Link: Late coaching changes expose flaw in early signing period

ALA2262

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As college football moves toward an early signing period for recruits, some of this year's signees learned no matter when you sign that national letter of intent, situations can change the very next day.

A handful of assistant coaches at high-profile programs such as Ohio State and Texas changed jobs less than 24 hours after Wednesday's national signing day, leaving behind the players they recruited.

In some cases, the teenagers who were won over did not take the news well.

Mike Weber, a running back from Detroit who signed with Ohio State, tweeted ''I'm hurt as hell'' after it was announced Thursday that Buckeyesrunning backs coach Stan Drayton was leaving for the Chicago Bears.

Du'Vonta Lampkin, a defensive lineman from Houston who signed with Texas, tweeted on Friday ''Guess I was lied to my face'' and ''Really? 2 days after signing day'' after it was announced Longhorns defensive line coach Chris Rumph was leaving forFlorida.

With early signing period in December coming as soon as this year, the scenario that led to those hard feelings could become more common.


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B1GTide

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IMO, these are separate issues. If a player signs in December because of an early signing period, that person would know that the coaching hiring season is yet to come. They would know that change is a real possibility, especially at the really successful programs where change is an annual occurrence.

When a coach leaves the day after NSD - that presents another situation altogether. The coaching hiring season has wound down and very little happens after NSD. The coaching changes announced the day after NSD were almost certainly worked out before NSD. The schools and coaches involved simply kept their mouths shut to protect one another.

I would say that they did this with no regard for the players that they were recruiting, but that isn't true. They did it with an intent to deceive the players involved. I don't blame the kids for being upset.

That said, with both sides showing so little respect for one another, I really don't care. Kids don't honor commitments (Weber was committed to Michigan, then de-commited to switch to OSU when Hoke was fired - like that was some sort of surprise). Coaches don't honor commitments (both theirs to recruits, and those made by recruits to other schools). Money changes hands (among other things). In short, this is a process without honor or integrity. Only the innocent can complain, and they typically come through this just fine.
 

TrueCrimson7

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IMO, these are separate issues. If a player signs in December because of an early signing period, that person would know that the coaching hiring season is yet to come. They would know that change is a real possibility, especially at the really successful programs where change is an annual occurrence.

When a coach leaves the day after NSD - that presents another situation altogether. The coaching hiring season has wound down and very little happens after NSD. The coaching changes announced the day after NSD were almost certainly worked out before NSD. The schools and coaches involved simply kept their mouths shut to protect one another.

I would say that they did this with no regard for the players that they were recruiting, but that isn't true. They did it with an intent to deceive the players involved. I don't blame the kids for being upset.

That said, with both sides showing so little respect for one another, I really don't care. Kids don't honor commitments (Weber was committed to Michigan, then de-commited to switch to OSU when Hoke was fired - like that was some sort of surprise). Coaches don't honor commitments (both theirs to recruits, and those made by recruits to other schools). Money changes hands (among other things). In short, this is a process without honor or integrity. Only the innocent can complain, and they typically come through this just fine.
I agree that it is done without regard to the players. For many of them, this is their initiation into real life and real workplace situations. My job requires my colleagues and me to interview and "match" with hospitals in a similar fashion to the way NSD is run. Once we get our destination letter, we are bound to that hospital (and any changes that hospital makes) or risk going a year without a job. I've seen MAJOR negative changes in my job requirements since I matched. The key is choosing the best fit with the assumption that changes will occur and understanding that written commitments are just that, commitments.

My point is that many players played the game of committing/de-committing before NSD (which is part of the natural process on both sides), but they need to understand that life is dynamic--and not static--once they sign their LOI. Teaching them now that life is not fair and that sometimes people lie will prepare them to make more appropriate life decisions both at NSD and in their future employment. I wish everybody was honest in life, but that has not often been my experience.
 

4Q Basket Case

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Just a guess here, but maybe an early signing period could be instituted with the provision that, if the HC changes for whatever reason before, say, March 1, the player is no longer bound to the school.

Still leaves them vulnerable to a change in position coach, but ability to go elsewhere if the position coach changes strikes me as too hard to administer.

For example, Kirby Smart has moved among defensive positions more than once. But he's still on the staff. Would that qualify? What about if the position coach moves to an off-field or administrative job, but remains with the school?

I think we'd all like more protection for players -- it can only help stable programs like ours -- but getting that at the expense of the NCAA implications for staff assignments is too high a price.
 

B1GTide

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I wish everybody was honest in life, but that has not often been my experience.
I agree, but is it too much to ask or expect? I accept that there are bad people out there, but I don't have to accept them into my life.
 

KrAzY3

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I really don't see how this issue carries over in a meaningful way to the early signing period. As we saw, teams will wait until after NSD to change coaches, clearly just to mislead recruits. That's the only reason to do that. In the early signing period, a player is much more so committing to the school than to a particular coach, but it's not any easier to fool him than it is to fool a kid on NSD.
 

TrueCrimson7

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I agree, but is it too much to ask or expect? I accept that there are bad people out there, but I don't have to accept them into my life.
Your point is understood. I would like to be fair to the players because this is a major life decision for them. How about this...What if it was a rule that when a player is ready to sign in the early signing period there is a line on the contract that the player is able to fill-in listing one particular coach on that team as his "out option" for that school. It could be the head coach, an assistant/recruiter, whoever he wants. And if the school changes that coach's position or title before the player enrolls, the player can opt out of the contract with no penalty. If the coach leaves on his own accord, the player cannot opt out. It protects the players and coaches. Thoughts?
 

B1GTide

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Your point is understood. I would like to be fair to the players because this is a major life decision for them. How about this...What if it was a rule that when a player is ready to sign in the early signing period there is a line on the contract that the player is able to fill-in listing one particular coach on that team as his "out option" for that school. It could be the head coach, an assistant/recruiter, whoever he wants. And if the school changes that coach's position or title before the player enrolls, the player can opt out of the contract with no penalty. If the coach leaves on his own accord, the player cannot opt out. It protects the players and coaches. Thoughts?
I tend to agree with KrAzY on this one. If there is an early signing period and a player opts to take advantage of that, it should be binding for both sides. That signing period would come before the coach hiring frenzy. The players who sign early should expect change. There is no deceit here - just normal business.

My advice to kids would be: only sign early if you are sold on the school - not a particular coach. I would say that this would be my advice across the board, but Coach Saban has changed my point of view here. He is one of the few at this level who seems genuinely interested in helping these young men develop into great human beings - which is also my goal as a parent. That is something that I would steer my boys toward ahead of a particular school - even OSU. I would be disappointed if one of my boys signed with Alabama and Saban left, as he would be the goal there - not Alabama - but I would still expect them to honor their commitment.

BTW - my boys do not play football, so there is no chance of them playing for Alabama (or OSU). :biggrin:
 

CullmanTide

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In a perfect world kids would put education first and commit to a school and not a coach or staff. Very few make it to the NFL and fewer last long enough and handle the success well enough to have a solid financial future.
 

4Q Basket Case

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I really don't see how this issue carries over in a meaningful way to the early signing period. As we saw, teams will wait until after NSD to change coaches, clearly just to mislead recruits. That's the only reason to do that. In the early signing period, a player is much more so committing to the school than to a particular coach, but it's not any easier to fool him than it is to fool a kid on NSD.
I agree that it doesn't have any effect on changes in assistant coaches.

It could, however, have an effect regarding a change in head coach. Most of those take place in December or early January. That would give about a month for a recruit who signed with a school that subsequently fired or otherwise lost its coach, to re-evaluate his options, and if appropriate, look for another school.
 

russtang

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So it's a "flaw" in the system if a few 17 or 18 yo kid don't like the way things happen in real life?

They don't get an "out" in their LOI if a coach leaves after NSD so why should they get an "out" if a coach leaves after an early signing period?

These kids are lied to every day by 95% of the people recruiting them.

Does little Billy get an "out" if he doesn't get the number he was promised?
Does he get an "out" if he doesn't start at RB like he was promised?

This is just another small mark in the big picture look at the entitlement generation.
 

B1GTide

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Looks like Coach Harbaugh is piling on about the situation as well..

Here'e The Link..CLICK ME
He is correct here, and I don't blame him for pointing out the problem. It will help him keep Michigan players in state. Meyer must now accept the consequences for this move.
 

B1GTide

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So it's a "flaw" in the system if a few 17 or 18 yo kid don't like the way things happen in real life?

These kids are lied to every day by 95% of the people recruiting them.

This is just another small mark in the big picture look at the entitlement generation.
You make it sound as though these kids should just quietly accept the lies and move on with their lives. Well, it is their lives that are being played with here. They have a right to complain about the deceit. Those complaints don't make them "entitled".

I'm not saying that they shouldn't honor their word - but they can and should voice their concerns. That is the way to positively affect change in our society.
 

RTR91

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So it's a "flaw" in the system if a few 17 or 18 yo kid don't like the way things happen in real life?

They don't get an "out" in their LOI if a coach leaves after NSD so why should they get an "out" if a coach leaves after an early signing period?

These kids are lied to every day by 95% of the people recruiting them.

Does little Billy get an "out" if he doesn't get the number he was promised?
Does he get an "out" if he doesn't start at RB like he was promised?

This is just another small mark in the big picture look at the entitlement generation.
This has nothing to do with entitlement. You don't find a coach changing jobs a day after NSD more than a little sketchy or dirty? Yeah, it's part of the recruiting game, but that doesn't make it right. We can make the general statement of "commit/sign to a school, not a coach," but that's not what kids are doing. Coaches know that, too. Thus, they don't announce the departures until after the signed LOI.
 

JustNeedMe81

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I think its shady move on behalf of coaches.... You spent Dec- Feb recuiting hard and then you leave the day after NSD.... I think with three situations we've had recently, Smith, Jefferson and the other guy... I hope it doesn't get to the point where Recuits won't sign the paper until they know coaches is nt going anywhere. One of the thing I hate about NFL is that their process is different from College. What do I mean by that? College football season is usually over in December and thats when we have playoff that starts in Jan... Superbowl is in Feb for Pro teams... Lot of decisions are hold off until after superbowl and I think it mess up the college world, because the signing period is two weeks after the superbowl. Thats why Im in favor for early signing period.
 

GP for Bama

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It is interesting that Coach Saban is NOT getting any credit for NOT hiding the fact that Lane Kiffin was considering an offensive coaching position with a pro team BEFORE signing day. Our coach continues to do things the right way.
 

bamahippie

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It is interesting that Coach Saban is NOT getting any credit for NOT hiding the fact that Lane Kiffin was considering an offensive coaching position with a pro team BEFORE signing day. Our coach continues to do things the right way.
Excellent point. And some of the same media dopes that were trying to make that a big deal, are now propping up the Roquan story to be a catalyst for change. Talk about both sides of the mouth!
 

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