NCAAF · 1 year ago

College Football Coach Busts: Top 5 Hiring Mistakes of the Last 5 Seasons

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Danny Gonzales - New Mexico
Former Notre Dame football coach Bob Davie had a solid eight-year run at New Mexico, but he was let go following the 2019 season. Former Arizona State defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales had played at New Mexico and was hired before the 2020 season. Not only did Gonzales fail to improve the program, but it went backward. New Mexico was just 2-5 in 2020, 3-9 in 2021, and 2-10 with a winless conference season in 2022. The Lobos went 4-8 in 2023 and watched as New Mexico State went to a bowl game under Jerry Kill. This is a tough job, but the Gonzales era was poor, even by New Mexico’s historically low standard in football. The Lobos were just 5-26 in the Mountain West during his tenure.

National Championship Odds

New Mexico +100000
1. Jimmy Lake - Washington
Chris Petersen retired after six successful seasons in Seattle with the Washington Huskies. He won 67.9% of his games and helped stabilize the program after a tumultuous decade under multiple different coaches. The Huskies hired ace recruiter Jimmy Lake before the 2020 season, and it was an abject disaster. Lake coached a total of 13 games during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns and went just 7-6 before he was removed for performance on the field and concerns off the field. Washington hired Kalen DeBoer, and he subsequently went 25-3 with a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

National Championship Odds

Washington +12000
2. Les Miles - Kansas
Why did Kansas hire Les Miles? The former LSU head coach was seemingly retired, but the Jayhawks plucked him from the unemployment line and tabbed him to lead a moribund program that had gone only 6-42 in the previous four campaigns. Miles was a big name, but his returns at LSU had been diminishing, and Kansas had a fraction of the resources Miles was accustomed to. The results were worse than even the most jaded analysts anticipated. Kansas went just 3-18 during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and the two sides mutually agreed to part ways after allegations of inappropriate conduct with female students came to light. Kansas learned from the mistake and hired a coach who knew how to do more with less, pun intended, and Lance Leipold has quickly revitalized the program.

National Championship Odds

Kansas +20000
3. Zach Arnett - Mississippi State
The hiring of Zach Arnett at Mississippi State had challenging extenuating circumstances. The tragic passing of Mike Leach necessitated a coaching change, and the Bulldogs were in a tough spot. Still, hiring of defensive coordinator Arnett made little sense, and his insistence on changing from Air Raid to a smashmouth style the Bulldogs roster was ill-suited, making matters worse. Mississippi State went only 5-6 in his 11 games in charge, and results were better when Arnett relented on the change of style, allowing Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers to air it out. This was a hire doomed to fail from the start, and MSU moved on to Jeff Lebby before the 2024 season.

National Championship Odds

Mississippi State +70000
4. Bryan Harsin - Auburn
Gus Malzahn’s tenure at Auburn was up and down and often chaotic. After eight seasons, the Tigers moved on and attempted to hire a couple of different well-established big-name head coaches who turned them down. Auburn eventually settled on Boise State’s Bryan Harsin. It was a very odd cultural fit. Harsin immediately struggled to fit in, and recruiting quickly suffered. The offense was far from good enough, and Harsin was on the hot seat nearly as soon as he arrived. After only 21 games, he was fired without completing two seasons. He went just 9-12, and the Tigers turned to Hugh Freeze to get Auburn back in the SEC Championship picture. Freeze went 6-5 in year number one.

National Championship Odds

Auburn +10000
5. Danny Gonzales - New Mexico
Former Notre Dame football coach Bob Davie had a solid eight-year run at New Mexico, but he was let go following the 2019 season. Former Arizona State defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales had played at New Mexico and was hired before the 2020 season. Not only did Gonzales fail to improve the program, but it went backward. New Mexico was just 2-5 in 2020, 3-9 in 2021, and 2-10 with a winless conference season in 2022. The Lobos went 4-8 in 2023 and watched as New Mexico State went to a bowl game under Jerry Kill. This is a tough job, but the Gonzales era was poor, even by New Mexico’s historically low standard in football. The Lobos were just 5-26 in the Mountain West during his tenure.

National Championship Odds

New Mexico +100000
1. Jimmy Lake - Washington
Chris Petersen retired after six successful seasons in Seattle with the Washington Huskies. He won 67.9% of his games and helped stabilize the program after a tumultuous decade under multiple different coaches. The Huskies hired ace recruiter Jimmy Lake before the 2020 season, and it was an abject disaster. Lake coached a total of 13 games during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns and went just 7-6 before he was removed for performance on the field and concerns off the field. Washington hired Kalen DeBoer, and he subsequently went 25-3 with a trip to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

National Championship Odds

Washington +12000

College Football Coach Busts: Top 5 Hiring Mistakes of the Last 5 Seasons

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