The assumption heading into the 2020 football season, affected as it has been by the COVID pandemic, has been that the normal silly season of coaching moves would be diminished. After all, these athletic departments are bleeding out huge piles of money between all the COVID testing, reduced attendance, and reductions to the other forms of revenue.
That assumption appears to have been in error.
For one, because football is the main driver of revenue for athletic departments in college football, anything that can damage that revenue stream is all the more important. Go read our Inside Scoop on how failures within the football program are leaving the University with little leverage and somewhat beholden to what the big money donors want and expect from the athletic department.
Suffice to say, Tom Herman is not in great shape. Going 2-2 in a season in which the AD shelled out huge money to make the season happen because it was year four for the head coach and the senior season for the star quarterback is no bueno. When that 2-2 start includes a miracle win on the road against a 1-3 team achieved by your star quarterback? Less great for the head coach. When the triple overtime loss in the rivalry game was on pace to be a blowout but for more heroics from that quarterback? Really bad for the head coach.
When the star quarterback is the only player on the team standing for the school song with the fans after the game?
It's a metaphor really. It makes Sam Ehlinger appear to be the only Longhorn player for whom protecting the tradition of Texas football seems to matter. Of course he isn't, but when his hero-ball is the only thing between Texas and a 1-3 start with a blowout loss to the rival in a make or break season? Not great.
Someone has to pay for the rest of Texas' stadium and facility upgrades, and it may be people who currently don't want to make that donation unless they're also giving toward a buyout of Tom Herman's contract.
Meanwhile up in Manhattan, who's athletic department is similarly damaged by COVID, they've signed Chris Klieman to a six-year extension and 150% raise. Why? Because if money problems are going to be a big issue in the wake of the pandemic than you'd better be sure that the man in charge of your biggest revenue generator is the right guy!
Finally, we get this live grenade tossed into the mix:
Look everyone, there's a reason Lincoln Riley is the favorite for that job. Jerry Jones was definitely interested in poaching the brilliant Sooner coach last year but the Dallas Cowboys gig is not ultra appealing for a college coach who's making millions, in charge of personnel evaluation, and not beholden to an over involved owner/boss who thinks he understands football as well or better than his coach. Why do y'all think the Cowboys settled on Mike McCarthy?
Meanwhile the Falcons may currently appear to be a mess of a program, but they might be an alluring NFL gig for a lot of coaches and there's been smoke before about Riley potentially being interested in that gig. Maybe this timing is bad, maybe he'll be tempted but decide to carry on at Oklahoma where he has a great thing going, or maybe he'll leave.
Maybe Texas and Oklahoma will both be in the market for new head coaches in football. It is 2020, after all.
That assumption appears to have been in error.
For one, because football is the main driver of revenue for athletic departments in college football, anything that can damage that revenue stream is all the more important. Go read our Inside Scoop on how failures within the football program are leaving the University with little leverage and somewhat beholden to what the big money donors want and expect from the athletic department.
Suffice to say, Tom Herman is not in great shape. Going 2-2 in a season in which the AD shelled out huge money to make the season happen because it was year four for the head coach and the senior season for the star quarterback is no bueno. When that 2-2 start includes a miracle win on the road against a 1-3 team achieved by your star quarterback? Less great for the head coach. When the triple overtime loss in the rivalry game was on pace to be a blowout but for more heroics from that quarterback? Really bad for the head coach.
When the star quarterback is the only player on the team standing for the school song with the fans after the game?
It's a metaphor really. It makes Sam Ehlinger appear to be the only Longhorn player for whom protecting the tradition of Texas football seems to matter. Of course he isn't, but when his hero-ball is the only thing between Texas and a 1-3 start with a blowout loss to the rival in a make or break season? Not great.
Someone has to pay for the rest of Texas' stadium and facility upgrades, and it may be people who currently don't want to make that donation unless they're also giving toward a buyout of Tom Herman's contract.
Meanwhile up in Manhattan, who's athletic department is similarly damaged by COVID, they've signed Chris Klieman to a six-year extension and 150% raise. Why? Because if money problems are going to be a big issue in the wake of the pandemic than you'd better be sure that the man in charge of your biggest revenue generator is the right guy!
Finally, we get this live grenade tossed into the mix:
Look everyone, there's a reason Lincoln Riley is the favorite for that job. Jerry Jones was definitely interested in poaching the brilliant Sooner coach last year but the Dallas Cowboys gig is not ultra appealing for a college coach who's making millions, in charge of personnel evaluation, and not beholden to an over involved owner/boss who thinks he understands football as well or better than his coach. Why do y'all think the Cowboys settled on Mike McCarthy?
Meanwhile the Falcons may currently appear to be a mess of a program, but they might be an alluring NFL gig for a lot of coaches and there's been smoke before about Riley potentially being interested in that gig. Maybe this timing is bad, maybe he'll be tempted but decide to carry on at Oklahoma where he has a great thing going, or maybe he'll leave.
Maybe Texas and Oklahoma will both be in the market for new head coaches in football. It is 2020, after all.