Being an administrator in a college athletic department is no easy task. We often outline the voluminous challenges one must face, from academic standards to fundraising to facilities management. This past week, however, has seen several examples of the very difficult task of managing human resources, and we’ve seen the flexibility required of officials having to handle the extreme fluidity of each unique situation. Like most things in athletic administrating, there is no set rule book for how to deal with coaching changes either potential or actual, and it requires a deft touch to handle scenarios correctly.
In the case of South Carolina this past week, AD Ray Tanner had to manage the resignation of legendary “Head Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier. Spurrier, the winningest head coach in Gamecocks history, resigned after a 2-4 start, citing a desire to get out of the way for the next rebuilding process. While some have argued he quit on his team, Tanner has been nothing but supportive of his outgoing coach, continuing to pay him through the rest of the season to the tune of $900,000 and saying all the right things at Spurrier’s final press conference. If Spurrier’s insistence that he is not “retiring but only resigning” caught Tanner by surprise, he hasn’t shown it, and has done an admirable job with a difficult situation.
If losing Spurrier midseason was unexpected, Southern California’s firing of Steve Sarkisian was downright painful. A lose-lose situation for all involved, AD Pat Hayden released his embattled head football coach with cause, citing multiple alleged incidents involving drunkenness. Public opinion varies regarding the firing, ranging from accusations that Hayden abandoned Sarkisian in a time of need to sad acceptance that there was no other course of action for USC to take. Regardless of position, being forced to decide between risking a program’s future and alienating a beloved employee is the type of quandary that keeps officials up at night.
Mid-season coaching changes don’t have to be as dramatic as the retirement of a hall-of-famer or the release of an embattled coach. In fact, sometimes no change is the best course of action, as is being seen at Fresno State. AD Jim Bartko not only wants to avoid making a change in the middle of the Bulldogs’ season, stating “nothing good comes out of midseason changes,” but also feels he can’t afford to. Head football coach Tim DeRuyter is guaranteed his annual base salary through 2018, a deal worth $4.6 million, so getting rid of him now, with a 1-5 record this season largely the result of an injury-riddled, young team, seemingly makes no sense. DeRuyter, who even if he loses the next six games will still have a .500 winning percentage at Fresno State, seems to be a lock to finish the season in place, and although that might make boosters irritated, makes perfect sense to Bartko.
Difficult choices are par for the course being a college athletics official, and managing the human resources side of the job can be the toughest part. This past week provided three clear examples why. Whether trying to figure out how to replace a legend, making the tough decision when to cut-ties with a struggling friend, or feeling powerless to make a change at all, it is clear why being an AD requires a nimble and dynamic mindset.
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