Coaching Carousel begins: Multiple coaches fired

Ron Zook

It seems to start earlier and earlier each year. But in this case, it more or less begins at the end of the last regular season game.

Already, less than 2 days after that, we've got multiple coaching changes to report. And no, Urban Meyer is a separate story.

We start in Champaign, Illinois where to the surprise of very few people, the Zooker, Ron Zook was let go. He was let go in the midst of his team starting 6-0 and finishing the season 0-6.

Said Athletic Director Mike Thomas, "I assessed the entire program and felt that it was time for a change in leadership."


Thomas will discuss where the program is headed at 3:15, Zook, oddly enough will speak an hour later at the football stadium.

Read the full story from news-gazette.com RIGHT HERE

In Kansas, the Turner Gill era has ended.

Turner Gill

Gill was hired two years ago and given a 5-year, $10 million contract. He didn't finish. Kansas will pay him $6 million to leave Lawrence so they can find a new coach.

Gill went 5-19 overall and 1-16 in the Big 12. And really, the Jayhawks haven't been competitive at any point during his tenure.

The next question of course, who will take over the moribund program.

The Kansas City Star gives us details and suggests a few names RIGHT HERE

Next please.

Larry Porter

To the surprise of nobody, Memphis has relieved Larry Porter of his job after 2 seasons and 3 career wins. The Tigers, who desperately want to move to a "BCS" conference are perceived as a great basketball school and "They play football too?".

Porter, a Memphis grad in his 1st head coaching job went 3-21 in his 2 seasons and the Tigers were a perennial visitor to our "Bottom of the Barrel".

Also, Memphis AD R.C Johnson is expected to retire as well.

Read about the departures from Commercialappeal.com RIGHT HERE

Dennis Erickson

And in Tempe, Arizona it appears Dennis Erickson's tenure at Arizona State has come to an end. The departure has been widely reported and is expected to be made official sometime Monday.

Erickson was 31-30 in his 5-years, including a 6-6 record this season. He's taken the Sun Devils to bowl games, but has struggled living up to the expectations out there in the desert.

AZCentral.com gives us the latest RIGHT HERE

In Birmingham, UAB coach Neil Callaway was relieved of his duties as the Blazers football coach.

Callaway walked into a program in disarray and essentially ignored in the state of Alabama and couldn't do much with it. He went 18-42 in 5 long seasons as one of the lowest paid coaches in Division 1 football. His best season was a 5-7 slate in 2008.

AL.com gives us a recap of Callaway's tenure RIGHT HERE

And finally (for now), Paul Wulff hasn't been fired...yet at Washington State. The Cougars are 9-40 in Wulff's 4 seasons in Pullman and there have been hints that Athletic Director Bill Moos is ready to pull the trigger and find a new coach.

Washington State finished 4-8 this season, which was an improvement as the team has steadily won one more game each year than the past.

The Seattle Times says this is a done deal. Read the story RIGHT HERE

And yes, Washington State has a serious hard-on for former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. Considering the jobs available, that may be a bit of a pipe-dream.

Expect more to come, we will try our best to keep you updated as the Carousel picks up speed before it runs out of steam sometime in mid to late January.

Much like the classic movie Logan's Run, we welcome you...to Carousel: