School soccer is a win-now enterprise. There’s an excessive amount of cash at stake to plod by dropping seasons. There are main NIL offers to strike, a amenities arms race to maintain up with and the specter of being left behind in convention realignment and tv contracts.
Due to that, the new seat burns hotter than ever earlier than and there are a number of coaches who’re feeling the warmth because the 2024 season begins. Here is a have a look at 4 coaches who want a profitable season to chill off the strain they face.
Ryan Day | Ohio State | Final season: 11-2 general, 8-1 Huge Ten
There are only a few locations on Earth the place a coach might maintain this resume and one way or the other be on the new seat: a 56-8 general file in 5 seasons, a 39-3 file in opposition to Huge Ten foes, back-to-back Huge Ten championships and considered one of solely three packages within the nation to qualify for the School Soccer Playoffs thrice since 2019. However that is Ohio State and Day’s Buckeyes have slipped behind arch rival Michigan.
The Buckeyes have misplaced three straight to the Wolverines, and needed to watch Michigan win the nationwide championship final season. Day and his workers have reloaded. Chip Kelly left UCLA to grow to be OSU’s offensive coordinator and Day made a slew of different modifications.
Day additionally cleaned up within the switch portal. He signed seven gamers, together with 5 from the SEC. Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard and former Ole Miss working again Quinshon Judkins be part of the offense. Security Caleb Downs transferred from Alabama and will make a serious impression.
The time is now for Day and Buckeyes to get again on high of the Huge Ten.
Billy Napier | Florida | Final season: 5-7 general, 3-5 SEC
A pair of dropping seasons have made Napier and the Gators afterthoughts in a loaded SEC. The pinnacle coach is now feeling the warmth. However whereas followers, boosters and most people might take into account Napier on the new seat, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin advised the Orlando Sentinel in January that he would not take into account Napier’s job to be on the road.
“I don’t care,” he mentioned. “It doesn’t matter. It’s a made-up time period. Individuals can put them on no matter listing they need. It has nothing to do with actuality.”
In the identical article, Stricklin talked about that if given time he believes Napier will succeed. This season may be one other powerful one in Gainesville although. The Gators have highway video games at Tennessee, Texas and Florida State, plus their annual impartial website recreation in opposition to Georgia. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Miami come to The Swamp.
Stricklin believes Napier wants time. How lengthy are Gator followers keen to attend?
Dave Aranda | Baylor | Final season: 3-9 general, 2-7 Huge 12
An embarrassing loss to Texas State within the season opener was just the start for Baylor final season. The Bears closed the yr on a five-game dropping streak and Baylor’s 2021 Huge 12 championship seems like ages in the past. Since then, Aranda is 9-16.
The quarterback place was a large number final season as Blake Shapen was injured within the opener and ended up showing in eight video games, whereas Sawyer Robertson made six appearances. This yr, Toledo switch DeQuan Finn will begin at QB and Jake Spavital takes over as offensive coordinator. Aranda hopes that duo injects some juice into an offense that ranked final within the Huge 12 in 2023.
Sam Pittman | Arkansas | Final season: 4-8 general, 1-7 SEC
Pittman’s Razorbacks misplaced six straight video games in the course of the 2023 season and are 2-9 of their final 11 SEC contests. That merely will not do. One other powerful schedule awaits Arkansas this season and November could possibly be pivotal for Pittman’s future. The Razorbacks will host Ole Miss and Texas earlier than ending the season at Missouri — three groups who’re prone to be extremely ranked.
May an outdated good friend be the important thing to success? Pittman employed former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator in November. Petrino led this system to a 34-17 mark in 4 seasons from 2008-11. His job is to rejuvenate an offense that ranked within the backside half of the SEC final season.
