I made what I now consider a stupid decision. I moved up to my first elite - Florida State and won the conference and made the final four my first season. I didn't do as well the next season but I was building a good program.

Then Florida opened up. And being a Gators fan and attending games at the Swamp regularly, I just HAD to take them. I realized the SEC would be a bit tougher but the team looked solid and I knew I could recruit well.

Things haven't started off so well. I'm 4-3 and all of my losses are to humans. I made promised starts to some D backs because I desperately needed them and when I took them out to play the humans they all got mad and their work ethic dropped by a lot.

In addition, I'm running a 44 defense which I hate and getting destroyed by the pass. It's just a miserable experience right now.

I think I can turn things around by installing the formations I do best and recruiting well but it may take 3 - 4 seasons. I wonder if I'll get fired if I have a couple seasons of less than 10 wins.

I really wish I could have my old team back now!

you might as well play the freshman if you're building. why didn't you use your redshirts? you won't get fired but i'd suggest making a plan cause that's a weird roster. otherwise you get caught between rebuild and trying to win now and that can lead to doing neither one

First off, you cannot be fired after 1 season. Secondly, you cannot say you were building a good program after winning the CC the 1st season and then doing less the next season. Third, the SEC has more elites than the ACC so you will most likely see tougher competition. If you don't like the formations the previous coach used then just change them. I did that very thing with Alabama, he had used Wishbone and I didn't want to run it. I switched to I formation and in my 4th season I made the NC game. You just have to make the commitment and do it.

No, you can't get fired. The administrators have shut that feature off. Much to the chagrin of many of us.

But one bad season wouldn't have gotten you fired anyway. In the past, when coaches could get fired, it was usually for at least three bad seasons. Though it's been so long ago I don't remember. And it was different for every team, based on what kind of team.

The advice above is good. Red shirt three players every year. I took over your Florida State team, and you didn't red shirt any players there as well so maybe you aren't aware of this feature of the game. Red shirting players is a major way to develop your best players. As well, you can change the formation of the team you are coaching. Especially if you plan on coaching the team long term.