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Sports

Scott Frost, Herm Edwards top coaches on the hot seat

This upcoming college football season can be a make-or-break year for several coaches who face tremendous pressure to succeed on the gridiron.Syracuse coach Dino Babers has a 29-43 record in six seasons with the Orange, including three straight losing seasons. (Karl B DeBlaker/AP)The Orange are coming off their fifth losing season under Babers in the last six years, posting a 29-43 record that includes 10-3 in 2018. That produced the program’s first bowl appearance since 2013. Athletics director John Wildhack threw his support behind Babers for the 2022 season after a flurry of assistant coaching changes, including firing offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert. To make matters worse, Syracuse faces one of the most demanding schedules in the country with games against Purdue, N.C. State, Clemson, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest.It’s been a difficult offseason for Arizona State coach Herm Edwards, who has seen the Sun Devils face an investigation into recruiting violations by the NCAA. (L.E. Baskow/AP)AdvertisementPublic support for Edwards is quickly eroding after the program faced a challenging offseason that included an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations. There also has been a mass exodus of talent, with more than two dozen players entering the transfer portal led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, linebacker Eric Gentry, receiver Ricky Pearsall and defensive lineman Jermayne Lole. Edwards’ future is undoubtedly tied to that of AD Ray Anderson, who has been his staunchest supporter since arriving in Tempe.Nebraska coach Scott Frost is 15-29 since taking over the Cornhuskers in 2018, with 21 of those defeats coming by one score. (Rebecca S. Gratz/AP)AdvertisementMost people outside of Lincoln believe this to be a critical season for Frost, particularly after a disappointing 15-29 record in his four seasons with the Cornhuskers. While supporters will point to 21 one-score losses, there also is the recently wrapped up NCAA investigation that saddled Frost with a one-year show-cause penalty. After firing most of the offensive staff, Nebraska turns to former Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who did wonders with quarterback Kenny Pickett last season. He’ll work with Texas transfer Casey Thompson, who replaces the departed Adrian Martinez.Despite a lot of anticipation with his hiring in 2019, Geoff Collins hasn’t won more than three games in each of the three seasons at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets haven’t gone to a bowl game since 2018 under then-coach Paul Johnson. (John Bazemore/AP)AdvertisementThe Yellow Jackets have failed to win more than three games in the last three seasons, begging the question if this could be the beginning of the end for Collins. They finished with a top-45 recruiting class each season but haven’t broken through in the win column. To make matters worse, they’ve lost talented players in tailback Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) and defensive lineman Jared Ivey (Ole Miss) to the transfer portal. The schedule is brutal, with games against Clemson, Ole Miss, UCF and Pittsburgh in the first five weeks.Auburn coach Bryan Harsin guided the Tigers to 6-7 last season. An offseason investigation into alledged player mistreatment almost cost him his job. (Butch Dill/AP)AdvertisementFrom the start, Harsin never seemed a perfect fit. While the 45-year-old coach led Boise State to 69-19 in seven seasons, his connection to SEC football was almost nonexistent. The Tigers finished 6-7 last season, capped by a five-game losing streak at the end. Harsin survived an offseason investigation into allegations of player mistreatment that further strained his relationship with the fan base. The departures of several players, including quarterback Bo Nix, leaves Auburn searching for his replacement. Any move would be costly, with Harsin owed $15 million. That would be on top of the $27 million they’ve paid former coach Gus Malzahn as part of his buyout after the 2020 season.USF coach Jeff Scott has been tremendous in helping the school’s athletic department raise money for facilities upgrades, but the Bulls have beaten one Football Bowl Subdivision team in two seasons. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)AdvertisementThe Bulls have three wins — two against Football Championship Subdivision foes — during the past two seasons under Scott. Despite the rough start, USF athletics director Michael Kelly has been a staunch supporter of his football coach, even going as far as to say the “future is bright” with him in charge. But Kelly did acknowledge that tangible results need to be seen. Off the field, Scott has been instrumental in helping raise money for the new indoor football facility and the possible on-campus stadium. The Bulls welcome 21 new players, including a bevy of transfers, to a roster with 18 returning starters. The schedule is a challenge, particularly early on with games against N.C. State, Florida and BYU in the first month.Steve Sarkisian’s first season at Texas was one to forget with the Longhorns dropping six in a row. But the offseason has brought optimism with the commitment of the No. 1 high school player in quarterback Arch Manning. (Chuck Burton /AP)AdvertisementA disappointing finish to his first season — six losses in a row — had Longhorns faithful feeling uneasy. Talent has never been an issue, but its about what Sarkisian does with it. A 57-56 home loss to Kansas left fans bewildered. The roster underwent a makeover with quarterback Casey Thompson and receiver Marcus Washington leaving for Nebraska. Still, the staff added transfer receivers Agiye Hall (Alabama) and Isaiah Neyor (SMU) along with tight end Jahleel Billingsley (Alabama). With a top-five recruiting class for 2023 that includes a commitment from No. 1 prospect Arch Manning, expectations are sky-high in Austin.This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.