The 12-team College Football Playoff is going to make the coaching carousel even crazier.
With as many as 18 or 20 teams alive on the final weekend — the winner of Tulane-UCF would be in the field under a 12-team format — it’s going to be almost impossible to separate potential coaching moves from teams fighting for playoff bids.
“There’s a perceived urgency of getting a new coach in front of the players before the transfer portal opens even though last year 15 percent of the scholarship roster went into the portal anyway,” Dannen said. “It feels like there’s a little bit of a faux panic.”Just a few years ago, the bulk of the coaching moves played out following the conference championship games.
Conversely, Luke Fickell chose to pass on a chance to replace Kelly at Notre Dame because his Cincinnati team was in the drivers' seat for a Playoff bid. Notre Dame, which wasn’t interested in waiting around for Fickell's season to end, quickly promoted defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman. Over the last two weeks of the regular season, neither Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin nor Liberty’s Hugh Freeze were willing to shoot down rumors that they were involved in the search at Auburn, which ended with Freeze’s hire Monday. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that both of their teams cratered at the end of the season.
No other sport tolerates this. In the pros, contracts are actually enforced. The Orlando Magic, for example, can’t just try to go throw a lot of money at Erik Spoelstra from the Miami Heat whenever they want. Assistant coaches are a different story, which often happens in the NFL, but they are allowed to finish their previous jobs before making the move.
But it is disruptive and will be moreso as the Playoff expands. Bowl games are now viewed by a lot of schools as exhibitions, so it’s not a big deal if a coach leaves in December. But that simply can’t be the case going forward.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tom Herman Returning to College Football Coaching As New Head Coach at Florida AtlanticAfter two years out of college football, Tom Herman is returning to the sidelines as the new head coach at Florida Atlantic.
Read more »
Rose Bowl agrees to clear way for College Football Playoff expansionRose Bowl game organizers informed College Football Playoff officials Wednesday they are willing to alter agreements for the 2024 and '25 seasons.
Read more »
It's official: College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams for 2024 seasonThis expansion will increase the number and variety of college football teams capable of winning the Bowl Subdivision national championship.
Read more »
College football playoff expansion finally overcomes its Rose Bowl sunset problemIn nearly two decades as a reporter trying to explain why college football had such a convoluted, inefficient and financially-foolish championship system — countless investigations, news stories, columns and even two books — nothing defied reader belief like the power of a Southern California sunset jamming things up.
Read more »
Rose Bowl clears way for 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024: AP sourceThe presidents and chancellors who oversee the playoff still needed to give final approval on expansion. An announcement from the CFP is expected by Thursday, according to an AP source.
Read more »