Most coaching selection processes end in failure.

Oct 26, 2008, 7:13 PM

The sad fact about coaching changes is that most of them go bad. You start out with great intentions, you search high and low, and about 2/3s of the time something goes bad and you have to fire the guy you hired.

Examples abound to illustrate the sad fact that most coaches fail.

Charlie McClendon retired at LSU in 1979. The Tigers went through FIVE head coaches and racked up TEN losing seasons in the next twenty years before hiring Nick Saban.

John Robinson left Southern Cal in 1982 after winning two national championships. The Trojans then had 4 head coaches and three losing seasons in 18 years before hitting a homerun with Pete Carrol.

Oklahoma lost Barry Switzer than went through 3 coaches in ten years, posting 3 losing seasons before Bob Stoops came on board.

UNC went through Torbush and Bunting and a slew of losing seasons after Mack Brown and before Butch Davis.

Alabama went through 6 coaches in the 25 year after Bear died to get to Nick Saban. Several of the Bama coaches were good, one of them won a national title, but Bama fans have faced a LOT of turnover, more losing seasons than our Tigers, and repeated NCAA probations all while trying to hire a fellow to fill one of the best jobs in America.

Pretty much anywhere you look, you see lot of coaches who do not work out. We've had our share of that. While I was watching we had Ingram, Parker, West and now Bowden who had to be fired.

What's the moral to this sad story?

I think it might be to make the best hire you can, then pull the trigger quickly when you suspect you do not have Mr. Right. When you're paying the head man TWO MILLION, and when you know most guys are not going to be the one that takes you to the promised land, I think you might ought to cut your losses pretty quickly. The old saw about giving a guy five years to get his boys, get his system and then win big might be outdated.

Oh, and one more HUGE thing. If you get Mr. Right, never never never let him get away. Move heaven and earth to keep a great coach. Recognize that is it a LOT easier to get a good college President or an Athletic Director than a great football coach. NEVER let a good one get away.

Harley

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Most coaching selection processes end in failure.

just like marriages.

God bless you, Danny Ford***

Agreed on moral of pulling trigger quickly. That was our

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