Coaching crossroads

Coaches in balanced ACC feel strain of meeting expectations

N.C. State's Chuck Amato likes to to say he only knows of one hot seat.

"It's in my '69 Corvette," the Wolfpack football coach says. "It doesn't have air conditioning and that driver's seat gets awfully hot."

But this year, like a number of his ACC coaching brethren, Amato may be feeling even more heat on the football field, trying to win enough games to keep the home folks happy and positive momentum in the program.

It won't be easy. The ACC expanded to 12 teams with the intent of becoming a football superconference. Instead, the ACC comes off as a conference where so many teams are so close in talent, facilities and resources that its highly paid coaches are straining to win enough games to completely please its fan bases and feel completely secure about their jobs.

Look around the league. Can you sense the uneasiness at so many places?

In Miami, some Hurricanes fans are grousing about Larry Coker after back-to-back 9-3 seasons, after last year's 40-3 rout by LSU in the Peach Bowl. Maryland's Ralph Friedgen is hearing the same after back-to-back losing seasons.

"Everyone wants to jump off the bandwagon," said the Terps' Josh Wilson, a senior cornerback.

Georgia Tech fans wonder why Chan Gailey is stuck on seven wins a season. Virginia fans wonder if Al Groh will finally deliver a big, breakthrough season, and why eight of 24 recruits failed to make it into school this year.

North Carolina's John Bunting says the Tar Heels need to win. Many UNC fans agree. Wake Forest's Jim Grobe says after redshirting so many freshman classes, the Deacons need to win. Duke coach Ted Roof needs to win.

"But in the ACC now, you don't know who's going to win, week to week," Gailey said. "There is going to be an educational curve for ACC fans. They have to know this is a whole different deal now."

Florida State won the ACC's first championship game last year to claim the league's Bowl Championship Series berth. Bobby Bowden's Seminoles also were 8-5.

"At FSU, they're all smiling and feeling good because they won the ACC," said Miami linebacker Jon Beason. "They were 8-5. And our coach is the one said to be on a hot seat?"

A year ago, 10 ACC teams had three or more ACC losses. Only Virginia Tech was ranked in the top 10 in the final Associated Press poll. No one else was higher than 17th.

That may not change in 2006. Some teams will win the close games and go to bowls. As for those who don't ... well, the coach will have to answer for it.

Then again, the ACC has gone without a head coaching change since 2003, when Carl Franks was fired at Duke. What does that say?

"All it tells me," Amato said, smiling, "is wait until next year."

Amato appears secure enough. He's one of NCSU's own, an alumnus and former player. He earns about $1 million a year and lives in a $1 million home.

Amato's overall record at NCSU is impressive (46-28), even if his ACC record is not (23-25). Amato's predecessor, Mike O'Cain, also was 23-25 in ACC play after his first six seasons, albeit 0-6 against UNC. Amato is 3-3 after State's losses to the Heels the past two years.

State has finished 3-5 in the ACC the past two years. It also has been 6-7 overall at home, disappointing the State faithful who fill Carter-Finley Stadium and helped pay for the fancy additions.

"When much is given, much is expected," said Lou Holtz, a former NCSU coach and now an ESPN analyst. "When a coach builds a program up, raises expectations, then it drops off a little bit, the fans can get disgusted and [say] it's the coach's fault and everything is in shambles."