Maryland Football today announced that James Franklin will be the successor to Ralph Friedgen whenever the "Fridge" decides that it is time to leave coaching and it got me thinking a bit.
Is the current trend of naming your next coach years in advance a good one?
Or is having an idea of the succession order,but still going through the hiring process a better idea?
The argument behind selecting your successor in advance is that it promotes continuity in the program,keeps players in the same system that they were recruited for and helps recruiting as players that were more interested in playing for a particular coach than attending a certain school would not be as likely to change their commitments after the change in head coaches.
It also enables you to keep your hot,young assistant before they go to a smaller Division I school and establish themselves further as a desirable coach for other larger (BCS) school openings.
The argument against naming new coaches in advance are these-you usually wind up with a head coach without head coaching experience and sometimes the advance appointment looks like a better idea than it turns out to be.
For example,Florida State had Jeff Bowden as the successor to Bobby Bowden years in advance and wound up with egg on its face when the Seminole offense began to sputter and the decision was made to have someone else to pick up the Bowden mantle.
What also happens often is this scenario-the new coach seems to fit in without a bump for the first two seasons when he is able to basically use the talent in place,then the slide (if there is one) begins in season three when most of the upperclassmen begin to be "your" recruits and by the end of year four or five,the hot seat is getting awfully warm.
Ask Ryan as Bret Bielema is beginning to show exactly that time line at Wisconsin.
I have always thought that head coaching experience was the most important thing to have when you are taking a major conference job in football or basketball as I think that having gone through the grind of running things at your program can be such a help when you take over at a big school,even if it is on a smaller level.
Moving your way up the ladder makes such a difference in your outlook.
Does anyone think that Brian Kelly is less ready to be a major school head coach because he moved up through Grand Valley State,Central Michigan and Cincinnati than Franklin or Bielema because they were the hot young assistant at the time?
To me,it is such a benefit to go through the small schools for two reasons.
One is that you learn where to find players that larger schools miss and therefore create more connections to help your future recruiting endeavors.
The other is that you learn to "game coach" in front of smaller crowds instead of the larger eye of television every week and the pressure that entails.
The pressure to win is everywhere,but it seems to be accelerated on a coach when they have never had the background to deal the adversities of being the head man.
I suppose I am more in favor of waiting to hire the new coach until there is an actual vacancy,with the caveat of telling the coach that you may want to hire that he might want to stick around as being the leading candidate for whenever that opening may arise.
I have seen too many assistants flame out under the pressure that head coaching provides.
Both young assistants and veteran one waiting for the job of their dreams have cracked under such pressure without the background to withstand it.
The problem with hiring the assistant is that you just never know who can handle it and the cost is usually years of your program backsliding......
Bullpen Notes
I know very little about James Franklin,so my wondering about this hire is mainly because of his lack of coaching experience,but I do wonder what the rush was to lock him up long term.
Was there teams already interested in taking him away and this was a preventive measure??
I don't follow Maryland football like I used to,so I don't want to comment on his term as offensive coordinator,but I will be paying more attention in 2009.
The Terps now have me intrigued.
Franklin will be the second African-American coach in ACC history.
The First?
Jim Caldwell at Wake Forest from 1993-2000 was the first and that is the same Caldwell that will be the new head coach with the Indianapolis Colts.
Caldwell went 26-63 in his tenure in Winston-Salem.
The Pirates die roll of releasing T.J. Beam failed when Beam was claimed by Toronto.
Beam is nothing to cry about losing,but there are others on the Pirate roster that I might have tried to get through the wire instead...
One new arrival on the signing front as former Sabre (and
Colorado Rockie) Rene Robert signed through the mail.This completes the French Connection line for the collection..
Photo Credits
Franklin;Kansas State University
Robert:Unknown
No comments:
Post a Comment