You Blew It: 5 worst coaching jobs of the 2015 season
The coaching carousel was in full force during the 2015 season, with high profile Power 5 conference jobs available at USC, Miami, Georgia, and Virginia Tech.
Turnover in the coaching ranks was aplenty, but the majority of the worst coaching jobs in 2015 are still employed. A repeat performance by these men in the coming season will likely change that.
Here are the five worst coaching jobs of 2015:
1. Auburn - Gus Malzahn/Will Muschamp
What does a $5.7 million head coach/defensive coordinator get you these days? A six-win season and a berth in the Birmingham Bowl. Auburn was the preseason sixth-ranked team, with Malzahn running the high-tempo offense, and former Florida coach Muschamp brought in to fix the defense. The Tigers dropped from third in the conference to 10th in offense, and from 11th to 13th on defense. Somehow Muschamp parlayed this trainwreck in to the head coaching position at South Carolina, so expect his name to appear on this list next season. If Malzahn repeats the ineptitude of 2015 next season, he will likely find himself unemployed.
2. Oregon State - Gary Andersen
Andersen shocked everyone when he announced he was leaving Wisconsin after just two seasons for Oregon State. The Badgers have six 10-win seasons in the last 10 years, while the Beavers have two in the entire 99-year history of the program. The move paid Andersen $2.46 million per season. Oregon State won five games without Andersen in 2014 and two games with him this season. Simple Grade 2 math tells us that's an astounding $1.23 million per win this year. An elementary school student can also tell you that is atrocious value.
3. Georgia Tech - Paul Johnson
Georgia Tech was the preseason No. 16 team in the nation, with many pundits picking the Yellow Jackets as a sleeper for the ACC title. Turned out the real snooze was the effort by Paul Johnson's club in conference play this season. The Yellow Jackets lost nine of their last 10 games, and finished 1-7 in the ACC. At least for Johnson the one win was this incredibly dramatic last-second victory over juggernaut Florida State.
Unfortunately the sweet fragrance from that triumph is wiped out by the stench the rest of 2015 produced.
4. Boston College - Steve Addazio/Todd Fitch
Speaking of stench in conference play, next up is Boston College and its tandem of head coach Steve Addazio and offensive coordinator Todd Fitch. Despite having the best defense in the nation, the Eagles were 0-8 in ACC play. How is it possible that a team with a defense ranking above every single one of the other 127 FBS schools couldn't win a conference game? An absolutely awful unit on the offensive side of the ball. Boston College ranked 120th in the country scoring only 17 points per game. This two-faced situation lands Addazio and Fitch at the fourth spot on this list.
5. 3-way Dishonorable Mention tie
South Carolina's Steve Spurrier quit after a 2-4 start to the season. UCF's George O'Leary did the same after an 0-8 start to a season the Knights ended 0-12. Rutgers Kyle Flood was fired after a 4-8 campaign which featured a three-game suspension for improper contact with faculty about altering grades for his players. Quitting and cheating is a great recipe to find yourself on the list of worst coaches in 2015.