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Coaches who will start '09 on the hot seat

Bowden, Weis, Stewart among those feeling heat next season

Florida Florida St FootballAP
How much longer will Bobby Bowden be coaching Florida State?

Matt Hayes
The carnage is complete — for the most part, anyway. Now it's time to look at 2009, and coaches who already are in win now or else mode.

It's a brutal cycle, but that's what makes the million dollar salaries so enticing. Those feeling heat next fall at the BCS level, in alphabetical order:

Bobby Bowden, Florida State: Bowden has finally admitted the turnaround at FSU may not happen with him in charge. I've got news for everyone else: It's not going to happen with Jimbo Fisher involved, either. Bowden is CEO right now; this is Fisher's team. Anyone who thinks it's not is kidding themself. And these two seasons under Fisher haven't exactly been impressive, even with the ACC at its most vulnerable.

Al Groh, Virginia: Groh's teams have had the same problems over and over: win games they should lose, lose games they should win. A sure sign of instability. It also doesn't help that Groh is 1-6 vs. rival Virginia Tech.

Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville: A train wreck. There's no other way to explain Kragthorpe's two seasons. Blame players (Kragthorpe has), blame discipline problems inherited (Kragthorpe has), blame assistant coaches (Kragthorpe has); the reality is this program is nowhere near where it was under Bobby Petrino.

Mike Sherman, Texas A&M: This job is too good, with too much support and too many advantages, to muddle through the Big 12 in humiliating fashion. Can you fire a coach after two seasons? Probably not, but this team better show serious improvement next fall. There are many deep-pocketed boosters who won't sit and watch it get worse.

Bill Stewart, West Virginia: Four losses with a championship-ready team is shocking.

Charlie Weis, Notre Dame: Weis would be the first to say there has to be significant improvement next year. Nine wins should be enough, but 10 would alleviate the postseason finale drama.

© 2012 Sporting News

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