How Are Coaches Rated?
Many people say that "Tress" is great because he wins the Big10, beats UofM, and has a clean program. So, let's talk about the standards by which big time coaches are measured.
I believe this is the order of importance (for top tier programs in the US):
1. Record - must be good enough to get into the top BCS bowl games, because that's where the $$ is at
2. Bowl Wins - helps with recruiting, university prestige, and preseason rankings which leads to better BCS points once the BCS ratings come out, plus the fact that bowl games bring in HUGE $$ to universities
3. Bowl Appearences - Excellent - goes back to the $$ factor
4. Conference Titles - conference titles are important to universities for the sake of prestige, but they really mean diddly squat in comparison to big time bowl appearances and bowl wins. Saying that Conference Titles mean alot is like saying an NFL coach is great if he wins his division but loses in the first round of the playoffs each year, it only means something if you win in the post-season. Otherwise, it's just a banner you hang up, who cares?
5. Rivalry Wins - every college team has a rivalry, few (none really for obvious reasons) are like OSU-Michigan. While it means a lot to the fans, it still falls to 3rd or 4th on the importance list. For Ohio State, it probably falls #3, but with most colleges...it's #4.
6. Clean Program - This is actually #1 in the sense that ANY coach that doesn't run a clean program will get run out of town because the risk is TOO GREAT to the universities. I think we all know that the NCAA doesn't fool around, they love to find infractions. If a coach has too many infractions, he's gone. But, putting this #1 is like saying "gas in your car" is the most important thing to look for when comparing cars. Of course it is, that's the same for everybody...it's obvious. With that being said, there are coaches that run cleaner programs than others, and Tress seams to be one of the best. That's great, and is important to administrators. But, kind of like the "Gas" example...it's mandatory for everyone now-a-days so it's already expected. Therefore, the small nuances of a clean program that doesn't cause major NCAA violations is probably the 5th most important aspect for head coaches. College football is a money game now-a-days, and winning means everything. College football pays for every other university sport except basketball at most major universities, tha's why appearing and winning big bowl games are VERY important.
7. Recruiting - If you manage to get through the first 6 with flying colors but somehow don't recruit well, a coach will still be OK. But, recruiting is kinda like the cart behind the horse, if you're succeeding in records, bowl wins, and conference titles, you're probably recruiting well. If you're not, you're finding talent somewhere, and no one cares as long as you're winning.
Tressel's Review for the last few years.
#1 - Record: Good, not great because he's had an incredibly WEAK schedule with a HIGHLY ranked team each year that hasn't been able to beat a higher ranked opponent 1-time in the past few years. Therefore, his score is only good.
#2 - Bowl Wins: Sucks
#3 - Bowl Appearances: Excellent
#4 - Conference Titles: Great
#5 - Rivalry Wins: Great
#6- Clean Program: Great
#7- Recruiting: Very Good
Tressel has a "Good" and "Sucks" rating for the two most important factors of a head coach. However, it's easy to see why he has so many apologists because all of the other ratings are good to excellent. Unfortunately, they're not the most important things in college football today, and that's why we're here. We want Tressel to be "Great" on the top two, not the bottom five reasons.
The truly sad part is this, Tressel could be excellent at all 7 aspects, but I believe his control freak nature and stubborness that comes with most head coaches keeps him from becoming one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. Instead of the former, he has sites like this with 100,000 hits in a week after big time losses and a 1-3 bowl record for the last 4 years with no wins against top ranked teams in the last few years.
If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong. -Charles Kettering
better yet....
It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows. -Epictetus
I believe this is the order of importance (for top tier programs in the US):
1. Record - must be good enough to get into the top BCS bowl games, because that's where the $$ is at
2. Bowl Wins - helps with recruiting, university prestige, and preseason rankings which leads to better BCS points once the BCS ratings come out, plus the fact that bowl games bring in HUGE $$ to universities
3. Bowl Appearences - Excellent - goes back to the $$ factor
4. Conference Titles - conference titles are important to universities for the sake of prestige, but they really mean diddly squat in comparison to big time bowl appearances and bowl wins. Saying that Conference Titles mean alot is like saying an NFL coach is great if he wins his division but loses in the first round of the playoffs each year, it only means something if you win in the post-season. Otherwise, it's just a banner you hang up, who cares?
5. Rivalry Wins - every college team has a rivalry, few (none really for obvious reasons) are like OSU-Michigan. While it means a lot to the fans, it still falls to 3rd or 4th on the importance list. For Ohio State, it probably falls #3, but with most colleges...it's #4.
6. Clean Program - This is actually #1 in the sense that ANY coach that doesn't run a clean program will get run out of town because the risk is TOO GREAT to the universities. I think we all know that the NCAA doesn't fool around, they love to find infractions. If a coach has too many infractions, he's gone. But, putting this #1 is like saying "gas in your car" is the most important thing to look for when comparing cars. Of course it is, that's the same for everybody...it's obvious. With that being said, there are coaches that run cleaner programs than others, and Tress seams to be one of the best. That's great, and is important to administrators. But, kind of like the "Gas" example...it's mandatory for everyone now-a-days so it's already expected. Therefore, the small nuances of a clean program that doesn't cause major NCAA violations is probably the 5th most important aspect for head coaches. College football is a money game now-a-days, and winning means everything. College football pays for every other university sport except basketball at most major universities, tha's why appearing and winning big bowl games are VERY important.
7. Recruiting - If you manage to get through the first 6 with flying colors but somehow don't recruit well, a coach will still be OK. But, recruiting is kinda like the cart behind the horse, if you're succeeding in records, bowl wins, and conference titles, you're probably recruiting well. If you're not, you're finding talent somewhere, and no one cares as long as you're winning.
Tressel's Review for the last few years.
#1 - Record: Good, not great because he's had an incredibly WEAK schedule with a HIGHLY ranked team each year that hasn't been able to beat a higher ranked opponent 1-time in the past few years. Therefore, his score is only good.
#2 - Bowl Wins: Sucks
#3 - Bowl Appearances: Excellent
#4 - Conference Titles: Great
#5 - Rivalry Wins: Great
#6- Clean Program: Great
#7- Recruiting: Very Good
Tressel has a "Good" and "Sucks" rating for the two most important factors of a head coach. However, it's easy to see why he has so many apologists because all of the other ratings are good to excellent. Unfortunately, they're not the most important things in college football today, and that's why we're here. We want Tressel to be "Great" on the top two, not the bottom five reasons.
The truly sad part is this, Tressel could be excellent at all 7 aspects, but I believe his control freak nature and stubborness that comes with most head coaches keeps him from becoming one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. Instead of the former, he has sites like this with 100,000 hits in a week after big time losses and a 1-3 bowl record for the last 4 years with no wins against top ranked teams in the last few years.
If you have always done it that way, it is probably wrong. -Charles Kettering
better yet....
It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows. -Epictetus
Some very good stuff to consider. Again, another clearly well considered post.
I'd like to share something that's been bouncing around my head for the past several days since the news of Joe McKnight broke and it ties into part of your post above, running a clean program.
Lest all you Tressel defenders who visit and care to read our numerous posts think I'm some kind of ogre who wishes ill will on The Vest, rest assured I give credit where credit is due. I give Jim Tressel credit for largely keeping his players off the police blotters and out of trouble, especially when you compare that to some of the recent news out of LA concerning USC and even Oregon, the Buckeyes Rose Bowl opponent. In case you missed it, USC football is again under investigation for "concerns" and possible improper benefits to players. USC has had a history of this since Saint Pete became coach but they've always managed to keep it from derailing the program. Maybe that chicken has finally come home to roost with Joe McKnight's infractions, right in front of USC coaches, players and administrative personnel. Add in a few USC players being ruled ineligible for their non-BCS bowl game and it's starting to look like the sterling Pete is perhaps tarnishing. Oregon hasn't been pinned with any possible "improper benefits" concerns but the LeGarret Blount "punch heard round the NCAA" set an auspicious beginning and now two players have been ruled academically ineligible to play in the Rose Bowl.
The Buckeyes have so far managed to avoid these headlines and that is clearly a reflection of Tressel's leadership. Well done. HOWEVER, as I've said before that is PART of his job and he is handsomely compensated to do his job and he shouldn't necessarily get extra credit for doing his job.
Nonetheless, I am proud of the fact that, aside from Maurice Clarett, the Bucks have been largely clean and upstanding citizens. (Yes, I remember Bellesari's DUI issue and Troy's unfortunate ticket selling issue but those are really nothing compared to Reggie Bush and now McKnight)
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Whoops! Guess I haven't been keeping up on the news from Columbus as much as I should've these past few weeks.
SO, it turns out I jumped the gun and gave credit where it appears none was due. I just read that a small practice squad sized group of Buckeyes won't be making it to Pasadena for a variety of reasons. As it turns out, Ray Small, Rob Rose, Duron Carter and Bo Delande have been suspended for a variety of reasons.
Thus it seems I gave The Vest more credit for running a tight ship than is perhaps deserved and it seems suspending players for bowl games is now de riguer.
Guess we can't fault The Vest for at least following one football trend.
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Thanks for all the posts...
I was wondering about your post when I first read it, I thought maybe you were going for some sarcastic angle at first, then I realized you probably hadn't heard the news yet. All of that happened shortly before your post. Funny thing is, the "clean" program thing and "keeping guys out of trouble" has been the "go to" argument for many of the apologists. Now, he's heading into this bowl game with a losing bowl record and minus 3 players, 2 of which are pretty damn important.
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Wanted to add something about Tressel's rating as you've stated ...
I mostly agree but I honestly think he deserves more credit for his overall record, conference titles and possibly recruiting. Tressel has managed nearly the best winning record in college football since he became the Buckeye head coach. Clearly there haven't been enough wins against top teams but I don't think his wins aren't any more padded than any other top program. (Hell, Florida played two 1-A teams this year and Alabama had two puff cake opponents this year too.) I think he gets a Very Good here.
Conference wins: Great. Honestly, any time you win a major conference championship 6 times in 10 years, you deserve big kudos.
Recruiting: The Bucks have certainly had talent as evidenced by the ratings agencies and the sheer number of players that have gone on to the NFL. Could they do better? Sure. But it's far from horrible. Maybe a Very Good to great. However, it's what Tressel has done with his talent that hurts him massively in my eyes. He's had the talent but they've found many, many ways to underperform and THAT is coaching ... a point I've made many times before.
For me, it has always come down to his horrible bowl record and absolutely abysmal showings in the title games. Yes, Big10 titles are wonderful and beating Michigan is never an unwelcome thing but it counts for very little when you get embarrassed on national TV in your last game of the year. There is no next week or second chance to have a better showing, lose you bowl game and it's all people remember for the next 8 months. Get pounded two times in a row for a national title and it makes for a pretty shabby legacy.
Jim Tressel has managed to find new ways to lose high profile games to teams his talent could've beaten or certainly competed with down to the last man standing. We should've beaten LSU for one of those NT's, should've beaten Texas last year and most definitely beat USC this year by 10. If those things had happened, I wouldn't be here. Plain and simple. Is that fickle? Probably but as you so aptly stated, college football is a money game now and it is very much "what have you done for me lately". I guess I'm a creature of our times.
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This just in ... ARE THE STARS ALIGNING FOR THE BUCKEYE UNIVERSE??!!
Urban Meyer stepping down as HC of the Gators? WOW!!! I have only this to say, consider it an open letter to Urban Meyer ...
Coach Meyer-
My sincere wishes for a complete a speedy recovery. I am saddened to hear that your health is suffering likely due to the stress of coaching big time football. Again, I wish you a complete recovery and return to health, college football just won't be the same without you on the sidelines.
With that said, I cannot help but think how therapeutic it might be to see you in a year's time, after some much deserved rest, dressed in Scarlet and Grey leading our beloved Buckeyes to victory. We'd welcome you home with open arms to your home state and the program you are destined to lead to greatness.
Maybe all that Florida sunshine isn't so great for the soul after all and perhaps the pressure cooker of those rabid SEC fans just isn't healthy. Whatcha say? How about a return to Buckeye state?
Sincerely.
Your admiring fellow Buckeyes
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