Getting fired is sure to induce March Madness of a sort

It’s March Madness for coaches, too.

Yes, upon hearing the phrase you usually think of one shining moment, buzzer beaters, dozens of rich coaches/state employees, and thousands of unpaid athletes. But March is also the time when those who miss the dance find themselves on the coaching carousel.

Today, a few names you won’t hear in the NCAA tournament were fired, hired, or “mutually parted ways,” with their schools… whatever you take from that phrase.

Archie Miller headlines our list of names. He’s out at Indiana after four years and a 12-15 regular season. With Miller gone, the Hoosiers’ coaching vacancy might be the most desirable job in the country.

Miller’s firing also reminds you who’s really in charge at a blue blood.

Staying in the Big Ten, Richard Pitino and Minnesota have parted ways. Pitino, son of Rick, leaves after eight seasons with the Gophers. During that time, he took Minnesota to two NCAA tournaments and an NIT championship. Pitino is reportedly a finalist for the University of New Mexico job opening.

Elsewhere in the midwest DePaul, a geographically infuriating member of the Big East fired their coach Dave Leitao. If you caught any of the Blue Demons’ five straight last place seasons in conference play, the move shouldn’t surprise you. Leitao, who coached DePaul from 2002 to 2005, will leave the university for a second time.

But college coaches are getting hired, too. Penn State is expected to bring Micah Shrewsberry aboard. Shrewsberry was an assistant coach at Purdue (twice) and served under Brad Stevens at Butler and with the Celtics.

There are also reports that Boston College is hiring Earl Grant to lead the Eagles. Grant comes from seven seasons at College of Charleston and an assistant coaching stint at Clemson. Next year, he’ll try to get BC back in the dance for the first time since ‘09.

So while the actual madness of March doesn’t start till later this week, the college coaching roller coaster is moving fast.