When is it alright for your coach to leave?

[redskins4ever]

I was reading SI today on the bike, and it had your "hated" former coach Urban Meyer talking about the development of the spread by him and Coach Brandon. It got me thinking as to when is it ok for a coach to leave a program to take the next step? Ideally we would all like to see our coaches stay around and build a major football program the way Gonzaga has built a major basketball power house.

Is it the length of time a coach has been there?

Is it if he is upfront about his long term intentions? I don think a coach will ever say he is going to go to another program after he builds his current situation.

I would love to see Brandon and other coaches never leave the MAC and elevate the conference to the level of the Big East, but we need long term commitments from the coaching staffs for this to happen.

Thoughts?

[Rightupinthere]

Money over sentiment. Brandon is in a good spot where he has a team which will make waves this year. If he posts another very good year, other schools with more financial depth and a better perceived situation will offer him what he wants. I believe the end of the season is the "best" time for a coach to leave.

With that said, I believe Brandon will be gone at the end of this year.

Unfortunately, until we either find a coach who wants to stay regardless or can pay a competitive wage, we will have a revolving door.

I believe that when Brandon leaves, Coach Stud is that coach who will want to stay. That will be problematic for both BG and UT fans. BG fans won't be able to rag on Amstutz' stature and UT fans will be hard pressed to label Stud "arrogant."

[UK Peregrine]

I think we all hope that the coaches of our beloved Alma Maters will show the same undying devotion that we have for our schools. But as we all know this is a fickle reality and very few coaches stay forever.

In the case of Gregg Brandon, I think as long as he shows some integrity and honesty concerning leaving, whenever of if ever he chooses to leave BG, then most of us would be quite accepting of it. In Urban Meyer's case, some people are just doomed to make the same mistakes over and over. he managed to burn bridges at two institutions by being mendacious with the fans when the time to move on came to fruition.

But in say Tom Amstutz's case when an alumni comes home to coach his alma mater, then it is likely almost never acceptable for a coach to want to leave, except under very rare circumstances (e.g. the athletic department low balling his contract). After all this is his alma mater and many fans feel that loyalty should be aspired to no matter the circumstances when it concerns their common school.

In any case, leaving a job no matter what the profession is a deeply personal decision. As long as some honesty and integrity are exemplified, I would imagine many of us would be quite accepting. All I ask is that a coach shows a little respect for the U that gave them an opportunity coach by being upfront if and when the time comes, then I would be perfectly fine with moving to a new job.

[Bleeding Orange]

One thing I have never understood is why college football coaches at "smaller" programs don't see the value in staying 5-7 years and building a program to "major" status. It seems to me that doing this would only prove their viability as a coach and increase their stock in the market. Doesn't that make sense? Especially in the case of Coach Brandon where he really hasn't proven that he is able to get his team "up" for big road games (with the exception of the extenuating circumstances surrounding last year's NIU game), wouldn't this make senese? To me the key to building a successful program in the MAC, WAC, etc. is continuity in coaching. That is why I think this makes sense to me.

I realize that money is a major issue in coaching decisions, but this makes a lot of sense to me. Perhaps coaches are just a lot more short-sighted (in terms of money) than I'd like to be able to give them credit for?

[redskins4ever]

I'll respond to a couple of points made here...

Ever heard of the phrase buy low sell high? If a program has been taken to a high level in a short period of time wouldnt you want to cash out when you have the opportunity, or are you willing to press your luck ie. Gary Blackney?

Why do you have to upfront and honest about what you do? Do you go around telling your colleagues that you are getting ready to leave for a bigger firm months before it happens, or are you more clandestine in your actions? I don't believe it is wise to tip your hand, because you'd hate to not get a job and then have to scramble back to work one Monday after telling people you are looking to leave.

As sacred is the school you graduate from, there are moments when you have done everything that you can do, or that you want to do at a particular institution. With that in mind you may feel that the only way to progress your career is to move to a different company, school, team, whatever.

If I told you tomorrow that I will bump your salary 20% to move to a new area, for a job that is perceived to be better with the same title would you take it?

Are you more concious of a coach leaving because you perceive him as the individual that represents your school, who asked you to be a part of the football program? Would you be better off to support the program regardless of who is leading it?

These are general questions and food for thought... time to pass out and go to bed!

[DevilGrad]

One thing I have never understood is why college football coaches at "smaller" programs don't see the value in staying 5-7 years and building a program to "major" status.

Short answer: Gary Darnell.

Longer answer: Because the coaches at smaller programs know better than anyone what an incredible resource disadvantage they face in trying to compete year-in and year-out with the BCS schools. For example, it remains true that OSU spends almost as much money on football-only as Miami does on its entire athletic program.

So, if you are, say, Gary Pinkel, you can try your luck at keeping Toledo in the top 25 every year (as your alums have or will come to expect) while running a program on about half the budget of the poorest Big Ten team and hoping for a really *big* job to open up. Or you can take your chances -- and double or triple your pay -- to go to Missouri.

[MACMAN]

When is it right for anyone to leave thier job...
Are your kids going to benifit from moving to a new location? Have achived all your goals? is it all about the money? Is it a personal choice have you allways had a dream about being. _____?
for each person it is different.
I like to believe that GB is reaching to accomplish a goal, to take BGSU to a place, a place where once he gets there he will seek out another team to take some where. Where as Urban I feel not just wanted to take a team some where...he want to be somewhere...I would say "where everybody knows his name" but that not so much as it is a part of it...he wanted to be in a BCS confrence with a "power school" and win National Titles...Urban will not rest untill he is an NFl coach of epic proportions is my thought.
GB is wants to create something with BGSU, and create it and display it, and with the BCS changes to come I think he wants to challange in that system with what he creates. I could be wrong, but he is very difernt than Urban...

So my answers is...when its right for them.

[Tricky_Falcon]

I don't know. Coach Brandon was ready to leave this past season and many people in-house had to convince him to stay at BG. Yes, the money would be good if he left but he would be stuck coaching a horrible football team. Even after being told that he had to think long and hard about it.

Him saying that he will stay as long as BG will have him is good PR but I don't think that's exactly the truth. If the Falcons have a year that everyone expects them to have and there is a coaching opportunity that will offer him the big bucks I won't be surprised to see him leave.

[Flipper]

I was a sales rep for three companies competing with the same product in the same marketplace within a 15 month period. Every time I jumped i got a salary bump that would have taken me years to earn through incremental annual reviews.

Take the cash...be straight with people when negotiating and don't burn anyone when you leave, but take the cash. Always take the cash. Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy the chemicals needed to make you think you're happy....

[Schadenfreude]

I share other people's hunger for coaches willing to take a program and do the longterm work of building it from the ground up into a powerhouse.

Joe Paterno? LaVell Edwards? These are coaching heroes, in my mind.

That said, the lure of big cash intervenes.

I think Bowling Green is capable of building itself into an East Carolina, a Colorado State, a Penn State etc. (feel free to fill in your own example) in terms of a program that puts butts in seats and gets cash rolling in.

But we are talking about a long term project. A very long term project.

It's so long term -- and the big money payoff for the head coach is so distant AND risky (see Blackney, Gary) -- that it is unrealistic to expect most coaches to do the hard work year after year after year of building the next powerhouse when they can jump at much easier money much sooner.

It helps to have an alum at the helm who is willing to put in that kind of work. Marshall had that with Bobby Pruett. Toledo may have that with Tom Amstutz.

And, heck, maybe we have one waiting in the wings.

But we had Don Nehlen and Moe Ankney, too.

There are no guarantees about this sort of thing.

[Falconfreak90]

$$$ talks in this business, just like any other. When a new employer comes along offering more jack, what do most folks do? It's only natural to want to earn top dollar.

I feel Coach Brandon will probably get some great offers after we win the MAC, bowl game and finish in the top 15.
I know it would be great to see a coach stay to help build up the program but that just doesn't happen very often. Coach Brandon will be in high demand and the opportunity to coach a BCS "big boy", with the resources and exposure, will be the clincher. We honestly cannot expect Coach Brandon stay at BG forever....it would be awesome but won't happen.

IMO, I think Coach Stud would be the next HC and willing to stay at BG as long as he wants. He is a Falcon thru and thru and has a young family.

And SF brought up 2 great examples in Nehlen and "that guy in the late 80's". Why did he have to be the coach when I was there from 86-90??? "We don't want no Moe!!!!!!"

There are no sure things in college football....but BGSU is one hell of an opportunity these days. And will be for years to come.

GO FALCONS!!! 431 hours....

[Falconboy]

If we only had more money. We do need to up Brandon's pay for sure. I'm just not sure how much more we're able to. If MAC schools in general had more money to work with , they could pay these coaches a alot more and possibley keep a little longer to build up their respective programs. This is probably the main thing that keeps us "mid-majors" just that. If Mac schools could keep more of their good coaches we'd be a much better conference and probably have alot more respect.

[transfer2BGSU]

If we only had more money. We do need to up Brandon's pay for sure.

Time to raise tuition above and beyond what the state says we can.

We should also raise the price for a parking pass as well and funnel all of that extra money over to Intercollegiate Athletics. We probably have 4,500 students living on-campus. Jump that sticker up another $25 and you raise an easy $112,500. Imagine if we raised the price for commute students too. WOW! Look at the pay raises we could give some coaches.

[TG1996]

Time to raise tuition above and beyond what the state says we can. We should also raise the price for a parking pass as well and funnel all of that extra money over to Intercollegiate Athletics.

Umm... okay, sure!

[Falconboy]

If we only had more money. We do need to up Brandon's pay for sure.

Time to raise tuition above and beyond what the state says we can.

We should also raise the price for a parking pass as well and funnel all of that extra money over to Intercollegiate Athletics. We probably have 4,500 students living on-campus. Jump that sticker up another $25 and you raise an easy $112,500. Imagine if we raised the price for commute students too. WOW! Look at the pay raises we could give some coaches.

Since you bring up these hypthetical price hikes for things, what is the the main source for money for the athletic dept.? Is it the same thing for the OSU and Michigan's of the world? Is it just the plain fact that OSU has 110,000 fans showing up at every game at $48 bucks a ticket and thats how they do it? Or is it other things?