Changing in Midstream: Pair of South Carolina Schools Shift Coaching Gears

What usually happens to a team encountering a head coaching departure in mid-season such as a pair of South Carolina schools - Charleston Southern (Barclay Radebaugh/2-5 record) and Coastal Carolina (Cliff Ellis/3-5))? Maryland transitioned from Mark Turgeon two seasons ago despite ranking #4 in the country only four years ago. A total of 40 different schools in the previous 27 seasons (including Charlotte twice in previous nine years) had a coach relieved of his duties, retire or pass away after the start of the season but before the second half of the campaign. Last year, Texas' Rodney Terry (22-8) became only the ninth "successor" coach piloting a club more than half of a campaign since the NCAA playoffs expanded to at least 64 entrants in 1985 to post a winning record the remainder of the season. Terry joined Jeff Dittman (10-8 with Sam Houston State in 1988-89), Dave Fehte (9-8 with Saint Mary's in 1990-91), Greg Gard (15-8 with Wisconsin in 2015-16), Max Good (13-9 with UNLV in 2000-01), Ray Harper (11-8 with Western Kentucky in 2011-12), Mike Perry (10-9 with Georgia State in 2002-03), Brad Soderberg (16-10 with Wisconsin in 2000-01) and Derek Waugh (14-8 with Stetson in 2000-01). Gard, Harper, Soderberg and Terry guided the squads they inherited to an NCAA playoff berth.

This season also marked the fifth time this decade a power-league member pulled the plug on a head coach by mid-January when DePaul, in the throes of missing NCAA playoffs for the 20th consecutive campaign, dismissed Tony Stubblefield. At the power-conference level, Beard joined Turgeon and Stubblefield along with John Brady (Louisiana State in 2007-08), Lou Campanelli (California in 1992-93), Gale Catlett (West Virginia in 2001-02), Jim Dutcher (Minnesota in 1985-86), Dennis Felton (Georgia in 2008-09), Larry Glass (Northwestern in 1968-69), Mark Gottfried (Alabama in 2008-09), Joe Harrington (Colorado in 1995-96), Bob Knight (Texas Tech in 2007-08), Ward "Piggy" Lambert (Purdue in 1945-46), Shelby Metcalf (Texas A&M in 1989-90), Kevin O'Neill (Southern California in 2012-13), Charlie Parker (Southern California in 1995-96), Steve Patterson (Arizona State in 1988-89) and Quin Snyder (Missouri in 2005-06) to comprise the list of coaches departed in mid-season when their tenures ended for one reason or another. There is no consensus as to whether the timing of their dismissals was fairer than "biased" jury fore-person amid numerous gutless wonders demonstrating self-righteous vindictiveness in Roger Stone trial.

It's a shame self-absorbed Sen. Mitt "Pierre Defecto" Romney, perhaps disoriented by Mormon underwear being on too tight, couldn't have received a "you're fired" notice from Utah patriots in mid-term instead of him wandering off at his pleasure. Following is an alphabetical list of universities in the pre-midseason coaching turnover category since the start of national postseason competition and the records of their coaches that season: