Coaching Under Sanctions Not Such A Golden Opportunity
By Kyle Kensing
Al Golden has already proven he can turn a program from the dregs of football to conference championship contention. Temple’s run of futility spanned from Carter’s to Obama’s presidencies, but in a few short years he had the Owls winning. His track record landing him another rebuilding project, that of once-proud Miami from also-ran back to powerhouse. But this isn’t the rebuilding project for which Golden was initially tabbed.
Brian London has a report at CBSsports.com with the headline “Golden feels duped.” Boy, you ain’t kidding.
"“Coach Al Golden said Tuesday he had no knowledge, prior to taking the job that any allegations were being made. Wednesday he added he should have been made aware of the situation. ‘If they knew that this was percolating, I believe they had a responsibility to tell me and to tell (AD) Shawn [Eichorst].'”"
Yesterday’s post comparing Miami’s situation to the story arc of Breaking Bad suggests Golden is the Gale Boetticher character, an innocent staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. At stake is a very promising talent that could have had any number of jobs, especially had he spent another season at Temple with what could be the Owls’ best team ever. Penn State post-Paterno is a popular program associated with Golden — he’s an alum and as a linebackers coach there in 2000. But Golden’s profile was growing nationally. Not only was he winning at Temple, he won recruiting largely from the area.
Building a winner with recruits from an area not often associated with top flight prep football made Golden’s move to Miami especially intriguing. So vested was Golden and his staff in cultivating local talent, Temple football cards read “Winning the MAC Title with local talent.” Florida is renowned for its high school talent pool, and past Hurricane winners with built with players from that region. The almost certain reduction in scholarships the NCAA will level on Miami renders his recruiting ability null. Imagine him spending another season at Temple and landing the UCLA job should Rick Neuheisel be dismissed at season’s end. He would set up shop in another talent-rich region, and with a distinct edge over a crosstown rival hamstrung by the same restrictions likely facing Miami.
Such hinderences on a coach aren’t often taken into account when judging his performance. SMU is the benchmark for NCAA sanctions, and coaching tenures following the Mustangs’ Death Penalty had a short shelf life. Forrest Gregg lasted just two seasons after going 3-19; Tom Rossley finished 15-48-3 from 1991 to 1996; Mike Cavan and Phil Bennett lasted a combined decade, and in that time won just 40 games. Only June Jones has had success post-Death Penalty, and even his overall record is six games below .500. As for those other former Mustang head coaches, only Bennett coached at the FBS level since, and that was as an interim for Pitt’s BBVA Bowl win last season.
Terry Bowden enjoyed success at Auburn, where his first season was under an NCAA cloud akin to Golden. Bowden even sustained success for a few years, but as the grip of scholarship reductions took hold, the Tigers struggled and Bowden joined the ranks of sanctioned program coaches to never again man an FBS sideline. Lane Kiffin may find himself in a similar position to Bowden, as USC is certainly a solid team now but must truly be changed around 2014 after severe scholarship reduction has taken effect. And even an 8-5 finish that could have easily been 6-7 is a far cry from what USC experienced most of its pre-sanctions era.
Indeed, history does not reflect favorably upon the coaches who lead penalized programs. Fan bases, including donors, see only won-lost records when making a coaching hire without taking into account circumstance. And as a result, that’s what athletic directors making those decisions weigh. A coach as talented as Golden deserves better.