CM on a Hot Seat list

This is new on The Athletic site. Loeffler also back on the hot seat list after getting blown out by Kent, and facing Toledo and Ohio on the road the next two weeks.

“Chuck Martin, Miami-Ohio. A 16-point home loss to Ohio last week was a tough blow. The RedHawks are just 4-6 overall and 43-58 across nine seasons under Martin, who has made it longer than most at a MAC school but likely reached his peak with a 23-19 run and no losing seasons from 2018-21. His deal is up at the end of the 2024 season. This is one of the more desirable jobs in the conference, and short of winning out — not impossible amid a particularly wild year in the MAC — that streak will end. Stay tuned with this one.”

Of note, with all of pessimism often expressed about the ability of Miami to attract good coaches.

“This is one of the more desirable jobs in the conference…”

There are also only 124 FBS head coaching positions.

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Certainly it’s gonna be WAY more desirable than the last time the job was open…Gunlock and Dauch facilities, and the team isn’t the worst in FBS (heck, may have been near bottom of FCS too).

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Beautiful new turf, too. Miami’s facilities looked spectacular in that Ohio broadcast. The only blemish is the outdated press box with no suites.

And, at least for now, we have a somewhat more manageable OOC schedule for the next few years.That’s an advantage.

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Well well well…isn’t that interesting. But I am doubtful that Martin is on the hot seat, but Sayler may (and should) demand changes in coaching personnel and/or responsibilities. If Martin refuses or doesn’t make significant changes, then he should be put “on the clock”. (i.e. win and win big next year or else!)

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Pat Fitzgerald today volunteered that he probably is to the point where he needs to make significant changes to his coaching staff. I’m pretty sure those kinds of admissions are actually forced. Haven’t seen any recognition of that at Miami yet.

By the way, our Big 10 next door neighbor - Indiana - would envy our problem. They are chomping at the bit to get rid of Tom Allen but his buyout is $20 million.

Far too many coaches have gotten far too lucrative deals the past several years! The ultimate case in point: Jimbo Fisher.

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If we do go 4-8, I would really expect ultimatums to be made by Sayler on personnel, although our persistent lack of production on offense already should demand this kind of action no matter what our final record is…

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In most places the expectations would have been much higher and those ultimatums would have probably already been made. I think Fitz got an extra year of famine in Evanston because of the academic culture at Northwestern and an acknowledgment of the recruiting difficulties there.

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By whom?

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Where did you read that regarding NU and their Coaches? He spoke of possible changes yesterday but nothing specific. Did I miss something?

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At the bottom of the article that mentioned CM on The Athletic.

Northwestern. Pat Fitzgerald took the rare step Monday of publicly acknowledging that it is fair to question whether he needs to make changes to his program following consecutive brutal seasons. That may sound like an obvious statement to anyone who has viewed the Wildcats through a neutral lens the past two seasons, as they are 4-18 overall, but that also undersells how stubborn coaches like Fitzgerald can be when questioned about their approach, especially in-season. Northwestern made the rare but necessary move of firing offensive coordinator Mick McCall following a 3-9 campaign in 2019, but replacement Mike Bajakian hasn’t fared a whole lot better, posting offenses that rank 93rd (2020), 116th (2021) and 100th (2022) nationally in total yards; and 92nd (2020), 125th (2021) and 128th (2022) in scoring. Northwestern is on its fourth primary starting quarterback in as many seasons following the four-year starting run of Clayton Thorson, and the program is averaging an abysmal 15.3 points per game this season, as it is mired in a nine-game losing streak after a season-opening win in Dublin over Nebraska. The defense hasn’t been any better since the 2020 retirement of longtime coordinator Mike Hankwitz, ranking 82nd in total defense this season and 102nd last season. (The unit has been 83rd and 89th, respectively, in scoring defense the past two seasons.) Second-year coordinator Jim O’Neil was a surprising hire at the time and clearly has not worked out. With an $800 million commitment to start building a new Ryan Field after the 2023 season, Northwestern needs to put a better football product on the field. That starts with self-examination the minute next week’s finale against Illinois is complete.

I read the transcript of the presser this is referring to. He made no mention of changing Coaches whatsoever. The rest of that Athletic piece (including mentioning the Coaches) is speculation by the author.

In your post you state he mentioned making significant changes to his Coaching Staff. Categorically false.

Fitz nor any other competent HC would never discuss something like that publicly.

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Glad I could share the article.

Worth noting that Fitz signed a 10 year extension with a huge buyout in 2020 with a previous AD, so canning him would probably be off the table right now even if he wasn’t willing to make changes. NU is already hitting up donors hard for the new stadium.

I don’t think it was ever formally reported, but wasn’t there a rumor that when Sayler took over in 2012 he asked Treadwell to make some staff changes (after two 4-8 seasons), he refused, and responded with something like “8 wins is the expectation for next year”? Amd then as soon as we fell to 0-5 and it was no longer possible in the regular season, Treadwell/Klacic were axed.

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Unless someone here is planning on ponying up $750,000, CM isn’t going anywhere. His buyout,(for anything other than "for cause) until 1/31/24, is 750K. Section 5.2 of his contract. Now that can be paid in prorated payments, and there is a mitigation clause, but that is the number. It should be noted that CM could leave Miami and pay only 375K. Section 5.3 of his contract signed 3/5/20.

He won’t be fired. Maybe not renewed in 2024. Just hope there is a new OC for 2023.

Apparently there is no money in the Miami boosters pot. Seems strange to be an FBS program than can’t raise less than $1 million to change the course of a stagnant program.

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Ironically, on the flip side, if Chuck somehow wins out to get to a bowl again, it wouldn’t shock me if he gets an extension if he’ll agree to a staff shakeup (especially OC position).

For sure…and at that point he showed some “mettle” so fine…

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I would be shocked if Coach Martin is actually on a hot seat.

My favorite answer is that he recognizes this wasnt a great year and quits blaming others for the issues

The complaints he had about the schedule seem laughable now when you consider UK and UC are both worse than we thought and Northwestern might be the worst P5 team in the country and Robert Morris might be the worst FCS team plus we lucked out on the West crossover games

Our injuries continued through MaC play

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