Rick Neuheisel
It doesn’t take very long to get into the part of the college football season where we can officially put coaches on the proverbial “hot seat.” There are a handful of names in every conference whose careers could be forever altered based on what unfolds over the next few months.
Rick Neuheisel, former UCLA coach and current analyst for the Pac-12 Network, fell victim to this last year. He could not avoid the scrutiny; ultimately, a 21-29 record in four seasons led to his dismissal.
Though Bruins football seemed to be stalling over the last season or two, Neuheisel was given a fairly strict goal in order to keep his job.
“We had been told that if we made a bowl game, I would be fine for my fifth year, and we did make a bowl,” he said. Neuheisel started laughing and added, “Things change in the course of a season.”
It would have to be fascinating to be a “fly on the wall” and potentially hear what expectations coaches like Tennessee’s Derek Dooley, Texas Tech’s Tommy Tuberville or Cal’s Jeff Tedford are being given by their bosses.
The problem, though, is not necessarily being a coach that is being asked to reach a certain goal or being peppered by the media about his job status, the problem can be whether or not that dialogue can affect your season negatively.
That’s something Neuheisel has dealt before and says it’s all part of the gig.
“It’s the coach’s job to deflect that and deal with the task at hand, which is getting ready for the next opponent,” he told the 110 Sports Podcast.
“It’s a very popular conversation as to whether or not the coach should stay or should go, and I think coaches have to deal with it. They have to deal with it straight up when the questions are asked, but when they go back to their offices it can’t be the topic of conversation. The topic of conversation when they get back into the workplace is, ‘What do we need to do to improve.’”
Sometimes that can be easier said than done, but there are coaches that seem to strive on this talk. Just ask reigning Super Bowl champion head coach Tom Coughlin about that. Every year they seem to plan the press conference to announce his dismissal, but, to his credit, his teams seem to block out that conversation and focus solely on the games.
One startling effect of this is the stress it can cause on one’s body. For several years now, we have seen coaches at all levels have serious health scares. Even though recent reports have issued a clean bill of health for Nebraska’s Bo Pelini, there is no denying that leaving in an ambulance at halftime isn’t a positive sign.
“If you don’t like stress, don’t ask for a whistle — that’s the bottom line.” Neuheisel said with a light-hearted chuckle.
Regardless of the stress or rigors of the job, there is clearly something satisfying and addictive about the coaching profession.
When asked if he feels more healthy being away from the daily grind, the longtime football coach didn’t hesitate.
“No, I miss it. I miss it. It’s why very few coaches leave the game voluntarily,” he said.
Arizona native Matt Minkus is the host of the 110 Sports Podcast, a show that pays homage to one of the most repeated cliches in sports: “Giving 110 percent.” Excerpts of new shows will be available at LindysSports.com every Wednesday.