(Image Source: Los Angeles Times)

BY KAVEH KAGHAZI

More than a dozen ex-college football coaches aren’t feeling very joyous during this holiday season.

The firings continued Monday when UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel was relieved of his coaching duties after four seasons with the Bruins. Neuheisel will stick around for the Pac-12 title game but ESPN’s Joe Schad explains how Saturday’s 50-point loss to rival USC put an end to his era in L.A.

“It wasn’t just the fact that they lost games to teams like Arizona and USC. It was the way they lost. It was in embarrassing fashion without question. He never got the quarterback he needed, he never got the offensive line he needed. His goal was to close the gap with USC, and Ryan, it never happened.”

Neuheisel was canned one day after Turner Gill at Kansas, Ron Zook at Illinois and Dennis Erickson at Arizona State were all fired. With so many coaches on the hot seat going into the offseason, a writer from Lindy’s sports says this is just the start.

“Now, as the 2011 football season is coming to a close, the Coaching Carousel has begun once again....Pack your bags, tell the wife, bring the kids, sell the house, buy the new house, change the wardrobe, it’s time to move.”

Neuheisel was fired after four seasons. Gill was fired at Kansas after only two years. Are college coaches getting a fair shake these days? A blogger from Opposing Views says it takes time to build a successful program.

“I'm not saying these coaches should not have been fired, but sometimes they need to be given a little more time to develop. It's the AD and the administration's job to figure out which coaches will make it if given more time. That's not an easy job.”

As it stands now, 11 schools are searching for their long-term coach. A writer from the St. Louis Post Dispatch says the pressure has been building for college coaches in recent years.

“The life span of a college coaching job is dwindling, and athletic directors are establishing a precedent that will keep coaches on edge for years to come.”