos (ESPN The Ticket)
91-44 (10-5) .674
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Wetumpka
Andalusia at Catholic - Catholic
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - Memphis
BYU at Iowa St - Iowa St
Illinois at Washington - Washington
Mike Peacock (River Region Sports/ASU Hornets Radio analyst )
90-45 (10-5) .667
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Stanhope Elmore
Andalusia at Catholic - Andalusia
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - Texas A&M
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St -BYU
Illinois at Washington - Illinois
Rick Hendrick (WXFS 95.1 The Fox/PA Montgomery Biscuits)
89-46 (10-5) .659
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Stanhope Elmore
Andalusia at Catholic - Catholic
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - LSU
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - Memphis
BYU at Iowa St - Iowa St
Illinois at Washington - Illinois
Rosie Langello (Sports Director - WSFA Ch. 12)
87-48 (13-2) .644
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Opelika
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Stanhope Elmore
Andalusia at Catholic - Andalusia
Houston Academy at Trinity - Houston Academy
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Auburn
Texas A&M at LSU - Texas A&M
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St - Iowa St
Illinois at Washington - Illinois
Lindsey Bonner (Sports Director - WAKA Ch. 8)
84-51 (11-4) .622
G.W. Carver at Opelika - Carver
Thompson at Prattville - Thompson
Stanhope Elmore at Wetumpka - Stanhope Elmore
Andalusia at Catholic - Andalusia
Houston Academy at Trinity - Trinity
Alabama at South Carolina - Alabama
Auburn at Arkansas - Arkansas
Texas A&M at LSU - Texas A&M
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Vanderbilt
Ole Miss at Oklahoma - Ole Miss
Texas at Miss St - Texas
Tennessee at Kentucky - Tennessee
South Florida at Memphis - South Florida
BYU at Iowa St - BYU
Illinois at Washington - Illinois