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College Football: Six Head Coaches on the Hot Seat

By Eric Robinson

LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats on November 14, 2015 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 59-44. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats on November 14, 2015 at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech won the game 59-44. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 01: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches warmups before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 01: Head coach Lovie Smith of the Illinois Fighting Illini watches warmups before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 1, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Lovie Smith, Illinois

Once the hire was made in Champaign, Illinois, it was evident that the Fighting Illini was attempting to make a major splash to elevate the floundering program.

That was March 2016. Two seasons later, Smith has a 5-19 record with 15 games of allowing 28 points or more, two Big Ten conference wins during his tenure, recruiting classes ranking no better than 46th, and no silver lining in sight. The Fighting Illini ended the 2017 season on a nine-game losing streak, a  52-14 shellacking at the hands of Ohio State, and a season finale 35-point loss to Northwestern at home.

This past season, Illinois averaged a meager 15.4 points per game which ranked 127th nationally. To make matters worse, the defense allowed 31.5 per game. Smith took over a program that won seven games or more only four times since the year 2000, so the task was incredibly daunting. One more season such as 2017 and Smith will likely find himself on the outside looking in.

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