The coaching world is a fickle place. If you’re not getting hired, you’re probably either getting a raise or getting fired. For 2014, there were six coaches in the Power Five conferences that were in the “getting hired” phase of their stints.

Only one of them, Derek Mason, was in the SEC. You saw how that turned out, with the Commodores going winless in conference play. How did we grade Mason and the five other first-year coaches around the conference? Few had outright success in 2014, but several showed signs that they’ll have their teams on the right track soon.

SEC

  • Derek Mason, Vanderbilt — F: SDS gave Mason’s coaching performance a D- right after the season, but after firing nearly his entire hand-picked staff, the grade drops to an F. Mason didn’t seem ready for the top-to-bottom rigors of running a football program, and the onus is now completely on him for 2015, as he’ll take over defensive play-calling duties.

ACC

  • Dave Clawson, Wake Forest — D-: For the fourth straight year, the Demon Deacons finished with a worse record than the year before. Clawson’s offense was pitiful, finishing 127th out of 128 teams in scoring and dead last in total offense. For a coach that’s spent his career on that side of the ball, those results are unacceptable.
  • Bobby Petrino, Louisville — B+: Petrino had a black mark on his name from the way he left the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas, but his first year back at Louisville, where he previously coached from 2003-06, was a success. The offensive guru didn’t have one of his best offenses, but the defensive holdovers from the Charlie Strong days helped Petrino compete in the ACC in his first year in the conference.

Big Ten

  • James Franklin, Penn State — C+: Franklin arrived in Happy Valley with much hype, but the Nittany Lions were up and down in his first season. While Penn State’s defense was among the very best in the nation, ranking No. 2 in total defense, the offense struggled throughout the year despite Franklin’s reputation as an offensive-minded coach.

Big 12

  • Charlie Strong, Texas — C+: Strong started off his tenure at Texas by cleaning house, dismissing nine players and suspending several others. The defensive-minded coach, who had great success at Louisville, lived up to his reputation as the Longhorns finished 26th in the country in total defense. The offense was brutal to watch with sophomore Tyrone Swoopes taking over after starter David Ash was injured in the opener.

Pac-12

  • Chris Petersen, Washington — C: Petersen took over for Steve Sarkisian and the Huskies took a step back in 2014. They added some wins with a soft non-conference schedule, but some major gaffes cost Petersen wins in crucial Pac-12 matchups.