5 college basketball head coaches on hot seat for 2023-24 season ft. Juwan Howard 

Juwan Howard is a legend at the University of Michigan but also a coach on a hot seat. As March Madness approaches, Howard is one of many famous coaches who might need a magic act to keep their jobs.

For every impressive season, another team is struggling through a disappointing one. This leaves even accomplished coaches like Howard potentially moving on.

Here are five college basketball coaches firmly on the hot seat.

5 college basketball coaches on the hot seat

#1. Juwan Howard, Michigan

Once part of the Fab Five that led UM to consecutive NCAA title games, Howard had a great start to his coaching career in Ann Arbor. The 2021 AP National Coach of the Year led the Wolverines to the Elite Eight.

But a year after a sluggish 18-16 campaign that ended in the NIT, Howard's squad has regressed in 2024. Michigan sits at 7-15 and 2-9 in the Big Ten. Barring a late rally, there'll be no postseason play for UM, and possibly no job for Juwan Howard moving ahead.

#2. Kenny Payne, Louisville

Louisville coach Kenny Payne's Cardinals have had two miserable seasons under his coaching.

Payne, a Louisville alum who worked as an assistant coach at Kentucky and with the New York Knicks, stumbled into a crumbling Louisville team but hasn't been able to do much to improve the situation.

Two years in, Payne is 11-43 at Louisville and 4-27 in league play. By comparison, Rick Pitino inherited a downcast Louisville team in 2001. It took him five years to lose as many games as Payne has in two, and by that time, Pitino had returned the Cardinals to the Final Four.

#3. Mick Cronin, UCLA

Cronin got off to a good start at UCLA, which might give him a bit more slack than Payne, and make his situation more similar to Juwan Howard's. He reached the Final Four in 2021, and got the Bruins to the Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023.

But an 11-11 mark this season points to trouble. On the one hand, the good work of the last three years isn't undone at once. On the other, UCLA has a proud tradition, and this current team doesn't seem representative of that mark.

#4. Bobby Hurley, Arizona State

While his brother Dan Hurley led UConn to an NCAA title last year, Bobby's fortunes seem stuck at ASU. Now in his 9th season at Arizona State, Hurley has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game.

Moreover, his current 11-11 squad could end up with his fourth losing record in nine seasons. Arizona State might be tiring of double-digit losses and no March success.

#5. Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State

Now in his 10th season at Oregon State, Tinkle led the Beavers to the Elite Eight in 2021, the same year that Juwan Howard reached that mark and Mick Cronin led UCLA to the Final Four. But since then, it's not been good at Oregon State. Tinkle put up 3-28 and 11-21 marks in the past two seasons.

He's 11-11 this year, which is an improvement, but will it be enough to prevent Oregon State from starting fresh? That remains to be seen.

Which coaches do you think will be fired? Who's missing from our hot seat? Chime in below in the comments.

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