In this COVID season, would any coach firings be "fair"?

[QuestionSocratic]

There are a number of high profile coaches who in a normal season would be under intense pressure of being fired.

Jim Harbaugh has vastly underperformed in his tenure at Michigan. Chip Kelly, Scott Frost and Dino Babers were supposed to turn their respective programs around. James Franklin is having the worst season Penn State has had in decades.

But this is not a normal season. So, would it be unfair to any coach to make the decision to replace them this season?

IMO, I don't think there will be any major firings this year as I think just about every coach will get a pass on this season regardless how underwhelming their team has played.

 

[trojanfan12]

It depends on what happened with the team, imo.

For example, if a team had several key players opt out because thought they weren't going to have a season (which I think may be the case at Penn St.) then they likely get a pass.

Also, is it just this season? For example, Harbaugh wasn't getting the job done before the season, so I could see him not getting a pass.

Even though USC is unbeaten, Helton is still on hot seat because they really shouldn't be considering how the first 2 games went. Yesterday's win, while not dominant, likely takes some of the heat off because the game was never in doubt and it was on the road.

Even though UCLA is 1-2, Kelly is probably safe. Being a public school they have some committee or something that has to approve coach hirings and firings. So, it's not as simple as the AD firing the coach and hiring a new one. Plus, Kelly needed time to sort through Mora's mess. They've also shown some progress the past couple of games.

 

[Boglodyte]

Harbaugh should have been gone last year, so I’m fine with getting him out of there this year. Hell, I’m fine with getting him out of there today

 

[Duckboy33]

If you weren’t considering firing your coach prior to the season, I would give them a normal year to figure it out. But if 2020 just confirmed your concerns, then go ahead and cut ties

 

[NolePride]

I don't know one way or another, but I do know that elite coaches...rise to the moment.

Everybody has been affected by this moment. You earn your money or you don't.

New coaches to programs were denied spring practice and a after pring weight training.
They would be affected.

Players opting out could be an issue, but teams lose players every year. Good teams have
players that take their place and they move on.

One poster remarked that players opting out maybe an issue at Penn State, I have no idea,
one way or the other, but I'm not so sure that Penn State may have internal problems.

If there are folks here who know about this former players lawsuit vs Penn St and his accusations
against Franklin, I'd love to read about it. Tehy are not playing like a program that had a couple
of players "optout." They are playing like a divided team where the current players have "picked
sides." Which is a horrible situation, and one that can only be resolved with a coaching change.

USCe firing Muschamp is not an issue to me. I'm still trying to figure out why they hired him in the
first place.

Should Harbaugh go? Thaqt's up to the Michigan folks. Now he did lead the Wolves to a 3OT
win last night vs 1-4 Rutgers, so he maybe meeting with the President of UM today demanding
a contract extension.

Coaching is Leadership, and Leadership is best exemplified in times of strife. You rise to the moment.
I haven't seen any leadership issues at Clemson or at Alabama. It all appears to be "business as usual
at those places.

 

[JohnShadows]

Muschamp's firing was well deserved. Top 25 recruiting classes, Bottom 25 team.

 

[bamagrad75]

If they die, they die

 

[MaximumSam]

I'd give a mulligan year, but I also wouldn't delay the inevitable. For example, wouldn't can Harbaugh based on this year of I wouldn't do it based on the other years.

 

[Camfantasy]

Yes.


There is no point in keeping a coach if he has clearly shown that he can't get your program to where you want it to be. Covid or not that "tipping" point can be achieved this year just as well as any other year. VT will be making a coaching change after this season and it is definitely the right time.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

Funny how COVID hasn’t kept down the top teams, but those with issues seem to be using it as a crutch.

 

[Gatorchip]

As long as Richt 2.0 sticks around Gawga, I'm ok. I would allow Muchamp to take over, if need be, but that's about it.

 

[bamagrad75]

Funny how COVID hasn’t kept down the top teams, but those with issues seem to be using it as a crutch.

Except for some defences which seem to be missing

 

[Duckboy33]

Funny how COVID hasn’t kept down the top teams, but those with issues seem to be using it as a crutch.

I hate the excuses, everyone has to deal with the craziness of the season. The best teams have the depth to survive the opt outs, players being kept out because of contact tracing, etc. The more borderline teams do not and that's why you're seeing some middle of the road teams fizzling out.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

I hate the excuses, everyone has to deal with the craziness of the season. The best teams have the depth to survive the opt outs, players being kept out because of contact tracing, etc. The more borderline teams do not and that's why you're seeing some middle of the road teams fizzling out.

It goes beyond that. How many opt-outs have we seen at tOSU? Clemson? Bama? Fact is, done of the opt-outs are symptomatic of issues within programs.

Guys like Etienne, Harris, and Smith actually returned for senior seasons despite being draft-ready last year. Players at PSU seemed to want any excuse NOT to play this year.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

A season is a season, it all counts nonetheless so why would or should it not impact the coach all the same. Frost will not be fired, I think he has at minimum 2 more seasons (not including this one) - but if we go 1-6 this year and end up going something like 3-9 next year... I could see him getting the axe early. Something is very wrong there and every time it seems like there is a glimmer of hope, we have a showing like we did on Saturday.

 

[Diego Roll Tide]

A season is a season, it all counts nonetheless so why would or should it not impact the coach all the same. Frost will not be fired, I think he has at minimum 2 more seasons (not including this one) - but if we go 1-6 this year and end up going something like 3-9 next year... I could see him getting the axe early. Something is very wrong there and every time it seems like there is a glimmer of hope, we have a showing like we did on Saturday.

What are the issues with Frost? He was a great OC at Oregon and turned around a dumpster fire at UCF.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

What are the issues with Frost? He was a great OC at Oregon and turned around a dumpster fire at UCF.

Not sure to be honest. His original OC Walters didn't appear to want to be here, which is fine, but the offense has clearly taken a hit. Lubick doesn't appear to be helping at all. It feels like the team is mentally weak. That the moment they are hit with any adversity, they give up, roll over, and crumble.

I think Frost needs to turn over his staff. He needs proven commodities as coordinators. People who will be hard on the players and get them to give it their all. I remember reading about former Nebraska players saying that practices were much harder than the games under Osborne. That is symbolic to the toughness Osborne and his staff provided.

But there is so much wrong. DBs play 5-10 yards off of the receivers and when they don't it is generally a flag of some kind. They don't know how to play the position it seems like. QBs are wildly inconsistent. McCaffery is a tough kid, but he doesn't have a strong arm. He do the mid range to short range throws, but not long. McCaffery is also a better runner and more decisive than Martinez. Martinez has the stronger arm to make the deeper throws, but struggles with nearly every other phase of the game. It is weird to say that his best year was his freshman year. The LBs look relatively slow. JoJo Domann is a solid player though. The DL isn't awful, probably the best part of the defense, but they are young. Ty Robsinson has the potential to be as disruptive as Suh in my opinion. He is a true freshman if I remember correctly and he is arguably already the best DL player. Receivers.... we have no deep threats. Betts looks good, but rarely sees the ball, not sure if that is his doing or the QBs. We hear a ton about Omar Manning being a true deep threat, but the guy has only seen the field literally a handful of times and was only targeted ONCE and the ball was batted at the LoS... I hear he is battling an injury but then I also hear that Manning is still learning the playbook. Our RB Mills is injured, but he isn't a big threat anyway. Wandale Robinson is our biggest threat on offense and the kid is tough... but he also happens to be the only one defenses need to cover. He is rarely able to find any space, but he definitely tries and wants to win.

Man I could go on and on. Frost needs to figure it out. In the post game presser this week, he said that 'he didn't see that coming' speaking to the performance of the Huskers. Well you shouldn't Frost, it is your job that they never look like that. Then Frost spoke about player motivation and how he would give anything to play one more game here and how he never needed to be motivated - what he doesn't realize is that this generation is coddled, they need to be pushed, hard. Not to mention that when Frost was here, we were NC contenders EVERY year, Frost even won one. If you know you have a chance at winning the title, it is easier to get up for, but these athletes don't seem to realize that EVERY GAME MATTERS to accomplishing that.

 

[QuestionSocratic]

Muschamp's firing was well deserved. Top 25 recruiting classes, Bottom 25 team.

Not at all surprised by Muschamp's firing. I've expected it. Nonetheless, SC will likely always be a bottom tier team in the SEC. Spurrier was an anomaly.

 

[PIBuckeye]

There are a number of high profile coaches who in a normal season would be under intense pressure of being fired.

Jim Harbaugh has vastly underperformed in his tenure at Michigan. Chip Kelly, Scott Frost and Dino Babers were supposed to turn their respective programs around. James Franklin is having the worst season Penn State has had in decades.

But this is not a normal season. So, would it be unfair to any coach to make the decision to replace them this season?

IMO, I don't think there will be any major firings this year as I think just about every coach will get a pass on this season regardless how underwhelming their team has played.

yes. it is fair. All the coaches are in the same boat, yet you will have winners and losers every year.

 

[olympicoscar]

There are a number of high profile coaches who in a normal season would be under intense pressure of being fired.

Jim Harbaugh has vastly underperformed in his tenure at Michigan. Chip Kelly, Scott Frost and Dino Babers were supposed to turn their respective programs around. James Franklin is having the worst season Penn State has had in decades.

But this is not a normal season. So, would it be unfair to any coach to make the decision to replace them this season?

IMO, I don't think there will be any major firings this year as I think just about every coach will get a pass on this season regardless how underwhelming their team has played.

Jim Harbaugh is going. If he loses to OSU, he's out. If he beats OSU, he'll try to stay, but the big shots will say "too little, too late."