Since taking on my new position as the CollegeLAX Senior News Editor, I have had the chance to interview outgoing coaches – coaches who have just been fired or more politically correct, haven’t had their contracts renewed.
It’s amazing to me how excellent coaches can get fired simply because the players don’t buy into their system or the Athletic Director doesn’t like them. It makes me wonder why so much relies on the player leadership. I coached with a former MCLA player that always said, “you can tell how good a team will be by looking at their senior leadership.” I’ve come to realize this is very true. All it takes is a few prideful senior captains to get together and agree that their current coach isn’t going to get the job done. Look at the best teams in the country and I bet they have excellent senior leaders. In other situations, all it takes is a prideful Athletic Director to decided he doesn’t want to deal with a ‘club coach’ just because he or she doesn’t like them or get along with them.
So when it comes right down to it, it all stems from pride. Prideful players, prideful Athletic Directors, prideful coaches. Rather than all parties humbling themselves and talking to each other, the one with all the power takes control and does what they think is best for the team or the school. But as we know, pride comes before the fall.
Links to recent stories I have written about coaching changes:
