College Recruiting and the Head Coach Issue... Total Insanity

I read an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer today about a press conference that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno held yesterday. In the article, Paterno talked about how people always ask him how long he'll be coaching Penn State. I assume this is meant to reflect some sort of future stability at Penn State, or lack thereof, when a recruit decides what school to attend. To that I say... this question is totally insane.

In principle, this question is actually not totally insane. Sure, if I'm a budding star football player, I'd most certainly like to know which coach I'm going to be playing for. It would give me a sense of what to expect, and allow me to find the coach that best suits my preference.

But in reality, this question is totally insane. Coaches switch jobs, get fired, retire, or become lame ducks left and right. Just think about these names in recent years and consider how stable the college coaching profession really is (click on the links to see coaching changes from the past year in each respective sport):

College Basketball Coaches
-Billy Donovan
-Fran Dunphy
-Roy Williams
-Bobby Knight
-Kelvin Sampson

College Football Coaches
-Rich Rodriguez
-June Jones
-Dennis Franchione
-Bobby Petrino
-Chan Gailey

Those are some big names that have changed places, in both sports. So what it comes down to is the overall program. Coaching changes occur on practically a weekly basis, across the country. That's the reality of college sports now. What recruits really should be looking at is the overall program. Is it strong? Is it up and coming? Is it going downhill? Worrying about what coach is going to be there next year, or next week for that matter, is pretty futile. Kind of like timing the stock market-- will it be up this month? Down this month? Or over the next four years will it be pretty good overall? Long term is always the best way to go.

So yes, Coach Paterno is nearing the end of his career, unless he finds the fountain of youth (maybe he already has?), but I think every athlete in America knows what he's getting with Penn State football. As the saying goes, "It is what it is." In fact, in today's game, college sports are more about the overall brand than they are about the coach. But some people haven't caught on to this fact of life.

While some people are busy trying to follow the dizzying coaching carousel, I think athletes are much better off trying to figure out how they'll fit in the whole program-- how they mesh with the entire coaching staff, the entire team, and the entire university. That's the most sane way to look at it all...

JoePa Terno Doesthe RightThing

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno did the right thing last week by insisting that his entire team clean the 107,000+ seat Beaver Stadium after every home game after being disgusted by a disgraceful off-campus fight involving a half-dozen of his players. In sum, he was disappointed not only that the players got into a scuffle to begin with, but also because nobody stepped up to try to stop it or to claim responsibility. It's a throw-back, old school move that could affect his recruiting in the near future (if I'm a talented but trouble-making young football player, would I want to go to PSU to play football?), but sometimes the right decision is not always the most popular one. His argument is that by cleaning the stadium the players will learn from their mistakes and step up as a team. I agree 132%.

But what's more, I'd really like to see some ex-PSU players who attend a home game voluntarily help out and clean as well. Can you imagine what solidarity and character this would build? If I was playing for the Nittany Lions this year and I saw an ex-player help clean trash with the rest of the current team, I would have tremendous respect and pride for this alum, as well as for Coach Paterno who arranged this program. There are hundreds of ex-players out there... let's see if anybody steps up to the plate.

On a separate but related note, I firmly believe that NFL football teams should be held to this policy is well. You get busted at a strip joint for firing gunshots? Pick up a broom.