EDITORIAL: As the college football landscape continues to undergo monumental changes, we\u2019ve noticed there is a vocal group telling us what is wrong with so many of the changes. We\u2019ve also noticed that those in the vocal group are the same ones refusing to do anything to force the corrections. We ask, where are the coaches with the integrity to speak up?<\/p>\n
\u201cNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it\u2019s the only thing that ever has.\u201d That quote from 20th-century social anthropologist Margaret Mead was about social revolution. For our purposes, we are going to convert the world she references to the college football globe. And for our further purposes, the small group of citizens is the college football coaches. We will leave \u201cthoughtful\u201d and \u201ccommitted\u201d out of the equation for now. Sure, they are committed to their jobs and their programs. But it takes a certain level of intestinal fortitude to stand up for the game as a whole.<\/p>\n
Last month, Dabo Swinney went public with what could have been the first shot heard in the revolution. He did more than just complain about player tampering from another school. Swinney listed days, dates, times, and most importantly, he named names. He gave specifics about Luke Ferrelli being contacted by Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding while the linebacker was in class at Clemson. He was planting the flag for the movement of change in the game. It was rather Quixotic of him. \u201cIt’s total chaos. We have to fix this chaos that’s going on in college football,\u201d Swinney said during the press conference. \u201cAnd if there are no consequences for tampering, then we have no rules, and we have no governance. It’s really just that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n
But more than that, he called for his colleagues to do the same. \u201cI’ve had a bunch of coaches over the last week that have reached out to me,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cAnd they’re going, \u2018Well, let me tell you what’s happened to me. Let me tell you what I know. \u2029Let me tell you my story,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cI want to challenge all of those coaches that have reached out to me. I want to challenge all of them. You need to step up and call it out,\u201d Swinney said. \u201cOtherwise, don’t complain. You either step up and you be an example to young coaches in this profession and be people of integrity or just shut your mouth and don’t complain again.\u201d<\/p>\n
And you know how many coaches have publicly stepped up since that Swinney press conference two weeks ago? How many of the thoughtful, committed tribe of coaches have spoken up since Dabo\u2019s first shot? We will save you the trouble of Googling the answer. It is zero.<\/p>\n
The NCAA has launched an investigation into Swinney\u2019s claims against Ole Miss. There is also an investigation into Ole Miss for allegedly tampering with a player from Fresno State. No one from Fresno State has gone public, although the school reportedly has Swinney-esque receipts when it comes to the tampering of receiver Josiah Freeman.<\/p>\n
And how many of the remaining 134 coaches have filed a complaint with the NCAA? Just as importantly, how many have come out in public support of what Swinney is doing? We are still at zero. The lack of fortitude in college football coaches is noticeable, if not for any other reason, because they will be the first to complain about the system. Last Word’s college football reporters have seen it and heard it. Coaches talk about things that are wrong with the current system, but when it comes to naming names, other than everything being the fault of the NCAA, they have nothing to add.<\/p>\n
The conclusion starts to develop that the coaches are afraid. They don\u2019t want to call out a future employer or colleague with whom they will be sitting at many coaching functions throughout the year. There is a certain amount of practicality mixed with cowardice in that case. Nike is going to send a bunch of its coaches and their wives on an off-season trip, and your comfort in a social setting outranks doing what is right for your profession. Of course, the other potential answer is the whole pot-kettle thing. It\u2019s hard to call out others for something you have also done. The silence from the coaches leaves the audience to come to its own conclusions.<\/p>\n