NFL Head Coaching Vacancies: NCAA Coaches need not apply
Over the weekend as I was sitting in the rainy cold air waiting for my cursed beloved Eagles to kick off what would amount to their 8th loss of the season, my buddies and I were discussing the NFL Coaching Carousel and which coaches we thought would be most likely to be shown the door.
Bobby Petrino was NOT one of them. Despite a miserable Falcons season, Petrino was in his first year, had made the leap from college to the pros, and presumably would be given a mulligan on the season given the distractions of Michael Vick and the inability of Petrino to install his offense.
Well…looks like Coach Petrino didn’t feel as comfortable with the Falcons as owner Arthur Blank did with him.
Bobby Petrino resigns from the Falcons, reportedly close to deal with University of Arkansas
It’s unusual for an NFL coach to resign mid-season, but it makes sense when said coach has a particular collegiate job on the line. If reports are to be believed, Petrino may even coach the Razorbacks in their upcoming bowl game.
Regardless of what you may think of this particular situation, any NFL owner and GM would have to be out of their minds to seriously consider a college head coach as their next NFL hire given recent history:
- Bobby Petrino (3-10 with Falcons) — Leaves Atlanta before the end of the regular season; returning to the college ranks just one season after leaving Louisville
- Nick Saban (15-17 with Miami) — Leaves LSU (where he won a national title) to come to Miami and departs after two losing seasons to return to the SEC (Alabama)
- Steve Spurrier (12-20 with Washington) — Leaves University of Florida (where he was an icon) to coach the Redskins, only to go back to South Carolina after two losing seasons in D.C.
- Butch Davis (24-35 with Cleveland) — Davis, a national championship winner at the University of Miami, returns to the pros as the Browns head coach only to deliver 3.5 seasons of ineptitude before being fired midway into the 2004 season
- Mike Riley (14-34 with San Diego) — Mike Riley puts in a solid 8-8 rookie season as the Chargers head coach, but then delivers 6 wins over the next two years before returning to the Pac-10
What’s amazing about this list is that, other than Mike Riley, each of these coaches were atop elite NCAA programs and basically had jobs for as long as they wanted them. But they each were drawn by the allure of the NFL; which has the perception of being the ultimate challenge for a football coach. But while the NFL is certainly the pinnacle in many respects, it’s a vastly different environment than the NCAAs.
I told you all that Atlanta would be fantasy Armageddon this year, but Falcons fans and owner Arthur Blank deserve better than what they’ve had to deal with this year.
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[…] I am on record against college coaches making the transition to the NFL; Coach Carroll is an exception. He is a 2-time NFL head coach and is, for all intents and purposes, […]
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