NCAA Basketball: 5 coaches on the hot seat entering conference play

By Brian Rauf | Dec 29, 2018

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 22: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins looks on during his team's game against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – DECEMBER 06: Head coach Mark Turgeon of the Maryland Terrapins and bench protest after a call during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena on December 6, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

4) Mark Turgeon, Maryland

The terms for Mark Turgeon were pretty much laid out for him at the start of the season – make the NCAA Tournament if you want to keep your job.

The fan base has been largely fed up with Turgeon’s perceived lack of player development and questionable coaching decisions late in games, both of which have caused a number of his most talented teams to fall short of expectations.

Maryland has always managed to do well enough for any real questions about Turgeon’s job status to be non-existent despite frustrations over that underachieving, but missing the tournament opened the door for those conversations this year.

Making matters worse, the Terrapins haven’t really shown any signs of improvement, either. They are 9-3 but have lost to the best three teams on their schedule, all of which have come in close games marred by questionable coaching decisions from Turgeon down the stretch.

Maryland is going to take a major step up in level of competition once they start conference play in the new year. If they continue to struggle against good teams, the calls for Turgeon’s job are only going to grow louder.

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