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There’s a chance for a do-over after the dump.
Florida fired Will Muschamp after a 28-21 record from 2011 to 2014. Following one season as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, he has an opportunity to revive his career as South Carolina’s head coach.
It’s difficult to recover from a high-profile firing. For most burned by the hot seat, the event serves as a career mudslide, with many forced to reinvent themselves as NFL assistants or as head coaches in a much smaller spotlight.
But there are examples of recovery after the fall.
Here’s a look at five coaches fired since 2000 who enjoyed some success in their next head-coaching opportunity:
Bobby Petrino
Record at Arkansas (2008-2011): 34-17 (.667 winning percentage)
Record at Western Kentucky/Louisville (2013-present): 25-13 (.658)
Analysis: Petrino’s career at Arkansas came crashing down after school officials learned about him hiring his mistress following a bizarre motorcycle accident. But Petrino has done well since leaving Fayetteville. He was 8-4 in his lone season with Western Kentucky in 2013, before going 17-9 with two bowl berths in his second stint with Louisville the past two years.
He’s a polarizing figure for obvious reasons, but the way he has rebounded after leaving Arkansas is notable.
Rich Rodriguez
Record at Michigan (2008-2010): 15-22 (.405)
Record at Arizona (2012-present): 33-20 (.623)
Analysis: Rodriguez entered Ann Arbor as a hot name in the coaching profession, but his reputation cooled among Michigan fans quickly. After going 32-5 with West Virginia from 2005-2007, he produced just one winning season with the Wolverines, in 2010, before being fired.
However, Rodriguez has risen like a phoenix from the ashes in the desert.
He produced eight-win seasons in 2012 and 2013, followed by a 10-4 campaign in 2014 with a Fiesta Bowl berth that stands as his best moment with Arizona. He has shown there is a path forward after a gut-punch firing.
Jim Caldwell
Record at Wake Forest (1993-2000): 26-63 (.292)
Record with Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions (2009-2011, 2014-present): 44-36 (.550, with a Super Bowl appearance)
Analysis: After being fired at Wake Forest, Caldwell found new life in the NFL. He had just one winning season with the Demon Deacons, a 7-5 mark in 1999. But he discovered how much Peyton Manning can enhance a coach’s image. The Colts won 24 games in Caldwell’s first two seasons as Indianapolis’ coach, highlighted by a trip to Super Bowl XLIV.
Manning’s neck injury sidelined the quarterback during the entire 2011 season, causing the Colts to go 2-14 in what turned out to be Caldwell’s final season there. Caldwell has gone 18-14 in two seasons with the Lions.
Mike Price
Record at Alabama (2003): 0-0
Record at UTEP (2004-2012): 48-61 (.440)
Analysis: Mike Price left Washington State for Alabama but was fired before coaching a game for the Tide after concerns about off-the-field indiscretions. He received another chance at UTEP, where he lasted nine seasons and posted eight-win campaigns with a pair of bowl berths in his first two years there.
Good times were hard to come by later, though. He had seven consecutive losing seasons from 2006-2012 in which UTEP posted no more than six victories in a year. Price’s final record with the Miners wasn’t impressive, but he achieved longevity in El Paso.
Ron Zook
Record at Florida (2002-2004): 23-14 (.622)
Record at Illinois (2005-2011): 34-51 (.400)
Analysis: Zook was swamped at Florida after accepting the unenviable task of succeeding Steve Spurrier. The Gators became well-acquainted with the Outback Bowl under him, appearing there in the 2002 and 2003 seasons.
Zook wasn’t stellar in his second head-coaching act, posting just two winning seasons at Illinois. But he recovered from a 4-19 record in his first two falls in Champaign to achieve a 9-4 mark with a Rose Bowl berth during the 2007 season.
That proved to be the best run; he never won more than seven games in a single season during his final four years with the Fighting Illini. Still, he enjoyed some momentum after the disappointment in Gainesville.
