I honestly believe there are a couple scenarios that are acceptable to the leadership now:
1. Win 10 games and lose the Coastal to some team that jumps up and has an amazing season. In this scenario, although it's unlikely we'd win 10 games and not the Coastal, were he to notch 10 wins, the progress would be undeniable and you'd have to give him another season.
2. Win 8 games and the Coastal. You know how weird and weak the Coastal is. I think UVA had an 8-4 record and won the Coastal, right? Anyway, if he wins the Coastal, it would buy him another year because of all the screen time AND we'd be in the Orange Bowl. That would be too much in his favor to not give him another year.
If he doesn't win the Coastal, but does win 9 games...ehhh, it just depends on the climate with the BOT's. If we sort of luck win 3 or 4 of those 9 wins and the team is sort half-assing it and Diaz looks lost and blah, blah, blah, then he's probably gone. If he's dropping games, but then beats FSU and has a resurgence at the end of the year and the team is trending positively and growing, then he probably survives.
But, I think unless he wins the Coastal, the very bottom floor for him would be 9 wins and surging at the end. I can't imagine he would survive with only 8 wins and no Coastal. Truth is, if he only wins 8, including the bowl game, and he wins the Coastal, it might not be enough.
I think his only path to 100% being brought back for 2021 is 10 wins, even if it takes the bowl game to notch the last one. Less than that and he needs help.
And, with Lashlee, the returning D, a new PK and a rising sense of self-preservation, plus this weak schedule where we will have more talent than all 12 regular season foes, there's no acceptable reason save for an unholy amount of injuries to starters, for him not to win 10 games. Basically, I'm assuming we'll be outcoached in multiple games and it will actually cost us in two. With Lashlee and this D, it seems reasonable.
