Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Are College Coaches Spinning Out of Control?

Leach, Mangino, and Leavitt hint at disturbing trend

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 31, 2009 2:28 PM CST
Email

(Newser) – College football’s bowl season has been overshadowed by a rash of player abuse allegations that paint a disturbing portrait of big-time coaches. First there was Mark Mangino, who threatened to send a player home to “get shot with your homies,” then Jim Leavitt, who was accused of striking a player, and finally Mike Leach, who was fired for reportedly locking a player in an equipment shed as punishment for “faking” a concussion. So Time asks: are coaches out of control?

Certainly their salaries are. The average coaching salary is up 28% from two years ago, to $1.36 million annually. That money tends to come with pressure to win—at any cost. “It sounds like these guys were doing things the old-fashioned way and got busted,” says one sports sociologist. These types of abuses might not always have seemed appalling, but “society has evolved,” he says. “We shouldn’t be longing for the good old days. Another expert on the subject says coaches tend to live in a bubble. “In the example of Leach, it seems the whole discussion about concussions has apparently passed him by.”

Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach talks with his team in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.
Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach talks with his team in the second quarter of an NCAA college football game against Texas A&M in Lubbock, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009.   (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
13%
7%
33%
3%
3%
40%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
theobserver
Jan 1, 2010 5:45 AM CST
I was day-dreaming & not paying attention to coach Hardy’s instructions………….. He gave me a swift forearm in the solar plexis. When I was able to breath again, I paid attention ……………..Coaches make men of boys……Some casualties are acceptable. …..If you are afraid your baby will get hurt, you really should keep him at home.
offspringdude235
Jan 1, 2010 1:25 AM CST
Derni please do elaborate on this "monitoring coaches".
DieselDawg
Dec 31, 2009 11:10 AM CST
"monitoring coaches"? What does this entail? Was it an official position of a school or group? Did you ever play football?

 
football • University of South Florida • Texas Tech Red Raiders • college sports • college football • Texas Tech • coaches • Mike Leach • Mike Leach fired • Mark Mangino • Jim Leavitt

More Newser Stories

Amid Coaching Scandal, Texas Tech Wins Shootout

Texas Tech Fires Coach Over Abuse Allegations
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne