Before I dig into this blog post too much, let me say that I understand that in the midst of the drama that goes with coaching changes, families are impacted. Some impacts are for the better. Some impacts are for the worse. All of the impacts can be stressful. I think all of the families involved can agree that it comes with the territory of the position.
Now, to the blog post. I love watching the circus that is involved in coaching searches. Rumors are flying, coaches are dodging questions, fans are uneasy, media is tracking Flight Aware, pics are floating around on twitter, and people are harassing the Facebook pages of the coaches and their families I may or may not have been part of some of that. To me, it's just fun and comical.
There are many openings available right now for good coaches. UK, UT, Auburn, Arkansas are just a few of them. In the past 2 days, a lot of people have been tossing Gus Malzahn's name around for the Auburn gig and the Arkansas job. I hate to break it to ASU fans, but this is a GOOD thing. If he were not a great coach, his name would not be anywhere near these jobs. He's good though and if he continues to do good, every coaching job will have his name in the mix. That's OK! If he stays at ASU, that's awesome! If he goes to another school, then he felt that was the best move for his family.
Here's my point. In order to have a "next level" program, you need a good coach. If you have a good coach, people are always going to toss his name out for SEC jobs. That's just how it is going to be here.
Malzahn has always seemed unpredictable. While some people may think it would be crazy for him to turn down an SEC job, he may think it is genius. He and his family are well-liked in our community, they have a great program started, and he fits well with the growth of the program. It's not crazy for him to stay at ASU for awhile. It may be the best thing for him and his family.
I'm not going to go into great length about my thoughts if he leaves, except to say that he knows what is best for his family and career. Nobody can judge that.
In the meantime, I'm going to have fun watching it unfold! I'll be making wise-cracks on Twitter. I may even make a crack or two to him at the Touchdown Club lunch this week. But, in the end... I wish Coach Malzahn and his family the best. Whether it is here in Region 8 or somewhere else in the future.
1 comment:
WOW, now I can invade your blog! No, really, I agree with what you said. College athletics is out of hand. The days of someone staying with a program for a decade or more are almost gone. Not too many like Frank Broyles, Darrell Royal, Bobby Bowden, etc. left. If they win, they can stay, but then other schools start waving big money in their faces. Let's face it, Malzahn is making $850k. If Auburn calls, they will be offering more than three times that amount. Most of us would jump at a chance to triple our salaries, especially if we were getting to do what we love. It's a money game now, just like professional sports. I always hate to see coaches break contracts to jump somewhere for bigger money, but I can't blame them at all. I don't think Arkansas will hire him, but for a reason many haven't thought of. If Arkansas steals ASU's coach, the war that will ensue, not just in athletics, but in many other areas, will be huge. The legislature could get involved and things could get ugly. There is already enough rivalry between the schools for athletic and non-athletic matters and hiring him would take that to an unusual level. To get the Arkansas job (and, quite frankly, I'm not sure he wants it now or in the future) he will have to go somewhere else and then back to Arkansas. A direct hire from ASU is not likely to happen. I agree with you - it will be fun to watch the coaching circus. Don't you know the agents are frothing at the mouth!
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