1.
Al Golden, Miami
Record at Miami: 28-22 (four seasons)
Hot-seat turning-point games: Sept. 19 vs. Nebraska; Oct. 1 at Cincinnati; Nov. 14 at North Carolina; Nov. 27 at Pitt.
Loyalty in most areas of life is a great thing, but loyalty is what could largely wind up costing Golden his job. Multiple people familiar with the program have repeatedly said that Golden’s decision to retain Mark D’Onofrio, his good friend and defensive coordinator, is turning up the heat on Golden this season.
“He may end up regretting [not firing D’Onofrio],” a source said in the spring, “but he wanted to be loyal to him. ... It’s a big year for them.”
The defense was far better in 2014 in most efficiency metrics, but there were still numerous lapses in close losses, including during a four-game losing streak to end the season against Florida State, Virginia, Pitt and South Carolina.
Chief among the reasons why Golden's days in South Florida are likely numbered are the Hurricanes' sputtering finishes in each of the past two seasons, and the fact that they have not been more competitive in a winnable ACC Coastal. It’s difficult to imagine a sudden about-face when last season’s team, which went 6-7, produced seven NFL draft picks.
Less than a win per draft pick? The talent-to-performance ratio is off. When asked about that, Golden pointed to a minus-1 turnover margin and an astronomical number of penalty yards (827) as his most pressing concerns.
“You can be as talented as you want to be, but if you turn the ball over as much as you take it away, it’s going to be really hard to win games,” Golden said last month. “It’s the little things, not doing those little things, that make it really hard to unlock your talent.
“So that’s been our focus. And, look, I’m responsible for it. This has nothing to do with last year’s team. It’s this year’s team, and we’ve got to be better.”
If not, Miami will be the country’s premier job in the upcoming carousel.
