AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 20
Thursday, December 20, 2007
NCAA can’t stop coaching carousel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several folks have written and asked: Why can’t the NCAA step in and just stop the movement of coaches between the end of the regular season and bowls?
It is so disruptive and so unfair to the kids, you argue. And you’re right about that.
If the NCAA can dictate a dead period in recruiting in December, why can’t they dictate a dead period in coaches leaving to take other jobs? That’s a fair question.
For those of you who have asked such questions I have three words: Sherman Antitrust Act.
You may recall that back in the 1990s the NCAA, in a effort to rein in costs, mandated that the third basketball assistant be designated as a “restricted earnings coach” and be paid no more than $16,000 per season. The NCAA, a voluntary organization, was trying to limit the amount that its members could pay its employees. I’m not a lawyer but even I know that’s a no-no.
When the lawyers and the courts got through with the NCAA, the organizing body of college athletics was hit with a $67 million judgment.
You can believe that the NCAA will not dip its toe in those waters again.
Yes, it’s tough on the schools and on the players when a coach suddenly leaves in December. A quick count reveals that seven teams in the bowl season will be playing with interim head coaches and two more have coaches who will be gone after the game.
But right now it is a seller’s market when it comes to established head coaches. The proven coaches have the negotiating leverage because getting a good head coach and keeping him is so important when the financial stakes are this high. You can’t blame the coaches and their representatives for using that leverage now that the market has changed. Coaches are well paid, but they also know that in today’s climate they are one 6-6 season from being shown the door.
Some coaches handle their departure better than others. Some disrupt their old employer and their former players more than others. Given the nature of college football, there is never a good way or a good time to leave. It will always be messy. Some coaches will flat out lie about their intentions. They deserve the criticism they get and will have to live with the consequences.
But the NCAA cannot, and should not, make a rule to stop it.
