After a brief taste of college football this past weekend, we get a full schedule of games this weekend.
That includes all seven FBS teams in North Carolina, who kicked off their respective seasons starting on Thursday.
Four of the seven in-state teams are coming off of bowl appearances, while the other three are looking to rebound from losing seasons. Still, as defending ACC champion Florida State showed us in Week Zero, a hot seat is just a bad day away for even the most successful college football coaches.
Here’s a look at where North Carolina’s seven head coaches stand heading into the 2024 season.
Mack Brown
16th season at UNC
8-5 (4-4 ACC) in 2023
The Tar Heels reached a bowl for the fifth straight season, but UNC fans were expecting more. Once again, UNC suffered inexplicable upset losses (against Virginia), lost to rival NC State (third straight) and lost its bowl game (fourth straight).
Still, Brown is a hall of famer and a recruiting juggernaut. With a mere mortal taking snaps this year after five years of Sam Howell and Drake Maye, he’ll get a mulligan, even if the Tar Heels slip. Pressure may eventually begin to mount to gently push the 73-year-old back into retirement, but for the moment, he’s in a good position.
Hot seat: Slightly less cool than last year
Dave Doeren
12th season at NC State
9-4 (6-2 ACC) in 2023
The Wolfpack have racked up 34 wins in the last four seasons, and Doeren, the elder statesman on the sideline in the state (based on consecutive service), has won three straight over UNC. So, there’s little for fans to be cranky about, other than a long ACC title drought, underscored by basketball coach Kevin Keatts’ tournament title and Final Four run in March.
Doeren has a proven quarterback in transfer Grayson McCall, a solid running game and a strong defense. This might be the team that turns in the elusive 10-win season for NC State and possibly competes for a league crown. Of course, higher expectations also mean higher potential for letdown, but for the moment, Doeren is about as safe as a veteran coach can be.
Hot seat: Cool
Manny Diaz
1st season at Duke
8-5 (4-4 ACC) in 2023
Remember when former LSU national championship coach Les Myles was hired at Kansas? Or when college control freak Urban Meyer went to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars? Even when a team is hiring a proven head coach, organizational fit is a crucial component to success. After a decade-long hug from David Cutcliffe and two years of new-school earnestness from Mike Elko, Duke has turned to Diaz, who gives the impression that he would drape his arm around your shoulder and use your first name four times in the first two sentences he speaks to you.
One of Diaz’s longtime friends said, “Oh, he’s slick, but he’s a decent guy. His father was mayor of Miami, so he comes by that naturally.” None of that has anything to do with his ability as a coach, but the mismatch in personalities could mean he gets a shorter leash if things don’t go well. He should be safe this year and may build another winning dynasty at Duke, but there is some skepticism, and his seat isn’t as cool as it would be for most first-year coaches.
Hot seat: Cool-ish
Dave Clawson
11th season at Wake Forest
4-8 (1-7 ACC) in 2023
For the first time, Clawson’s college football cheat codes didn’t work. Working at a tiny school with less talent than its rivals, and running an offense with a run-pass option so slow it makes it look like your video player is buffering, Clawson somehow managed to win consistently. Last year’s down season snapped a string of seven straight bowl bids for the Demon Deacons.
For the first time, Clawson’s offense struggled as Wake couldn’t find a consistent replacement for Sam Hartman. Transfer Hank Bachmeier should help solve that issue, and it’s possible Wake will be back doing it, seeming with smoke and mirrors, again this year. Still, based on a decade of work, Clawson is a long way from having to worry about job security.
Hot seat: Still cool
Shawn Clark
5th season at Appalachian State
9-5 (6-2 Sun Belt) in 2023
After a 6-6 season in 2022, Clark had App State back in the Sun Belt title game and a bowl last season. For those counting, that’s eight nine-win seasons in the last nine years for App, eight bowls in the last nine and four conference title games in the last six.
The Mountaineers have quarterback Joey Aguilar back, and an expanded College Football Playoff field means that winning the Sun Belt could have major postseason implications for App State. A year after having the warmest seat in the state, it’s good to be Shawn Clark.
Hot seat: Ice cold
Biff Poggi
2nd season at Charlotte
3-9 (2-7 AAC) in 2023
Speaking of odd fits, Poggi begins his second year in Charlotte, although, to be fair, it’s hard to imagine a situation where Poggi would fit well. The head coach does things his own way, and, with a program that doesn’t have a long, successful history, it might be the perfect place for the maverick to build a program in his image. The 49ers are heavy on transfers and appear to be full of attitude as they open the season with, in Poggi’s words, “a chip on their shoulders.”
Expectations are low—Charlotte was picked 13th in the 14-team league, so Poggi will likely have another year before he has to worry about rumblings on the horizon.
Hot seat: Cold
Mike Houston
6th season at East Carolina
2-10 (1-7 AAC) in 2023
After an 8-5 2022 season, Houston’s second straight winning campaign, and a bowl win, things appeared to be looking up in Greenville. Without longtime quarterback Holton Ahlers, ECU finished in the bottom five in the nation in scoring last year and put up 10 points or fewer five times.
Missouri transfer Jake Garcia won the starting job and should help the Pirates put up more points this year. That, combined with a solid defense, could get the Pirates back on track. Until that happens, though, Houston has the warmest seat in the state
Hot seat: Warming up
