High-profile coaching gigs in major college sports offer little job security. If you want to keep your job, win and avoid scandal. Otherwise, be fired.
Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle fired football coach Tracy Claeys this week in the wake of scandal involving 10 football players.
The details leading to Claeys' departure may be different, but he's joining the growing pool of former coaches of major Minnesota programs that were also fired.
The change is intended to incite success, so how successful have the Gophers been when firing and then hiring the next leader they hope can restore their programs?
Gophers football
Glen Mason fired, Tim Brewster hired
Mason was fired in December 2006 after leading the program for a decade. The team played in seven bowl games, won three, but never finished higher than fourth place in the Big Ten while under Mason. Joel Maturi hired Tim Brewster has Mason's replacement in January 2007. Brewster, who spent five seasons as an NFL assistant before coming to Minnesota, was 1-11 in his first season leading the program and was fired midway through his fourth season in 2010 after university president Robert Bruininks criticized the program for its lack of success. He finished with a 15-30 record.
Tim Brewster: Fail.