Win and you're secure. Lose enough and you're fired. That's the formula for any sports program and the person in charge of the team's performance. Thus, it's not surprising that the buzz has started focusing on which college football coaches might get canned this season as talk of the "hot seat" arises once again. This time, however, the talk is shifting close to home.
It's no secret that the Kansas Jayhawks are struggling. Early season victories, especially against Northern Illinois, offered a brief glimpse of hope, but the wheels came off quickly against Georgia Tech in week three. Since then, the Jayhawks look like the worst team in Division 1 football. That makes writers like Big Lead Sports' Ty Duffy question Gill's status:
Add Turner Gill’s name into the hot seat discussion. Keep it there. Development takes time, but teams that are developing show flashes (see Stanford 24-23 USC in 2007). Kansas is just awful. The Jayhawk defense is an abomination, allowing an unbelievable 50 points per game. They are the country’s worst unit with 8.0 yards per play allowed against FBS teams. Only three other teams are averaging more than seven. Kansas’ opponents combined would lead the nation in total offense.
Gill has a great track record as an assistant. But he only won five FBS games twice in four seasons as the head man at Buffalo. He’s hardly a proven commodity worth the benefit of the doubt. The only question is what the program values more: losing a season or losing the buyout money.
Will the Jayhawks make a change mid-season? Is it already clear that Gill is gone after this year? It's hard to tell just yet, but certainly the Jayhawks' play and demeanor in these next few games will have a major sway in Gill's future as the head coach of Kansas football.