5 Current College Coaches With Questionable Ethics
College football is BIG business. We all like to pretend that it is all about academics and the notion of "student" athletes, but the billions of dollars pumped into college athletics, and especially football, belie that notion to a great degree.
The pressure to win, especially at some programs (and yes, I mean you Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida, USC, Alabama, etc...), is excruciating. Heck, Frank Solich was fired at Nebraska after going 10-3, and he's hardly the only coach at a big time program to have one down year and get the ax.
Many coaches at these big time programs have the temptation to try to find loopholes in the rules. While some programs have been almost above reproach--Penn State under the steady hand of Joe Pa, Ohio State, and some others--there have been other coaches who have been tainted by scandals of various types.
Pete Carroll became the poster child for college coaches with questionable ethics. It defies credulity that he had no inkling what was going on with the Reggie Bush saga as he professes--and when the proverbial ____ was about to hit the fan, he bolted for the NFL.
The following list is a listing of coaches who, to the casual observer and college football fan, appear to have somewhat, or very questionable ethics. Some of these have to do with actual or potential NCAA violations, others are more to do with their personal conduct. All of these coaches are from pretty big time programs (who cares what the coach at podunk U does).
Nick "I Am Not Going to Be the Alabama Coach" Saban
1 of 5
Now, I'm all for a guy advancing his career--and if Saban thought/thinks that heading to LSU from Michigan State, and then to Miami, and then to Alabama is "advancement", then who am I to argue?
I also have some sympathy for guys who don't want to spill the proverbial beans about a prospective job while still working for your current employer....
but c'mon. He flat out lied. He could have said something like "any coach would have to take a look at a prestigious job like Alabama", or "I would have to carefully consider that were it to become an issue". Instead, he chose the "I am not going to be the Alabama coach" route--and his image took a hit everywhere outside the state of Alabama.
This pretty much follows a pattern established at Michigan State and carried on to LSU for him, as well.
Get offered better job. Lie about it to the media and fans for several weeks. Take better job. Give media and fans from old job a figurative "bird".
Against any rules? Maybe not. Ethical? I would say otherwise.
Bobby "we Stink So I'm Qutting" Petrino
2 of 5
Here is another coach who, while I've never really heard their name in connection with a recruiting scandal--still leaves a bad taste in the mouth of college football fans (outside of Arkansas, that is).
Again, I have no problem with one advancing their career, and, certainly, things could have turned out differently for Petrino in Atlanta had Vick been on the football field instead of in jail. I also have some sympathy for guys in the middle of abysmal, losing, seasons. They have no job security.
However, to bail on your players DURING the season is just plain selfish.
Rich "We Stink So We Need to Practice Year Around" Rodriguez
3 of 5
Now we are getting into a coach that has admitted NCAA infractions--the first in Michigan's history--and they are on Rich Rod's watch.
Here are the details:
I guess that's what happens when you can't beat Ohio State (or Michigan State, or Iowa, or Illinois, or Purdue....).
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Lane "How Many Recruiting No-No's Can One Guy Make" Kiffin
4 of 5
Now, the USC scandals aren't Lane's fault--but he has plenty of screw ups of his own to account for from hiring coaches (including his dad) away from other organizations without going through proper channels, to recruiting violations, to leaving a program in the lurch.
Kiffin was all over the map with recruiting stuff last year. Maybe none of it rose to the level of getting an NCAA investigation going, but he did plenty. Saying recruits names in a radio interview to encouraging a staff member to tell recruits not to attend class (after he went to USC and wanted his recruits to follow him), to numerous other "shady" dealings.
In addition to that, many of his actions are just unprofessional for a division one college coach--squabbling with your employer (not that it would be hard to do with Al Davis as your employer), calling out other coaches in your league, publicly making fun of potential recruits of another school, and the list goes on and on with this guy.
Houston "I'll Hire Your High School Coach" Nutt
5 of 5
Where do you start with this guy?
He calls a press conference to turn down a job (Nebraska) that he was never offered in the first place to squeeze more money out of another school (Arkansas) whom he jilts later to go to a rival SEC school (Ole Miss).
He hires a highly touted QB recruit's high school coach in order to land the recruit.
He was so notorious for "over-signing" recruiting classes that the SEC passed the "Houston Nutt rule" to cap scholarship offers in any one signing year at 28.
Now, in his latest pathetic attempt to circumvent NCAA rules, he got former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was kicked off the Ducks team, to come to Ole Miss. It now looks as if the guy will actually be able to play (shame on the NCAA)--but this smacks of a "win at all costs" mentality.
Pathetic.
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