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Friday, February 1
Updated: April 19, 2:36 PM ET
 
It's all in the correct response

By Bill Curry
Special to ESPN.com

There are a series of conversations that, I suspect, almost every head college football coach has had from time to time. Indeed, I have personally had each of them.

Grant Teaff is currently the Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association. In 1984, he was chairman of the ethics committee for the AFCA and I was a young head coach recently added to that committee. As I sat in my first meeting, Teaff talked about the responsibilities of our specific committee and said that he expected everyone in the room to be certain that their program followed every single rule.

I found this alarming. I came from the NFL, where the rules were whatever was called. Put another way, if someone kicked you, you kicked back. I pulled Teaff aside and asked him, "Coach, did you say every single rule?" While looking me directly in the eye, he answered, "I said, every single rule."

Does that mean that my staffs always followed every single rule? No. We always tried, but were not always successful. When we did err, we confessed it. I'd rather tell you I went into the business pure as the driven snow, but that is not the case.

Unfortunately, I took it upon myself to act as the monitor of NCAA ethics and morals for a few years. I was pompous and stupid when I did that, but it changed in time. Nonetheless, the conversation with Teaff was important.

These are hypothetical, but they are sound examples of conversations that occur in the offices of head college coaches everywhere.

First is the Assistant Coach Conversation, and it goes something like this:
The assistant pulls you aside and asks,
"Did you say we were going to follow every single rule?"
"Yes, every one."
To which he says, "What if we get fired?"
And the answer is, "Then we'll get another job."

The head coach sets the policy with the staff from the get-go on how the program is really going to work.

The next conversation is the Close Friend Conversation. This friend really loves the program and wants it to prosper. He asks for an appointment, shows up, closes the door and says,
"Okay. When are we going to get serious here?"
Which is French for, "When are we going to match the competition?"

The "Prominent" Alumnus Conversation follows. He calls one day and says,
"You know, Coach, I back the program."
"Yes, I know that, and I appreciate that."
"You know, Coach, we do not break rules here."
"Yes, I know that, and that's why I'm here."
He then adds, "But we do sell tickets."

Then comes the "Livid" Alumnus Conversation. He calls one day and says,
"You know, I back the program."
"Yes, I know, and I appreciate that."
"You also know that we have not broken rules here."
"Yes, I know, and that's why I'm here."
He then adds, "But I've got to tell you, everybody else is doing it. And I have hired a private eye who is following the Bag Man for the cross-state rival, and I know where their drop spot is. We've either got to turn them in, or we have to match them."

Can't forget the "Very Prominent" Administrator Conversation. This is someone in your department who comes into the office after you've had some success and after he has decided that you are "okay." He shuts the door and says, "You know, Coach, there are some things that you just have to do to keep this winning thing going."

The next conversation is a public one, and it is carried on by the Former Coaches -- the guys who used to have your job. It is as simple as this: "He just doesn't understand recruiting."

The Prominent High School Coach Conversation is a biggie. He calls and says, "I was just reading all this garbage in the newspapers, and I was thinking you may need a little humor today. This is what is going to happen. You are going to get disgusted and either leave or be run out of town. Then they will hire the next genius, and not long after that, he'll be riding out of town in a Cadillac loaded with cash while the program goes on probation."

When you are a new head coach, the saddest and the scariest happens. It is the Current Player Conversation. The current player walks in, shuts the door and says,
"Somebody owes me some money. And my sister is supposed to be on full scholarship, and no one has paid her tuition yet. What are you going to do about it?"

There are only two responses to each conversation. The coach has a choice.
Response No. 1 can be any of the following phrases:
"No."
"No thank you."
"Don't do it."
"Under no circumstances should you do this, and if you do, you are out of the program."
Or, to the player, the phrase is, "You are here for room and board, books, tuition and all fees. Period. No deals."

Response No. 2 is, "Well, thank you. And you do what you think is right. Just leave me out of the process."

Which enables the coach to later respond with widened eyes, "I wasn't aware of any of that stuff."

Somewhere along the line, to differing degrees, someone at Kentucky and Alabama chose Response No. 2. And by choosing such, they have devastated their programs. To recover, they will have to do what Mr. Teaff told us to do 1984.

Whether they -- or anyone else -- cheats again depends upon three things -- the President of the University, the Athletic Director and the head coach. When the President and the AD have enough clout to keep the coach through the tough times, the program can win with integrity and a proper value system.

It should be noted that there are more coaches who do exactly what Teaff said than those who don't. When the Livid Alumnus says, "Everyone is doing it," he is wrong.

Bill Curry was the head coach at Georgia Tech (1980-86), Alabama (1987-89) and Kentucky (1990-96.)





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