Exit Strategies Suck

Bobby Bowden has an exit strategy. Shit, even Joe Tiller has one ---I would still like someone to explain why Tiller needs an exit strategy, his glorious mustache provides him with all the strategy he needs! However, it remains unclear why are they useful and why does everyone want PSU to have one (an exit strategy, not a mustache)?

Believe me, I get it. But I can only compare this succession process to Ancient Rome, for JoePa is clearly the ruler of the mighty Nittany Lion Empire In Ancient Rome, Augustus was emperor and informed the Senate that he wished step down, but they requested he stay until his death. While that is not quite the situation here, it is not out of the question to think that JoePa will coach until his death. Similar to Augustus, JoePa has outlived many of his supposed successors: Sandusky and Ganter coming to mind. The Romans did not want to have a king, but they did want their next emperors to have an extremely distinguished family tree. In our current scenario, that would lead to only JayPa having the proper ancestral ties. However, as we all can agree, this would more than likely lead to the fall of the Nittany Lion Empire.

Rome soon learned that the key to becoming a worthy successor meant being wealthy and having the support of the military. In PSU's case, this simply means having coaching experience at a prestigious university and the support of the PSU boosters. Rome's emperors, before their deaths would choose the next successor and begin the necessary transfers of title. However, this sometimes led to anger between relatives/potential successors as to who should take over --- leading to some untimely deaths.

As we can see from this poor and inaccurate look at Roman History, naming the successor is not a good idea because it will simply end up with the senseless murder of Tom Bradley by the overly ambitious Schiano.

Do people want to be able to point to the shadowy figure lingering in the shadows behind greatest coach your school has ever known? Supposedly, this will reassure recruits, satisfy boosters, and, as an added benefit, your team will be much better because of it. Where does any of this stuff come from? Why would that be good?

I think it would be a terrible way to go. For example, I think it would hurt recruiting:

"Come and play here, sonny. You won't be able to coach for Bear Bryant but rather whoever the poor bastard was who replaced Bear!".

Sounds like it would've been really effective for 'Bama.

It would hurt the team you are currently fielding. If you have the current head coach, AKA vaguely-god-like-legend, and the guy who is actually going to be coaching the team next year disagreeing over a call who in the blazes do you listen to? Regardless of who you listen to what if the call is wrong? Who gets the flak? Who gets the accolades? Having two head coaches for a couple of years would beg for this kind of situation to arise.

It would hurt, and at the very least severely limit, the search for the next head coach. It would be fine if you wanted to go Jimbo-Fisher-style (that sounds sexy!) and get a coordinator to replace Joe but it would take all the current head coaches off the table. As we know, a lot of people think Greg Schiano wants to come and coach at PSU, (assume for a minute that he would be PSU's choice) why in the hell would he want an announcement to go out that he will replace Joe at the end of 2008, or whenever? He would be finished at Rutgers (as any head coach would be finished at their current job). So he would probably have to step down at that position or remain as a pariah. Who wants that? Would you have him (or whoever the replacement would be) immediately leave his job to come to PSU as an assistant/distraction for a year or two?

The only possible choice in this scenario is Bradley. PSU simply couldn't choose someone from outside the program to come in as a successor. This course would provide stability for the program as there would be no radical shifts in ideology. However, this obviously limits the search for a head coach. Maybe Bradley is the right choice, he is certainly an excellent and well-respected coach. Maybe Bradley is the perfect choice for PSU --- playing the Senior instead of looking to see if there is someone younger and more talented at the position.

Can anyone give me some good reasons to want an exit strategy?


GO STATE! ENJOY JOE WHILE YOU HAVE HIM!