“Wow, just when you think the pieces to the puzzle are all in place, something big happens to create chaos and the picture changes. Ouch!” — Jerry Bovee, Weber State athletic director
Arkansas replaces wandering Bobby Petrino with a guy who left his alma mater before coaching his first game.
There are many reasons why Smith would take the Arkansas job, but none of them makes it the right thing to do. His departure from Weber State is an insult to his alma mater.
Kurt Kragthorpe, Salt Lake Tribune
Kragthorpe: John L. Smith’s move an insult to Weber State
April 23, 2012
Kragthorpe: John L. Smith’s move an insult to Weber State
April 23, 2012
Bad news this morning for Weber State University football fans. After a mere five months on the job as WSU head football coach, John L. Smith has resigened, and is headed off to "greener pastures." The Standard-Examiner carries the discouraging front page story this morning:
Here's a followup column from the S-E's Roy Burton:
Loyalty & Honor: Two words you'll find only in the dictionary in these greed-head modern times, we guess.
The Trib's sports columnist Kurt Kragthorpe is suggesting that WSU officials try to hire back Coach Mac.
So what about it WSU football fans? Could former WSU Coach Ron MacBride be lured back?
It would also be fascinating to find out how Smith managed to weasel out of his WSU contract, a story angle which is being entirely ignored by the internet sports media. A sneaky buy-out clause, perhaps, which rendered Smith's contract less valuable than the paper it was printed upon?
We'll also express our sympathy for Coach Smith's freshman recruiting class, who've essentially been tossed out like yesterday's trash. Once again it's the unpaid athletes who generate all the college athletics revenue who get sacrificed on the alter of college football's almighty dollar.
Who'll be the first to chime in?
Update 4/25/12 7:30 a.m.: In the wake of yesterday's news, the Standard is all over this story again this morning. Check out Roy Burton's S-E Sports Blog, where he provides a robust news roundup, concerning the national media attention swirling around this story:
Among other things, the resourceful Mr. Burton also answers our questions regarding Smith's WSU contract terms, which will minimally require the Arkansas Razorbacks to cough up a cool $25 Grand to satisfy Smith's buyout clause provisions (just for starters, we hope):
Seems that Smith also violated a contract provision requiring 30 days advance notice, according to Mr. Burton's story. We'll be interested in finding out whether WSU officials will demand that Smith "sweeten the pot" further for this willful breach of the terms of his written contract. Our view? WSU officials should stick it to Mr. Smith to the maximum extent the law allows, although it does appear from Mr. Bovee's quoted comments that WSU is likely to "go easy" on the Despicable Turncoat Coach.
It also looks like the re-hiring of Coach Mac won't be in the cards.
Update 4/25/12 8:00 a.m.: The Standard-Examiner editorial board jumps on the bandwagon this morning with the rhetorical query, "Is there anyone left in the NCAA willing to choose integrity over a pay hike and more time on ESPN?"
Of that, we have our doubts.
Update 4/27/12 7:30 a.m.: The Standard-Examiner provides a happy interim ending to this week's troubling situation, with a Roy Burton story reporting this morning that "On Thursday, [Jody] Sears was named Weber State’s interim football coach, mere days after Smith bolted without warning Monday to take the Arkansas job vacated by Bobby Petrino":
Sears, 44, will be the head coach for the 2012 season and will be re-evaluated afterward, Bovee said. The rest of Weber State’s staff remains intact and Sears will try to add another assistant soon, according to this morning's story.
Despite this week's turmoil, we'll be keeping our fingers crossed that the WSU football program will land on its feet for the 2012 season. Congrats to Weber State athletics director Jerry Bovee and the WSU athletics department, for making the best of a very bad situation.
4 comments:
It is interesting that the NCAA has restrictions on players transferring from school to school but no requirements on coaches moving. Anyway what color of motorcycle does John L. plan on purchasing?
Arkansas did it. Arkansas hired John L. Smith. Arkansas replaced one selfish, loathsome coach with another.
Good riddence....what classless human being...hope the team learns how not to be and rallies around this event and kicks some Big Sky buttocks....
"There are many reasons why Smith would take the Arkansas job" states Kurt Kragthorpe in the SLT. Kurt, Coach Smith had EXACTLY 720,000 ADDITIONAL reasons to leave WSU. Let him go. I'd rather sit in empty bleachers in a cold and windy downpour with an 0-10 team whose coach's word is his bond.
Post a Comment