Even in College Football, History Tells Us There Is Nothing New Under the Sun

As you can read on my bio here on Bleacher Report, I'm currently a History major here at the University of Washington. Ever since I joined this fine community, I've been searching for that magical topic in which I could blend my two loves: History and College Football.

The newest trend of handpicking a successor, a la Mike Bellotti (pictured above) choosing Chip Kelly to be his, is by no means a new invention. Indeed, one of the best examples goes back to a subject that is near and dear to my heart: the Roman Empire.

Jimbo Fisher at Florida State, Chip Kelly at Oregon, Joker Phillips at Kentucky, Will Muschamp at Texas, and James Franklin at Maryland have all been named the "coach-in-waiting" at their respective schools. In the same way, the Emperors of Rome named their successors, adopting them as their own son to legitimize their own power and to stabilize the Empire.

Here is the greatest comparison that you can make between the two—the idea of stability and continuity. In the current cutthroat recruiting climate, it can be a great help to a coach who may be close to retiring to point to a successor and say, "Even if I'm not here, you can count on coach X to see you through your four years."

Roman Emperors were the same way, but the stakes were much greater. Take for instance the Emperor Nerva, who was appointed after the murderous reign of Domitian. The Praetorian Guard, the bodyguards of the Emperor, were suspicious of Nerva's old age, lack of military experience, and lack of a child.

To placate them, Nerva adopted Trajan, the greatest general of his day, to be able to point to and say that the Empire would be in good hands.

Continuity is king, no matter what. 

For the coaches listed above, all are coordinators under their current head coaches and have deals that stipulate where their future lies. They become the de facto co-rulers of their respective programs.

Roman Emperors normally would name their successors as their co-consul, with the power to call the senate and make laws, called tribunician powers. This holds true for the successors of the head coach. Jimbo Fisher is more or less in control at Florida State, even if Bobby Bowden has the final say.

Obviously there are flaws with both systems, and the proof is in the pudding. The Roman Empire didn't last, and before long the problems inherent with the coach-in-waiting will show up.

On of the biggest issues comes up with minority hiring in major college football. By naming a successor, since it is a new invention, there is no need to interview candidates. In the same way, the naming of successors in the Roman Empire led to squabbles and power grabs, leading ultimately to instability.

The real overarching concern through all of this, which very often is rarely mentioned, is how well these coaches actually will do. Many of these coaches have never actually coached their own programs, and the step up can be daunting at times.

Jimbo Fisher was brought in to revitalize Florida State, and while they still go to bowl games, they are nowhere near where they once were. Chip Kelly, on the other hand, has set up one of the most efficiently terrifying offensive schemes in the country.

The step up can be daunting, however, and being a good coordinator is one thing, but there is a lot less pressure than being a head coach. In Rome, Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest of the Roman Emperors, named his son Commodus emperor, who within two years was murdered for being such a bad emperor.

The expectations are almost on an Imperial level for the coaches-in-waiting. They will be expected to carry on the traditions put in place by their predecessor, or in some cases improve on them. Continuity can be a double-edged sword, in that it leads to inflated expectation. 

It's safe to say that, currently, the "coach-in-waiting" title is one that will become ever more popular as time goes on. Whether you agree or disagree with it, it is here to stay for the time being. History will judge, in the end, whether or not this proves to be a successful experiment.

I obviously see the world through a different lens than say a lot of people—both as a history buff and from someone coming from a school that has been ultimately decimated by the turbulence following the departure of Don James. I'm interested in what fans of the above-listed schools feel about their coach-in-waiting.