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NCAA Coaching Carousel: A thrill ride at whose expense? |
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by JUSTIN BROWN 1.21.10 With all the coaching changes in college football, I’ve decided to put my name in the mix. I figure, I might get lucky. But really, who knows which major college football program will be next to search for a coach? When big college programs go shopping, they tend to get what they want, no matter who they have to take it from and at whose expense. Notre Dame scooped up Brian Kelly and USC got their man in Lane Kiffin. Both coaches left their programs in very controversial fashion. I’m surprised the Volunteer state let Kiffin escape after they had him surrounded and trapped in the athletic building.
It’s all business though, or at least that’s the way the story will be told. These coaches are doing what any business professional would do which is to seize opportunities as they are presented. In the case of Pete Carroll, Lane Kiffin, and Brian Kelly, the opportunity was afforded to upgrade their careers by making major moves. In the end, we see that these coaches did what was best for them and their families. With the valuable contracts and perks that are handed out to these celebrity coaches, it’s hard to say no when a University comes calling.
Furthermore, the Universities that come calling are doing so in the best interest of their school and football programs, supposedly. Athletic Directors are leaned on heavily to produce top-tier programs, especially when it comes to the top monetary gaining sports such as football and basketball. The Athletic Directors and University Officials have to make decisions based on efficiency and winning percentages. For some schools, anything less than a BCS berth from year to year is unacceptable. Notre Dame has been chasing the glory days since the 1988 Championship team, and other traditional powerhouses such as USC and Tennessee are always in constant competition as a championship contender. These programs will seemingly do whatever it takes and hire whomever it takes to keep their programs in championship discussion.
The constant rotation of college coaches creates a continuity problem for college programs. Even more so, this carousel of coaches abruptly disrupts the lives of young men who are developing into athletic and business professionals, as well as men. The Athletic Directors and university officials are consumed with what is best for the program. “Which coach will help our football program win more games?” That’s the need that’s being addressed.
There’s something wrong with this picture. It’s as if someone is cropping out the most important person in the picture. The NCAA has grown into a money hungry machine that harnesses the hard work, aspirations and overall performance of young men. The amount of money that programs make off of television contracts and ticket sales is off the charts. For amateur athletic competition, the NCAA sure does make a lot of money. NCAA legislators are constantly revising rules that ensure the continuous stream of monetary gains. For example, if a player decides to transfer, he has to sit out an entire year before he can compete in intercollegiate play. NCAA rules are supposed to protect the integrity of amateur athletics.
NCAA legislation illustrates the boundaries of a student-athlete in order to remain within the concept of amateurism. However, the legislation fails to ensure that the coaches and programs to which student-athletes are committed hold up their side of the agreement. It seems as if the NCAA is doing everything in its power to protect itself as a profitable organization and nothing to protect the amateur student-athletes who are the main participants and contributors to college programs.
Why aren’t there rules in place to penalize coaches for up and leaving a program without probable cause? There has to be some definition of commitment so that coaches and programs are held accountable. The nonchalant and disruptive movement of college coaches is a double-standard to the penalized student-athlete who is, through legislative enforcement, encouraged to stay at one program. There needs to be a balance within the NCAA’s legislation.
The top-tier athletic programs in the nation are ruthless when going after what they want, that includes the pursuit of coaches and prize recruits. Recruits are often misled in making their decisions to attend a school. But the program cares about the success of the program. My sentiments are empathetic to the amateur student-athletes who are expected to deal with the adversity that comes with coaching change. Often times these athletes feel betrayed and abandoned, just ask the Cincinnati and Tennessee players who were counting on their coaches and their promises. Those promises were empty words which these coaches and programs have no remorse or accountability for because there is no legislation to enforce a sense of accountability.
I applaud programs who commit to their coaches, and I applaud the coaches who commit to their players. Ultimately, I applaud programs that commit to their student-athletes. In all the media coverage of coaching changes, not once was the well being of the student-athletes mentioned. These young men are asked to sacrifice so much in order to take part in these programs. It’s not all glitz and glam. Before this gets out of control, the NCAA needs to enforce legislative boundaries for coaches and programs who chase success at the expense of the well-being of student-athletes.
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