In age of Twitter (and lawyers), college coaches no longer hold all cards

[Tugg Speedman]

In age of Twitter (and lawyers), college coaches no longer hold all cards
The Chicago Tribune
Teddy Greenstein
July 16, 2015


Michigan State football coach Nick Saban has a laugh with his players during media day in 1998. (Dale Atkins, Associated Press)

College coaches need a hug: Players have lawyers. And Twitter.




There's a holiday for every occasion, right?

Well, we need to add one more: Give a College Coach a Hug Day. If you haven't noticed, these leaders of young men are getting their butts kicked.

Before "union" entered the lexicon thanks to Northwestern's Kain Colter, coaches held all the cards.

Sure, top-flight high school athletes could jerk around a few programs by committing, decommitting and perhaps recommitting, but once they enrolled, they pretty much surrendered their rights. One-year scholarships and transfer limitations left athletes powerless.

Now they have lawyers. And Twitter. Not sure which is more lethal.

The eruptions at Illinois began when Simon Cvijanovic tweeted allegations of emotional abuse regarding injuries and "misuse of power" by football coach Tim Beckman. Didn't matter that Cvijanovic had only a couple hundred followers. All it takes is a few RTs for the lava to flow.
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Plaxico Burress took to Twitter on Wednesday to blast his college coach, Nick Saban. What got Burress hot and bothered was Saban's comment that Alabama's team chemistry was damaged when NFL draft grades were released days before the Crimson Tide's playoff game against Ohio State.

I haven't liked Saban save for his credible performance in "The Blind Side," but his point is valid. Better to release the draft grades after the final college game and extend the deadline for players to declare.

But Burress attacked Saban for looking his Michigan State players "in the face" and saying he was committed to staying — and then bolting for bigger bucks at LSU. This was nearly 16 years ago.

Burress is the guy dumb enough to have shot himself in a New York nightclub, but Saban took the PR hit. The public almost always sides with "unpaid" players (in quotes because tuition, room, board, clothing, career training and a stipend should be payment enough) over a coach with a reported salary of $7.1 million.

We reached this point because school presidents got greedy. They chose expansion and the promise of more cash in exchange for rivalries and ease of travel for athletes and family members.

And some coaches still think they're Bear Bryant. Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner tried to restrict top player Austin Nichols from transferring to more than 40 schools. Nichols hired a lawyer. Memphis caved, removing all conditions of his release.

So the next time you see a college coach, give him a hug. Then ask him when he'll follow the path of Brad Stevens, Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg in joining the pros.

[Jay Bee]

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