Nov. 24, 2004

By Matt Doherty

Special to CollegeSports.com

It's only November and already I'm reading about coaches that are "on the hot seat" -- slang for coaches who need to win "or else."

On October 15, Seth Davis and I got into a healthy debate about this topic, while preparing to go on the air for our Midnight Madness show on CSTV. Seth, a respected writer (even though he went to Duke) for Sports Illustrated, wanted to talk about coaches on the hot seat -- in October! -- and I took objection. We argued its relevance at length. I have some strong feelings about this media creation.

Here are a couple of my main concerns:

· Who are these "sources" that are so often cited? Unless you hear it from the AD or President of an institution, don't write about it. Or if you do, reveal the source. Wow, what a concept!

· By putting a coach on the "hot seat", you've put a huge obstacle in front of him, because other coaches use it against him. Why do you want to go there if that coach is going to get fired? This is known as the "Halo Effect" -- where by saying it, you've created it!

· Boosters stop believing in that coach -- and stop giving money unless there's a change. This puts ADs and Presidents in no-win situations.

Controversy sells!

It's not unlike the crowd that gathers on the street, as they watch a man standing on a ledge 40 stories up, contemplating whether to end his life or not. As the crowd swells, you hear the chant: "Jump! Jump! Jump!" Then when he fnally does, the people in the crowd disperse, mumbling, "How terrible! I can't believe he jumped!

What is the time frame for success? A coach feels that he has three years to turn the corner or he's history. This puts tremendous pressure on the entire staff, which leads to questionable decisions. Shouldn't the coach get to coach out his contract? Another great concept!

When coaches find themselves on the hot seat, they tend to make bad decisions by looking at the short term versus the long term. They may panic and sign a recruit they are not sold on if they feel it will satisfy the common naysayer for the moment. This puts that coach in a bad position, along with his institution. Also, try coaching a group of youngsters when you "feel the heat". Maybe you don't discipline appropriately. Maybe you let things slide to appease the players. Maybe you're so on edge that you're short with the people around you.

They make big money! It comes with the territory! I've heard this one often. Coaches would take less money if they received tenure like professors. It would be good for college basketball, too, because coaches wouldn't feel as much pressure -- and, therefore, wouldn't be as inclined to take shortcuts in recruiting or educating their players. Also, coaches wouldn't try to nail universities to the wall when they sense the opportunity to make huge money, if they felt they could survive a couple of bad seasons without the risk of getting fired. Plus, coaches wouldn't jump at jobs like they do now. Instead of "staying ahead of the posse," they would settle in for the long haul -- thus cementing better relationships with their players and universities (not to mention their wives and children who are uprooted time and time again).

College is different than the professional ranks because of recruiting and alumni giving. So what if an NBA coach is on the hot seat? Fans still come to the games. You can still sign a free agent. In college, however, it impacts recruiting and fundraising -- the two lifelines to a successful program.

How would a writer feel if he had to endure this every day? How would his wife feel when she goes to a grocery store and hears the chatter from aisle nine? How would his daughter feel when she came home from school crying, because her classmates made fun of her for having a dad who was in jeopardy of losing his job? How would his parents feel as they read bad things about their son in national

publications, or heard people rip their child on national television?

It's not good for the game, or the university, or the players.

Think about history for a minute:

· Dean Smith was on the hot seat after three seasons, with a record of 35-27. The students hung him in effigy after losing on the road to Wake Forest in January 1965.

· Mike Krzyzewski was called into AD Tom Butters' office after losing to Wagner during his third season. His record was 32-34. Believing he was going to be fired, Coach K received a contract extension from the savvy Butters.

· John Wooden, you're fired! The Wizard of Westwood may not have cut it in today's world of college basketball. While his record was 84-36 after four years on the job, he didn't win a postseason game until UCLA beat Seattle in the 1956 West Regional consolation game -- his eighth season at the school. He didn't win his first title until his 15^th year.

Imagine that! Three coaching legends would have never made it past "go" in today's game of College Basketball Monopoly.