Dennis Dodd

Tommy Bowden lives in Orlando and UCF is probably firing George O'Leary. Guess who would love to take his place?

It had better be Al Groh; his teams have been an embarassment, even in the ACC and even for Virginia.  UVa will usually accept slightly less in terms of "championship performance" in return for higher academic standards (or at least that's what they, and Duke, claim), but even in that department Al's failing.  His players slide in and out of school, and his teams don't even approach mediocre any more.  It's not as if he doesn't have the talent to work with, but he's started to lose more and more players not just to VaTech (almost understandable, since they're more of the "football powerhouse" prototype), but sometimes to Richmond, James Madison, and other "smaller schools" that will play for a championship.

Hawkins probably has a year left before he gets booted.  I, at least, would like to see what he could do with a real QB instead of his son, and the team has made progress from the total swamp he inherited.

Kragthorpe still has a pass for a year or two in my mind because, well, it's Louisville.  Unless you're Bobby Petrino and sell your soul to the devil, you don't really have much chance to build a perennial power down there in footie.

My top candidates, after Al Groh, have to be: Tom O'Brien at NC State (just a disaster this year, and not so hot last year either; definitely a program on the rocks; he can join Sidney Lowe in the unemployment line, I hope); and Mike Sherman (he's done nothing with a program that has all the potential in the world, and a legacy to match; unless he beats UT, I say he's gone).

Other guys on a short rope have to include Dennis Erikson and Mike Stoops.  The Arizona teams just aren't getting it done; Stoops, in particular, has had a good run, but not produced what he promised.  Not even a second-place finish in the Pac-10 or an upset of the Trojans; UA and ASU are, in fact, the only two teams in the conference to be left out of those categories this decade.  Shameful.    

WHAT ABOUT RALPH FREIDGEN ITS TIME FOR HIM TO GO!!!

Who's next?


Steve Kragthorpe?  Al Grogh?  Dan Hawkins?  someone else?


Any thoughts?

I guess losing to a team as bad as Tennessee was the last straw for West. 

Sorry UT fans, couldn't resist.

On another note, as much as I would hate lose him, Charlie Strong, Florida's d-coordinator, is past due for a chance to be a head coach.

Terry Bowden, of Auburn fame, is the current North Alabama coach.

Tommy Tuberville, of Auburn fame is workingas a CFB analyst on ESPNU.    He is looking for a much more high profile program, say Texas A&M.