NCAA Football Coaching Carousel Can Be a Confusing -- and Upsetting -- Process for Players

Big-time college football can be a sleazy business. Take, for example, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, who has built the Mountaineers into a national powerhouse by leading them to three straight Big East championships and four straight New Year's Day Bowl games.

With rumors circulating about Rodriguez possibly leaving West Virginia, he stated emphatically that he would be staying in Morgantown.

"I plan on being at West Virginia the rest of my career," he told the Wheeling News-Register in a story that was published on December 1.

Well, what do we find out just a few days later? The man interviewed for the Alabama job, which became available when Mike Shula was fired last month after a 6-6 season.

In the end, Rodriguez opted to stay at West Virginia -- at least for now -- rejecting a reported six-year, $12 million offer from Alabama, which could have been enough to lure him away. It was a strong show of loyalty but the mere fact that he interviewed at Alabama just days after saying he would never leave West Virginia makes you wonder if he'll accept the next opportunity that comes along.

Of course, one could argue that staying in Morgantown is a better career move for Rodriquez because the Alabama program, for all its history and tradition, remains in a state of turmoil. It seems the Crimson Tide are still living under the shadow of Paul Bryant, even though the "Bear" has been dead for 20 years.

An alumnus of West Virginia, Rodriguez managed to coax a two-year extension from
his current employer, keeping him under contract through 2014. Forgive me for being cynical, but is it possible Rodriguez used the Alabama offer as leverage?

Nobody should have a problem with a coach trying to get a better job. It happens
all the time in every walk of life. Employees often relocate to another city if a higher-paying position comes available, and football coaches should be allowed to do it as well.

I would, however, like to see more coaches honor the sanctity of their contract.
Of course, they have every right to move up the coaching ranks but don't start looking for another job until they have completed their contract at their current school. Alas, such a belief is hopelessly naive in the world of big-time
athletics. Contracts are broken all the time.

What I really would like is for coaches to at least be up front about their job
hunting. Oh, well. That's probably also asking too much. As for Rodriguez, even though he's staying put, he still comes across as disingenuous. And that's unfortunate because by all other accounts, he seems to be a good guy beloved by the West Virginia fans.

Actually, I blame the system more than I blame Rodriguez and dozens of other coaches. Big-time college football is a billion-dollar industry. Because of the
money involved, there is enormous pressure on schools like Alabama to win. That
means the Crimson Tide can't wait until March or April to name a coach. They need to hire one as soon as possible so recruiting will be adversely affected as little as possible. A bad recruiting year can set back a program two, maybe three seasons.

That's why it is not uncommon for schools to "steal" a coach before his team plays its bowl game. There may be nothing more ridiculous in all of sports. A school will announce a coaching hire in mid-December, yet said individual remains with his current team to coach its bowl game.

That would be like the Boston Red Sox at the end of the 2006 season announcing that Joe Torre will be their manager in 2007. Ah, but Torre still gets to manage the Yankees for as far as they go in the playoffs.

Big-time college football programs can't wait until after the bowl games. After all, there are those precious recruits to be pursued. Another reason why college football is unlike any other spot.

The NCAA requires that players sit out a season when they transfer to another Division I-A institution. I think that rule should be waived when a coach leaves
before his contract is up.

Whether the NCAA wants us to believe it or not, players opt for a certain school because of the coach. Not it every case perhaps but often enough. When a coach
departs, players can feel betrayed -- especially when they are told one thing and the coach does another.