ACC: Atlantic Coaching Carousel

The coaching landscape of ACC football will look drastically different this time next year. Half the conference could be searching for new coaches at the end of the season. It's a product of the poor quality of the conference this season and the stellar jobs of some. I'm just guessing here and I know nothing more than anyone outside of the situations. However, I think there are some no brainers out there and here they are school by school coach by coach:


NC State: Chuck Amato- This year's squad is currently 3-3 headed into the Maryland game. The media didn't give the 'Pack a chance to win 3 games this year. I think Amato's job was safe regardless. He will be around until he decides to leave. He has made State relevant on a national level and the program continues to move forward.

UNC: John Bunting- Expect the press release and news conference as early as the Monday after their last game is played. The 1-6 Tar Heels are miserable to watch. Bunting is a great guy, but he has driven a program with more tradition than most know straight into the ground. He's gone no matter what at the end of the season. It's time for a change at Carolina. They need to find the next Mack Brown. That could be cuurent offensive coordinator, Frank Cignetti. Other candidates include: Butch Davis (doubtful), Chris Petersen (Boise State), and Mike Price (UTEP).

Wake Forest: Jim Grobe- Good as gone! Not fired, but chasing that dollar. Grobe will be at the top of a lot of lists at season's end. He's ready for the big time and he deserves it. It's probably taken so long because many doubt his offensive system will work at a big time school. But, opponents only have a week to prepare for that offense that you will only see once a year. Look for him to head to an SEC school, most likely in Mississippi. Ole Miss and Mississippi State could be looking for new head coaches. Miss State is the more likely of the two. Michigan State could possibly give Grobe a call, and that would be a good fit. Frank Cignetti would probably be the 'Deacs top choice to replace Grobe, or maybe they keep it in the family of current coaches. However, with facility upgrades coming it would probably be a good idea to keep those writing the checks happy with someone they have heard of. There are a laundry list of mid-major schools who would love to get one step closer to the big time with the Wake Forest job.

Duke: Ted Roof- Probably stays. Who else would take that job? He needs to be gone and in all likelyhood he will be gone. I don't know who would replace him. It would most likely be some position coach from some big time program like Texas or Ohio State. However, no names come to mind because there is no one out there with a reputation who would risk losing it by going to Duke. The best decision for the Blue Devils is to move to D-1AA in football. Don't worry DUIkies, basketball practice has started and the school's best QB, point guard Greg Paulus, is injured.

Virginia Tech: Frank Beamer- Bad year and bad attitudes, but he stays. That is Beamer's program and he isn't going anywhere until he decides it time to step down.

Virginia: Al Groh- His seat has been warm this year, but I think there is talent in that program. They're just too young to win a lot right now. He deserves at least one more year. But, he, like Amato, is building a firm foundation in Charlottesville and he deserves time to make things happen there. Thomas Jefferson wouldn't approve of firing Groh!

Maryland: Ralph Friedgen- One more year. One more year and that's all he gets. His program looks like it has peaked and is not headed back up anytime soon. Since making it to the Orange Bowl a few years back the 'Terps have done nothing but dissapoint. I don't want to speculate who would replace the "Fridge," but once again Cignetti's name will arise and possibly John L. Smith, if Mich. State lets him go. Smith has experience recruiting this area from his time at Louisville.

Boston College: Tom O'Brien- He's not going anywhere anytime soon. He's as much a part of BC as Doug Flutie.

Florida State: Bobby Bowden- He's not going to retire after this season, but I think it is time for him to. If by some twist of fate he does retire, I think that Mickey Andrews, Bowden's long-time offensive coordinator, will get the job for a few years. He deserves it more than anyone. Then look for a possible return of Mark Richt, head coach at Gerogia and former FSU assistant.

Miami: Larry Coker- Oh, this program is need of a change. They need a no nonsense guy who will not tolerate thuggery. The Hurricanes need to beg former head coach Butch Davis to return. he was the only person who has been able to control that program over the last 20-25 years. Plus, Coker's national championship was won with Davis' players. If Davis decides not to return, then expect George O'leary (UCF and formerly Ga Tech), JohnChavis (def. coordinator Tenn.), Dan Brooks (Def. line coach Tenn.) and maybe even Jim Grobe to get an interview. It's unfortunate because Coker is a great guy and a good coach. He is just in the wrong situation and he will find the right one, maybe at UNC or somewhere else where a good guy can make a living.

Clemson: Tommy Bowden- He's going to be at Clemson for the next 20 years. One day they will name the field after him like FSU's Bobby Bowden field. It will be Tommy Bowden Field at Memorial Stadium, "Death Valley." Bowden has taken a lot of heat while at Clemson. But, I think he is part of the group that will make the ACC a power conference.

Georgia Tech: Chan Gailey- It didn't work out for him in Dallas, but it is working for him at Georgia Tech. The only wayI see him ever leaving the Ramblin' Wreck is if some school throws millions of millions of dollars at him. He tried the NFL and it did not work. He seems better suited for the college game. And he has taken the 1990 co-national champions back to national relevance. No more Diamond Nuts Seattle Bowl (or whatever) for the Yellow Jackets.

The ACC has a good crop of coaches, and hopefully more are to come. If the ACC is going to reach the level of the SEC, Big XII and Big X, then the coaches will have a lot to do with it. Bowden, Amato, Gailey, Beamer, Groh and O'Brien are going to be around for a long time to come. Schools such as Miami, FSU and UNC need to find long term solutions; while Wake, Duke, Maryland need to cycle through the next crop of good coaches for the country to pick through and then maybe find their own mainstays at the headcoaching position.

Hopefully, Duke will one day be out of the picture in football and be D-1AA. To replace them the conference should think about East Carolina, who has raised their academic standards and reputation to that of an ACC level. However, that would hurt recruiting for the remaining members of the Big-4. Maybe the likes of a Notre Dame or someone else like that could replace them. But that's another argument for another day.

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5.http://www.coachillustrated.com/images/CoachImages/50x50/beamer50x50.jpg
6.http://sportsmed.starwave.com/media/ncf/2002/1125/photo/a_groh_i.jpg
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10.http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/6/66/LarryCoker.jpg
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12.http://publish.netitor.com/photos/schools/geot/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/a-gailey-083102.jpg