Coaching shuffle now the norm

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Coaching shuffle now the norm

Sports

Friday, 10 December 2010 14:17

Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Forget Joe Paterno’s unfathomable record at Penn State: 400 career victories? You kidding me?
The way things are now at major college football programs, coaches usually aren’t around long enough to ring up 100 wins.

Urban Meyer at Florida is the latest casualty: six years and two national championships, at the price of borderline insanity.
Meyer wanted to quit last year, then spent the past 11 months in the twilight zone, trying to do what he’s done so well in the past, yet, at the same time, seemingly having no idea how to effectively function anymore.
With Bobby Bowden’s “retirement” last year, and JoPa’s swan song looming soon, we may have seen the end of legacy head coaches at major programs.
Remember when Bear Bryant WAS Alabama, Woody Hayes WAS Ohio State and John McKay WAS USC?
They were at those schools for decades; the programs took on their personalities and the fans (mostly) revered them.
Today, if you are an AD and you get five good years from a coach, pat yourself on the back and pull out the next wad of resumes, because he won’t be around much longer.
What happened? Probably a combination of too much pressure to stay in a high-profile job like Florida’s, or too much money being offered to promising young coaches who jump from big payday to big payday, rather than staying in one place to establish their legacy.
Anyway, Florida fans, I have two words for you: Dave Wannstedt.
What, that’s not working for you?
Then, I guess Charlie Weis is out of the question.
There is no questioning the Mighty News-Gazette’s Top 13:
No. 1: The Pats. No. 2: War Eagle. No. 3 The Big Bird trifecta: Ducks, Falcons, Eagles. No. 4: Big Bird. No. 5: Big Ben’s nose. No. 6: Bobby Stoops (the next Gators coach?). No. 7: Jim Harbaugh (not the next Gators coach). No. 8: John McKay (We miss those great one-liners.). No. 9: The Ol’ Ball Coach (Wasn’t it great to see him back on the big stage?). No. 10: Ray Graves (He was Mr. Gator in the 60s.). No. 11: Doug Dickey (He was Mr. Gator in the 70s). No. 12: Charley Pell (He was Mr. Gator just long enough to nearly destroy the program). No. 13: Dandy Don. Monday nights are never the same without him.
To the games:
Army vs. Navy (-9): This is it for major college football this weekend. The 265-game bowl season begins next week. Middies by 7.
The paid professionals:
Oakland at Jacksonville (-4.5): OK, I give up. The Jags are for real. (Which means, of course, that they may not win again). Jags by 7.
Tampa Bay (-2) at Washington: Normally we wouldn’t give the Bucs a chance here, on the road after that tough loss to the Falcons. But the Redskins take dysfunctional to another level. Bucs by 1.
Miami at N.Y. Jets (-5.5): Fins blew their season last week. Jets by 10.
New England (-3) at Chicago: Picking against Tom Brady is like betting that Santa Claus will oversleep on Christmas Eve. But, it’s going to be snowy and windy Sunday ... Bears weather. Furry Creatures by 2.
Philadelphia (-3.5) at Dallas: So , do you like Jon Kitna over Mike Vick? Me neither, but... Cowboys by 3.
Baltimore (-3) at Houston: Ravens still trying to figure out how they broke Big Ben’s nose last week and lost. Ravens by 2.
Brian “Big Man” McBride’s Super Sniffer Upset Special: Bungles over Steelers by 3.
Petey “The Gators Are Getting a New Head Coach” Covino says: Jim Harbaugh by late December.
Young Jackson says: Pats by 7, Eagles by 3.
Last week: Bright Knight (7-4, 79-53) leads Muddled Medulla (7-4, 77-55).