Doug Robinson is stupid: i.e. "Everything is wrong with Gary Andersen's decision to leave Utah State"

Now, with this success there are those who are naturally disappointed with his departure. Aggie fans are losing the coach who gave them the most success in 30 years. Yet, I doubt anyone will truly hold it against him, unless you're a dim-witted writer for the Deseret News. 

Without a doubt Utah State had it's most successful season in their history this year, with its 11-2 record along with a WAC championship and a win over their rival, Utah. Now with that success it seems that Coach Gary Andersen would be the target for any number of coaching offers. And that he did, when he agreed to coach Wisconsin. 

Enter Deseret News writer Doug Robinson, who you may remember for his culturally tone-deaf (*cough*racist*cough*) article about the NBA Lockout. Well, Dougie wants to bring shame upon Gary Andersen for his choice in a new coaching assignment.

What's wrong with Gary Andersen dumping Utah State to take the head coaching job with Wisconsin? 

Only everything.

It's fun to think that a columnist for a major newspaper in Utah reacts to a coaching change like a bitchy tweener who had a bad day at school.

Yet, let's look at what's right with this. Gary Andersen is inheriting a team that had the 19th best defense in the country in points allowed, while there is something to be desired in the offense, this is a Wisconsin team that won the Big Ten. Most coaches who are slumming it in the mid-major leagues would salivate at the chance to inherit a major program that isn't in terrible shape.

This is the major leagues and it gives a chance for something much more special than leading Utah State to glory in the Mountain West.

I'll give you three reasons:

 No. 1: How do you know if a coach is lying when he says he plans to stay? His lips are moving. How many times have we heard a coach say he was staying and then watched him leave? They've broken more promises than Congress. When a coach says he's staying because (fill in the blank: he loves the kids, the community, the administration, his family, his dog), what he really means is that he is staying — until he gets a better offer.

I know, right? It's almost like you're trying not to burn any bridges before you actually leave town. If you're in a job and you're looking for another job, you don't go into work and tell them that you hate your current job and hope everybody dies. That's how you get shitcanned. Also, just in case your job change actually doesn't go through, you can stay with your safe job with no harm, no foul. But, nnnnnooooooo... We have to hold college football coaches to a higher standard.

 Six weeks ago, I asked Andersen about USU's history as a stepping stone for coaches. After saying that he had been won over by the community, the beauty of Cache Valley, the support of the administration, the improving facilities, the caliber of players, he said: "I think every coach has a niche, if you will. I said that the first year I took the job here. When you have the opportunity to be surrounded with what your beliefs are in coaching, it's a special situation. There's something special about this place. I never took this job viewing it as a stepping stone. It's a special place. I drink the Kool-Aid."

Well, then you're an idiot. No matter the beauty of a place, the improving facilities, the improving talent; there will always be a price for a man, a price that a school like Wisconsin can pay. Also, Wisconsin already has that caliber of players, and the amazing facilities since they are a major program. You can wait around and hope you can trap lighting in a bottle again at Utah State, or you can go to an established power.

 When his name was mentioned for jobs at Kentucky, Colorado and Cal, Andersen released this statement to the media on Nov. 30: "At the end of the day, Logan is where I need to be. The kids, the administration — we had too much momentum going for me to leave."

Hmm... I wonder what the difference between these schools and Wisconsin are? All those schools records combined do not equal Wisconsin's record from the last year (Cal (3-9), Kentucky (2-10), Colorado (1-11). All those programs are essentially dumpster fires and would take years to rebuild and you may be fired before you see the fruits of your labor. Wisconsin (8-5) has a winning team now in a major conference. Maybe, just maybe, Gary wants to win now as opposed to years down the line.

 OK, we all know that coaches take jobs at bigger schools with superior football programs because they can make enough money to start their own country and take care of their family for the next three generations. We know coaches are really office temps willing to sell themselves to the highest bidder. We know there is no loyalty among college coaches. We get it. SO WHY DON'T THEY JUST SHUT UP ALREADY ABOUT STAYING?

Because assholes, like you, keep asking about what their plans are, and "no comment" allows assholes, like you, to speculate how they are already gone and hate the college, the administration, the fans, the mascot, the towel-boy, etc.

Not Raped by Gary Andersen

If you don't like the answer you're getting, don't ask the f*cking question.

Andersen lulled Aggie fans into a state of trust — and then burned them. What was the point of all that public posturing? If he had just kept his mouth shut, his departure would have been easier to take.

No, I think we just established it wouldn't have, because you have a column to write and tearing apart a coaches actions, or lack thereof, gives jack-offs, like you, a job. I'm sure Gary Andersen still loves Utah State, but you're acting like he raped Big Blue.

 No. 2: The system is stacked against the little guys — Utah State, for instance. Every time a coach has even modest success at USU, he gets wooed away by a bigger school. The rich stay rich, the poor stay poor.

Yeah, the world sucks. Buy a helmet.

 USU is a farm team for head coaches. Andersen's replacement will be the Aggies' 11th head coach in 37 years. Five were fired and five left to go elsewhere. Yet Andersen is the first guy to leave town with an overall winning record at USU since Phil Krueger in 1975. Krueger, John L. Smith, Bruce Snyder, Charlie Weatherbie and now Andersen used the Aggies for a stepping stone to other jobs. And by the way, it doesn't get any worse than being jilted by Weatherbie — especially when he left to take the job at Navy.

Maybe nobody wants to live in Logan. Cache Valley gets a little lame after a while. Also if you want John L Smith back, you probably could get him. After all, he has some bills to pay.

 How is one of college football's have-nots supposed to build a program if it loses its coach every three years? The Aggies, who were 9-38 in the four years before Andersen arrived, finally put together a dream season after decades of futility — first bowl win in 19 years; first 10- and 11-win season in history; first conference championship in 76 years — and now the architect of that season is gone after four years on the job.

The Aggies have had only four winning seasons in 31 years, and Andersen produced two of them. He came within five points of an unbeaten season. Then the moment he gets his own Wikipedia entry, he's outta here. How is USU supposed to replace this guy? He's just one more coach to eat and run.

Maybe this year will be the year that Utah State can finally obtain long term success. After all, all of Boise State's early success didn't come under Coach Chris Peterson, but rather Dan Hawkins helped lay a great foundation for the team to follow. Also, Utah State is moving up. It's going to a much larger and prestigious league, it's keeping a large amount of talent from the last year, and now you have that foundation Aggies never had under Coach Brent Guy or Coach Mick Dennehey.

So let's quit with this doom and gloom shit.

"We thought this was the hire that was going to change that," one USU official said Tuesday. "USU has done everything he asked them to do, and he's acknowledged that."

A couple years of success and Utah State forgets that it's Utah State. Listen, USU only has one outright title since 1936 and two bowl victories ever. Quit acting like you're hot shit. You're still Utah State.

Good salaries for the coaches, improved scheduling, a bigger budget, first-rate facilities, a contract extension for himself — Andersen got it all and left anyway. Well, it's not the first time he bailed out on a job. He left Utah to take the head coaching job at Southern Utah in 2003, and a year later he returned to Utah as an assistant.

Man, it's almost like he's looking out for himself and his family. Also, I can guarantee you that no matter what Utah State can offer him, Wisconsin can triple it. He's done a great job, so he is entitled to enjoy what comes with succeeding as a coach in the FBS level.

 No. 3: This is a familiar story, but why do schools bother to sign coaches to contract extensions — or to contracts, period? Earlier this season, the Aggies offered Andersen a contract extension and he accepted it. It meant nothing. The entire purpose of the contract was to keep Andersen happy and keep him in Logan. He left anyway. 

Contracts between schools and coaches serve only one of the two parties — the coach. The school doesn't hold the coach to the contract. Yes, the coach's new employer usually buys out the rest of his contract, but USU is still out of a coach. They were paying him to coach their team, not another school's team. Just once, wouldn't you like to see a school stand its ground and refuse to let a coach out of his contract?

Yeah, coaches should be held against their will at a place they don't want to be. It's almost like an inverted version of the relationship between Lane Kiffin and the Raiders. Besides, we all know that contract extensions only serve one person, Les Miles. Who I think is contracted to coach LSU until 2155 or the rapture, whatever comes first.

The only people who are bound by contracts in college football are the players. Under that contract — the letter of intent — they are not allowed to participate in the free enterprise system and they can't change schools without sitting out a year of athletics. They're punished if they change their minds about a decision they made as an 18-year-old. Meanwhile, coaches, who are among the leading reasons a recruit chooses a school, are free to come and go as they please and take whatever money is offered to them.

Yes, let's pay the players, we are in agreement. It's the first nonsensical thing you've said all day. Also, Gary Andersen did reach out to his players and called everyone of them until two in the morning, but evidently he doesn't care about them.

 There's much to dislike about Andersen's abrupt departure.

He did what was in his best interest. You can't tell me that you wouldn't jump ship if the New York Times called you today to write for them (Don't get excited, they have standards) while offering you a much higher salary than the Des was offering you. Don't hold football coaches to superhuman standards, they're just like any other working stiff out there, just trying to make their life better than it is currently.