As we look across college athletics, the contracts of coaches and now players are astronomical. When fans lose interest in these program members, negativity starts to be thrown around. In some instances, the same voices that have been heard for several years become monotonous and fall on deaf ears. In the case of the programs from the “G6,” these coaches and players are generally plucked by “P4” programs behind a massive paycheck that, in reality, cannot be turned down. Loyalty is a dollar game, and we all play it.
Loyalty Is Just A Dollar Game
Where To Now?
If we look around the coaching ranks of these universities, movement is common. Let’s not get amnesia here; this has been happening for some time. If we look back through the recent seasons, this occurs yearly. In the case of 2025, we have seen a quartet of head coaches from the American move to power programs. First, we saw North Texas head coach Eric Morris take his talents to Oklahoma State as the new head man for the Cowboys.
In what was an active Sunday, November 30th, within a half-hour, the trio remaining all made national news as they received promotions. Arkansas moved swiftly as it hired Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield as its 35th head coach. Next, we saw Alex Golesh, who was rumored to be the next Arkansas coach earlier in the week, named at Auburn. Finally, we saw Jon Sumrall be named the next coach of the Florida Gators. Morris and Sumrall will remain with their current programs before making the transition to their new locations. Conversely, Silverfield and Golesh are hitting the ground running as they begin new chapters of their careers.
This trend continues as we hear rumblings of UCLA courting Bob Chesney from James Madison as well. This adds yet another coach plucked to the next level of coaching. While some may not want to admit it, most of these programs mentioned are considered “Stepping Stone Programs”, which is completely accurate. This is not something new; we are only seeing it at a higher level. Why, you may ask?
Why does this happen?
The answer is money. What was the question? We could seriously stop this segment here, but we will continue. This will continue to happen for a few reasons. First, with the College Football Playoff being at twelve teams, there is a narrative that all conferences are included, which is false. There is one representative from all of these conferences: American, Sun Belt, Mountain West, and Conference USA.
What takes place is these programs find success with coaches and players that draw the attention of other programs and leaders across the nation. Then, these top brass contact the agents of these coaches to garner interest in the position, in some cases, which is not even open. This is where the dark secrets come to light, as there are conversations behind closed doors quite often.
Lastly, these conversations become negotiations, which in turn become contract signings. This is where fans, short for fanatics, show their true colors. As we see on social media, once a coach has been leaked to be in conversations, they are no longer needed by these fans. The insults begin to fly as the cherry-picked stats are strewn across timelines to make the narrative as negative as possible. How dare that coach leave and better himself and his family? There is no need to complain about this, as we do the same things.
Why Complain?
Remember the first time someone offered you a position that paid more money? Do you also recall where you had to think this over, as it was a business decision? There is no difference in this situation, and these coaches and players. Ok, besides the millions of dollars being signed, it’s the same. So, why complain when a player enters the transfer portal or a coach leaves for another position? The simple answer is that fans have become selfish, and for some good reasons.
In the modern era of college sports, fans are contributing money, which gives them a sense of power. Also, and possibly to a detriment, some of these same fans are gambling with their hearts. This puts money on the line based on results, which is a recipe for disaster.
We asked the question, Why Complain? In reality, there is no need. In most cases, these teams will just pluck a coach from another program, which continues this cycle. As mentioned, these decisions are not personal; they are a business. When you take this, on top of signing a contract that changes lives forever, can you blame them? If it were you, it would end the same, with a signature. So, when coaches and players make these decisions, celebrate what these people accomplished for your programs, rather than what some are attempting, which is to try to get clicks by being Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.
Will This End?
In closing, do not expect this trend to change anytime soon. Could it change? Yes, but additional changes to the NCAA Calendar will also need to happen. If this takes place, certain guidelines, some of which will not be popular with the agents, will have to be put into action. So, if you are a fan of the programs that are only allowed one ticket to the beauty pageant known as the CFP, enjoy the ride. If you do not, the result may be getting left behind. If that happens, no one wants your players and coaches, which is called becoming irrelevant.
