BleedGopher
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per Feldman:
Jim Harbaugh. It’s never boring with him. After taking a salary cut, his team finally beats Ohio State and wins the Big Ten for the first time in almost two decades, but he interviews for NFL head coaching vacancies and doesn’t get one. He’s had to re-build his coaching staff and sounds like he has realized his NFL coaching career probably is not going to happen again. But . . .
Minnesota
P.J. Fleck’s squad went 9-4 last season and beat Wisconsin for the second time in four years, a strong campaign that left a feeling of unfinished business after the Golden Gophers inexplicably dropped home contests to Bowling Green and Illinois. Ace OC Kirk Ciarrocca is back after leaving in 2019, and so is QB Tanner Morgan, who already has 39 career starts under his belt. Fleck is just 41, and he signed another extension last season through 2028. He likes it in the Twin Cities, and he has a $10 million buyout if he were to leave before Dec. 31. While his public persona isn’t necessarily for everyone, his work in revitalizing programs at multiple levels (he took Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl) is attractive to ADs. And if the 2022 carousel is anything like the 2021 circus, Fleck’s phone will likely be ringing a lot should the Gophers post another strong season.
Nebraska
Scott Frost. It simply has not gone like many (included some of us at The Athletic) thought it would go for the NU alum. In four seasons, Frost hasn’t gotten close to the Huskers having a winning year in Big Ten play, going 10-25 overall. Last year’s 1-8 record in the league was punctuated by him canning half his staff. New AD Trev Alberts has supported him and kept Frost on albeit with a restructured contract with a smaller salary and buyout, but he can’t afford another dismal season — or even another mediocre year. It won’t be cheap to move on from Frost — his buyout drops to $7.5 million on Oct. 1. Frost added OC Mark Whipple from Pitt and pass game coordinator Mickey Joseph from LSU to hopefully bring in more playmakers. Oh yes, and Frost also was hit by the NCAA with a one-year show cause. It won’t really impact him, but more bad optics are never a good thing in a hot-seat situation.
Purdue
The case for and against Jeff Brohm leaving for his alma mater was laid out above in the Louisville section. But what about elsewhere? Last year’s 9-4 breakout ca was strong, but it still left him under .500 for his five-year Purdue tenure (28-29), and he had to replace five assistant coaches, which means he will be on his third defensive coordinator in three years. Opposing coaches rave about returning QB Aidan O’Connell, but he will be throwing to a mostly green group of receivers. If Brohm can work his magic again this season, he will likely be a hot name, especially since his offense is easy on the eyes and puts fans in the seats.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
Big Ten
MichiganJim Harbaugh. It’s never boring with him. After taking a salary cut, his team finally beats Ohio State and wins the Big Ten for the first time in almost two decades, but he interviews for NFL head coaching vacancies and doesn’t get one. He’s had to re-build his coaching staff and sounds like he has realized his NFL coaching career probably is not going to happen again. But . . .
Minnesota
P.J. Fleck’s squad went 9-4 last season and beat Wisconsin for the second time in four years, a strong campaign that left a feeling of unfinished business after the Golden Gophers inexplicably dropped home contests to Bowling Green and Illinois. Ace OC Kirk Ciarrocca is back after leaving in 2019, and so is QB Tanner Morgan, who already has 39 career starts under his belt. Fleck is just 41, and he signed another extension last season through 2028. He likes it in the Twin Cities, and he has a $10 million buyout if he were to leave before Dec. 31. While his public persona isn’t necessarily for everyone, his work in revitalizing programs at multiple levels (he took Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl) is attractive to ADs. And if the 2022 carousel is anything like the 2021 circus, Fleck’s phone will likely be ringing a lot should the Gophers post another strong season.
Nebraska
Scott Frost. It simply has not gone like many (included some of us at The Athletic) thought it would go for the NU alum. In four seasons, Frost hasn’t gotten close to the Huskers having a winning year in Big Ten play, going 10-25 overall. Last year’s 1-8 record in the league was punctuated by him canning half his staff. New AD Trev Alberts has supported him and kept Frost on albeit with a restructured contract with a smaller salary and buyout, but he can’t afford another dismal season — or even another mediocre year. It won’t be cheap to move on from Frost — his buyout drops to $7.5 million on Oct. 1. Frost added OC Mark Whipple from Pitt and pass game coordinator Mickey Joseph from LSU to hopefully bring in more playmakers. Oh yes, and Frost also was hit by the NCAA with a one-year show cause. It won’t really impact him, but more bad optics are never a good thing in a hot-seat situation.
Purdue
The case for and against Jeff Brohm leaving for his alma mater was laid out above in the Louisville section. But what about elsewhere? Last year’s 9-4 breakout ca was strong, but it still left him under .500 for his five-year Purdue tenure (28-29), and he had to replace five assistant coaches, which means he will be on his third defensive coordinator in three years. Opposing coaches rave about returning QB Aidan O’Connell, but he will be throwing to a mostly green group of receivers. If Brohm can work his magic again this season, he will likely be a hot name, especially since his offense is easy on the eyes and puts fans in the seats.
Carousel crystal ball: Which coaches might rise and fall into new jobs in '22?
Bryan Harsin, Scott Frost and Geoff Collins lead the pack on the hot seat, and Matt Campbell and Lane Kiffin could be the hot commodities.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!