Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The firing/hiring of coaches perplexes me the majority of the time. I don’t understand how colleges don’t exercise patience — the hunger for big boy money is so strong that coaches are held to extreme standards.
It seems that someone installed a turbo and nitrous oxide to the motor of this year’s coaching carousel. Some have been good firings, some have been bad.
Bad Firings
Mike Shula and Alabama
If Alabama were a horse, it would have been put down on the track in 2003. The school had no legs after NCAA sanctions, Dennis Franchione bolting to Texas A&M and Mike Price spending school money on strippers. In comes Shula, a Tide quarterback in the 1980s, to head his first football program in his young career.
So Shula had to bury the skeletons in the closet, recruit players that would work in a system he builds and win ball games. Well, that wasn’t easy at first, going 4-9 his first year and 6-6 the following (he did lose his QB and RB to injury). But last season he went 10-2 and everyone was happy.
But this year was such a tragedy…6-6. LOOK AT THE FRIGGIN LOSSES, WITHOUT YOUR AMAZING QUARTERBACK FROM LAST YEAR:
24-23 at No. 9* Arkansas: A one-point, overtime loss to a team playing for the SEC championship on Saturday. And it was a missed extra point…not exactly coaching.
28-13 at No. 4 Florida: Just seven days later, they went to The Swamp and the Gators needed THREE second-half touchdowns to pull away in this one. Oh, Florida has an outside shot at playing for the National Title, almost forgot that one.
16-13 at No. 17 Tennessee: Tennessee needed 10 points in the fourth quarter to edge out the Tide in this one.
24-16 vs. Mississippi State: Okay, this loss was bad. My argument couldn’t be perfect.
28-14 at No. 5 LSU: Against the second-toughest defense in the country, Bama put up 369 yards (more than 130 yards higher than the average opponent). LSU will be in a BCS bowl game and is home to one of the toughest environments in college football.
22-15 vs. No. 11 Auburn: I understand the frustration. Shula didn’t beat Auburn once. And these two hate each other. I also know Shula chased points that game (my least-favorite thing a coach can do). But, like I said, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
* Rankings are current BCS standings
Shula had a Top 20 defense playing against some of the best offensive talent in the country (they also had a win against the top offense in the country — Hawaii).
His recruiting was on the up-and-up too. He had a Top 20 class in 2004, 2005 and 2006. His class this year was looking solid. Who knows how many of these guys will stick. A running back and safety are already looking elsewhere.
And, finally, the buyout that Alabama has to give him is pure insanity. The school has to shell out FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. The athletic directors have too much power.
Alright, I’ve written 500 words on one coach and like three thousand were fired. Let’s motor through these other firings.
Chris Scelfo and Tulane
This guy may have had the toughest job in America.
Larry Coker and Miami
No, I’m not crazy. I would have given him one more year. The FIU fight was bad, but I think it was the culmination of a lot of internal frustration. I don’t see the wrong with giving him one more year to right the ship. It’s not like you have anything to lose. Plus, I’ve always thought Coker was a class act.
Darrell Dickey and North Texas
It wasn’t long ago that the Mean Green were good. But I guess it’s what have you done for me lately?
Good firings
John L. Smith and Michigan State
In four years at Michigan State he went 22-26 (4-8 this year with one Big 10 win). I’m sure he’s a good guy, but you have to win to keep a job in this business. Michigan State does have to pay him a hefty sum though--there could be worse ways to go…
Chuck Amato and North Carolina State
This guy had insane athletes and was amazing at underachieving with them.
John Bunting and North Carolina
I think Bunting was confused much of the time on the sideline. I think this is a good fire because Butch Davis is a good hire for the program.
Dirk Koetter and Arizona State
He botched the quarterback situation at the beginning of the year and it’s been almost impossible (literally) for him to win a big football game in his six years at ASU. He was over .500 and went to a bowl 4 of 6 years (this year vs. Hawaii), but you gotta do things people remember…like win in the state of California (0-12).
USA Today has an amazing database of coaching salaries, just in case you were curious. Don't say I never did anything for ya.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Tomorrow we’ll look at championship weekend and I’ll pick some more winners.