Texan Mosaic

by DOMINICK PUENTE//Editorial Assistant

With March Madness approaching for men’s basketball, Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari recently made his opinion clear about colleges firing coaches midway through the season.

With a disappointing season for the NC State men’s basketball program, the university came to a decision in late February to fire Head Coach Mark Gottfried.

A few days after the firing, Calipari gave his opinion on firing a head coach mid-season saying, “You can fire me at mid-season, but you’re going to have to pay me $3 million. Oh, you’ll let me stay now, won’t you?”

I understand the matter of backing your counterparts, whether you are a coach vouching for a coach, or players doing the same thing for each other. However, Calipari does not seem to be worried about the future of the NC State players, just the coaching lifestyle.

It is for that reason that I could care less about the future of Gottfried, because he will find a new home at a quality college. Coaches make more than enough to support their families, along with their expensive and luxurious habits, while athletes are told that attending a university is a big enough reward.

If that is the case, then coaches should be happy coaching with a teacher’s salary, because it is an honor to be a part of the program.

I respect coaches and their choice to help young men and women grow as adults, but Calipari is already being paid millions. Saying that additional millions should be required on coaching contracts if they are fired is beyond ridiculous and ignorant.

Coaches will move to other programs. That will be the case for Gottfried, and he has accomplished great things at NC State and has built an amazing resume.

He will find a job and should not receive a “bonus” just because he was let go by the university for not seeing eye-to-eye at that moment.

Also, there is a different culture between Calipari and the rest of the coaches within the NCAA. Calipari has built the Kentucky basketball program to where he would not have to go out and recruit through the country. He could send the top athletes in the country a full-ride scholarship, and that would be the process.

Speaking on behalf of all the coaches is not right. Calipari is nowhere near the same level as other coaches with the luxuries of basketball he has obtained from a winning program.

Every coach is expected to create winning seasons and championship-caliber teams every year. Universities understand that there may be a rebuilding process or a few years to grow an experienced team.

However, some of these contending teams have made winning seasons out of sub-par players and experience. But Calipari does have it easier with an advantage of attracting five-star athletes with ease.

Calipari can vouch for other coaches, but he is the one with the best recruits and millions on his contract. All coaches make more than enough to live and will find jobs when they are let go or move on.

While people feel sorry for the coaches making millions and the universities making millions, players continue to sit on the side and not even see a penny.