Rick Neuheisel is 18-25 as head coach of UCLA. (Armando Brown/Orange County Register/MCT)
With many teams’ bye weeks approaching and bad seasons reaching the point of no return, it’s the time of year when struggling football programs evaluate their head coach.
New Mexico fired Mike Locksley on Sept. 25, and Arizona let go of Mike Stoops on Monday.
Who will be the next to go?
Here are the five coaches most likely to be fired during the season, which is an oft-criticized move but one deemed necessary by schools desperate for a new direction sooner than later.
5. Paul Wulff, Washington State
(This year: 3-2; Last year: 2-10; Career at WSU: 8-34)
Buzz: After last season’s nightmare, this was widely considered a judgment year for Wulff. The Cougars haven’t been , their starting quarterback got hurt and Washington State is a relatively lax football program — at least compared to cut-throat schools like Arizona and Colorado — so there’s a good chance Wulff will last the season. But it’s hard to ignore that 8-34 record if the Cougars once again fail to stay competitive in the Pac-12.
4. Rick Neuheisel, UCLA
(This year: 3-3; Last year: 4-8; Career at UCLA: 18-25)
Buzz: This season the Bruins lost to Texas and Houston, two teams the Bruins beat last year. The buzzards appear to be circling around Neuheisel, but the Bruins have three wins and if they can reach bowl eligibility, he’ll likely keep his job through the end of the year. Fortunately for Neuheisel, his team doesn’t play Oregon or Washington this year.
3. Houston Nutt, Mississippi
(This year: 2-3; Last year: 4-8; Career at Ole Miss: 24-19)
Buzz: While he’s enjoyed success in the past at Ole Miss, back-to-back sub-.500 seasons at a school like Ole Miss will get your seat hotter than an enchilada plate at Maria Bonita’s, especially when Mississippi State is winning. The Runnin’ Rebels aren’t exactly known for their patience, either — David Cutcliffe was fired a year after going 10-3 with Eli Manning, and before that Ed Orgeron was canned in his third season at Ole Miss.
2. Frank Spaziani, Boston College
(This year: 2-4; Last year: 7-6; Career at BC: 17-16)
Buzz: Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo has about much patience as Kanye West at an awards show, as evidenced by his firing of Jeff Jagodzinski three years ago despite two consecutive ACC Atlantic Division championships. All Jagodzinski did was interview for the New York Jets head coaching job — he enjoyed massive success on the field. So if the Eagles continue to struggle as they have this year, the fiery DeFilippo will look for new leadership for his football program.
1. Neil Callaway, UAB
(This year: 0-5; Last year: 4-8; Career at UAB: 15-38)
Buzz: The current state of the UAB football is both a blessing and a curse for Callaway. If more people cared about the Blazers, Callaway would certainly be fired. But it’s also partially Callaway’s fault, one could argue, that the Blazers are so irrelevant in Birmingham. UAB is 0-5 and hasn’t enjoyed any success under Callaway’s leadership. The Blazers are one of the worst teams in Conference USA and the country. It’d be a miracle if he lasted beyond this season.
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