Big East Preview: Coaches on the Hot Seat or at Least Feeling the Pressure

If you find yourself in this position it's probably at least partly your fault. Whether you're the coach of one of the most storied programs in college football or you inherit the head job at one of the nouveau rich schools, your fans expect you to win now. You had high hopes of continuing the tradition when you took over, but now you could turn a lump of coal into a diamond if inserted into the proper body cavity.

Greg Robinson - Hot Seat

If you took over a team that fired the last coach because he went 6-6 and it took you three years to get seven wins, you might be in trouble. If you took over the 14th winningest program in college football history and you are about to give up that distinction to a conference foe, you really need to produce. If any of this sounds like you, Greg Robinson, come on down. You're our first choice for coaches on the hot seat.

Syracuse was a team that had already fallen on hard times when Greg Robinson arrived. But still, this is Syracuse. You should be able to roll your helmet out there and get six wins. Right? Syracuse has gone 1-11, 4-8, and 2-10 under Robinson, and the prospect of that changing anytime soon are not good. Syracuse bloggers, for their part, are making the best of the situation. Robinson's attitude has been mostly positive through the whole ordeal. If not, at least a little cryptic. I hope he has that same attitude when this season is over. Because the world needs ditch diggers too.

Steve Kragthorpe - Hot Seat

No one saw this coming at the start of last year. Louisville was predicted to finish first or second in the Big East, depending on the outcome of the West Virginia game. One of the nations top quarterbacks was returning for his senior season, even though he would have been a top 10 pick in the 2007 draft. He was surrounded by quality receivers and the core of the previous years offensive line. If the defense could just be average, we were looking at a repeat of 2006. Instead, we got 6-6 and one of the conferences premier programs morphed into the middle of the pack right before our eyes.

Along the way, Kragthorpe has lost over 20 scholarship players for just about every reason under the sun, from interstate robbery to a bad case of the "I don't want to play for you" blues. There is a chance for Kragthorpe to keep his job, though. Everyone knows this team is short on bodies and talent, and that might gain him some time with the fans. Also, he was hand-picked by the athletic director mere seconds after Bobby Petrino left. For that, he's got at least until next year to turn things around unless he pulls a Robinson.

Bill Stewart - Pressure

When we last saw him, Bill Stewart was riding off the field on his players shoulders into a meeting with the athletic director at West Virginia to discuss the terms of his contract as head coach of the Mountaineers. With the euphoria of that moment gone we can now look at the situation in a more reasonable light. A first year coach with a Heisman contender at quarterback, and a load of talent returning with him on offense. A defense that has more question marks than answers. An off season littered with off the field problems resulting in suspensions and dismissals. A.....is it me or didn't I just type this about Louisville's 2007 season?

OK, that's a worst case scenario, but with the expectations for this team Bill Stewart most certainly is in a pressure situation. A quick scan of the Mountaineer message boards shows that just about every West Virginia fan is calling for an undefeated season, if not a one loss season. With a deeper Big East and a beefed up non-conference schedule, that won't be an easy task. Will Stewart be let go if he doesn't reach those expectations? No. Will fans be disappointed? Yes. But he built up way too much clout with the Fiesta Bowl win for anyone to turn their back on him after what he accomplished. A second disappointing season might be a different story, though.

Dave Wannstedt-Pressure

Was Dave Wannstedt in any danger of losing his job before the Panthers shocked the Mountaineers last year? Nope. Despite the 5-7 record, Pittsburgh had a long list of injuries at key positions that sealed their fate before the season started. He was never in any danger of losing his job. If the same thing happens this year, minus the injuries, he still has nothing to worry about. He's committed to Pitt, and they are committed to him.

What that win did bring for Pitt was a much higher set of expectations. This team is expected to via for a spot in the top 25 and contend for the Big East title. Even if it won't mean his job, Pitt fans have been waiting patiently for Wannstedt to return the program to the level it was at before he took over. To be honest, they probably expect him to take it to an even higher level. That's a different kind of pressure, but pressure none the less.