Chow, Muschamp Give College Football a Chance To Breathe

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve been tossed in an industrial-sized washing machine and the NCAA ordered two cycles on permanent press.

The last week has brought the coaching carousel to such a level that I’m glad we can step off before losing our lunch. January isn’t supposed to be the month of turnover in college football. That’s late-November and December. New contracts are supposed to cuddle up under the Christmas tree, not come well into the New Year.

But here we are.

Pete Carroll left USC to head to the NFL; Lane Kiffin ticked off people on both coasts (although the reception in the West was lukewarm) by using Tennessee as a stepping-stone to claim “the best job in America,” (Kiffin’s words, not mine); and Jim Leavitt was escorted out of South Florida after allegedly striking a player.

Whew, that’s a heck of a seven days. And I thought Brian Kelly heading to South Bend was going to be the pinnacle of the winter.

So I needed a day to refresh, a chance to digest what all of this means for college football fans across the country and the young players who are in the process of deciding where they are going to pursue their next set of academic and athletic endeavors.

Thanks to Norm Chow and Will Muschamp, we all have been given the opportunity to catch our breath. Sort of.

On Wednesday, I wrote that Norm Chow joining Kiffin at USC as the offensive coordinator made “too much sense.” Chow sculpted two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks at SC, experienced his most successful years in downtown Los Angeles, and had another up-and-coming wonder kid QB waiting for him in Matt Barkley.

I didn’t think anything would stop Chow from getting back on the cardinal and gold side of the USC-UCLA rivalry.

On Thursday, however, Chow announced he would be sticking at UCLA for the final season of his current contract.

“It’s an exciting time to be at UCLA,” said Chow. “I certainly understand the challenges, but I’m looking forward to what lies ahead at UCLA.”

The Bruins went 7-6 in 2009, and ended the season by beating Temple in the EagleBank Bowl. USC athletic director Mike Garrett reportedly went after Chow hard, offering the coach a large deal, but the dollars couldn’t sway Chow.

To me, it’s a surprise that Chow is sticking by his Bruins, but I don’t think he’s crazy. At the least, I can understand and respect what he’s trying to do at UCLA.

Chow has a young quarterback with potential in Kevin Prince to head his offense. Prince, who will be a sophomore next season, threw for more than 2,000 yards and completed approximately 56 percent of his passes as a freshman.

Head coach Rick Neuheisel has a presence about him, can recruit, and seems to have his kids at UCLA playing hard. Neuheisel wasn’t going to have UCLA winning the Pac-10 the moment he took his office in Westwood, but UCLA fans can see some light in Pasadena.

Chow has developed great college players while reaching the apex of college football. I have to believe he has enough money to live the kind of life he and his wife hope to live, and therefore UCLA represents the one thing keeping Chow in coaching: a challenge.

Returning to the glory days at USC and sending Matt Barkley to the NFL as a top-10 pick wouldn’t be outside of Chow’s capabilities. In fact, some may even refer to that as “expectations.”

But if Chow develops Prince into one of college’s most exciting quarterbacks and helps lead UCLA to, say, a Rose Bowl? It’s much more impressive. Not to mention, UCLA doesn’t have NCAA officials looking under their covers every morning like USC does.

Muschamp, on the other hand, probably could have written his own check to become the head coach at Tennessee. Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton made it known Muschamp was his first choice, and he was prepared to spend the dollars to make him feel like an elite hire.

Although Muschamp is the coach-in-waiting at Texas, it would be extremely difficult for a young coach to pass up such an opportunity. Mack Brown just signed an extension to remain at Texas well into this decade, and Muschamp had an opportunity to walk into a name-brand program in the SEC that happens to have a fan base to die for.

So, why didn’t he accept Hamilton’s offer, again?

It’s simple. Muschamp knows he will make his money when he takes over the program at Texas, and being a Longhorn through and through was more important to him than instant riches.

I find this decision fascinating because not many people know exactly what they want and stick to their ultimate dream.

Some people grow up wanting to be doctors but become managers of car dealerships because, at some point, the amount of schooling derails their hopes.

How many wannabe lawyers ended up being accountants because they wanted a sure thing without having to bury their heads in case studies for years?

Probably lots.

But not Muschamp. He takes pride in representing the University of Texas and its football program, and he doesn’t care how long it will take for Brown to saddle up and ride onto the first tee.

Longhorn fans would have been disappointed to see a great defensive coordinator like Muschamp leave, but they would have understood. Big breaks sometimes only come once, and everyone would have wished him the best. That’s the business as we know it.

I suppose the most refreshing aspect of it all is the loyalty Chow and Muschamp showed to their current employers while working in an industry that encourages cutthroat decisions and emotionless greed. Search the vocabulary of nearly every coach, and "enough" is rarely found.

It’s always more, more, more.

I have no ties to UCLA or Texas. I merely respect them as premier universities that both offer rich athletic histories. But, you know, there’s something nice about two men who appreciate the opportunities they have been given and their main desire is to finish their business.

It’s not very often we can pen those words in a world that puffs egos and buries humility.

All I know is, if Chow would have went to USC and Muschamp to Tennessee, my head would have exploded trying to rearrange the pieces once again.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at [e-mail] .