so when/how should a coach leave his current job?

[hungry]

I keep seeing post after post compaining or disparaging this coach or that coach on how he left his old team. I saw posts about it from rivals and there were articles about SDSU players that were mad about Hoke leaving "how he did." I read about how it was wrong for BK to leave CMU how he did and then Cinci, how he did.

It just seems that a lot of coaches get harped on for how they leave their job and get a different job. There is no good way to go. Most coaches enter into a vacancy where a coach got fired. Coaches get fired after their team plays their final game. Then that school has a coaching search and find a new coach. Even Michigan and Brady Hoke get ripped by his former team and other fans for how they did it, even though they waited until after the bowl season. I just don't get it.

What do others think is a good time and a good way for a coach to leave his job and take a new job?

 

[Michchamp]

simple: the coach should get a chance to finish the season, and that includes coaching in the bowl game.

Dave Brandon and Brady Hoke handled this correctly.

RichRod, Bill Martin, Lane Kiffin, Brian Kelly, Mark Dantonio etc etc did not.

some players will always complain, but that doesn't mean their complaints are valid.

 

[hungry]

I do feel like MIchigan did it right. In some coach's defense though, they need to take the job when its offerred. IF an OU, Florida, Michigan, Texas, or other dream job comes calling, they would be stupid to say something like, "Well, I want the job, but you have to wait until after I coach in my bowl game before we make it public" and then have their dream job say, "Well, too bad, take it now or leave it." Maybe people should blame the AD's instead of blaming the coaches.

If I was Cinci and BK was hired by ND, I wouldn't want him coaching my team in the bowl game, just like when Bo told Frieder that a MIchigan man would be coaching the bball team in '89.

 

[wheels002]

There is no easy or clear way for the coaches to leave. Hoke did everything he could. SDSU knew he wanted the Michigan job. He never made any secrete to the fact that U of M was a dream job for him. He turned down several school who tried to interview him for other openings. Although I do believe he knew RR was gone long before he was fired.

Now the way Kiffen did it was bad. To leave Tenn then have his coaches call players that entered school early and tell them not to go to class at Tenn because then they couldn't then go to USC. Or when Edsall left Uconn and he made Toddman stand in front of the entire team and tell them he was leaving early for the NFL but the next day Edsall took the Maryland job and didn't say a word to the team and the team found out when they saw reports on ESPN.com when the plane landed. You can never make everyone happy when you leave a job. And I really don't blame coaches for going to a different program but you do have a responsibility to the kids and the program you are leaving.

 

[Michchamp]

"Well, too bad, take it now or leave it." Maybe people should blame the AD's instead of blaming the coaches.

If I was Cinci and BK was hired by ND, I wouldn't want him coaching my team in the bowl game, just like when Bo told Frieder that a MIchigan man would be coaching the bball team in '89.

well, Bo said he was fine with a guy leaving, he just didn't like that Frieder didn't tell him he was interviewing though, and that ASU & Frieder went behind his back.

In regards to the AD offering jobs on a "take it immediately" basis, I guess I still think the coach should tell them "Sorry, I'm finishing the current season." I would seriously reconsider whether a "dream job" is going to be all that great if my new bosses are already putting demands on me like that...

but I think there is no blanket rule; it depends on the circumstances in each case, but you can look at a couple examples that are beyond the pale, and also examples of how it was done right for guidance.

I think the fact that Brandon & Hoke were above-the-board with SDSU, AND RichRod, puts to rest the idea that it can't be done that way anymore. Brandon didn't need to sneak around to get the guy he wanted. It didn't seem to affect recruiting, or the next season either.

 

[jever4321]

The side of the departure is always going to complain and feel slighted or disrespected.

I agree Hoke and Brandon handled things correctly.

 

[michlady77]

The side of the departure is always going to complain and feel slighted or disrespected.

I agree Hoke and Brandon handled things correctly.

agree

SDSU is just mad hoke left - but if they were smart they would have known this was a possibility given how RR was working out

any semi successful coach will always be an option for a school

 

[Michchamp]

I thought their AD was pretty open about it, and said he expected it. I'm sure he'd rather Hoke stayed, but I didn't think he was mad.

 

[hungry]

"Well, too bad, take it now or leave it." Maybe people should blame the AD's instead of blaming the coaches.

If I was Cinci and BK was hired by ND, I wouldn't want him coaching my team in the bowl game, just like when Bo told Frieder that a MIchigan man would be coaching the bball team in '89.

well, Bo said he was fine with a guy leaving, he just didn't like that Frieder didn't tell him he was interviewing though, and that ASU & Frieder went behind his back.

In regards to the AD offering jobs on a "take it immediately" basis, I guess I still think the coach should tell them "Sorry, I'm finishing the current season." I would seriously reconsider whether a "dream job" is going to be all that great if my new bosses are already putting demands on me like that...

but I think there is no blanket rule; it depends on the circumstances in each case, but you can look at a couple examples that are beyond the pale, and also examples of how it was done right for guidance.

I think the fact that Brandon & Hoke were above-the-board with SDSU, AND RichRod, puts to rest the idea that it can't be done that way anymore. Brandon didn't need to sneak around to get the guy he wanted. It didn't seem to affect recruiting, or the next season either.

That all being said, and I agree, I still think that if Michigan failed to get to a bowl game and the OH* game was the last game, the previous coach would have been fired and the coaching search would've begun immediately. I doubt they wait until after the bowl season to hire Brady Hoke in this scenario. I guess we'll never know, though...

 

[hungry]

I thought their AD was pretty open about it, and said he expected it. I'm sure he'd rather Hoke stayed, but I didn't think he was mad.

Nope. I never heard anything from SDSU's AD, just a few of his players. I think they should understand, but I guess not.

 

[bphillips4gg]

Simplest solution, and one that would be fairest to the players, would be to move signing day back a month. The reason most coaches bolt right after the regular season is because if they don't, they'll only have 4-6 weeks to recruit to the new school. Obviously, then it would turn into "I'll only have 8-10 weeks if I wait", but it would help.

The NCAA also needs to step in and write in a rule that puts a date on when hires can be made, one that's after the bowl season. I know it wouldn't be easy and there's probably a legal way to stop this, but the players who bust their ass for these guys and give them everything they've got deserve the same in return.

As it stands now, the time to can the current coach and start your search, if you know you're going to, is as soon as the regular season ends. Otherwise, your first choice may be hired elsewhere. Hell, your top 10 might've already been hired. Add in the fact that the guy you hire will only have a month, maybe a little more, to recruit and you're setting your program back a year in most cases. Fortunately for Michigan, they're Michigan, and Hoke was able to sell some kids on that and the fact that this staff is focused on returning that tradition and pride to the program.