His Name Is Al Golden

This was his past.

This is his present and future:



I went from cautiously optimistic at the time of the hire to pumped and confident after yesterday. I think this was a great fit. As Kent Brockman once said, "From now on we'll all be taking golden showers. What?"

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A Requiem For Randy Shannon: What This Says About The U

Did Randy Shannon deserve to be fired?

Yes. Let me repeat what I said on Monday: you will not find a better man in college football coaching anywhere. Randy Shannon overcame tremendous odds just to make it to Miami, let alone be a part of three national championship teams. Only a horrible person who passes themselves off as a Hurricane fan would hold any hostility toward him. That being said, the man was not cut out to be the head coach of this team. It hurts to type it but it is the truth.

Shannon did wonders in the classroom and off the field. His grad rates were bested only by Army and Navy and his APR score was even better than Stanfords. His single arrest during his tenure came when Robert Marve, who would later transfer to Purdue, broke a car mirror during a fight with his girlfriend. Those accomplishments are commendable, they are praiseworthy, and they are what got him his contract extension last year and would have kept him at UM another season. I believe in these goals the program as much as anyone, but it cannot be the single driving force behind football at your school if football is your main source of athletic revenue. Ideally, you want to run a clean program that is successfull academically and win football games. Shannon only gave you one of the two.

Can I pinpoint the problem? No. I have heard various stories from everywhere. Yes, I have a few (very few) contacts on the inside that I heard rumblings from. Shannon was too loyal to certain players, Whipple was forced on Shannon and the two never got along, the players didn't agree with Whipple's playcalling, etc. The bottom line was the performance on the field. 28-22, 16-16 in a mediocre ACC, 0-2 in bowl games. The final game against South Florida was an appropriate final straw. The Canes out-matched the Bulls on paper with first-year coach Skip Holtz setting out to rebuild the program. Miami went scoreless in the first half. Then with the game tied at 10, Storm Johnson seemingly saved the day with a 71 yard scamper. Yet in crunch time, the Canes let a true freshman walk-on who was replacing the injured starter B.J. Daniels march down the field for the tying TD. South Florida won in overtime. The Randy Shannon era was encapsulated in a nutshell.

Going 7-5 with the talent on this team is simply inexcusable. The great recruiting classes Shannon pulled in have matured in age, but not development. All year long, asinine penalties, lapses in concentration, and foolish turnovers costs them games. Shannon never even came close to playing for an ACC title and when he did, the team choked. For all the good that Shannon did, one of the basic tennants of coaching at Miami is winning games playing in big time bowl games. His failure to accomplish these goals and the regression of his results deservedly led to his firing.

While I mentioned above the off the field work Shannon did let me ask you something: did the perception of Miami's football program ever change? College football is an old boy system. Just look at the schools that stay on top on the bowl system in place opertaing under the guise of non-profits. People hold onto old ideals, whether it is the "magic" of Notre Dame or the "tradition" of southern football. The point is the detractors still subscribed to the theory that the U was a bunch of thugs. So the academic progress should strictly be an insitutional goal, and not used as a public item. No one was mentioning Miami's successes in this area while Shannon was coaching, but once he was fired people came out supporting him for that reason alone.

Now that the Gruden rumors seem to be dying away, Miami has a real chance to turn the corner like they did way back with Schnellenberger, with Jimmy, and with Butch Davis. If they get the right coach that can use the talent and fertile recruiting grounds famously termed the "State of Miami" by Schnellenberger then Miami should be competing for a BCS bowl every season. There is a notion being floated around that Miami is short on money and facilities. Once again, this is people working on notions that are old and out-dated. The issue of playing in Sun Life Stadium is what it is, there will never be an on-campus football stadium and there are much worse places to watch a game than Sun Life. Considering Edgerrin James helped get a new weight room built and NFL players still spend their summers there working out and that The Rock donated money to get new locker rooms built, I'd say facilities are on doing okay. They don't have a behemoth museum like some schools but you definitely are not left wanting. Add to this a new $5 million plan to renovate the athletic center does not give the appearance of struggling either.

The other factor when it comes to money is the firing itself. Shannon had just signed a four-year extension before the season, which came with a buyout. Someone had to step up and swallow that money for the school because the athletic department itself sure as hell was not footing the bill. Then added to that AD Kirby Hocutt is reportedly willing to offer $3-4 million per year for a new coach. There is clearly some money in the coffers at the U.

Miami has a niche in college football. It is not your traditional big conference school that churns out mobs of mouth-breathing fans every year. Our fraternity of fandom is pretty small, almost minuscule compared to the football powers. But it's one I am proud to be a part of. When I traveled down to the U this October and partied and tail-gated with what turned out to be a 60% full Sun Life Stadium, I couldn't care less about a full house. I was there to support my team with others I knew cared as much about them as I did. The value of your football program is not measured in attendance, how well your fans travel, or message board traffic. Miami has risen to the upper echelon of college football with a low rating in all those categories. The U is the exception to the rule, gate crashers that turned college football on its side and some people are never willing to let that go. We cannot duplicate our history but we can build on it. This year there will most likely be a Hurricane taken in the first round after a one year absence. Prior to that it had been 20 years straight. The strength of the U is the former players who come back and connect with the present players to show them it is a special thing to wear the U on their helemt. That may come off sounding cheesy but it is true. The strength of the U is players like Santanna Moss, who were not highly recruited but played with a chip on their shoulder and were willing to outwork anyone else.

Miami needs a coach who will foster this strength but not let it keep the program from moving forward. Acknowledge the past, but make your own destiny in the record books. Unlike when Shannon took over, the cupboard is full of talent that is waiting for someone to take them to the next level. There's nothing we can do but wait. If I had to throw a name out there since it seems clear that Gruden will not become the coach, it is Dan Mullen. He knows the state, he knows offensive football, and he has finished with a better record than Miami this year with far less talent.

I hope Randy does well wherever he goes and he is still appreciated for all the years he put in, but as Tom Petty once said, it's leaving time.

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Herb Was Not Properly Taught How to Dougie

Everyone seems to be very impressed with John Wall's Dougie, except scrotebag radio hosts. Here we have Herb Sendek giving it his best college try and failing horribly. Him being an old white man is not enough excuse for how bad this Dougie was.



Turns out the culprits were:

"the 3- and 4-year-old daughters of Arizona State assistant coach Lamont Smith.

They showed him how to do the Dougie before the Tip-Off event began but were too shy to get on stage with him to do it, so Sendek got on stage and delivered a solo performance."

I guess there will have to be an age limit instituted no when you can teach others the mysterious intricacies of the Dougie.

Good thing Herb Sendek is a better coach than a dancer [Rivals]

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Costly Coaching Errors Costing Teams

I am doing my best not to let this post come down as high and mighty or give the impression that I am omnipotent. I'm not going to harp on how I was once a coach, because the sport I coached was completely different from football and did not involve the split-second decisions I will be discussing. Nor am I suggesting that I could do a superior job to the men patrolling the sidelines on Saturday and Sunday. However, with all that said (which was my tribute to "I don't want to disrespect my teammates but..") there has been a multitude of mistakes made by coaches in end-of-game management this season. Perhaps coaches have always been making these errors but in the era of DVR, instant replays, and week-long second guessing they have been magnified even more. A few examples and extrapolating after the jump.



While there have been many examples to pull from, these are some that stick out from the season.

Scenario #1

I know the Packers-Bears Sunday night game took place weeks ago, but it sticks out in my mind. The Packers were driving with the game tied 17-17 when James Jones fumbled the ball on right in front of the Packers sideline to set up the winning Bears' field goal. This started a very odd chain of events. Packers coach Mike McCarthy decided to challenge the fumble. The ball clearly was fumbled and kept in-bounds by the Bears defense. McCarthy essentially tossed away a timeout. Then as the Bears drove deep into the Packers' red zone they were allowed to run down the clock to four seconds as Robbie Gould kicked the game-winner.

Scenario #2

This is from a game probably most of America did not see but I attended this past Saturday. After Rutgers stormed back with 14 fourth-quarter points to tie Army at 17. Rutgers then pinned Army deep and forced a punt. The Scarlet Knights took the ball to the 31 yard-line with no time outs and about 33 seconds left. Now they did not haphazardly lose those timeouts, they used them on Army's previous possession to stop the clock and get the ball back. From there Rutgers coach Greg Schiano ran a horribly drawn-up QB scramble to get the ball on the correct hash for his kicker. The play lost two yards so here is the ball at the 33 which makes for a 50 yard try. Did I mention this was in the New Meadowlands Stadium where the wind was blowing at a light 20 mph? Army then granted Rutgers a reprieve by calling timeout to set-up their defense. Rutgers then spends the timeout trying to figure out what to do at which point the QB misplaces his helmet and costs the team a delay of game penalty. Back another 5 yards, out of FG range. The next play by Rutgers results in an Army sack and ends any chance of winning in regulation. Rutgers did win in overtime 23-20.

Scenario # 3

South Carolina, or Sakarlina as they are becoming affectionately known as, was happily blowing the doors of Kentucky 28-10. Then the Wildcats produced a furious rally. The Gamecocks trailed 31-28 down the stretch but were able to get the ball down to Kentucky's 20 yard line. With the clock stopped at 11 seconds South Carolina called a timeout, their last one. Then, the old ball coach called in a deep pass play to go for the win. Stephen Garcia threw into double coverage, the ball was tipped and intercepted by Kentucky. Instead of a 37-yard field goal to tie the game, the game was over.

Scenario # 4

The granddaddy of them all. Much like end of the movie se7en, the conclusion of the Tennessee-LSU game will be puzzled over and studied and followed forever. With LSU driving late in the game down 14-10, this happened.



Is it saying too much that both coaching staffs lost their grip on this game? After the Vols somehow let LSU march down the entire field on them, it turned into a goal line stand. LSU decided to run the ball on 3rd down with 30 seconds and no timeouts. I guess that would be fine except they seemed to have no clue what they were doing once the play failed. They then scrambled some kind of mess onto the field and would have had the clock run out on them only their center snapped it before the clock ran out. Of course Jordan Jefferson was not prepared and the snap went into the backfield and should have ended the game. That is, until it was revealed the Vols were equally as insane in their final defensive stand. After stopping the Tigers on 3rd down, Tennessee reacted to the LSU panic by panicking themselves. They tried to match the Tigers with substitutions and got caught on the very wrong side of mathematics. They ended up having 13 players on the field after they had 3 guys run on and 3 start to run off, only to have two of those running off turnaround and run back on. What they should have done was stand pat with their personnel, or at least make sure they had 11 on. Vince Dooley was furious and indignant at the end of the game but the refs gave the Vols time to make substitutions, they just botched it. They already had goal line personnel in there, just call a defense and stand firm, LSU clearly had no idea what to do. In this case, gross incompetence was outdone by ludicrous incompetence.

Now these four examples are all different, but the theme runs the same: coaches need to be prepared for these situations. Often times the announcers and/or analysts talk about how players need to step it up at the end of halves and games. While true, the coaches need to be able to make these decisions quickly and correctly. We hear all the time about players practicing end of game situations, the two-minute drill routine. Coaches should be using these situations to put themselves in the right mind for when they arise in the games. Clearly, a lot of them are not.

In the NFL, using challenges and timeouts wisely often goes by the wayside. Coaches can be great at the X's and O's but all that can go out the window if the team is scrambling around during the final minutes and you are taking 45 seconds to make a decision that needed to be made 20 seconds ago. Poor clock management is nothing new, and Eagles fans can probably tell you all about Andy Reid and bad decisions.

In the college game, it just appears that most coaches figure they will know what to do when the time comes. There is only so much time they can work with the players each week (right Rich-Rod?) and so much devotion is paid to getting schemes right, end of game planning may go to the backburner. Ironically a lot of times a closely contested game comes down to making the right plays and calls as the clock winds down. Either through practice or prior preparation (get a laminated sheet for situations even) a coach should know what they are going to do within 5-10 seconds of a situation presenting itself. It is not an easy task, but then again neither is coaching.

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Is Coach Calipari the Anti-Wooden?

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. -John Wooden

This is not intended as a full comparison, just in terms of public perception. Coach Wooden unfortunately passed away over the weekend, and is remembered, correctly, as being not only a tremendous coach, but also a tremendous man. He was a man who valued winning and teaching, but a man who also turned a blind eye at various points during his life. Contrast the way Coach Wooden is perceived and the way Coach Cal is perceived and it night and day.

After both coaches left schools, their teams were placed on probation. Last week, Calipari and his wife donated $1 million to a charitable organization in Memphis and within minutes the internet was alive with jokes and snide remarks about why he would be donating. While Coach Calipari may operate in greys area from time to time, he's never given the benefit of the doubt. Not by the media or the public. When Terrence Jones de-committed from Washington people (myself included) assumed Calipari had done something underhanded. He remained quiet and only after Jones committed did he tell his side of the story. His version stands in stark contrast to the assumptions made by many, but also made perfect sense.

Then he (Jones) called about an hour later and said ‘Cal, I made a mistake. I don’t know what I was doing.’ That is when the thing went like ‘You what?’ So we talked to him and said that we are going to do whatever you want. I am holding your scholarship. At one point I said, ‘Look, if you want to go to Washington then go to Washington, and if you want to come with us, come with us. Just make a decision so that we can all move on.’ (WKYT)

Perhaps a victim of the time, people are constantly looking to attach scandal to Calipari, but many of those same people sought to deflect any criticism of Coach Wooden. He was voted the best coach of the century, while Cal is regarded by some as ruining college basketball. No one would argue that college basketball would be better off without Coach Wooden as a part of its history, but a great many already have argued that way against Coach Cal. I've long been a critic of Calipari, but I'm also quite certain that if Coach Wooden was having his success in today's day and age, procuring top recruits from across the country (without some of them ever stepping foot on campus), that he too, would have jealous detractors crying foul.

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Time Is A Motion Of Inevitability

Discussions of Sam Gilbert can wait for another day. The sports world has lost one of its icons of leadership. RIP Coach Wooden.

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The Mayor Has A New Post

One of the most popular players in Cyclone history is taking the helm in Ames. "The Mayor" Fred Hoiberg is going be named the new head coach at Iowa State, for the paltry sum of $800,000 a year. Hoiberg got his nickname for receiving write-in votes for the mayoral race in Ames during his time at Iowa State. This hire is just another item that makes me feel old as hell. I remember vividly Hoiberg's career at ISU and his time in the NBA and now he is coaching Iowa State and all this after having a front office postion with the T-Wolves. We can only assume our resident Iowa State alum Walter Peck is frothing with excitement. Hopefully, Hoiberg's tenure has a better conclusion than the reign of Mayor McCheese.



Hoiberg to be next ISU coach [GoCyclones]

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The Grass Is Not Always Greener In College Basketball

Something that accompanies this time of year is the coaching carrousel. We hear all the time now that winning is all that matters, and that coaches are given a short time to produce results. Sometimes programs can get ahead of themselves but not seeing their forest for the trees that dot the landscape. With that in mind we take a look at one program as an example that made a quick move and how it has unfolded so far.


When Herb Sendek rode into town in 1996 the NC State program was in complete disarray. Herb immediately produced the program's first winning season since 1990. They also made the ACC Tournament final, a trend of doing well in that tournament that he would continue throughout his time there. In a 30 mile radius, let alone a state where the Wolfpack will never be on the same plane as Duke or Carolina, Herb had a good run. From 2002 to 2006 he had a winning season each year and took NC State to the tourney each year. Wolfpack nation was not happy though. They wanted more. While Herb was taking the program places it had not been since the H.W. Bush administration, fans saw Duke and North Carolina win national championships and make Final Fours. In 2005, Herb and company beat defending champion UConn to advance to the Sweet 16. The very next Sendek went 22-10, 10-6 in the ACC and made the second round of the tournament. Due to the harsh criticism from both fans and the media, Herb made the preemptive move and took the Arizona State job before he could be fired.

I can understand that schools and fans get impatient. Herb was in his 10th season and people wanted results. It is not unfounded that after years of clawing away in the middle of the conference and falling short early in the tournament the athletic department gave into the fans and decided Herb had had ample time to build a program. Once Herb was gone the speculation ran wild about who would be brought in. This is where NC State began their mistake; they thought a brand name coach was entitled to them. The green grass they saw on the other side was not their lawn, it belonged to their neighbors the blue bloods.


The pure and simple fact is that while NC State has a rich basketball history, it will always play second fiddle to its neighbors in Durham and Chapel Hill. With two prime recruits coming in next year Sidney Lowe seems to have a one-year coaching life to live. Lowe was brought in after a coaching search that was publicized more for its failures than its final result. Sidney was then hailed as a savior of the so-called mediocrity the program has wallowed in under Sendek. He was on the famous 1983 team, he had experience on an NBA sideline, and he had a shiny red blazer. Four years later the Wolfpack have yet to reach the NCAA tournament and managed only two NIT appearances. Meanwhile, Herb Sendek brought Arizona State to his customary second round exit of the tournament last year. He has also made two NITs in the past four years. Herb did not come out of this looking like the shining white knight, but compared to his replacement at NC State, he has been successful.

The coaching game is one wrought with good intentions and horrible betrayals. The contracts themselves are drawn up specifically for provisions of if and when one side decides to leave the other flapping in the breeze. Yet as we see teams get further in the tournament and get the national attention and perhaps more importantly extra money cash coming in for them and their conference, it is a price both sides are willing to pay.

Look at Xavier, a team with some recent history of success. They lured That Matta away from Butler but lost him to Ohio State. They promoted his assistant Sean Miller(who was an assistant under Sendek at NC State) who continued their success in the tourney but lost him to Arizona. They promote assistant Chris Mack and are playing in the Sweet 16 this year. So Xavier has collected two buyouts and have their new promoted assistant continuing their success. Of course once Chris Mack is without Holloway and Crawford, his talent will really be put to the test but in the interim Xavier has done beautifully by not seeking coaching outside their limits. Consider that they have a great history of developing coaches who went on to achieve success at other places such as Skip Prosser and Pete Gillen.

There is rarely an instant fix for a struggling program, the exception being this year with Kentucky. The grass was clearly greener (though there was also plenty of dirt and BS to fertilize that grass) on the other side. John Calipari left Memphis and there soon-to-be forfeited games behind and brought hope, excitement, and Cousins and Wall to Lexington. The turnaround has been instant and might yet produce a 9th title for the Cats, but the cost could be hefty down the road.

So as NC State, recently ousted from the NIT by UAB, heads into another year of basketball uncertainty it stands as a testament to how important coaching choices are [Ed. note: whether a guy is fired or run out of town]. People want the quick fix, but looking before you leap is never a bad way to go about your business. Operating under the illusion that you can just buy out the new guy if he fails after a few years and it do no damage to the program in the long run is foolish. You never know what is waiting on that other side where the grass looks fresh and green, but it never hurts to look under your feet and see what you are leaving behind before you run off recklessly for what seems like greener pastures.

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Sometimes You Forget: The Coaches of the 1990 NCAA Tournament

It was 20 years ago today Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play, but also the 1990 NCAA tournament was in its 3rd day of competition. Sports greatness when viewed in hindsight is always given more credit than in its current state. There are dozens of coaching greats in this year's tournament. However, looking at the coaching list from the '90 affair, it is most impressive.

First, let's look back at some memorable moments from that tournament.

Rick Fox, before he married Vanessa Williams or co-starred on Oz, hit this game-winner over number 1 seed Oklahoma in the 2nd round of the tourney. Things to note in this video: Hubert Davis rockin' the box and a very happy Pete Chilcutt.



Next we have Dennis Scott, 3-D himself putting eventual Final Four team Georgia Tech ahead of LSU in the 2nd round.



Then, we have the 1st round buzzer beater by Maurice Newby to put Northern Iowa past Mizzou. Could the Panthers experience similar magic this year? Well they were a 14 seed in 1990 and are a 9 seed this year but they will face Kansas if they get past UNLV. Things to note in this video: the cheerleader hair, my lord look at hose bangs.



Of course the most memorable shots from this tournament featured UConn on both sides of the buzzer. The Tate George turn around with 1 second left with the heave by Scott Burrell (Elden Campbell gaurding the inbound pass!). Forward to 2:00 on the vid for the shot.



In the next game, Christian Laettner would squash the Huskies run. The only video I could find of the shot was here, and it is sped up for some reason. UConn did not guard the inbounds passer, who was Laettner.

UNLV ended up winning the whole thing, trouncing Duke by 30 in the title game.

Now to the coaches.

In the East Region: I broke the coaches into legends and memorable names. Team and seed unmber follow in parantheses. Bolded coach and team won the region.

Legendary: Jim Calhoun(UConn - 1), Roy Williams(Kansas - 2), Mike Krzyzewski(Duke - 3), Lou Carnesecca(St. John's - 6), Bob Knight(Indiana - 8), John Chaney(Temple - 11)

Memorable: Cliff Ellis(Clemson - 5), Jim Harrick(UCLA - 7), Mike Jarvis(Boston University- 16)

It's amusing that all 3 coaches in the memorable category left schools under suspicious practices under NCAA investigation. The legendary group is damn legendary but outside of Lou and perhaps Roy seem a awfully crusty bunch.


Midwest Region:

Legendary: Billy Tubbs(Oklahoma - 1), Gene Keady(Purdue -2), John Thompson(Georgetown - 3), Nolan Richardson(Arkansas - 4), Lou Henson(Illinois - 5), Hugh Durham(Georgia - 7), Dean Smith(North Carolina - 8), Pete Caril(Princeton - 13)

Memorable: Pete Gillen(Xavier - 6), Charlie Spoonhour(SW Missouri St - 9), Tom Penders(Texas - 10), Lon Kruger(Kansas State - 11), Jim O'Brien(Dayton - 12)

So pretty much all but 3 coaches are legends in their own right or recognizable names. Just look at that basketball brainpower in the first category.


Southeast Region:

Legendary: Jud Heathcoat(Michigan State - 1), Jim Boeheim(Syracuse - 2), Norm Stewart(Missouri - 3), Bobby Cremins(Georgia Tech - 4), Dale Brown(LSU - 5), Digger Phelps(Notre Dame - 10), Don Haskins(UTEP - 11), Rollie Massimino(Villanova - 12)

Memorable: Clem Haskins(Minnesota - 6), Terry Holland(Virgina - 7), Les Robinson(East Tenn. St - 13)

Come to think of it, more often than not these coaches ran into NCAA problems.


West Region:

Legendary: Jerry Tarkanian(UNLV - 1), Lute Olson(Arizona - 2), Denny Crum(Lousiville - 4)

Memorable: Steve Fisher(Michigan - 3), Randy Ayers(Ohio State - 8), Rick Barnes(Providence - 9), Paul Westhead(Loyola Marymount - 10)

I decided to not put Fisher in the legends category. He doesn't have 400 wins yet and although he reached the Final Four 3 times(once according to the NCAA) I don't think he is there yet.

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Mike Leach Is A Pirate...And A Good Man

It is a rare day when anything Jerry Bruckheimer produces has a redeeming parallel to real life, but I can extract something from the on-screen production that was taken from my favorite ride at Disney World as a kid. Mike Leach is the Jack Sparrow of college football coaches, and Texas Tech should have been savvy to that fact.

By now the Mike Leach situation is well chronicled. Some are rushing to condemn Leach as tyrant that was too harsh on his players. Others are attacking Adam James as a player who was not giving maximum effort and having a bad attitude. It has turned into a they-said, they-said argument and even the Texas Tech brass is not above throwing barbs.

Whatever happens, Leach deserves credit for one thing; he never gave in to the pressure. Leach's admiration for Pirate culture has clearly helped shape his personal philosophy. No matter what threat Adam James, his father or the Tech administration threw at him, Leach would not give into conformity.

Leach's dealings with James stemmed from his sense of entitlement due to his famous father and there is no reason Leach would take the action he did for no reason. The action he did take, putting James in an electrical closet when he was diagnosed with a mild concussion. Videos have come out showing James in the famed "closet". It will certainly get worse as Leach takes legal action.

Texas Tech should know and probably did know how Leach would handle this. He was brought into Texas Tech to lead a program that had no national visibility and took them to bowl game after bowl game got them in the top 5 last year. He did this on his own terms, using his own system. And boy how the money and recognition for the school rolled in. The school then tried to lock-in Leach for the long-term last year. Yet again Leach proved that he was going to do things on his terms or not at all. The stuffy bureaucrats that were dealing with Leach no doubt failed to realize this and the negotiation lasted 11 months. Leach in a statement he released claims there was hostility left over from the contract dispute. Again the pirate code invokes that Leach take what was owed to him. While the school was cashing in on bowl payouts and more than likely increased applications* and definitely increased TV revenue and exposure, Leach wanted his due slice of that. More than anything he wanted to be able to coach his way and as long as that was the case, he would stay in Lubbock.

That is a big reason why Leach stayed at Tech. No doubt offers came rolling in from other schools but he knew that he would not be captain of his own ship. Tech was willing to allow this, for awhile. They attempted the same thing in basketball when they hired Bobby Knight. A program that had been hit hard with NCAA sanctions was trying to build itself back up and chose a controversial strong-armed coach. It was not long before Knight got into a public argument with a school official. Texas Tech has been so willing to bring in coaches that insist on running their own program no questions asked, but when questions do arise, they are left unfit to deal with them in a competent manner.

Just to show how much they were concerned only with the welfare of their students, they released a letter to Leach's attorney basically emphasizing the point that they were fighting Leach on that specific day (Dec. 30th) to avoid paying him the bonus of $800,000 due to him today. Texas Tech brass brought it out in public through interviews with ESPN and the AP that Leach was uncooperative. I would not expect anything less from a pirate. The most telling statement released by the school stated this:

"In a defiant act of insubordination, Coach Leach continually refused to cooperate in a meaningful way to help resolve the complaint."

Leach will have it no other way. Defiant? That's who he is. He is a pirate and that is how he built your program and gave you national attention. He would rather have his ship sunk then turn it over to those who tried to undermine him.

Whoever hires Leach next, and someone will, they better understand what they are doing when they shake his hand and seal the accord because it's a pirate's life for Leach and whether you agree or disagree with how he runs his ship, it is not subject to change. I do not have all the facts and it is unlikely we ever will but I do know things from Leach's point of view because he has never changed it and will not because a young kid and his ESPN analyst father threatens him at the point of a sword


Texas Tech Fires Suspended Coach Leach; legal action expected [CBSSports]

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Larry Coker Returns to College Football

Larry Coker is making his return to college coaching at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is not inheriting a program of tradition and championships, he is building a program from scratch. UT-San Antonio will begin playing FCS football in 2011 with hopes to move on to FBS a few years after that. The Roadrunners have brought back Coker to coaching in the hopes he will ignite college football in a big city in a state where football is king. Coker and San Antonio hope that he can rekindle that magic he had for a few years in Coral Gables.

Coker had been a lifetime assistant at schools like Oklahoma, Ohio State, and was the offensive coordinator at Miami under Butch Davis. When Davis left for the Cleveland Browns following the 2000 season, the players lobbied for Coker to get the job. At that point how could the administration argue with the players' desires? The 2001 Hurricane team is regarded by many as the best college football team of all time. Coker led the Canes to an undefeated season and national championship. He went 31-1 to start his head coaching career. It started to go downhill from there however. The recruiting slipped, losses mounted, and Coker began to feel the heat. In his final season, 2006, the Canes lossed defensive player Bryan Pata to murder and had an on-the-field brawl with FIU. The brawl is one of the first things people point to when they accuse the U of being "thugs". Coker was fired after the final game of the regular season after amassing a 60-15 record (that's an .800 win percentage).

I firmly believe that Coker got a bad shake of things. Current head coach Randy Shannon was the defensive coordinator on the team but the problem was with the offense. Coker never found a suitable replacement for himself, and the Miami offense turned anemic. Shannon was drowning in the same predicament until he hired Mark Whipple in the offseason. The Canes offense has seen a resurgence so far this year. It is hard to gauge how Coker is remembered by the Miami faithful. He should be remembered for guiding the ship to success after Butch Davis fled. Yet most will see him as the coach who let Miami slip into mediocrity in the middle part of this decade.

When I was at Miami and waiting on line for tickets to the 2003 Fiesta Bowl Coker came by and thanked the fans and provided pizza for us who were waiting in the rain. No one ever doubted Coker as a person and that will be a big strength for him as he builds the program. I will be rooting for the Roadrunners when they start their program up in 2011.

The hiring of Coker is similar to what Georgia State is doing with their start-up football team. They begin play next year with NFL and college coaching veteran Bill Curry at the helm. What better way to introduce football to these big urban areas than by bringing in a coach with the experience and credentials to succeed. Many more programs are entering the football fray in these instances, like Charlotte who will begin their college football in 2013. The addition of these big names might bring along bigger expectations from teams that are coming out of nowhere, but Jim Leavitt has been able to bring South Florida out of obscurity to rankings in the polls so the future may be coming quick.

Coker, Who Won It All at Miami, Starts Over With Nothing [NYT]

H/T TBL

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College Football Previews: The Assistants

One of the aspects of college sports that makes me appreciate them more than their professional counterparts is the importance of coaching. While I am not saying that professional coaches do not earn their money, it is clear that at the collegiate ranks the opportunity to shape the young men into the players you want them to be is more feasible. The head coach gets the publicity, the pay, and the blame most of the time yet assistant coaches can have an incredible influence on how players develop and how the games themselves are played. In this episode of our college football previews we look at some assistants, both old and new, who are going to play important roles not just with their teams but perhaps affect the title picture of the entire country.

Monte Kiffin- Defensive Coordinator, Tennesee

Monte was the longest-tenured NFL defensive coordinator when he was with the Bucs, but apparently blood was thicker than water. When his son, and former offensive coordinator in the college ranks, Lane Kiffin took the head coaching job at Tennessee Monte joined his staff. There are many that feel Monte should be in the NFL Hall of Fame one day for the innovation and success he brought to the defense in Tampa Bay. Will this translate to the college game? I am not sure if Kiffin has the Rosetta Stone of pro defensive schemes to make it work with the Volunteers. The important thing is that he has good coaches around him to manage the collegiate athletes which is a slight bit different than handling the pro guys. The proof will be in the results as the schedule in the SEC is always a tough one to handle. What will Monte have in store for Florida when the Volunteers travel there September 19? He better be prepared because if he had not been paying attention to the college game I will let him know now: Urban Meyer really really really likes to run the score up, especially against teams that he feels have hurt his fragile sensibilities.

Steve Addazio- Offensive Coordinator, Florida

Staying in the SEC, because that's all that matters in college football(right CBS?), Addazio takes over for former playcaller Dan Mullen who will be the head man at Mississippi State. Addazio is no stranger to the Gator system as he was the former O-line coach at UF and therefore has an intricate knowledge of the offense. However there is a distinct difference between knowing how things work and adding input to calling the plays. I think Addazio will do fine this year because the system is in place and Tebow will be taking the snaps, the true test may come next year when Lord Tebow is gone. The one thing Addazio will not have this year is Percy Harvin, who bailed Mullen out of a few jams last year, including the title game.

Ed Ogeron- Assistant Coach/Defensive Line Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Tennesee

This is the only non-coordinator I have on the list and that may be unfair to other similar coaches that do things similar to Ogeron, but let us make him the example for the others out there. Ogeron's name has become more well known inside college football recently as an excellent recruiter and coach. Backtracking through Ogeron's credentials yields an impressive body of work that proves he has earned his reputation. Prior to Tennessee, Ogeron was at Ole Miss collecting the talent that has helped lead the Rebels to their big season of a year ago and bigger expectations for this year. Before Ole Miss, Ogeron was at USC where he and Lane where assistants together from 2001-2004. The Trojans won two titles while he was there and obviously Kiffin recognized that he was vital to the success. Ogeron also has national championship ties to the University of Miami where he was a grad assistant turned defensive line coach from 1989-1992. Just some of the All-Americans he coached on that line were Russel Maryland, Cortez Kennedy, and Warren Sapp. With Kiffin and Ogeron together, there is no reason to think that in a few years if not next year the Tennessee defense will be among the most vaunted in the country.

John Chavis- Defensive Coordinator, LSU

This is the last SEC one, I swear but realistically, all the voters will be looking at this conference this year to set the table for how the BCS shapes out. If any SEC team wins the conference championship and has 0/1 losses, do you expect them not to be in the top 2 for the BCS at the end of the season? A sleeper team and I use that term loosely because this team won the national title two years ago is LSU. The Tigers had what their fans would call a disappointing season last year. Part of that disappointment was on the defensive side of the ball while the majority of it landed with the quarterback position. The defensive issue should be a thing of the past with John Chavis coming in. For the past 14 years Chavis was the coordinator of the Tennessee defense and had the Vols continually ranked near the top of the nation in defense. Even in recent years when the team faltered, the defense stayed strong. Last year Tennessee went 5-7 yet the defense was third in the nation in total defense. Expect the Tiger defense to bounce back strong this year.

John Morton/Rocky Seto- Offensive Coordinator/Defensive Coordinator, USC

Just days after Pete Carroll's Trojans thrashed Penn State in the Rose Bowl this January, he was in the business of reassembling a staff. He lost his offensive and defensive coordinator to Washington. Steve Sarkisian got the head coaching job and brought along Nick Holt to run the defense. The Trojans even lost their director of football operations to UW. Carroll is not one to panic though, especially with the level of talent he is able to bring in from a player standpoint. Carroll promoted from within which is not a bad idea since he has so much to lean on. Rocky Seto was the linebackers coach and will now head the defense. His linebackers of last year are well known. The defense did lose all three of those players but still have Taylor Mays patrolling the defensive backfield. At USC the motto of reloading instead of rebuilding is firmly in place.

On the offensive side of the ball John Morton was the quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach before being bumped up into Sarkisian's old post. Taking Morton's place will be Carl Smith who was previously on the Trojans staff and part of the national title teams. Carroll says the two will call the game together but that Morton will be the voice of the offense like Sarkisian was. The Trojan offense again has loads of talent but the quarterback will be a first year starter and that can always be an uncertain proposition. However if the new quarterback, Aaron Corp, has as much time to throw as Sanchez did last year he should do well. [A quick side note here: Mitch Mustain, what happened dude? This guy left Arkansas for what he thought were greener pastures but now sits 3rd on the USC QB depth chart.] The Trojan army should fight on like usual but sometimes coordinators are not the exact fit in certain situations and if USC does falter, these men will take the brunt of the blame.

Jim Bollman- Offensive Coordinator, Ohio State

How do you solve a problem like Pryor? Jim Bollman may have that figured out and if he does, then the Buckeyes may shed their tag as BCS punching bags. Bollman has been the offensive coordinator since 2001 and the Buckeyes have no doubt had success during his tenure. He also coaches the offensive line which has sent many athletes on the NFL, a total of 15 including Jets standout center Nick Mangold. Bollman also has previous experience coaching tight ends in the NFL. Yet a strong O-line and pro experience may not be what it takes to unleash Terrelle Pryor. Last year Pryor started as a freshman and had a successful year but his youth showed and in the end the Buckeyes fell short in conference and in the Fiesta Bowl. The rumors of Pryor's improvement at the quarterback position are only eclipsed by those of his blinding 40 yard speed. In my mind the issue is coming up with a scheme to maximize what Pryor can do on the field. I am certain Pryor wants to develop himself into a complete quarterback but his assests place him in the realm of Vick and VY territory. It may not work in the NFL, but in college you can use the superior athleticism of the quarterback to win game, Young is as good an example of that as anyone.

Galen Hall/Tom Bradley- Offensive/Defensive Coordinator, Penn State

I love Joe Paterno, who doesn't? The man is a living legend with the record for division I coaching wins well within his sights due to FSU's violations. He has been the head man at Penn State since Lyndon Johnson was in office and he knows that this was what he was meant to do until his time here is over. He does not want to retire and he has more than earned the right to choose when, if ever, he steps down. While JoePa mostly represents the tradition and mystic of Penn State, the man still has a strong input into the team and was even willing to break a hip last year during an onside kick drill. However, the coordinating team of Galen Hall and Tom Bradley have a huge influence on the way this team is run and the plays called on the field. Last year, with Paterno watching mostly from up high in a coaches box, Penn State captured the Big Ten and earned a Rose Bowl trip. The voyage to Pasadena did not leave a pleasant memory and this year expectations are again high. Daryl Clark returns at QB but there were heavy losses on both sides of the ball. Aaron Maybin, Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood and many others will not be making plays for the team this year so it will be up to some guys that haven't necessarily seen the reps or have been in the pressure situations before. It will be up to the coaching staff to make sure they are ready and when they face a big time opponent at season's end (which they should if you see their schedule) and avoid another disappointment like the one against USC.

Kevin Steele- Defensive Coordinator, Clemson

There is a strong contingent of Tiger Nation that was happy with the job interim coach Dabo Swinney did last year after Tommy Bowden resigned. After throwing a couple of lines out in the coaching world, they gave Dabo the reigns. The Tigers revitalized their season last year except for a late minute loss to Nebraska in the Gator Bowl. While expectations are high for Clemson this season, they are not as ridiculous as they were last year before the season began and Alabama exposed the Tigers on national television. Speaking of the Tide, Swinney was able to lure Kevin Steele away from Alabama and Nick Saban. Steele has a wealth of experience in college and pro football. He has coached under Tom Osborne, Saban, Bobby Bowden, and Johnny Majors. Clemson is picked to finish under Florida State this year in the Atlantic Division of the ACC, but if Steele can infuse his knowledge into the players at a fast rate, the Tigers may have a chance at getting to Tampa.

Bill Young- Defensive Coordinator, Oklahoma State



Mike Gundy and Zac Robinson have the Cowboy offense running at high octane, it is the ability to stop people that may be standing in the way of them making noise near the top of the BCS this year. Gundy added Young when his former defensive coordinator, Tim Beckman went to Toledo. Young comes from just one season at Miami where he did an admirable job with a young defense. Young has coached in the conference before and has tremendous experience in his arsenal. At Kansas, Young helped lead the Jayhawks to the surprise Orange Bowl win a few years ago. With the Heisman hype around Robinson the focus will not be on defense, but it surely be the difference if they make a run in the Big 12.

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Coaching Greats In Socks

So what you will about not liking one or more of these fellows, college coaches collecting hefty paychecks for the ad, or the fact that you don't like Lars because he helped shut down Napster, this commercial is pure gold. My favorite is definitely Pitino; look at the way he holds that drumset steady while he slides in, dude's a pro and his playing style is...unique.

Just a quick rundown of what the old dudes in socks brought to the table:
8 National Championships
27 Final Fours
2880 wins

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