College Football's Shame
In a college football world where we expect loyalty and commitment to teams from our student athletes, college football coaches are able to pick up and leave on a whim without any penalty. The double standard is glaring. This young off-season has seen more coaching twists from L.A. to Knoxville, than a One Tree Hill episode.
Former Cincy coach Brian Kelly started the snowball effect which is now infull speed. Kelly had taken the Bearcats to a school best 12-0 season record and a date in New Orleans with a Sugar Bowl bid. Last season was the best in Bearcat history. Fresh off of a thrilling regular season-ending road win against Pittsburgh, Kelly assured his troops that he was in it to win it and that he was NOT going anywhere.
Not so fast my friend, words are wind from Kelly’s mouth. Not even two weeks after his speech, Kelly was signing on the dotted line on his fresh new contract at South Bend. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he let the school, his players, and coaches know that he wouldn’t be coaching them in the Sugar Bowl.
Lane Kiffin took over as Tennessee’s 21sthead coach last season. Now Tennessee’s already looking for their 22nd head coach. Kiffin bolted the hills of Knoxville for USC’scampus on Tuesday after only one season with the Vols. Rumor is that a lynch mob is on-call in Knoxville should Kiffin stop by to pack-up the rest of his belongings.
Kiffin and Kelly both left behind kids that signed on to play for them and expected loyalty in return. However, they’ve all been in for a rude awakening. Even though the coach they signed up to play for is no longer there, they’re still expected to honor their word and play for their school.
What message then are we sending the kids that play college football, and aspiring student-athletes, when they see college coaches packing up and leaving at the next best thing that comes along? Why is it that kids are required to sit out for a full-season when transferring to another D1 program when a coach isn’t forced to do the same? If the coaches can do it then what’s so wrong with the players doing it as well?
The NCAA needs to consider a rule change concerning this growing problem. If student-athletes are required to uphold a standard of loyalty and commitment to their schools, then so should the coaches. After all, isn’t their best interest the main priority? It really makes one think.
