3 SEC Coaches That Could Be on the Hot Seat in 2015

It did not take long for Derek Mason to find his way to the hot seat. The Commodores finished 3-9 and did not win a single conference game in his first year as head coach. Vanderbilt head coaches are normally given a little slack due to the school's high academic standard which makes it difficult to recruit and play in the SEC. However, James Franklin brought life to the Commodores and now his predecessor is being asked to follow suit.

Mason made some drastic changes to his coaching staff in the offseason by getting rid of his offensive and defensive coordinator with the hopes of making the 2014 season a thing of the past. Former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig will now lead the offense, and Mason will coach the defense. Mason has the tools to be successful, but his seat will remain warm until he does so.

We would have to be crazy to think that South Carolina would get rid of the Ole Ball Coach, right? Steve Spurrier helped bring the Gamecocks out of the Dark Ages and has made them a consistent contender in the SEC East. Unfortunately, his success may actually lead to his demise because South Carolina fans now expect consistent success. In no way do we think that Spurrier will actually get fired, but another season like the one he had in 2014 could lead to a Bobby Bowden-esque departure.

Last season, the Gamecocks were 7-6 overall and finished with the worst defense of the Spurrier era. Granted, he won 11 games in the three seasons prior but those never resulted in BCS bowl appearances. South Carolina's lone SEC Championship appearance under Spurrier came in 2010 where they were thrashed by Auburn, 56-17. An end to the Spurrier era is very possible if the Head Ball Coach doesn't get things back on track immediately.

Les Miles has done everything that you could ask a coach to do. Since arriving at LSU, Miles has coached seven 10-win seasons, two conference championship, and one national championship. The Tigers are consistent favorites to compete for a national title, and when they do not meet those high expectations the blame falls on the Les Miles' shoulders. Miles has a method to his madness, but the Mad Hatter may need to find a new hat if he doesn't start proving that his methods are still working.

Miles' biggest problem is carrying over his regular season success to the postseason. Since 2011, Miles is 1-3 in bowl games including a 31-28 loss to Notre Dame last season. He has won more big time games than he has lost, but the dedicated fans in Baton Rouge are looking for playoff berths and not Chik-fil-A Bowl losses. The Tigers return 15 starters, which is more than any other year in the Miles era, so another disappointing finish could mean that the Mad Hatter will have to find another field to eat grass from.