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:

DEVEOPING: Zook, Porter, and Calloway Fired- Silly Season Begins (UPDATED WITH Gill)

Not that any of the three leaving are a surprise...

Illinois has dispensed of Coach Redacted after a good start and a 6-6 finish. There was even talk that Illinois would end up in a pre-Christmas bowl game playing TLB's squad in New Orleans.

The HQ points an extended index finger and laughs...

Seven seasons and going 34-51 will do that...

Larry Porter has been fired at Memphis after two seasons and going 3-21.

"We want to thank Coach Porter for his efforts as our football coach, but believe that it is in the best interest of our program to make a change at this point," said Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson.

Here's Porter after the 44-0 loss to Southern Miss yesterday...
((HT: SIDMemphis))


And Mark Schlabach, through his Twitter feed, reveals no surprise as Neal Calloway was let go by UAB...

Here's Calloway's signature win from 2011- the upset of UCF...
((HT: UABAthletics))


The HQ anticipates RC Johnson spending bad money after good and hiring Houston Nutt to be the new head coach. Nutt will, then in turn, bring in Calloway and Ted Roof as part of his staff.

1800 UPDATE: Add Kansas head coach Turner Gill to that list...

Turner Gill has been fired as the head football coach for the University of Kansas after two season and a 5-19 record, 10 of those in a row...

In a statement released on KUSports.com, Kansas Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger said “After a thorough evaluation of our football program, I have concluded that new leadership is necessary to place us on the path toward competing for championships in the Big 12 Conference. I come to this conclusion reluctantly, because I have the utmost respect for Turner Gill as a quality individual who wants only the best for the young men he coaches.”

According to kusports.com, he is still owed $6 million of his contract, which he will receive in the next 90 days. Recruiting coordinator Reggie Mitchell has been named the interim head coach.

Zooker bails on his own presser

Ron Zook

((ht: eye-on-collegefooball))

It appears Ron Zook, the head coach at the University of Illinois didn't want to talk about the future of Ron Zook today at his weekly press conference.

Rumors are again swirling around Zook who after winning his first 6 games this season, has seen the Illini crash with 4 straight losses.

Zook, who is 34-49 in his 7-plus seasons in Champaign is frequently criticized for boneheaded coaching decisions and inconsistent play from his teams.

Today, he began his presser by saying he wasn't going to answer questions about his future. And sure enough, it was asked.

**Note to coaches**--If you don't want someone to talk about something like that then don't say "Don't ask me about it." That NEVER works.

Here is a link to the video of Zook staring at the questioner then walking away, the video is not embeddable, so you'll have to go to the website that has it by clicking RIGHT HERE

Hey, we found an embeddable player from CSN Chicago, so here's your video: