BC athletic director should honor contract

Boston College athletic director Gene DeFilippo should be commended for sticking to his word and firing former Eagle head coach Jeff Jagodzinski for interviewing for the same position with the New York Jets.

Now, hopefully a precedent has been set that will keep coaches to their word and respect the contracts they sign.

I am sick and tired of hearing about coaches that are looking at leaving their old school for better options and higher pay checks at other jobs.

What gives coaches the right to change their minds in the middle of their commitments? And why can’t schools use the same strategy?

For example, Frog head football coach Gary Patterson just signed a contract extension through 2014 that is reportedly worth between $1.7 and $2 million per season to win football games. I know more goes into coaching than winning games (recruiting, lobbying for recognition, being in a position of scrutiny), but a coach’s success is defined by wins.

Now what if the Frogs win two games next season and TCU athletics director Danny Morrison decides Patterson doesn’t deserve all that money? Does Morrison have the right to give him just 20 percent of that paycheck?

It should be that way.

I hope that is the next precedent that gets set. That would also save schools money, which could go to scholarships, nicer facilities or even a better coach.

The players would know that the man they agreed to play for would be there, guiding them through their college career instead of chasing millions.

Also, the coaches would finally be the ones living in fear of a small paycheck rather than schools being afraid of the team’s figurehead leaving before their contract has expired and making their word worthless.

But until more athletic directors take a stand, a man is not worth his word – just money.

Billy Wessels is a senior news-editorial journalism major from Waxahachie.

Coach’s job interview did not merit dismissal

Former Boston College head football coach Jeff Jagodzinski did not deserve to be fired last week for interviewing for the New York Jets’ vacant head coaching position.

The possibility remains that Jagodzinski ignored BC athletic director Gene DeFilippo’sthreats to fire him if he took the interview simply because he wanted to return to the National Football League. Before taking the BC job in January 2007, Jagodzinskispent eightyears in assistant coaching positions with the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons.

But if officials at BCfired the coach simply because he wanted to explore greener coaching pastures, they could soon find that they made a grave mistake.

Jagodzinski led the Eagles to a 20-8 record in his two seasons under the helm at BC. Under his guidance, the team reached No. 2 in the country after an 8-0 start in the 2007season. The team ended that season with an 11-3 record and a No. 10 ranking in the AP Poll.

And I can’t forget to mention the quarterback he groomed during the 2007 season, Matt Ryan . After a Heisman-worthy season, Ryan was drafted third overall in last April’s NFL Draft and recently received the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award after a stellar first season in the pros.

Jagodzinski success with BC’s program is undeniable.

Most of us have had jobs that we didn’t enjoy. Going out job hunting usually doesn’t warrant being fired by your current employer, especially if you have performed your job admirably. The employer should do everything in its power to keep you on board.

The same goes for the situation with Jagodzinski.

You don’t fire a coach who has brought so much success to your school’s football program. You throw money at him, give him more control of the program and do everything in your power to keep him around.

That’s how schools succeed in today’s college football landscape.

Sports editor Michael Carroll is a senior news-editorial journalism major from Coppell.