Over the last few decades, the best young and innovative head coaches have migrated from the consistency of the college ranks to the unpredictability of professional football.The rebirth of the College Coach
Over the last few decades, the best young and innovative head coaches have migrated from the consistency of the college ranks to the unpredictability of professional football.
Miami (FL) lost Schnellenberger, Johnson, Erickson, and Davis to the riches of pro football, while Oklahoma lost Switzer, and Florida lost Spurrier, and even Oregon State lost Mike Riley, despite never even having a winning season, only to have him return after an ill-fated stay with the Chargers. Previous to all of those coaches was Lou Holtz, who struggled for less than a year with the Jets in the late ’70s before returning to the college ranks. It seemed that every year a great coach left college for the pros and a multi-million dollar contract.
During this same time, however, there were still “college coaches”, coaches who have no aspirations to go pro. But the number of these coaches had been dwarfed each year, as they grew old and retired and were replaced by other coaches, driving up the coaching line.
But all of a sudden, it stopped. Professional teams, although they still look at college coaches, have slowed down such hirings, and more college coaches are happy where they are.
The most recent coach to decide to stay was Nick Saban, who signed a contract extension after leading LSU to the BCS title in 2003. His contract rivals that of NFL coaches, and his incentives make him one of the highest paid coaches in the history of collegiate athletics.
In the last few years, such colleges as Oklahoma State, Virginia, and Maryland have all brought in coaches that turned around their programs. Unlike Arizona State and Texas A&M, these schools have found “college coaches”. I do not expect to see Al Groh pack his bags after Virginia wins the ACC this season and go to the NFL, but if Arizona State runs the table, Dirk Koetter could be on to bigger and better things.
The “college coach” guarantees consistency.
If you are a recruit and you have a choice between playing for Dennis Franchione, who has left behind successful programs at TCU and Alabama in recent years for more money (and to avoid probation), or playing for Oklahoma State’s Les Miles, who has built his program with his collegiate style, you would probably pick Oklahoma State, with all other factors equal.
I am not saying that “college coaches” make all the difference. Miami (FL) still held a recruiting advantage during the coaching the early ’90s over most schools despite the obvious ambition their coaches showed. But it helps to have a “college coach”.
Les Miles (Oklahoma State), Al Groh (Virginia), and Ralph Friedgen (Maryland) have all turned average teams into perennial powers. Each coach came in, took over an average team, and transformed them into BCS and BCS-caliber teams.
Miles took over the Cowboys, who had not been “great” since Barry Sanders was there in the late 1980’s, and they have now been in 2 consecutive bowl games and this year are undefeated and have an outside chance at winning the Big XII title.
That’s fine and dandy, but the good news for the program is that he is a “college coach”. He will be back next year and the year after that and as long as the school will allow him to be there.
The same is true with Al Groh.
History may repeat itself, but Groh does not need to go back to the NFL. He has at Virginia a great recruiting base and great facilities, while also coaching at one of the five highest-ranked public universities in the nation according to USNews’s 2004 ratings. He can get the best and smartest athletes, and there is no worry as to who will be the coach of the program during his recruit’s four years.
Ralph Friedgen has the same benefits.
Friedgen took over after two consecutive collapses resulting in 5-win seasons. In his first year, they won 10 games and the ACC title. He could have left and found a more prolific job, but instead he returned and nearly duplicated the feat. He now has a solid base and will be there as long as the university will allow him.
There have always been “college coaches”, but over the last few decades they have been fewer and far between. But in recent years there has seemed to be an increase in the number of these coaches.
The old “college coaches” age toward retirement and soon Florida State, Penn State, and Air Force will be looking for replacements. When that happens, they will be looking for the next great “college coach”. If they find him, then they can expect more of the same. If they fail, then they may end up in the middle of the road, or going through the same process four years later.
Until then, good luck to all the “college coaches” and may the best stay to guide our youths during the best years of their lives.
