In today’s win-now, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of college football, firings are almost as common as recruiting violations committed by Lane Kiffin. In 2009-10, there were at least 10 coaches who were given the pink slip from their employers – Charlie Weis, Mike Leach and Jim Leavitt were the most notable – and an equally eventful late season and offseason could be in store for 2010-11. September college football discussions aren’t complete without a little speculation regarding who’s in the hot seat, so here are 10 coaches whose bums are burning.

1. Rich Rodriguez – Michigan
   Rich Rod’s stay in Ann Arbor has been a disaster thus far. He oversaw the worst season in program history, he has lost twice as many games as he has won, he has suffered two decisive losses to archrival Ohio State, and several of his former players have complained about mistreatment, leading to NCAA violations for failure to comply with practice time rules. It still remains to be seen whether or not his spread option offense can consistently work in the Big 10, and if it doesn’t take a giant leap forward in 2010, he’ll no longer have a hot seat on which to sit.
2. Dan Hawkins – Colorado
   Hawkins, who boasted 53-11 record at Boise State, inherited a program mired in controversy because of former coach Gary Barnett. And while the program has been run cleanly since his arrival, he hasn’t won very many games – his record at CU is just 16-33. If his team doesn’t show improvement in 2010, Hawkins will likely be shown the door. After all, “It’s Division I football! It’s the Big 12! It ain’t intramurals!”
3. Dennis Erickson – Arizona State
   Expectations were high when Erickson was hired by ASU in 2007, and he didn’t disappoint during his first season, winning 10 games and finishing tied for first place in the Pac-10. But losing records in each of the last two seasons have resulted in a new offensive coordinator and pressure on Erickson – a two-time national title winner – to win now.
4. Ron Zook – Illinois
   Zook’s passion and recruiting prowess gave Illinois fans hope for a resurrected program. But if you remove his one winning season in which the Illini reached the Rose Bowl, his remaining record is a lowly 12-35. No less than a bowl appearance is expected by fans this season, and it will be difficult to achieve as Zook breaks in a new quarterback.
5. Tom O’Brien – NC State
   The presence of a new athletic director can be an ominous sign for a struggling head coach. Debbie Yow may look to bring in her own guy if Tom O’Brien continues to perform below the expectations that have been bestowed upon him since he arrived from Boston College. He has produced three losing teams during his three seasons in Raleigh – one more than he had in eight seasons at BC. With the combination of a young team and a difficult schedule this season, O’Brien may end up fed to the wolves.
6. Ralph Friedgen – Maryland
   Like Hawkins, Friedgen likely has the poor economy to thank for saving his job. The Terrapins won just two games in 2009 – a far cry from Friedgen’s success in the early 2000s when he oversaw three consecutive double-digit win seasons and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Despite his respectable 66-46 career record and contract that runs through 2011, another season as poor as the last one could result in a buyout and the early promotion of his successor James Franklin.
7. Paul Wulff – Washington State
   The former Cougar offensive lineman has won just three games in his first two seasons as the head coach in Pullman. And although he inherited an already depleted team, Wazzu fans can’t help but feel restless as rival coach Steve Sarkisian rapidly improves the Huskies. Wulff may not need to produce a winning season in order to save his job, but the Cougars will need to become much more competitive – all 11 of their losses in 2009 were by at least 13 points.
8. Bill Lynch – Indiana
   Lynch will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Hoosiers fans because of the way he carried himself and the program after the death his predecessor Terry Hoeppner. In his first season at the helm, he led Indiana to its first bowl game since 1993. But bad luck befell the team during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, which were filled with injuries and blown leads. The goodwill he permanently built up in 2007 may be temporarily ignored in 2010 if the Hoosiers experience another eight or nine-loss season.
9. Tim Brewster – Minnesota
   Brewster could complete the superfecta of Big 10 firings if he doesn’t mold his team into a deserving tenant of the year-old $288.5 million TCF Bank Stadium. Patience is slim and the Minnesota Athletic Department and fans want to see an immediate return on their investments. During his first two seasons as the head coach, he oversaw an improvement from 1-11 to 7-6, but the team fell to 6-7 in year three. A weak defense is expected in 2010 and the Gophers are slated to face USC in addition to Ohio State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Penn State.
10. Les Miles – LSU
    Miles hasn’t done much to change the idea that he “won with Saban’s players.” Since the 2007 national championship – which was achieved with key seniors who were Saban’s recruits – Miles’ Tigers have tallied a mediocre 8-8 SEC record. Evidence of a steady decline from atop the SEC and the emergence of Saban’s Tide have caused LSU fans to panic. Athletic director Joe Alleva even wrote a letter resembling a vote of confidence to fans after the 2009 season, promising the team would improve.

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