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Clock runs out on Michigan State coach
Posted on November 1, 2006 6:06 PM
John L. Smith gets to be a lame duck football coach for the rest of the Spartans season.
Who would want to play for a lame duck coach? If I were the quarterback, I'd be telling everyone to go long for the SportsCenter bomb, and screw that off-tackle run that's been getting us two yards per play. What's the coach going to do to me, his ass is gone by Thanksgiving anyway.
Getting crushed by Indiana by 25 points in the Big Ten makes big giving alumni types sad. That in turn pisses off the college administrators and other hangers-on who lap up the donation gravy.
Coaches get fired for losing and becoming unpopular. A new coach at a sucky program gets a free pass the first year. If the NCAA put the program on probation for doing everything but sell nuclear bomb plans to Iran, the coach might get the benefit of the doubt for a second year. As long as they win a game or two more.
Coaches get fired for winning games if the only loss comes to a key rival. Ohio State and Michigan know all about this.
Drop a game to the bottom dweller in your conference, by getting just completely crushed where no one can tell if the players or the coaches quit first, and that pretty much gives the coach a choice of aisle seat or window for the trip out of town.
John L said this would be his last job. Enjoy that retirement, Johnny. I just don't see a job in alumni relations opening up for you at Michigan State, Louisville, Idaho, Utah State, or wherever else you've coached.
Technorati Tags: Fired, Michigan State, John L Smith, It was over when they lost their homecoming game