An Outside View: Where Did You Go Coach?

Peter Prospect sits in his living room flanked on either side by his mom and dad. Across from them, leaning forward and speaking intently is a college football coach. National signing day is less than a week away and the coach desperately wants t lure this super blue chip quarterback prospect to his school. The coach is an old pro at the recruiting game and knows how to close the deal. He knows the right buttons to push and what the prospect and his parents want to hear. What he has to say is no different than what dozens of other coaches have said. The trick is making it sound more believable. “At our school you will have a chance to start as a freshman.” “If you play for us, you will get maximum exposure for the NFL.” “The players and coaches at our school are like family and we watch out for each other.” “We will see to it that you graduate with a degree.” ‘You make a commitment to us and we make a commitment to you. We want you as part of our family for the next four years.” Peter Prospect is dazzled by the coach. He seems so genuine, somebody he could trust, somebody that would really look out for his best interests the next four years. He glances at his mom and then at his dad. They have already told him it is his decision. They will support whatever that decision might be. Peter looks the coach in the eye and says, “I want to play for you and be your next great quarterback.” They seal the deal with a handshake. They’re committed to each other for the next four years. At the press conference in his school gym the next day, Peter Prospect explains his choice. “It was the family atmosphere and I felt that the coaches really cared about me as a person, not just as a football player.” Peter Prospect is content with his decision and signs on the dotted line a few days later as promised. Then comes the shocking news. Our coach, who had looked our prospect in the eye and promised to be there for him for the next four years, has bolted and taken another coaching job. Peter Prospect is left in stunned disbelief. Under NCAA rules, he is locked into his commitment. Nobody told him that the coach wasn’t. This scenario is played out regularly n college athletics. A case in point is Dennis Erickson, the former coach at Oregon State. After resurrecting the Beaver football program, he abruptly left recently to accept the head coaching position with the San Francisco 49ers. The move came just four days after he had signed several top prospects who planned to play for him the next four years. One of them was Ryan Gunderson, a top rated quarterback prospect who flirted with signing with Tennessee. He can’t help but feel betrayed. The situation is even worse in college basketball. Prospects have the option of signing basketball scholarships in November. It isn’t at all unusual for a player to sign in November and when the season is over, the coach with whom he signed is gone. Players won’t get much sympathy from the NCAA. Its position is that a prospect signs with a school and not a coach. How ridiculous! Virtually every college prospect who signs a scholarship will tell you that the coaches played a critical role in their decision-making process. In today’s world, facilities and academics are so similar at most of the major universities. In most cases it boils down to the coach with whom the prospect is most comfortable. It is time that the NCAA considers the kids in this equation. These players deserve an opportunity to take a second look without being penalized if they sign with a coach who leaves before they enroll in school. There has to be a degree of fairness and some common sense applied to the NCAA’s policy. They say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. What do they say when it is broke?