Bucky

Coaching changes. They suck. Whether you fire a coach or he leaves for another program, there’s just never a good time for changes. Recently there has been a lot of anger towards these coaches by players and fans.

This is just one of several examples of misdirected anger towards coaches and I think someone–that someone is me of course–should defend these coaches as it’s only fair to hear both sides of the story.

Is there a good time to leave?

No, there is not. That goes double for college coaches. Because when a coach leaves–or is fired–it always falls during one of two seasons: football season or recruiting season. Not to mention that recruiting season is a year long season and there is no separation between the seasons. Thinking that there is good time for a coach to leave is extremely delusional. No matter how a coach leaves or when he leaves, there will always be a fallout in recruiting and there really is no way to prevent it. Which leads me to my next point:

Why players go to the school

My closest friend plays at Division III John Carroll and in his sophomore season, John Carroll went to the semi-finals, beating powerhouses Wisconsin Whitewater and Mount Union along the way. That off-season, the entire staff left for different jobs. I asked if he was upset about the major changes with the coaching and he told me he was a little, but he also said that the coaches weren’t the only reason why he chose John Carroll.

That also applies to every other player in country. Yes, the coach that’s there could play a role in a player’s decision, but if that’s the only reason, then I feel bad for those players. There is more to a program than the current coach. There is the history of that program–which varies with every school. Also, there is the opportunity of playing if you go to a lesser program or playing big time with bigger programs. Finally, the education and overall college experience of that particular program plays into a lot of decisions. One guy leaving doesn’t affect the rest of the other stuff, but only if you don’t let it.

Why coaches leave

Of course when a coach leaves one program, you get mostly upset fans from the team he’s leaving, lots of joy for the fans he’s leaving for, and the reaction of the people who cover college sports. But no one really asks why they leave, and there are several reasons. You have the Jimbo Fisher situation–which is two situations. He left because it seems like he has done all he could at Florida State and needs a new challenge. Taking a job that’s in the same division as Nick Saban is a little more challenging than being in the same division as Dabo Swinney. There is also the money. At the end of the day, it is still a business, and Jimbo accepting a 75 million dollar contract is obviously in his best interest whether people say he is worth it or not.

Then you have the Dan Mullen/Willie Taggart situation, where they both seemed to land their “dream jobs.” Sure, they were coaching in the big leagues already, but everyone has the one team that they would leave for if that team ever called. Why are you mad at them for that? That’s no different than a high school kid flipping commitments because he finally got an offer from his dream university.

Then, finally, you have the Charlie Fisher situation. Charlie was the head coach of Western Illinois and was offered a job to coach wide receivers at Arizona State. No surprise that he accepted the job. Why? Because it is a stepping stone to bigger things in his career. While some people are content with coaching at schools like Western Illinois, most would rather try to coach with the big boys. And again, why are you angry at them because they want a better job?

Who players should be mad at

Of course, the final point is the anger that people have at the coaches. There have been some really stupid players and fans who are angry at the coaches because they get to coach/recruit right away while most players would have to sit out a year if they decided to transfer. I emphasize on stupid because the coaches do not in fact make these rules, the NCAA does. Shocker. So all this misdirected anger at the coaches because they don’t have to sit out is extremely foolish. If you want to be mad at anyone for these unfair rules, blame the NCAA, not the coaches.

What does all this really mean?

Nothing lasts forever. In sports, it seems like good things end right when they start. Do some coaches leave bigger messes than others when they leave? Absolutely, but there will always be a mess when a coach goes from one college to another. It is fine to be upset when someone leaves, but to be angry at someone because they want to do what is best for them is pretty sad. For all the rage at coaches for doing what’s best for them, I’m surprised by the lack of anger at players who skip bowl games or forgo their senior season…since that’s a business decision and they are doing what’s best for them. The lesson here is always listen to both sides, you could be surprised in what you find.