In Memoriam 2016

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College football is only a month away. Strike up the band. Sing the Alma Mater. Recite the fight song! Saturday gridiron action is almost back!

With 21st century America's pastime right around the corner, and in light of recent developments in college sports, I thought the following article on powerful college coaches would be fitting. This article was submitted to us by Elena Verlee of Online Colleges. The original article can be found on the news blog at http://www.onlinecolleges.net/.

10 Colleges With the Most Powerful Coaches

by Staff Writers

July 17, 2012

Ideally, colleges should be well-known, desirable, and popular because of the high quality of educational resources they offer students and other members of the community. Yet, here in the U.S. that’s not always the case. Many schools’ academic programs are eclipsed by the overwhelming popularity of their sports teams, and for better or worse that has made the coaches and head administrators of these teams incredibly powerful figures that dominate what has now become a billion-dollar industry for colleges and universities.

Often, these college coaches command multi-million dollar salaries that outpace those of any other figures at the school (and the budgets of some entire departments) and may even hold quite a bit of influence over the college president and the direction of the school itself. While some coaches have done a lot to help schools, their athletes, and their image through their influence, others have abused their power and made some pretty poor and sometimes downright appalling decisions. The coaches that follow have been some of the most powerful in recent sports history and are well known for their winning streaks, high profiles, and in some cases, distressingly unprofessional misdeeds.

1. Penn State, Joe Paterno:

   
   Paterno was head coach of the Nittany Lions for almost 46 years and holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I coach. He coached five undefeated teams, won major and memorable games, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. In short, he was one of the winningest and most powerful figures in college football, yet that power had a dark side, as was revealed in 2011. Paterno was fired from Penn State when it was revealed that he not only had knowledge that assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was abusing young men but actively dissuaded other university officials from reporting him to the authorities. Celebrity, high salary, success, a long tenure, and the support of team boosters and college donors gave Paterno power at the university that he shouldn’t have had, influencing the decisions of the board and the president, making him almost impossible to fire, and ultimately causing harm to dozens of young men that could have easily been prevented. Paterno is perhaps one of the clearest and most saddening examples of a college coach who had too much power for far too long.

2. University of Alabama, Nick Saban:

   
   Those who are outraged by how much university administrators make only need to look at astronomically high coaching salaries to put things into perspective. Nick Saban currently holds the record for the highest salary ever paid to a college coach: $32 million over eight years, with use of a university airplane, two cars, and a country club membership to boot. It’s a testament to his power and status at the university that he was able to command this amount, and in 2008 Forbes called him the “Most Powerful Coach in Sports.” More than his salary, however, gained him this distinction. Saban was given complete control over the football program, including recruiting, coaching, business administration, and even marketing. So far, the investment seems to be paying dividends to the university, with a profit of $32 million in his first year of coaching alone and bringing in even more through donations from alumni and school supporters.

3. Ohio State, Jim Tressel:

   
   Think college coaches aren’t really all that powerful? Jim Tressel admitted in 2010 that he had knowledge of his players taking money and tattoos from a drug dealer, concealed this information and did not report it to authorities, let these players start in games, and after all that was defended by the university president for these actions. In fact, Ohio State president Gordon Gee stated that, “I’m just hopeful the coach doesn’t dismiss me.” Gee may have been joking, but there is some distressing truth in his statement about the skewed balance of power in college sports today. Despite his improper actions, Tressel still had the support of the school and the community, with fans showing up at a pep rally to support him. While he was ultimately allowed to resign (a controversial decision in itself), his reputation doesn’t seem to be as tarnished as it should have for his actions, and he now works at the University of Akron as a vice president.

4. Indiana University, Bobby Knight:

   
   Bobby Knight has worked for a number of college teams in his coaching career, each time helping the teams to turn around and become winners, most famously at Indiana where he led the Hoosiers to numerous championships, won several Coach of the Year honors, and was even asked to coach the U.S. Olympic team. Yet Knight is as famous for his fits of temper as his high win count. During his tenure at Indiana he spewed profanities during an NCAA tournament news conference; kicked his son, an IU assistant, and responded with a four-letter obscenity to Indiana fans behind him who booed; refused to let his team finish an exhibition game against a Soviet team; and even purportedly choked one of his players. During all of this bad behavior, Knight was never under any threat of being fired by university president John Ryan who said he couldn’t fire Knight because of the alumni. In fact, it wasn’t until Ryan was replaced as president that Knight was ousted, with Myles Brand making a name for himself at the university for those actions. However necessary, Brand would face outrage, protests, and even threats for his actions, which in retrospect were long overdue and well within his power.

5. Florida State, Bobby Bowden:

   
   Bobby Bowden is one of the most decorated coaches in college sports history, winning an impressive 389 games (though some of those wins were vacated after it was revealed that ineligible players were on the field). Bowden may have an impressive record, but he’s another coach who held perhaps a little too much sway at his college. In 2008 the head of the Board of Trustees asked Bowden to step down in light of recent losses and Bowden’s advanced age (at the time, he was turning 80). Bowden responded that he would let them know if he wanted to come back or not, publicly demonstrating for all to see who was really in control of the situation. Even the governor of Florida announced that he supported Bowden if he chose to return to coach and that he considered him one of the greatest coaches of all time, wishing him luck for the season. Bowden would eventually retire on his own terms, but his power over the university and the community makes him stand out as one of the most influential coaches to ever work in college sports.

6. University of Louisville, Rick Pitino:

   
   The only coach to ever lead three separate teams to the Final Four, Rick Pitino was a college sports heavy hitter, a fact that was also evidenced by his incredible $7,531,378 a year salary. Yet his position at the school, perhaps cemented by this winning history, was so solid that even a major scandal couldn’t shake it. Despite his contract stating that Pitino could be fired for “acts of moral depravity or misconduct that damage the university’s reputation,” he held onto his job after it was discovered that he had sexual relations with a woman in a Louisville restaurant then paid her to have an abortion and keep quiet about the tryst. Those actions may have done damage to the university’s reputation, but university president James Ramsey decided that the damage would be worse if the school lost Pitino, allowing him to stay on as coach. After this year’s winning season and healthy prospects for next year, Ramsey probably feels pretty justified in that decision, though he’s made it quite clear where the university’s priorities lie.

7. University of Florida, Urban Meyer:

   
   Urban Meyer is in the top echelon of college coaches when it comes to salary, pulling in a contract with the University of Florida that promised him a whopping $24 million over six years. He has since moved on to Ohio State, where he commands $4 million a year, bonuses, and the use of a private jet. Unlike many others on this list, Meyer has generally held himself above many of the problems that have affected other powerful college teams, a big part of what helps him command such a high salary. Yet when he resigned from Florida in 2009, some pointed to serious problems with the team, including drug use, preferential treatment, entitlement, and scholarship manipulation. Meyer has denied these allegations, but with misbehavior and rule violations so prevalent in college sports and kept so deeply under wraps by embarrassed schools, it may never be known what truly happened.

8. Duke University, Mike Krzyzewski:

   
   Sometimes just called Coach K, this Duke coach has led his team to four NCAA championships, 11 Final Fours, 12 ACC titles, and 13 ACC championships. He’s also the coach of the men’s national basketball team, winning gold at the 2008 summer Olympics and hoping to lead this year’s team to a repeat victory. For his expertise, he’s paid pretty well, pulling in a whopping $4,195,519 during the 2010-2011 season. What’s more, he seems to have thus far avoided many of the scandals that have plagued other high-profile coaches, instead being better known for helping ensure almost all of his players graduate. He did raise eyebrows with recent comments in defense of Paterno, stating that the iconic coach’s record of winning shouldn’t be wiped clean because of recent revelations of misconduct. Many have found this distressing, as it reflects and increasingly common attitude that gives winning games more importance than doing the right thing.

9. University of Connecticut, Geno Auriemma:

   
   So far, all the coaches on this list have been for men’s sports, but there are some women’s sports coaches who stand out for their power on college campuses as well. Geno Auriemma is one of those coaches. He has led the Huskies to seven NCAA Division I championships, won six Naismith College Coach of the Year awards, and is the head coach of the U.S. women’s national team in this year’s Olympic games. He has long enjoyed a rivalry with Pat Summitt of the University of Tennessee, with each vying to coach the best women’s basketball teams. While Auriemma has largely enjoyed a spotless record at UConn, a recent lawsuit may tarnish that, as an NBA official for the Olympics claims Auriemma harassed her and then had her fired. The allegations may be proven to be false, but for now many are hoping that the legal trouble doesn’t distract Auriemma from coaching the women’s team to victory.

10. University of Tennessee, Pat Summitt:

    
    As unfair as it may be, women’s sports often don’t get as much attention on college campuses, nor do their coaches. Yet Pat Summitt made a name for herself during her tenure at the University of Tennessee coaching the Lady Volunteers basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history in either men’s or women’s basketball, for all divisions. During her time at Tennessee, Summitt led her team to eight national championships, earning 1,098 victories during her 38 years as coach, and never once having a losing season. In both 1997 and 2000, Tennessee asked Summitt to coach the men’s team, an unprecedented move, but Summitt declined the offer, opting to stick with the women’s team. She was so well-regarded as a coach that she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 by Barack Obama. That’s a kind of power and prominence that no other coach on this list can match.

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!


To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info. 
The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

Lately, the Hat Trick has been sharing the best of the Twittersphere with you. Today we have a guest article from Carol Brown of Online College. If you are looking for the bet that the merging of coaching and Twitter have to offer, check out the following. The original article can also be found at the blog at http://www.onlinecollege.org/. Thanks again, Carol!

50 College Coaches You Should Follow on Twitter

In the world of college sports, Twitter is a divisive subject. Many coaches go so far as to ban their players from using the social networking site for fear it will distract players or be used as a vehicle for trash talking. Then there's the ambivalent group, the coaches who don't block players from using Twitter, but will probably go to their graves without ever sending a tweet themselves. But some forward-thinking coaches have embraced Twitter as a way to connect with die-hard fans and give them news and info that can't be had anywhere else. These 50 are the ones who do that the best.

Basketball

1. John Calipari: This three-time National Coach of the Year will keep you up to date with news from current and former players from the reigning Division I men's hoops championship team at University of Kentucky.
2. Billy Donovan: More than 70,000 followers keep in touch with this successful head of the Florida Gators men's program, who tweets team news like updates on the all-important recruiting situation.
3. Chris Collins: Collins is a former high school and college b-ball star and an up-and-coming associate head coach at Duke under the legendary Coach K. Keep an eye on this kid by following his Twitter feed.
4. Seth Greenberg: Although he was recently let go after nine years as the head coach of Virginia Tech's men's basketball team, this 2005 ACC Coach of the Year will land on his feet. In the meantime, he's tweeting basketball wisdom from his years of experience.
5. Scott Nagy: South Dakota State made a decent showing in March Madness this year, giving eventual Elite 8 team Baylor a run for their money. Coach Nagy runs a fun Twitter feed, but don't be surprised if he corrects your spelling.
6. Bill Self: Every basketball season, there are a few usual suspects for who will make the Final Four. Kansas is one of those, so Coach Self's feed is a can't-miss.
7. Scott Drew: Coach Drew has completely transformed Baylor men's basketball, taking them from a 1-15 team to a serious championship contender. He's got a lot to be happy about, and his positive tweets show it.
8. Jim Carr: Longtime Rutgers coach Jim Carr recently took a job as an assistant coach at University of Rhode Island. He brings his reputation for wit and politeness to his Twitter feed.
9. Gary Blair: He must be doing something right. Under Coach Blair's guidance, the Texas A&M women's basketball team won it all in 2011. He's your best source of women's hoops news from Aggieland.
10. Marvin Menzies: His success at New Mexico State has had other schools trying to lure him away. For the near future, Coach Menzies goal is for the Aggies to improve on their disappointing first-round tournament exit in 2012.
11. Kevin McGuff: @CoachMcGuff says the University of Washington has "some of the most intense women's basketball fans in the country." He tries to keep them informed with this Twitter feed.
12. Steve Wojciechowski: This associate head coach at Duke is a serial tweeter, offering recruiting updates, inspiring quotes, and chats with Blue Devil hoops fans and former players-turned-pros.
13. Pat Summitt: The famous "head coach emeritus" has recently begun tweeting again, keeping followers informed of Volunteer news and information about her foundation that deals with early-onset dementia.
14. Tom Crean: After seeing success as Marquette's head coach, Crean inherited a struggling Indiana team in 2008 that he led to the Sweet Sixteen this year. Subscribing to his Twitter feed is a good way to keep tabs on this coach whose stock continues to rise.
15. Cliff Warren: Jacksonville U head coach Cliff Warren provides a good variety of tweeted material, regular featuring uplifting quotes and stats from pastors, former coaches, and successful businesspeople, in addition to team and school updates.
16. Chris Mack: Xavier is a solid postseason team led by Coach Mack and his excellent 50-17 record. But his Twitter feed proves he's not afraid to mix it up with fans or to share his thoughts on life as a husband and dad to two little girls.
17. Jay Wright: Villanova hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 2008. They're always a team to watch and if Coach Wright keeps up the frenetic pace of his tweets come basketball season, this will be a feed to follow.
18. Bacari Alexander: Assistant coach Alexander "strives to be a leader" for Michigan's men's basketball. His feed is a composite of positive quotes from A Godly Life, Inspirational Quotes, African Proverbs, and other Twitter feeds.
19. Kim Mulkey: Mulkey's coaching no doubt had a lot to do with Baylor women's 40-0 2011-2012 season, the first ever in NCAA history. However, the possibility of sanctions looms. Stay tuned into this feed for news.

Football

20. Lane Kiffin: Who knows what this polarizing USC head coach will take to Twitter to do next? Commit a recruiting violation? Wish Britney Spears happy birthday? The only way to find out is to follow along.
21. Les Miles: Some consider Coach Miles' Twitter feed to be perfect. Follow the LSU head coach and decide for yourself.
22. Lou Holtz: OK, technically he hasn't coached since 2004. But that year was Lou Holtz's 45th year of coaching in both college and the NFL, meaning the guy knows his stuff and is worth keeping up with.
23. Mike Leach: He's been called a "bully" and a "certified nut job." Can Coach Leach get it together and return to his glory days coaching at a major program like Texas Tech? Find out here.
24. Will Muschamp: In 2010, Muschamp took over at Florida from the winningest coach in SEC history, and things have gotten off to a rocky start. Follow along as he tries to restore the Gators to the high level of success they're used to.
25. Daon Roberts: This WVU assistant coach has all the makings of an intriguing tweeter: Harvard-educated professor, connoisseur of catfish, and sweet tea sommelier. Check him out.
26. Jim Mora: Former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora just signed a five-year contract with UCLA. He's fired up to be coaching again and it will be interesting to see where he can take the Bruins.
27. Steve Sarkisian: Coach Sark does a lot of work with Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and uses his Twitter feed to keep followers updated on it, in addition to news on his #21-ranked Huskies.
28. Hugh Freeze: The Ole Miss head coach regularly posts encouraging tweets with the tag #wintheday, with a healthy dose of fishing trip pictures thrown in for good measure.
29. Butch Jones: The 2011 Big East Coach of the Year keeps fans abreast of Cincinnati football developments. They're coming off a strong 2011 season capped by a bowl victory over Vanderbilt and look to maintain that momentum this year.
30. David Shaw: You may have seen Coach Shaw working as a commentator for the NFL Network's coverage of the draft. His day job is coaching the Stanford football team (hopefully) back to a bowl game without Andrew Luck running the offense.
31. Joker Phillips: Kentucky football may not enjoy the same success as the men's basketball team, but coach Joker Phillips keeps fan interest alive by regularly picking up the team, its achievements, and events on his Twitter feed.
32. June Jones: Southern Methodist is looking to go out on a high note before it leaves Conference USA for the Big East. Follow along from recruitment to the post-season, if there is one, on Coach Jones' feed.
33. Mike Gundy: Mike Gundy is the man who's turned Oklahoma State into a top-tier football program. Check up on his tweets for everything that's happening with the Cowboys.
34. Bret Bielema: This coach led Wisconsin to a great 2011 season that included a Big Ten championship. Their recruiting for this year has been solid and their prospects for the 2012 season look like they'll make for some happy tweets.
35. Kevin Sumlin: The former Houston head coach is looking to reverse the sagging fortunes of his new team, the Texas Aggies. You and the Aggie faithful can get your introduction to the new coach here.
36. Jemal Singleton: OSU running backs coach @CoachSings provides a refreshing change to the priority schedule for many coaches. His bio proudly states it's "faith+family+football."

Baseball

37. Mike Bianco: As of this writing, Ole Miss is safely into the NCAA tournament. Coach Bianco should be tweeting updates — like what movie they're watching on the bus — along the way.
38. Billy Kennedy: This Texas A&M "bus driver" (school slang for coach) has the eighth-ranked Aggies in prime position for a run at a national title, so keep an eye on their progress from the coach's spot on the bench.
39. Chad Holbrook: Check out the tweets from associate head coach Chad Holbrook as the South Carolina Gamecocks seek their third national championship in the last three years.
40. Jim Morris: Miami has clenched a berth in the NCAA tournament, but they've been dealing with injuries late in the season. See if Coach Morris can lead them to a deep postseason run, and get the details here.
41. Sunny Golloway: A strong late-season push should be enough to secure a tournament bid for the Sooners. Send your thoughts to coach Golloway as they make their run, or just enjoy his positive #keepfighting, #onepitchatatime, and #wineverypitch tags.
42. Steve Smith: Baylor head coach Steve Smith invites you to "Follow to get his view from the dugout." It's a great time to be a sports fan at Baylor, and the baseball is no exception, so jump on the bandwagon.
43. Tracy Smith: Indiana's head coach runs this feed that keeps fans connected with Hoosier stickball news, with some personal thoughts and major league baseball takes from Smith.

Other Sports

44. Randy Waldrum: The Twitter feed for the head coach of the women's soccer team at Notre Dame is worth following on the strength of one funny tweet: "Just got locked in the bathroom @ ND for 45 minutes…had to be rescued through the ceiling!"
45. Nikki Izzo-Brown: West Virginia women's soccer had a solid 10-4 season last year. Coach Izzo-Brown will keep you connected with the team's schedule, as well as her interest in the fight against breast cancer.
46. Rico Blasi: He's the most successful hockey coach in Miami University's history. Follow Coach Blasi as Miami gears up to take to the ice this fall.
47. Tom Anastos: Michigan State hockey currently holds a solid pre-season ranking of 15th in the country. As training heats up, this is the feed to follow for all your Spartan rink news.
48. Patrick Murphy: Alabama's softball team holds the #2 spot in the nation's rankings right now. If you want to know something about their coach before the NCAA tourney starts, this is the place to look.
49. Stacey Nuveman Deniz: Somehow this former gold-medal Olympian finds time in between coaching softball at San Diego State and raising a "bouncing baby boy" to keep her followers up to speed on her life.
50. Rhonda Revelle: Nebraska softball head coach Revelle alternates her tweets between inspiring quotes and news from around the Cornhusker baseball and softball diamonds.

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

Pat Summitt - Farewell to a Legend

Now retired University of Tennessee Head Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt is the winningest coach in the history of college basketball – men’s or women’s basketball. Last year, Summitt revealed she was diagnosed early onset-dementia Alzheimer’s. She coached the 2011-2012 season, ending with the Lady Volunteer’s elimination in the NCAA Tournament last month.


ONE FOR THE AGES

While coaching the Lady Vols for the last 38 years, the 59 year old Summitt led the Lady Vols to eight national titles. But her on the court success is just one part of Summitt’s legacy. The manner in which she helped vault women’s basketball on to a grander stage during her coaching tenure cannot be understated.

Sports fans like excellence. Sports fans like dominance. Sports fans flock to events that are headline worthy. Summitt’s Lady Volunteers, among a select few other programs (like Louisiana Tech, Connecticut and Stanford), offered that element of attraction to the women’s game. Summitt’s pioneering as a coach bred a climate of interest around the women’s game that made the WNBA – the only major women’s professional sports league in America – possible.


LEGACY
Summitt mentored countless young women into successful careers in playing, coaching, and in post collegiate, non-sporting life. Not yet age 60, it is somewhat tragic that Summitt’s career is ending more on the terms of Father Time and her health than her own professional terms. All good things must come to an end. With 1,098 career coaching wins, her legacy is rock solid and she will, no doubt, be honored and recognized for he life’s achievements for quite some time.

I am not a big women’s basketball fan. But I will tune in to the women’s game when the story gets good. I will usually watch NCAA Tournament games. For a short time in my college days, when I had time to consume everything on the sports buffet, I followed the women’s game quite closely. Pat Summitt is one of a select few people responsible for the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of sports fans like me who attribute credibility and give respect to the women’s game (and women’s sports in general).


 
 
Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

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