MWCConnection Roundtable: Which coach is on the hot seat in 2022?

Alright, we are more or less at the halfway point of the 2022 roundtable. And with that, it is time to bring out one of our most popular questions that is sure to become of one our more critiqued posts of the summer. Which coach will be entering the season on the hot seat for the 2022 season? Or if you don’t see anyone getting fired, which coach has the most to prove this year?

Zach: Marcus Arroyo and Danny Gonzales are the obvious choice and probably the only coaches that have even a lukewarm seat. Both are still fairly new in their tenure and have tough circumstances they need to overcome, especially Gonzales. I think Arroyo needs to flirt with bowl eligibility to have a realistic chance at keeping his job. There is one coach that I think might be in his last season and that is Craig Bohl. Not necessarily because he is on the “hot seat,” but I could see Bohl stepping down after a rough season in Laramie.

Mike: The name that immediately comes to my mind is Marcus Arroyo. I would not say he’s on the hot seat, but I will say he is definitely on the warm seat and he without a doubt has the most to prove this season. Year 3 of a coaching staff is when there should be a big jump with enough of their players on the field. While he doesn’t necessarily have to make a bowl, they should contend for one and get to five wins. I think short of a 0-1 win season, Arroyo keeps his job but this is the year his job becomes shaky or secure.

Aiden: In regards to being on the hotseat, UNLV’s Marcus Arroyo and New Mexico head coach Danny Gonzales are the only two that should be feeling any heat. Both are multiple years into their respective tenures, but the results on the field have been limited. UNLV showed some life down the stretch last year with one-score losses to Fresno State, UTSA, Utah State, San Jose State, and San Diego State. The Runnin’ Rebels expectation should be to enter the last week of the season vying for a bowl game. As for New Mexico, Gonzales and his crew should aim for four wins to stave off the rumor mill. Anything more than that would be extra credit considering their schedule.

NittanyFalcon: I think Marcus Arroyo is the obvious pick here. He’s been able to recruit some talented players, but it hasn’t shown up in the win column. I might be limited in my perspective here, but the Rebels had an awful game against the Falcons last year. Being able to stop the Falcons rushing game requires a good deal of discipline, and the Rebels showed almost none in that game. That points to bad coaching. If there is no improvement this year, his departure could come as early as this season.

Adam: Obviously I fall in line with the Marcus Arroyo pick with everyone else. I don’t know if I see UNLV winning six games this season, looking at their schedule. I will throw a name out there that I don’t think much think of, but Brent Brennan has got to be close to getting on the hot seat. The 2020 season was a dream season, however, the Spartans took a step back last season with a rebuild. Brennan is 20-37 at San Jose State, a school that fired Ron Caragher that had a similar trajectory as a head coach. I get the feeling that the seat will get really hot if Brennan does not get back to the winning ways of 2020.