NCAA allows OSU to have two coaching staffs at once

Submitted by NoVaWolverine on

AP reports that the NCAA, always a friend to the Buckeyes, has given them a waiver allowing Fickel's staff to coach the bowl game while Urban Meyer's new staff gets to go out and recruit. What the hell?

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State sought and received a waiver from the NCAA that allows it to have two football coaching staffs at the same time: One under Luke Fickell to coach the Buckeyes in their upcoming bowl game and another led by incoming coach Urban Meyer that only handles recruiting.

Athletic director Gene Smith called the split staffs “normal in some transitions.”

The Buckeyes play Florida in the Gator Bowl on Jan. 2. But Meyer and any new staffers are not permitted to coach any players and can only recruit. The NCAA waiver specifies that no more than 10 coaches — and no more than seven at any one time — may be involved in recruiting.

There have been rumblings from other schools that the waiver gives Ohio State a competitive advantage.

 

Yeah, I'd be "rumbling" too.

 

jtmc33

December 9th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^

I like this.  Brandon should "fire" Hoke and his staff every early December, then hire Lloyd Carr, Dhani Jones, Tom Brady, and Charles Woodson as the "new coaches".   Hoke, Borges, and Mattison can coach 'em up for the bowls while the all-star recruiting team can travel with no other responsibilities.  

Something tells me that Kiffen has already thought of this and is sending new coach "Marcus Allen" out there as we speak...

michgoblue

December 9th, 2011 at 10:24 AM ^

This actually makes some sense.

My one optimistic comment:  the NCAA knows that it is going to give OSU some actual punishment for its decade of rampant violations - maybe a scholarship reduction or a bowl bad - and it does not want to compound that problem making this a dead recruiting year. 

Nah, way too logical for the NCAA. 

Purkinje

December 9th, 2011 at 10:24 AM ^

We already knew this and we don't care about it in the least. Let Fickell screw up the bowl game for them while UM tries to convince recruits he won't quit on them like he has his last few batches.

Ben from SF

December 9th, 2011 at 1:27 PM ^

By the time we learn the proper acronym for Urban Meyer, he will not be coaching for tOSU anyways.  Urban won at UF because Ron Zook left him with a stacked roster and Tim Tebow decided that a move to the midwest would not be good for his budding missionary career.  Urban's recruiting was so bad that even Charlie Weis' decided schematic advantage could not improve UF.

OSU can do whatever they want, and Brady Hoke will still beat them.  GO BLUE!

BlueVball8

December 9th, 2011 at 10:46 AM ^

I feel like he should be only one or the other.  He cannot be a coach and a recruiter then.  Glad to see the NCAA will just willing bend over for Ohio while it gets screwed from behind.

Huntington Wolverine

December 9th, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^

I do think there's a significant difference between RR, by himself, recruiting as the new head coach of Michigan while Lloyd was closing up shop and Urban Meyer being allowed to hire a whole new staff and begin recruiting.

 

bronxblue

December 9th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^

Meh, feels like nothing much different than what you see at other programs.  And truthfully, I doubt that this will make a huge difference with this year's recruits - it might get their hooks into some players earlier than they would January 3rd or whatever, but kids today are sophisticated enough to be able to recruit themselves to many of these schools.  If Meyer snags some top talent, it will be because he is a good coach and kids want to play for OSU, not because he had a couple of days to recruit while Fickell was cleaning up the mess he inherited. 

BradP

December 9th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^

The difference between this and most programs, deals with the rules violations.  For the TSIO this is just another softening of the consequences of getting caught breaking the rules.

If their defense remains along the lines of "But we fired our coach", it looks like less and less of a self-imposed punishment.

Feat of Clay

December 9th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^

I feel uncharitable about it. 

I understand the NCAA acknowledging that coaching changes can be challenging and disruptive.  Sure, a new coach wants to get started right away, and the NCAA wants to be accommodating.

But when your coaching change happened because your former coach wilfully violated serious NCAA rules?  I don't feel so sympathetic.  Too bad.  Let's call it one more reason for schools to  consider obeying the rules.  You want the NCAA to cut your new coach a break?  Run a clean program and we'll talk.

 

mtlcarcajou

December 9th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^

cometh. Didn't someone imply that ohio has a lot of alum and fans on NCAA infractions committees and investigative arms a few months ago? Too big of a cash cow for the NCAA.

Nothing coming down the pipe for them, save maybe a schollie redution of 2 or 3 for next year. Oh, and of course the dreaded 'vacate past results'. Maybe even a 20000$ fine. That'll teach em.

bfradette

December 9th, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^

Huh? Really? You break one of the bigger scandals in recent memory, and the NCAA makes it EASIER for you to move on? How is this right?

Is this really normal, and we just don't hear about it regularly? Is this happening at other schools as we speak, and it's only being reported because it's Ohio?

BucksfanXC

December 9th, 2011 at 2:15 PM ^

“This is not a waiver that is out of the ordinary,” he said.

“If you look at NCAA case precedents, there are a handful of these that go on every year, depending on football coaches or whatever spot it might be across the country. It tends to be more typical in football because of the gap between the end of football season and the bowl game, and institutions hiring coaches before the bowl games.”

We saw a similar situation at Michigan when Rich Rodriguez was hired on Dec. 17, 2007 to replace Lloyd Carr in Ann Arbor. Carr and his staff coached the Wolverines to a 41-35 win over Meyer’s Gators in the Capitol One Bowl.

Link: http://www.the-ozone.net/football/2011/MeyerHire/NCAAWaiver.html

 

dahblue

December 9th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^

Here's what Hoke said when asked about it:

"It's different. That would be my reaction. I've never heard of it," he said. "Is that an advantage? Yeah, I think so."

Michael From TC

December 9th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^

the part that gets me is, they are allowed to have 2 staffs, yet fickell is on both of them. how can they tell meyer his staff cant coach the players but part of his staff is already coaching the players...

BucksfanXC

December 9th, 2011 at 2:30 PM ^

Having two staffs is kinda of an editorialization of the facts. We have been allowed to go over the normal limits, as long as the coaches over the limit don't do any actual coaching of the players or bowl game prep. So Urban and Mike Pantoni are doing recruiting only, and Fickell, Drayton, Vrabel, and a few others are doing both. Guys like Jim Bollman, Jim Heacock, and Dick Tressel are probably not doing much of either to be honest as they are gone come Jan.

BlueinLansing

December 9th, 2011 at 4:07 PM ^

I am more and more sure with every passing day that Gene Smith has dirt on the NCAA honchos and is using it to his and OSU's advantage.

 

this is such bullcrap and has been contrary to NCAA policy for years.  Unless someone can find another similar situation, this stinks to high heaven.