Such waves do not always guarantee a smooth ride over the course of a season. Many things can go wrong. Eventually, some coaches “wipe out.”
Most firings come at the end of a season, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Miami’s Don Treadwell, for instance, was relieved of head coaching duties mid-way through last year.
For what it’s worth, here is a lighter side look at signs a football coach might be in trouble:
- The NCAA notifies you it is sending investigators to your office for a LONG chat.
- Each week, some of your coaching gear disappears. The school tells you it can’t order any more.
- Your office computer keeps booting up to a home page featuring moving companies.
- Your fancy free ride – courtesy of the boosters – is replaced with a golf cart that was “rolled” last year.
- The athletic director seems to be spending most of his time with the boosters and/or some “mystery” committee. He won’t return your phone calls or e-mails.
- You discover your motivational phrase-a-day calendar suddenly stops after the final game of the season.
- Real estate agents and their clients seem to be circling the block – hesitating in front of your house.
- Your wife keeps getting new favorite restaurants – increasingly farther from town.
- As the losing streak continues, your postgame press conferences always seem to begin with “I saw some good things out there” and end with “I don’t know. I’ll have to look at the tape.”
- You suspect assistants are substituting job searches for recruiting trips.
- Your weekly radio show now has 50 minutes of public service announcements. By Week 9, you see that as a good thing.
- The only shoe contract you can get for the next year is actually for shoe strings.
- The football office manager cries when you walk through the door.