"Buyer Beware: Quick guide to finding the right football coach!"

So, you just fired your head coach.

After spending tons of cash on search committees, interviewing prospective alumni, flying NFL candidates back & forth, and introducing the next era of football to the national media; your game plan has fallen apart.

You are not exactly sure what happened. Was it the critical mistake of not carefully examining a coach's off-the-field actions (like former Washington State/Alabama head coach Mike Price)?

Maybe the "How to find the right head coach" algorithm your board of trustees developed does not apply to football  (Notre Dame board of trustees fired coaches Bob Davie, George O'Leary, Tyrone Willingham and now Charlie Weis in a period of 12 years).

Either way, you are now scrambling for a public scapegoat and need to find the next savior to salvage any recruits and fans. Here are a few options to consider as you start your search:

Option #1 : "You win-We pay; We lose-You owe"

Should be the 'Golden Rule." Measure a coach on wins & losses and don't pay them until they prove themselves. Let them know upfront they have a base salary and you will pay them accordingly, but make a large chunk of their compensation contingent on success.

Million dollar contracts, national television payouts, and sponsorship deals should all be awarded at the end of a season. I am sure it will change the mindset of the team/coaches both on & off the field. The right coach will want the job and the person looking to leverage the status of their 'name' will stay far away.

Option #2 : "Executive Assistant Wanted"

So, you are looking far & wide for the next head coach and have turned up the heat for an heir apparent from one of the big name conferences. Unfortunately, you are so focused on the king-of-kings that you overlook the hard-working assistant. Take a chance!

Guys like (Steve) Sarkisian, (Chris) Petersen, and (Chip) Kelly are becoming household names at head coach, but only because someone took a chance when they were assistants. There is a long list of assistants coaches willing to take the next step, which could have your program smelling like roses in January.

Option #3 : "Walk the Walk; Don't Talk the Talk"

When looking for a football coach, stay far away from the guy with the three-piece suit. You need a football coach, not a politician to wine & dine the alumni or make fans feel all warm & fuzzy prior to the next game.

What happened to the days of hard-nosed coaches, whom disliked the media and just simply won football games. Now-a-days, a football coach has to kiss babies, sit with alumni & sing fight songs, or deliver pre-, in- and post-game interviews to the media to keep their job. Enough with all the pomp and circumstance!

Send your most decorated and accomplished football alumni into the battle fields to find a General. Let them know the future of this program is as much on their shoulders as it is yours. Disclose your selection committee and ask for forgiveness later.

Go into your rivals back yard, kick down down the doors and carry a big stick everywhere you go. Ultimately, you will find a coach who kicks harder than you and welcomes the challenge with no frills attached.

In summary, with more than one-thousand football coaches representing over 119 Division 1-A football teams across the nation, if you make a poor selection in hiring a head coach there is no excuse.

Let's start putting the selection committee on the hot seat. They can explain why the team is losing, the coach is being fired, sponsors are running for the hills and recruits are staying far away.

Until then, beware of the next head coach YOU interview as the repercussions are long-lasting.