Coaches Swimming in the Dead Pool: Week One Edition

Here is my personal list of coaches who are likely to be fired at any given time moving forward this season. Coaches on this list have a shot at a lifeline if they can show massive improvement, but this group is in serious and real jeopardy of being gone according to my multiple sources all over the nation. Here is the Dead Pool party list for this week:

David Beaty, Kansas
There is zero way he survives this season, and he could be gone sooner than expected after a loss to Nicholls last weekend in Lawrence. The fan base is done. Jeff Long has seen all he needs to see, and had to put out a letter to the faithful after one single game. Once that happens, the process goes into motion, an Jeff Long did not take this job to lose long term. He has a list, and it's a solid list at that. Early names are Jason Candle of Toledo, Neal Brown of Troy, and Seth Litrell at North Texas. There will be much bigger names down the road, but this is a very early part of the process, and other things need to filter down before we can identify other candidates publicly.

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
My sources in Lubbock have told me that patience has worn out, and most inside the university wonder out loud why he was not termed last year. A couple of early names that I mentioned at Kansas are in play here as well with Brown and Littrell. Short of a miracle, the GQ coach is done.

Scottie Montgomery, East Carolina
Not many folks around the ECU program have any idea why Montgomery is still there. He has been an abominable disaster on the field, and his team is coming off a loss to North Carolina A&T. There is no saving this guy, and a change will come soon.

Lovie Smith, Illinois
When you find yourself down more than 2 scores to Kent State, and need a massive rally to escape with a win, you know you are done. Again, there are not too many folks that I speak with that have any idea why Lovie has not quit yet. Illinois has Big 10 money, and this hire was a terrific whiff. Lovie needs to get it and do the right thing and quit, because he may just be fired sooner than later anyway.

Mike Jinks, Bowling Green
There is not much chance of Jinks lasting with the Falcons, as he has dismantled what was quite a successful run that ended when he took the job. He has been in over his head since day one, and it's not getting better.

Everett Withers, Texas State
Withers built the foundation at James Madison that won a national title, but his stint at Texas State has been a disaster. One would think a former highly thought of Ohio State assistant would be in a better spot, but this has had train wreck written all over it.

Expect this list to grow in the coming weeks, and stay tuned for an update next week, as I will be monitoring each job on the list as the season progresses.