Back before Bunting finally, at least 3 years late. got fired, I developed what I called the 3 Year Rule. My assertion is that almost every coach shows, often very clearly, within his first 3 years at a school whether he can win at that school better than his predecessor, and /or better than he won at his previous stop(s). UNC football fans especially have had it pounded and drilled a million times into their heads by UNC officials that the worst thing for a football program is change of HC - that continuity is required for the program to win much of anything. That cliche is valid only after a coach has proven he can win Big at a place: then you want continuity. But if a coach has not won big at that place, then keeping him just guarantees more of the same.
And lack of continuity itself, even after winning BIG, does not ruin a program. Look at Miami in its golden age. Howard Schnelleberger coached at Miami only 5 seasons, and his last was his National Championship. Jimmy Johnson then came in for 5 years, and he finished with 4 straight Top Ten finishes, including 1 National Championship. Dennis Erickson stayed at Miami 6 years and won 2 National Championships. The program then went into a slide of sorts, but that had nothing to do with the fact that coaches had been leaving rather quickly. It came because Erickson had let team discipline slip into nothing so that the team embarrassed the university so badly so often with its street punk acting that Tad Foote stomped his foot down and ordered a house cleaning.
Even under toughened admission and retention standards, Butch Davis's 6th and final team finished ranked #2. The next year, Davis's OC took over Miami and won a National Championship with one of the 3 or 4 best teams in CFB history. The year after that, it took 3 very questionable calls for Ohio St to keep Miami from winning another National Championship.
No continuity, but HUGE winning. None of those coaches leaving Miami set the program back. A big winning coach leaving hurts a program only if a bad hire is made. A mediocre coach leaving after even just 2 years NEVER hurts a program unless the next hire is worse.
Continuity means zilch, nada. The key is having a great or at least very good HC. It is far better to have 10 consecutive HCs that all leave after just 4 seasons, if all proved to be the right hire, than to have maximum continuity of just 2 HCs over 40 years who each proves to be mediocre over and over. Again, see Miami.
IF UNC had been operating the 3 Year Rule, it wouod have fired Bunting no later than his third season, saving us 3 more years being dragged downward.
Especially in this age, the 3 Year Rule needs to be something that UNC enforces on itself and makes clear to coaches. That would fit naturally with UNC also changing the way contracts are done, placing major emphasis on bonuses for achievements rather than just guaranteeing a large set salary. Earn the money, coach.
The other reason that UNC needs to play a strict 3 Year Rule is that anytime a program is struggling, the fans begin to lose heart and then interest. We can see that with UNC right now. Fan interest was dead. What sparked fans back into interest? Mack fired and the new coach search. Anytime a coach is fired, fans will have hope that the program makes a better hire. They then are reengaged, fired back up, before the new coach even gets named.
If they do not get the job well started toward done within 3 years, fire them and also revive the fan base at the same time.
And lack of continuity itself, even after winning BIG, does not ruin a program. Look at Miami in its golden age. Howard Schnelleberger coached at Miami only 5 seasons, and his last was his National Championship. Jimmy Johnson then came in for 5 years, and he finished with 4 straight Top Ten finishes, including 1 National Championship. Dennis Erickson stayed at Miami 6 years and won 2 National Championships. The program then went into a slide of sorts, but that had nothing to do with the fact that coaches had been leaving rather quickly. It came because Erickson had let team discipline slip into nothing so that the team embarrassed the university so badly so often with its street punk acting that Tad Foote stomped his foot down and ordered a house cleaning.
Even under toughened admission and retention standards, Butch Davis's 6th and final team finished ranked #2. The next year, Davis's OC took over Miami and won a National Championship with one of the 3 or 4 best teams in CFB history. The year after that, it took 3 very questionable calls for Ohio St to keep Miami from winning another National Championship.
No continuity, but HUGE winning. None of those coaches leaving Miami set the program back. A big winning coach leaving hurts a program only if a bad hire is made. A mediocre coach leaving after even just 2 years NEVER hurts a program unless the next hire is worse.
Continuity means zilch, nada. The key is having a great or at least very good HC. It is far better to have 10 consecutive HCs that all leave after just 4 seasons, if all proved to be the right hire, than to have maximum continuity of just 2 HCs over 40 years who each proves to be mediocre over and over. Again, see Miami.
IF UNC had been operating the 3 Year Rule, it wouod have fired Bunting no later than his third season, saving us 3 more years being dragged downward.
Especially in this age, the 3 Year Rule needs to be something that UNC enforces on itself and makes clear to coaches. That would fit naturally with UNC also changing the way contracts are done, placing major emphasis on bonuses for achievements rather than just guaranteeing a large set salary. Earn the money, coach.
The other reason that UNC needs to play a strict 3 Year Rule is that anytime a program is struggling, the fans begin to lose heart and then interest. We can see that with UNC right now. Fan interest was dead. What sparked fans back into interest? Mack fired and the new coach search. Anytime a coach is fired, fans will have hope that the program makes a better hire. They then are reengaged, fired back up, before the new coach even gets named.
If they do not get the job well started toward done within 3 years, fire them and also revive the fan base at the same time.
