In the last few months, we’ve done Hotseat rankings for football and Hotseat rankings for men’s basketball.
What we haven’t done is combine the two biggest revenue sports in the ACC. Here is why this is important, if you have these 2 sports struggling, you are likely going to be making a decision. There are very few programs that can afford to make changes to both in the same calendar year.
So we’re looking deeper at who has the 10 hottest seats in the ACC, among the 29 head coach positions in the two sports.
We go from hottest to coldest 1-15
0 – Ice Cold Seat
1 – Still cool
2 – There’s smoke
3 – Getting Warm
4 – On Fire
5 – Start working on the resume
1. Kenny Payne, Louisville = 4.5 (Basketball)
Kenny Payne is turning over the Louisville roster after one of the worst seasons we’ve ever seen in ACC Basketball. NET and RPI rankings that were in the 300s in a 4-win season. How you coach 1 season and end up the hottest coach in men’s basketball and football is almost impossible, but Payne did it.
2. Brad Brownell, Clemson – 4 (Basketball)
If Brad Brownell made the NCAA Tournament as often as he made pre-season hotseat lists, he’d be in the Hall of Fame. I get that Clemson finished 3rd in the ACC, and probably should have made the NCAA tournament. They didn’t and that’s what matters in the end. Brownell gets PJ Hall and a stud transfer from Syracuse Joe Girard. Clemson has to go to the NCAA this year.
3. Dino Babers, Syracuse = 3.5 (Football)
After seven years at Syracuse Dino Babers has had one magical year in 2018, a great start to 2022, and not much else. The thing is I think he can coach, but Syracuse is such a hard place to win consistently and recruit at. This feels like a very critical year for Babers.
4. Jeff Hafley, Boston College = 3 (Football)
After three years at Boston College Hafley is 9-17 in the ACC. That’s simply not going to cut it going into year 4. That’s a shame because Jeff Hafley gives great sound bites, but I think he’s got the exact same issue as Babers. He can coach, but the location makes things really tough.
5. Hubert Davis, UNC = 3 (Basketball)
Davis went to the national title barely a year ago and then had one of the most underachieving seasons in college basketball history. From pre-season #1 to missing the NCAA tournament. I don’t think he’ll get a 4th season if the Heels miss the Big Dance again.
6 (Tie). Kevin Keatts, NC State = 2.5 (Basketball)
Keatts cooled his seat after making the NCAA tournament, but when is he going to win an NCAA Tournament game after 6 seasons? We have some smoke here, but Keatts may still survive even if the Wolfpack misses the NCAA Tournament.
6 (Tie). Mack Brown, UNC = 2.5 (Football)
Mack Brown’s second tenure at UNC hasn’t been awful, but it has been uneven. We’re now entering season 5 for Brown, and the Heels just keep teetering with potential but never turning the corner. Barring a disaster, I think Brown would be back no matter what, but the clock is ticking.
6 (Tie). Mario Cristobal, Miami = 2.5 (Football)
You don’t go to Miami to be 5-7 and be paid about $8 Million a year even in a rebuild. Cristobal needs to show real progress in season 2.
6 (Tie). Steve Forbes, Wake Forest = 2.5 (Basketball)
Steve Forbes inherited a sinking program after Danny Manning’s tenure. He’s made the Deacs better, but they still aren’t where they need to be as Forbes enters year 4. You’ve got to make the NCAA Tournament… period. Wake Forest may be thinking of a new direction if they miss the NCAAs again under Forbes.
10. Leonard Hamilton, FSU = 2 (Basketball)
Florida State men’s basketball coach has won over 600 games, but his last two years at Florida State have been pretty mediocre. Last year the Noles were downright awful. Hamilton might be able to choose the time he leaves, but there would be rumblings with 3 straight missed NCAAs.
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