I have a long time good friend who has been an assistant football coach for 25 yrs. I’ve seen the stress and pressure of the job both on and off the field on a personal level. We fished together this weekend as he finally had much needed time to get away as the season ended with a loss in their bowl game too. Its always interesting to get his take on goings on in college football, but I also take advice from Lynyrd Skynyrd when we are together: Don’t ask me about my business, And I won’t tell you goodbye/ If you want to talk fishin’ Well, I guess that’ll be okay.
He was at UNC during the Bunting years, then at Clemson with Bowden, joined Maryland with Edsall but got out of that ticking time bomb to join Narduzzi when he was hired at Pitt last year. Most assistants don’t get paid to be fired like the head coaches, they scramble to find another job. Charlie Weis being paid almost 25 million to NOT coach football was a topic we laughed at and shook our heads about. Also about TOB still cashing in from firing at State while slumming it in a million dollar ocean front home in Charleston. Point is most assistants don’t get the credit deserved when team has success but become the scape goat when a head coach fails. He told me a story that showed the short lived joy of the job. My friend is the running back/kick off team coach. His last season at Maryland, when they were down 6 with less than a minute to go, Coach Edsall told him to tell return man take a knee to save time. When it was kicked, the player ran it out for a touch down to win the game. Edsall was irate at him for the call, even thought they won, and to the point it was the start of the end of his time there.
Don’t get my point wrong, my friend loves his job. A job that even though only has security from season to season has allowed him to provide for his family well. And a job that never stops. He phone was never off, from calls from Narduzzi to calling a potential recruit between cast. A job that affects his family greatly with each move or firing. Moving, new house, new school, new friends, new town. Don’t get me wrong, they know its part of the business, only good as your next season or recruiting class, but it makes me see things different. I agree we need changes with football staff. I just don’t get as excited as some to see headlines when it happens.
