Connections mean a lot in today's
coaching

By Staff
Stan Torgerson
May 13, 2003
It may not be necessary but let me remind you anyway. It isn't what you know it's who you know.
Those of you who have been passed over for the job of your dreams in favor of the boss's friend or relative know the truth of that somewhat elderly saying.
It's just as true in the Southeastern Conference as it is at the ABC Bolt and Nut Company. If you've coached in the league before, if you've graduated from and SEC school, if you know the guy in any way shape or manner who's doing the hiring you've got a chance for the job, whatever it may be. This league is so inbred No one was surprised Mike Shula was hired at Alabama. He's family. Mike Price and Dennis Franchione were not. The Tide blew it twice before. They weren't going to blow it again.
After all, athletics director Mal Moore is an Alabama graduate, class of 1963. Interim president Dr. J. Barry Mason is also a Bama grad, class of 71. Basketball coach Mike Gottfried? You guessed it. Class of 87.
So what's so unusual about that? Nothing if you go through the league team by team.
Arkansas is coached by Houston Nutt. Nutt was a graduate assistant at the school in 1983 and later an assistant coach from 1990-92. Athletic Director Frank Broyles is a Georgia Tech grad but the most successful coach in Arkansas history, the head man for 19 seasons. Incidentally, the chancellor of the university, Dr. John A. White, graduated from the school in 1961.
Then there's Auburn. Surely Tommy Tuberville is not a former War Eagle. No, he is not but the athletic director David Housel is, class of 1969. But Tuberville has SEC connections out the ying-yang. He hails from Camden Arkansas, graduated from Southern Arkansas, coached high school ball in the state and came to his present job after coaching Ole Miss for four years. Along the way he got to know the people he had to know.
Florida is the exception until you look closely. Neither the president of the school or the athletic director are Florida grads. But head coach Ron Zook, an alumnus of Miami (Ohio) coached as a Gator assistant in 1994 and 1995, giving him strong contacts in Gainesville.
As for Georgia, coach Mark Richt spent most of his coaching career as an assistant next door at Florida State. Isn't it logical to believe that he knew athletics director Vince Dooley during his time with the Seminoles since Dooley coached Georgia from 1964 through 1988 and has been A.D. ever since?
Guy Morris, who left Kentucky after the 2002 season, earned the job as an assistant Wildcat coach from 1997 until 2000 when he was promoted to head coach after Hal Mumme left.
Nick Saban had absolutely no ties to LSU before he was hired away from Michigan State in 2000. On the other hand, faculty representative Dr. Pat Culbertson graduated from LSU in 1963 and athletics director Skip Bertman was the school's long time baseball coach, and a very successful one too.
In the case of Ole Miss, both chancellor Dr. Robert Khayat and athletic director Pete Boone are family. Khayat graduated from the school in 1961 and Boone earned his degree in 1972. Coach David Cutcliffe had no ties to the Rebs prior to being hired but he had been in the league from 1982 through 1998 as an assistant at Tennessee.
Of course he developed contacts at Oxford during that period. We also note that basketball coach Rod Barnes was a Rebel in his playing days which ended in 1988. Likewise, new women's coach Carol Ross also lettered at Ole Miss.
Mississippi State's Director of Athletics is Larry Templeton, a Bulldog grduate in 1969. Coach Jackie Sherrill was an assistant at Alabama in 1966 after graduating from the school and also held a job as an assistant at Arkansas in 1967. He came to Starkville in 1991. Head basketball coach Rick Stansbury served as an assistant at the school from 1990 to 1998 before stepping into the top job in 1999.
South Carolina's Lou Holtz had several tours of duty in the SEC. He was an assistant at Soiuth Carolina in 1966-67 and later was head coach at Arkansas from 1977 through 1983. The Gamecocks brought him back to lead their program in 1999.
Tennessee has one of their own as head coach. Phillip Fulmer is a 1972 grad, played there from 1969-71, was alternate captain of the 71 team and came back as an assistant coach twice, 1972-73 and 1980-92. Along the way he also was a member of the Vanderbilt staff in 1979. The present Vol athletic director, Doug Dickey, was the school's football coach from 1964 to 1969. In other words he coached Fulmer as a player.
Vanderbilt is the one school where you cannot find a single member of the higher administration with previous ties to the school. Chancellor E. Gordon Gee is a Utah graduate, Athletics Director Todd Turner matriculated at North Carolina in 1973 and head coach Bobby Johnson's entire background was at Clemson or Furman until be was hired last year in a still futile attempt to lead the Commodores out of their football doldrums. He does not a single assistant who either played or coached at Vandy.
Who did Mike Shula know at Alabama? Everybody. What does he know about college football? We'll find that out this fall.