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Texas coach Tom Herman ranked among top 10 hottest seats in college football

The Longhorns coach was named along with former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin.

During summertime in Texas finding hot seats is not a difficult task. Whether it’s leather car seats left in the afternoon sun, porch chairs without a tree to shield them with shade or even an office chair in a room without proper blinds.

Hot seats are in abundance this season, but some chairs are hotter than others. In a recent ranking of college football coaches with their jobs most on the line this season, Dennis Dodd ranked Texas coach Tom Herman as having the eighth-hottest seat in college football with a rating stipulating the Longhorns must start improving now.

Here is what Dodd had to say about Herman’s pressure for success in 2020:

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“If speculation were tires, tread would be worn bald asking if Texas is ‘back.' The answer, once again, is no. After beating Oklahoma and winning the Sugar Bowl in 2018, the Longhorns slid to 8-5 in 2019 behind Baylor and OU in the Big 12. With the Sooners showing no signs of slowing down, this is a key season for Herman. He has a quarterback who has made Heisman Trophy lists in Sam Ehlinger. Recruiting continues to thrive. That’s the issue: When is all that talent going to carry the Horns to national title contention?”

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For a school as large and as wealthy as Texas, eight wins is not a satisfactory bar.

Charlie Strong never hit eight wins. In fact, Strong only made a bowl game once during his tenure, which lasted as long as Herman’s has so far. Mack Brown hovered around the eight win mark during his final three seasons in Austin before leaving for a brief retirement from coaching.

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After a 2018 season with double-digit wins capped off with a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia showed promise for 2019. That promise fell flat as the Longhorns struggled to a record of 8-5 in Herman’s third season. Another season like that could ratchet the temperature of Herman’s seat from quite hot to scalding heat.

Former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin was also listed among the top 10 hottest seats among FBS coaches in the same article. Here is what Dodd said about Sumlin’s seat at Arizona:

“Whatever magic was left from Texas A&M is gone for Sumlin at Arizona. The Wildcats are coming off their worst two-year stretch since Mike Stoops started 6-16. Sumlin (9-15) just led a 4-8 second season in which the once-promising career of QB Khalil Tate ended. It doesn’t help that Herm Edwards is dominating up north. Sumlin’s salvation may be Sean Miller as the school probably can’t afford to replace both revenue coaches if it ends up needing to fire Miller. There’s no juice in Tucson, nothing to get excited about. Only Oregon State has given up more yards in the Pac-12 during Sumlin’s time. Arizona was 77th in scoring last year. Something has to change, fast.”

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Sumlin has struggled at Arizona despite recruiting one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the country, Khalil Tate. Without the level of talent Sumlin had when he took over at A&M Sumlin has found it difficult to succeed in the PAC-12 despite significantly weaker divisional opponents to those he faced in the SEC West.

If Sumlin’s struggles continue for a third season the former head Aggie coach likely won’t be around to see the start of a fourth season.

Find more college sports stories from The Dallas Morning News here.