Under The Hot Seat: 10 SEC Coordinators At Risk Of Getting Fired
Right, it’s ‘Hot Seat’ time in the SEC, and by these standards, it’s pretty quiet. Maybe it’s because there was a bit of balance in the conference this week, or maybe it’s because everyone’s muttering along, quietly ____ off that things aren’t going the way they wanted it. You know, apart from Alabama.
Anyone, one of the SEC’s biggest questions has surrounded our goddawful defenses (anyone but Alabama and maybe Florida). And while we would love to give a Top 14 list of HEAD COACHES who might get their ass booted come the end of the season, that comes later.
We thank The ‘Around Aggieland’ podcast for inspiring us. They were pretty pissed at defensive coordinator Mark Snyder.
So here we go:
1) Brent Pease (Florida Offensive Coordinator)
This season’s Florida offense has gone from bad to worse this season. The defense and special teams must be fed to the Gator teeth scoring all the points. Yes, we know Jeff Driskel got hurt….but during Jeff’s reign in 2013, UF was soundly beaten by Miami. Florida’s 103rd in the country in passing offense, and 73rd in rushing offense. And yes, we get this team has had some terrible injuries, but do the Gators not have depthy? Although there’s a certain focus on head coach Will Muschamp, it’s unlikely Muschamp will get the boot. Pease, however…
2) Todd Grantham (UGA Defensive Coordinator)
Last season Georgia’s offense bailed out Georgia’s defense. Sure, Jarvis Jones did some amazing things, but the secondary made some stupid plays and really struggled to stop the good teams. This year, I swear to God my grandmother could run 150 yards on Georgia this year. CB Damian Swann has gotten it in the neck for his poor play this year, but the poor play is EVERYWHERE. This team can’t stop anyone on 3rd down…..they are 90th in the nation on 3rd down conversion defense. That’s horrific. And as passionate as he is, the buck as to fall with Todd Grantham. This could turn into Georgia’s version of former Texas DC Manny Diaz in a hurry.
3) Mark Snyder (Texas A&M DC)
The guys at Around Aggieland said it something like this: “Sure, I get that the team was all about youth in Game 1. But by Game 7, if they still can’t learn how to tackle or to have the right assignment, there’s no excuse”. Coach Snyder, your defense is horrific. Where Ole Miss NEARLY showed it off, Auburn damaged you. I wouldn’t be surprised if A&M decides to find someone new in 2013. The Aggies can’t stop anyone on 3rd down (80th in the NCAA). A&M’s only had 7 sacks all year, too.
4) Lorenzo Ward (South Carolina DC)
It’s not that Jadeveon Clowney’s has looked unfit. We get it: He’s been injured. And although Carolina might have the 11th-best ‘D’ in the country, the team’s turnover margin has been horrible, and more’s the case, the team has looked straight-out gassed in the fourth quarter of games. In other words: Something’s going on the fitness. Oh, and something else. Ward MUST HAVE KNOWN that offensive co-ordinators were going to do everything in their path to throw away from Clowney – so where were the defensive packages to try and minimize that loss against the likes of Georgia? The team is 21st in the country in total defense….and third in a really-terrible-in-defense SEC.
5) Geoff Collins (DC, Mississippi State)
Again we realise that Collins & Co is missing Jonthan Banks like nothing else. We get it. MSU gives up 365 yards per game, and is 116th in red-zone defense, which is flat-out horrible. And offenses have converted 30 times in 79 attempts on 3rd down. And MSU has only had 7 sacks all year, and 5 INTs.
6) John Chavis (DC, LSU)
Was LSU’s defensive performance against Florida great because Florida’s offense flat-out SUCKS, or was it great because John Chavis helped the defense turn a corner. Well, we give you the numbers: 27 to TCU, 17 and 13 to UAB and Kent State, 21 to Auburn, 44 to Georgia, 26 to Mississippi State, 6 to Florida, 27 to Ole Miss. We’ll go with Florida’s defense. LSU’s defense gives up 370.6 yards per game (good for 43rd nationally), 75th in 3rd down defense, 57th in rush defense, and has given up 19 TDs to opposition offenses. And although the LSU ‘D’ is very young, they haven’t improved since the start of the season. And in fact, they’ve gone backwards. Suddenly Anthony ‘The Freak’ Johnson’s gone backwards and Ego Ferguson has to find some humility. For us, we still remember Sam Montgomery’s comment that he took plays off at LSU last year. That’s not a bad player: That’s crappy motivation.
7) Jim Chaney (Arkansas OC)
We read this on Chaney’s hiring: “Former Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will bring his high-flying aerial attack to Arkansas.” Oh, you mean the one that’s 103rd in the country in offense, that was shut-out at Alabama and couldn’t get the important scores at Rutgers to close out a game? Or which is 91st in red-zone offense? At some points Razorbacks fans will be crying for Chaney’s neck. And that might be in 2013.
8) John Janceck (Tennessee DC)
We get it….it’s his first season. We’ll make allowances because Derek Dooley didn’t seem to want to recruit a defensive player at Tennessee, such was the lack of depth (you could say that about anyone but Grantham on this list). Tennessee’s defense has been garbage almost all season long, giving up 411.9 yards/game. The total defense is 75th in the nation, but ignores the fact that Tennessee’s can’t stop the run (83rd). Listen, we KNOW that Tennessee’s guts against Georgia and South Carolina is getting admiration across the country, but we’ve got a bigger summation for you. If both sides had had all or most of their offenses, Tennessee would have been blown away in both games. How long is it going to be before UT fans figure this out?
9) [MR BLANK] (Georgia Special Teams C)
I don’t know if it’s glaring to anybody, but Mark Richt needs to be taken to task for not hiring a special teams co-ordinator. There have been problems all season long, and that’s why they are 92nd in the country in blocked kicks allowed, 119th in the country in blocked punts allowed, and is 94th in the nation in yards allowed per game on special teams. It gets worse. They’ve allowed nearly 700 yards of opponents kick yards. You know the funny thing is: Richt insists it’s a lack of execution. Georgia, it’s a lack of coach.
10) Kirby Smart (Alabama, DC)
“If he gives up 3 points for the rest of the season, consider him on the hot-seat” – Nick Saban.