We had our first major college basketball coach firing on Sunday, as Jerome Tang and Kansas State parted ways. As we head into the final stretch of the season, we’re getting closer to the coaching carousel which has become a season of its own in college sports.
At this point in the year, there are several coaches who look like dead men walking and will likely be fired by season’s end, as well as a few others who are firmly on the hot seat and may be coaching for their jobs down the stretch. Here are some coaches who could be joining Tang as fired and out of a job at season’s end.
Jeff Capel - Pitt Panthers
For Jeff Capel at Pitt it feels like not if, but when. Capel was able to turn things around in 2022-23 leading the Panthers back to the NCAA Tournament while being named ACC Coach of the Year and receiving a contract extension. However, since then it has been a steady and deep decline for Pitt basketball. This season has been the most disappointing with the Panthers sitting at just nine wins and tied for last place in the ACC. The buyout may not be pretty, but it would be very surprising if Capel is still in Pittsburgh after this season.
Jake Diebler - Ohio State Buckeyes
This is just Diebler’s second year as full-time head coach in Columbus, but fans have already grown impatient with him at the helm of Ohio State basketball. At the moment, the Buckeyes are on the wrong side of the tournament bubble, largely because they haven’t been able to pick up any signature wins against high-level opponents. Ironically, one of the main reasons Diebler was named head coach was because of when he led the Buckeyes to a massive upset win over No. 2 Purdue as the interim. Ohio State will never be known as a basketball school, but it is a program that should at least consistently be in March Madness. Diebler still has plenty of opportunities down the stretch to get a marquee win, a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and potentially save his job.
Kim English - Providence Friars
The Kim English era at Providence got off to a promising start as the Friars went 21-14 in English’s first season after Ed Cooley left the program. Since then though it has gotten ugly. Providence is heading towards their second straight losing season and has struggled mightily in the Big East, which is especially a bad look this year with how down the conference is overall. Providence has one of the most passionate fan bases in the country, which can be a major advantage when you are winning. But when things aren’t going well, it can quickly turn negative and the noise can grow very loud, which is where things stand right now for English in Providence.
Micah Shrewsberry - Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Shrewsberry is in his third season in South Bend, and it just feels like no progress has been made over that time. They haven’t come close to even being in the NCAA Tournament conversation during his tenure, and the Irish have consistently been near the bottom of the ACC. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Shrewsberry get another year, especially after losing his best player Markus Burton early in this season due to injury. However, if he does, next year would certainly be a do-or-die season for him in South Bend.
Wes Miller - Cincinnati Bearcats
Wes Miller is in his fifth season at Cincinnati, and overall it hasn’t been terrible. He has an overall record of 96-71 with the Bearcats, and it was not made easy for him with Cincy moving to the loaded Big 12 before his third year. The problem has been the preseason and early-season hype and failing to live up to it. In addition, Miller previously coached only at the mid-major level, which has some questioning whether he’s the right guy to lead a program in one of the top conferences in the sport. The Bearcats have shown fight lately, winning three straight, and have several big games remaining with matchups against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU, and TCU where wins could buy Miller some more time. Still, if Cincinnati wants to become a serious contender in the Big 12 and get the program back to where it once was, making nine straight NCAA Tournaments before what is about to become a seven-year drought, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a change made.