Which Mid-Major Coaches Are on the Hot Seat Heading into March?

Do you hear that? It's the familiar music of the coaching carousel getting closer and closer. Who are some of the coaches that will need a strong end to the season to save their jobs when the time comes in March?

By Parks Smith Feb 13, 2014, 11:00am PST

About a month from now the fast and furious coaching carousel will once again start spinning which means some of the seats particular coaches are sitting on are getting warmer and warmer. We take a look at some coaches who might need to make a run in February or their conference tournaments to keep their jobs.

Buzz Peterson, UNC Wilmington:

UNC Wilmington used to be one of the most intimidating venues among the mid-major ranks when Brett Blizzard was downing threes and Jerry Wainwright and Brad Brownell made the Seahawks a perennial CAA contender. Buzz Peterson is in fourth year at the helm at UNCW and he's now 40-71 as the head coach. The Seahawks are 7-19 this year and 1-10 in CAA play.

This past summer assistants Jamie Kachmarik and Dante Calabria left the program and former UNC Asheville head coach Eddie Biedenbach took over. Locals have said that attendance is slipping at Trask Coliseum this year which may be the nail in the coffin for Peterson if he can't get the Seahawks going down the home stretch.

Dale Layer, Liberty:

Many thought that Dale Layer was on his way out last year when the Flames had a 6-10 mark in the Big South. That notion was put to rest after the Flames miracle run to the Big South Tournament title and a NCAA birth despite a 15-21 mark. This year Liberty is currently riding a five game losing streak, are 3-8 in the Big South, and attendance has not been strong in the Vines Center.

Liberty fans seem to be calling for Layer's head and it may take another miracle run from his senior-laden team to keep him in Lynchburg another year.

Bruiser Flint, Drexel:

This one may be a little surprising because the Dragons are 13-10 this year. Flint has been the head man at Drexel since 2001 and is 225-169 at the Philadelphia school. Despite his success it seems like the Dragons are never able to get over the hump and get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. There have been several reasons Drexel hasn't lived up to expectations, mainly injuries, and you have to wonder when or if Drexel will pull the plug on Flint's tenure. (Ed. Note: We may have suggested this last season too.)

Matt Langel, Colgate:

Langel is in his third year at the helm for the Raiders and is 28-58 thus far as the head coach. Patriot League teams are usually pretty patient, much like the Ivy League, but Colgate had lofty expectations this year and were picked to compete for a conference title. Instead the Raiders are 3-10 in the Patriot League and are headed for an unfavorable first round match up in the conference tournament.

Jason Capel, Appalachian State:

Capel 51-65 as the head man for the Mountaineers, who are about to jump to the Sun Belt Conference. App State was a trendy team to challenge for the Southern Conference this year but they now find themselves at 3-7 on the year. Capel marched App State back to respectability his three prior years but didn't make the natural jump this year. Add that with the public relations debacle of blocking a kid from going to another college because of a Letter of Intent and you have a bit of a mess in Boone.

Chuck Driesell, The Citadel:

Usually military schools are in that patience category that we mentioned before but the Bulldogs are 4-22 this year and 0-11 in the Southern Conference. Lefty's son might feel his seat getting pretty hot if the Bulldogs can't rattle off a win or two before the year is out. Currently, Driesell is 28-90 at the Charleston based college.

Todd Howard, IUPUI:

The Jaguars are just 5-21 this year and 0-9 in the Summit League. Ron Hunter was .500 or better from 2003 to 2011 at IUPUI and Howard has followed that up with a 25-65 mark. Things just aren't going well in the Jungle and the Jags may be searching for the next Ron Hunter very shortly.

Bill Courtney, Cornell:

Big Red fans haven't had much to cheer about since Steve Donahue bolted for Boston College. This year has been especially agonizing as Cornell is currently 1-19 on the year and 0-6 in Ivy League play. It's Courtney's fourth year in Ithaca and he's currently 36-71 and has not been able to capture any of the success that Donahue had in getting the Big Red to three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2008 to 2010.

Ben Braun, Rice:

Braun is 63-121 at Rice since coming over from Cal. He did have a 19 win season two years ago, his only at the Houston based school, but the Owls have just two Conference USA victories this year. You have to think the administration might want to pull the plug sooner rather than later on the sixth year head coach.

Gregg Nibert, Presbyterian:

Nibert has been the head coach at Presbyterian since 1989 and for that reason I have no idea how much real pressure is on him at the Big South school. Nibert lead the Blue Hose to success on the NAIA and Division II level but that success has not followed in seven years of Division I play where PC is 62-146. PC is just 5-21 this year with one win the Big South, when will the brass in Clinton try something new to spark the Blue Hose?

Nick Robinson, Southern Utah:

So the Thunderbirds are riding a 20 game losing streak...I think that alone would put any coach on the hot seat, even second year head coach Nick Robinson. Robinson is now 12-40 at the helm and Southern Utah has lost 25 straight Division I games.

Ted Woodward, Maine:

It's Woodward's eleventh year with the Black Bears and after some key transfers this has certainly been the worst. Maine is 5-19 and may need to win a game or two before the America East season is up for Woodward to make it to year 12. Since coming to Orono in 2003-04, Woodward has put together 115-174 mark and has only two winning seasons.

Bill Herrion, New Hampshire:

Staying in the America East, Bill Herrion has been at New Hampshire for nine years and has never lead the Wildcats to a winning record. New Hampshire is 6-18 this year but did just knock off Stony Brook. Could the former Drexel and East Carolina head man's tenure in Durham be coming to an end?

Pat Knight, Lamar:

Gone are the warm and fuzzy feelings from Lamar's NCAA trip in Pat Knight's first year at the helm. Since then Lamar has gone 6-48, including a 3-26 mark in the Southland Conference. Unless Pat brings in Bobby as an assistant to go on recruiting business then he might be in big trouble come March.

Who else do you think is or should be on the hot seat as March approaches?

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