SEC Coaching Hot Seats

The coaching landscape of the SEC could look verydifferent next season.

It's that time of year again when coaches whose teams have fallen short of expectations find their names being mentioned as part of the dreaded "hot seat" to lose their jobs. 

No less than four current head coaches in the SEC are rumored to be on that seat, including Vanderbilt's Derek Mason. 

Of those four, Mason seems to be the one who has received at least some measure of support from his athletic director, thought it fell short of an outright affirmation that he would return.

In Starkeville, Joe Moorhead whose Bulldogs are currently 3-5 has struggled and with bowl hopes on the ropes, he is on the hot seat. 

Arkansas' Chad Morris, currently in just his second season in Fayetteville has yet to have won a single conference game, and not many out of conference too. 

There's no denying he had a tough job transitioning from the bruising, power offense of his predecessor to the spread system he preferes, but still there is an expectation of at least winning some. 

Then there's Barry Odum at Missouri, whose fans are still smarting from the Vanderbilt loss and now have added one to Kentucky to the list. His early season start now seems like a lifetime ago in Columbia.

In Nashville, Mason was the subject of his own hot seat rumors this week as ESPN reported that former Titans coach Jeff Fisher was a candidate to replace him. 

Athletic Director Malcolm Tuner- and myself- quickly threw water on that one.

Having dealt with Fisher during his stay across town with the Titans, there was no way possible he was even remotely interested in taking over the Commodores program. None, nada, zero, zip, zilch!

That doesn't mean that Mason should sleep easy at night and not feel pressure, but it won't be from Fisher. 

It's unclear what the future holds for these four, and Mason in particular, but each has the chance to save themselves in the final weeks of the season. 

Mason and his Commodores visit a struggling South Carolina team this week, one who Mason has never beaten. Getting the first win over them, and on the road would be a step in the right direction. 

He then would have ETSU, Kentucky and Tennessee as potential winnable game- a visit to Florida withstanding- between he and a bowl game, but this Saturday is a must win or their bowl hopes are very likely finished. 

Stay tuned, the heat might grow this week around the SEC.