What starts out as your typical “hey! a half-century ago, nobody paid coaches the kind of money they make today” denial of reality opinion pieces ends up with this totally awesome bit of reasoning:
… About 10 years after Corum quit coaching, Bobby Bowden guided his 1975 WVU team to a 9-3 record. He felt really good about that season, his sixth, and well he should have.
So Bowden, now a College Football Hall of Famer, went to Stewart Hall and sought a bonus for each of his assistants.
Dr. James Harlow, then the WVU president, asked, “Why?” Bowden explained, “Their excellent preparation and execution in winning our bowl game.”
Harlow, who like other presidents then had to approve coaches’ salaries, refused. “My friend,” he said, “I have a lot of professors and others out there who also do excellent jobs in preparation and execution, and I can’t give them bonuses.”
Bowden left soon after that and became a legend at Florida State.
He’s now enjoying a rich retirement, financially, and living nicely in a distinctly different era.
But, is it really for the better?
I doubt anyone at FSU is complaining.
Maybe a good thing we had Joel Eaves with Vince Dooley.
And West-By-God-Virginia would appear to have maintained that attitude.
At least the players’ salaries have not inflated.
According to 30/30 movie, Marcus Dupree cost Oklahoma between $150k and $200k, while, 28 years later, the Heisman trophy winner only went for between $180-200k.
So after getting his financial windfall did Bowden share it with assistants and give them bonuses? Or did Bowden claim there’s not enough $$ to go around, just as the WVU president did?
Hey! The NCAA imposed sanctions on Florida and I got canned for doing just that! Joe Pateno said afterwards that he had done the same thing before with his assistants and nobody at the NCAA said or did anything. The NCAA. Hypocrisy by another name.
And while you’re at it, GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!!!!!!!!
Ol’ Diddy should have asked the President how many people come to watch those “professors and others” who do excellent jobs in preparation and execution and how much money they made for the school.
No matter what era, the old saying “you get what you pay for” is still true.