Which SEC coach is most likely to be fired this year?

[dawgstudent]

You could say Freeze and Venables are the hottest. Pittman is just a lame duck coach so you can throw him in there as well.

2nd tier is DeBoer and Lebby.

Napier could get back on it if they collapse.

That leaves Smart, Sarkisian, Stoops and Brian Kelly (too high of buyout), Heupel, Elko, Drinkwitz, Clark Lea, and Kiffin.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

You could say Freeze and Venables are the hottest. Pittman is just a lame duck coach so you can throw him in there as well.

2nd tier is DeBoer and Lebby.

Napier could get back on it if they collapse.

That leaves Smart, Sarkisian, Stoops and Brian Kelly (too high of buyout), Heupel, Elko, Drinkwitz, Clark Lea, and Kiffin.

Don’t worry about that LSU buyout fund. They have lots of kids with cancer down there, and if they follow @ckDOG plans for federal research dollars, they can probably get some of that money to slush around to the appropriate places **

 

[onewoof]

Freeze is gone after this season, but I admire the man for losing with love. Every tent revival crook preacher has to eventually fold up the tent and count the bag.

 

[Willow Grove Dawg]

Most Likely to Least Likely

1. Venables
2. Pittman
3. Freeze
4. Napier
5. Stoops
6. Lebby
7. Deboer
8. Elko
9. Lea
10. Kelly
11. Beamer
12. Drinkwitz
13. Heupel
14. Kiffin
15. Sarkisian
16. Smart

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

My money would be on Venables. Had plenty of time to right the ship. Another bad year could be the end. Then Pittman and next Freeze. All the rest are safe bar some unseen disaster

 

[Duke Humphrey]

My money would be on Venables. Had plenty of time to right the ship. Another bad year could be the end. Then Pittman and next Freeze. All the rest are safe bar some unseen disaster

AD situation at OU could play a role in that. Current guy said he wants to stay through year, so who knows....

 

[SteelCurtain74]

Stoops. They will be at best 6-6 this year and he looked to be leaving last year until the A&M thing crumbled. I'm sure if he had the chance to bolt again, he would take it. Unfortunately for him, I think UK shows him the door first.

 

[The Peeper]

Stoops. They will be at best 6-6 this year and he looked to be leaving last year until the A&M thing crumbled. I'm sure if he had the chance to bolt again, he would take it. Unfortunately for him, I think UK shows him the door first.

I definitely think Stoop's azz is burning. A guy I know says the KY faithful are a little split but he thinks Stoops is gone unless he pulls a respectful bowl and that doesn't mean the B'ham type one

 

[patdog]

Stoops. They will be at best 6-6 this year and he looked to be leaving last year until the A&M thing crumbled. I'm sure if he had the chance to bolt again, he would take it. Unfortunately for him, I think UK shows him the door first.

Why would anyone that would be a better job than Kentucky hire him?

 

[SteelCurtain74]

Why would anyone that would be a better job than Kentucky hire him?

It would depend on what you mean by better. Let's be honest, Kentucky football is not really setting the bar very high.

If you are removing conference affiliation, which I know can add to a program's perception, and factoring the current playoff format plus the potential for an expanded playoff in the future, one could argue SMU, Texas Tech, etc. in today's world could be a "better" job in regard to making a playoff.

Secondly, we have seen it with our own team in the past that sometimes AD's and possibly university president's like to show everyone they are the smartest guy in the room and hire someone that may not be the best fit. Stoops, for better or worse, does have a track record and has beaten better teams over his tenure.

Would I want State to hire him? Nope but some AD would try to convince their fanbase that he didn't have the resources at Kentucky to compete with the Bama's, Georgia's and LSUs of the world but "we're fully committed to giving him what he needs to win championships" or some garbage like that.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Its hard for me to see it being anyone besides Lebby, based on what is known currently. We were historically bad last season, with no bright spots. And we didn’t really upgrade anywhere. Another season with 0 or 1 conference win, and you can’t really make a case for a 3rd year.

 

[patdog]

Its hard for me to see it being anyone besides Lebby, based on what is known currently. We were historically bad last season, with no bright spots. And we didn’t really upgrade anywhere. Another season with 0 or 1 conference win, and you can’t really make a case for a 3rd year.

Anywhere else and his seat would be hottest in the conference. We're so uncommitted to being competitive (and/or simply completely incompetent), he's pretty safe here though.

 

[ckDOG]

I'd trade Lebby for Stoops. UK canning him would be about the same as us canning Mullen after the first sign of a slump. Fact is - Stoops took a pretty crap program and made them respectable.

 

[22yardpunt]

You could say Freeze and Venables are the hottest. Pittman is just a lame duck coach so you can throw him in there as well.

2nd tier is DeBoer and Lebby.

Napier could get back on it if they collapse.

That leaves Smart, Sarkisian, Stoops and Brian Kelly (too high of buyout), Heupel, Elko, Drinkwitz, Clark Lea, and Kiffin.

I would be DeBoer up there - if he has a repeat of last year his *** is gone baby gone.

 

[22yardpunt]

I definitely think Stoop's azz is burning. A guy I know says the KY faithful are a little split but he thinks Stoops is gone unless he pulls a respectful bowl and that doesn't mean the B'ham type one

Stoops is UK’s version of Mullen. Is a decent to good coach and showed them some success and stability but not enough to compete for Atlanta.

 

[patdog]

Stoops is UK’s version of Mullen. Is a decent to good coach and showed them some success and stability but not enough to compete for Atlanta.

He's a very poor man's Mullen. Mullen was 69-46 (33-39). Stoops is 67-73 (28-62).

 

[anon1758050382]

Most likely to "retire": Pittman
Most likely to get fired: Freeze

 

[johnson86-1]

He's a very poor man's Mullen. Mullen was 69-46 (33-39). Stoops is 67-73 (28-62).

A lot of that record had a very mediocre east to content with also. Mullen's conference record was largely built when the SEC West was stout. Probably several years where it was a historically tough division and not sure how many years of Mullen's tenure that it wouldn't have been the toughest division in that year. I'm assuming every year but one or two.

 

[Boosh]

1. Freeze. I just don't see Auburn putting up with another lackluster season, especially if Alabama has taken a step down.
T2. Napier. If he lays another egg like last year and they don't have a miraculous save, he's gone.
T2. Venables. The OU folks love this guy, but it hasn't shown that it's gonna work. It reminds me of Rocky Felker. He was the type of guy we wanted to be successful, but he just wasn't.
3. Pittman. Their offense showed real signs of life at times with that QB. They have a chance to be a solid middle team. I they don't do that, he's gone.
4. Kelly. The buyout is insane, but he's had a Heisman Trophy winner QB that is lighting up the NFL and didn't win or compete for a Natty because he can't field a defense. He has a solid QB now and they were barely hanging in games last year. I think he's on the ropes.

I would add Lebby to this, but realistically, who are you gonna hire to come into this situation and only have two years? Who would sensibly take that job? He has to have all four I believe just to give some security to the next hire.

 

[dickiedawg]

I would add Lebby to this, but realistically, who are you gonna hire to come into this situation and only have two years? Who would sensibly take that job? He has to have all four I believe just to give some security to the next hire.

If he wants 4 years he’d better show us something. There’s no way he’s getting a 4th if he’s oh-for in the conference after 3 years (and probably not a third, honestly).

 

[The Peeper]

Stoops is UK’s version of Mullen. Is a decent to good coach and showed them some success and stability but not enough to compete for Atlanta.

4-8 last season 1-7 in conference. In 2023 and 2022 he was 7-6 and 3-5 conference so in the last 3 seasons he's 2 games under .500 Supposedly he's been told, big improvement or else

 

[BulldogBlitz]

We know it won't be lane. He will have to kill whatever side piece he has at the 50 yard line during a loss to us in the egg bowl for there to even be a threat

 

[RocketDawg]

I would be DeBoer up there - if he has a repeat of last year his *** is gone baby gone.

I haven't heard a lot of complaints from Bama fans around here, but then they'd be embarrassed to complain. They just crow about their five 5-stars recruited this year. But is that even an unusual number for them? If they fire him, maybe we could hire him.

 

[patdog]

A lot of that record had a very mediocre east to content with also. Mullen's conference record was largely built when the SEC West was stout. Probably several years where it was a historically tough division and not sure how many years of Mullen's tenure that it wouldn't have been the toughest division in that year. I'm assuming every year but one or two.

The schedules Mullen had to face were close to as tough as last fall and this fall. Every damn year except for maybe a couple. We were playing multiple top 10 teams. Every year.

 

[basedawg]

Stoops. They will be at best 6-6 this year and he looked to be leaving last year until the A&M thing crumbled. I'm sure if he had the chance to bolt again, he would take it. Unfortunately for him, I think UK shows him the door first.

Him taking the Aggies job only for the “cheerleader school” said hell naw! I’m sure Ky fans think about this some.

 

[basedawg]

I'd trade Lebby for Stoops. UK canning him would be about the same as us canning Mullen after the first sign of a slump. Fact is - Stoops took a pretty crap program and made them respectable.

Yep but he has peaked.

 

[patdog]

Yep but he has peaked.

I’d still trade him for Lebby straight up. And I’m not impressed at all with him.

 

[basedawg]

I’d still trade him for Lebby straight up. And I’m not impressed at all with him.

i think he needs to get out of Ky before he gets fired. I think he would do ok at MSU, but I am hoping Lebby can turn things around, I just think he walked into a dumpster fire and even Stoops would have had losing record last year.
I think we will win 4 or 5 games this year.

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

Hot take:

Venables wins just enough to stay on another year......Selmon makes the next hire at OU.....the OU football helmet changes to Sooners written in all cursive across the side.

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

i think he needs to get out of Ky before he gets fired. I think he would do ok at MSU, but I am hoping Lebby can turn things around, I just think he walked into a dumpster fire and even Stoops would have had losing record last year.
I think we will win 4 or 5 games this year.

totally agree....Lebby is a damn good coach dealt a crappy hand.....if he wins 4 games this year, he deserves COY

 

[mcdawg22]

I hope we go 6-6 all because of the success of our offense and OK sucks. Venables gets canned and we get a great DC.

 

[HotMop]

You could say Freeze and Venables are the hottest. Pittman is just a lame duck coach so you can throw him in there as well.

2nd tier is DeBoer and Lebby.

Napier could get back on it if they collapse.

That leaves Smart, Sarkisian, Stoops and Brian Kelly (too high of buyout), Heupel, Elko, Drinkwitz, Clark Lea, and Kiffin.

Lebby

 

[Baddog11]

Don’t forget there’s always a surprise scandal that shockingly takes one out …sometimes before the 1st game.

 

[RopeDawg]

Most Likely to Least Likely

1. Venables
2. Pittman
3. Freeze
4. Napier
5. Stoops
6. Lebby
7. Deboer
8. Elko
9. Lea
10. Kelly
11. Beamer
12. Drinkwitz
13. Heupel
14. Kiffin
15. Sarkisian
16. Smart

Stoops that high? Interesting