Kevin Scarbinsky: Pony up yourself, Mark Stoops, and Kentucky just might compete with Georgia
This first appeared in Kevin Scarbinsky’s weekly newsletter. Subscribe to get it in your inbox every Thursday, $5/month or $50/year.
College football coaches live quite the life.
They typically make more money than any other state employee, regardless of the state, more money in a single year than many people pull down in a lifetime. An abundance of fame accompanies that fortune, which gives them a platform to make a difference on important issues inside and outside their profession.
They receive perks such as free cars, clothes and country club memberships and enjoy a bonus structure that pays them handsomely for accomplishments you would think would be baked into those enormous salaries.
Yes, they work an unhealthy amount of hours, and they can lose those jobs and those privileges in a blink based on the whims of some unhappy boosters, but they’ll depart with a platinum parachute. All in all, it’s a pretty good gig.
So why are so many coaches so dadgum mad? From Nick Saban barking at his players in Starkville to Trent Dilfer howling at his coaches in New Orleans to Ryan Day clapping back at Lou Holtz, this season has featured a parade of hot and bothered bosses in need of some anger management.