At the American Football Coaches Association headquarters in Waco, Texas, they’re calling it “Black Monday.”
“Our phone was ringing off the hook,” executive director Grant Teaff said Tuesday. “They were saying, `Press conference at SMU. Press conference at Pitt.’ I said, `Jiminy Christmas, somebody stop this thing quick.’ “
Every press conference was called to announce another coaching change in the biggest shakeout in the college ranks in more than 20 years. Monday’s rash of firings and resignations brought to 20 the number of head football coaching changes in Division I-A. That’s almost one in five and the most since 1973, when 36 jobs turned over.
“It’s one of those years in the cycle,” said Teaff, a former head coach at Baylor. “Some contracts and patience ran out.”
In a few cases–the resignations of Lou Holtz at Notre Dame and Gene Stallings at Alabama–the timing came as a surprise. But in most other cases the coaches were ousted because they didn’t win enough football games.
Texas’ John Mackovic may be in trouble if the Longhorns don’t beat archrival Texas A&M Friday. And other coaches might be headed for the NFL.
“I’m not sure it’s over,” Teaff said.
Teaff’s organization is known as the AFCA. Maybe it really stands for “All Football Coaches Axed.”
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Teaff said he doubts that days such as Monday will discourage people from entering a profession with high pressure and high rewards.
“For every one of these jobs that are open, there are 100 guys waiting in line for a shot,” Teaff said. “They understand the risk.”
Now hiring: Purdue took out a placement ad in this week’s NCAA News seeking a head football coach. The newspaper is dated Nov. 25. The Boilermakers hired Joe Tiller three days earlier.
Minnesota also ran an ad on the same page. The Golden Gophers seek a coach with a minimum of five years’ collegiate experience. He will be responsible for “maintaining a competitive Division I-A intercollegiate football program within the Big Ten Conference.”
The words “maintaining” and “competitive” are open for interpretation at a school whose last bowl appearance was 10 years ago.
Big break: Arizona State had three players, two of them offensive right guards, thrown out of last week’s Arizona game. Under NCAA rules, players ejected for fighting are automatically suspended for their next game, which would be the Rose Bowl.
But all three–right guards Pat Thompson and Glen Gable and defensive end Derrick Ford–were ejected for personal fouls, not for fighting.
ASU, Take 2: Arizona State had a special holiday treat for boosters headed for the Rose Bowl. The school is charging members of its fundraising organizations a $50 surcharge on every ticket. The face value for every seat at the Rose Bowl is $75.
Athletic department spokesman Mark Brand said 20,000 of the school’s 36,000-ticket allotment will carry the surcharge.
The move came at the direction of new athletic director Kevin White, who was hired to improve ASU’s fundraising. The Sun Devils have a $16 million athletic budget, which ranks eighth in the Pac-10, Brand said.
ASU’s other 16,000 tickets, which are reserved for students, and players and staff and their families, would go for face value.
What a letdown: On Friday, Nebraska assistant athletic director Steve Pederson will watch the Cornhuskers play Colorado. The next day Pederson will travel to Pittsburgh, where he is taking over as athletic director, to see Pitt play Rutgers.
Go U, to the box office:: Northwestern’s athletic marketing department was relieved when Gary Barnett decided to stay in Evanston. That made it easier to sell season tickets for 1997.
And if this season is any indication, there will be plenty of tickets to sell. The defending Big Ten champions finished 10th in the league in average attendance (42,310), outdrawing only 3-8 Indiana (38,415) and trailing 4-7 Minnesota (43,519), 3-8 Purdue (46,550) and 2-9 Illinois (51,155).
As for its bowl fate, Northwestern could hear about its fate when the Citrus Bowl meets again Sunday.
Congratulations: To Barnett for being named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.
One college football writer’s ballot:
1. Nick Saban, Michigan State. After losing to Nebraska by 41 points and getting slapped with NCAA sanctions in September, the Spartans could have quit. Saban made sure it didn’t happen.
2. Barnett, Northwestern. He was right. Last season was no fluke. Aside from the Wake Forest disaster, when the players admitted that they weren’t prepared, Barnett did a masterful job of keeping the defending Big Ten champions motivated.
3. Lou Tepper, Illinois. Because class counts for something.