Succession Plans Gaining Popularity

Many athletic directors are faced with the challenge of replacing a fading legendary football coach. Increasingly, the solution to the problem has been the succession plan - naming a standing coach's successor prior to his retirement. Wisconsin executed this scenario when Bret Bielema was named the head coach-in-waiting while serving as defensive coordinator during Barry Alvarez's final season. Purdue, Kentucky, and Florida State have announced similar plans to replace their successful aging ball coaches.

There are clearly some benefits to the succession plan strategy, but how well a school can take advantage is very much dependent on the specifics of the situation. As college football becomes bigger and bigger business, it is necessary for administrators to take hold of the programs future. The succession plan can aid in recruiting during an otherwise questionable transition. Some schools have had messy breakups with previously loved long-time coaches (see Colorado State). The succession plan allows for fans to better understand the direction of a program and appreciate a head coach during his waining years. The succession plan can also allow for a program to move on a top flight assistant who might otherwise look for a more immediate opening.

Under ideal circumstances there can be great benefit to a succession plan. When the situation isn't ideal, those benefits are mitigated. Having the ideal replacement coach be willing to go along with a succession plan is most critical. In order for that to be the case, it helps if the standing coach announces a retirement date. The succession plan likely makes the most sense when the standing legend is starting to slip and making a decision on the programs future can aid the success in the coaches final years. If these circumstance don't exist, there can be pitfalls.

Wisconsin executed a successful succession plan. Bielema would have likely been Alvarez's top choice for a replacement, even if not hired through a succession plan. A negative about the Wisconsin plan is that Alvarez, who was serving as athletic director, received criticism for not posting the job and considering minority candidates. Due to Wisconsin being a state school, technically his hiring process violated typical hiring procedure. Outstanding of that issue, Wisconsin did not get a huge benefit from the plan because the program was very healthy in Alvarez's waining years and similar success would have likely come through a traditional hiring of Bielema. Additionally, Bielema was likely very content to stay on the staff for another year or two.

The Kentucky anointment of offensive coordinator Joker Phillips to replace the Old Man Rich Brooks is far from ideal. The main benefit of the Kentucky plan is that it should aid in recruiting in the coming years. Brooks is yet to pin down his retirement date. Furthermore, there is no contractual obligation for either party to hold up their end of the plan. If Brooks flames out and the administration deems it necessary to start over, Phillips could be pushed to the side. Similarly, if another program throws a lump of cash at Phillips, he would be free to take another job. The Kentucky situation has almost no teeth. Certainly other programs will make recruits aware of this and help to minimize Kentucky's good intentions. Fans, similarly, will recognize that the future of their program is far from assured.

The Florida State situation is similar to Kentucky's. Bobby Bowden is yet to set a retirement date. Coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher has signed a $2.5 million dollar buyout if he were to take another job, but it is questionable if that would be enforceable. FSU fans should have their eyes on the Rich Rodriguez saga with West Virginia. The date of Bowden's retirement is likely based on how his race against fellow old timer Joe Paterno for the all-time most wins plays out. Fisher - who nearly became the UAB head coach - would have been a candidate for many jobs this off season had the succession plan not been in place. In the meantime, if Fisher can turn around the 'Nole offense the swagger amongst FSU fans would likely return quickly knowing that their future is in good hands.

The Purdue succession plan is more radical than any of the others. The "Father of the Succession Plan" Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke has employed this strategy before. Matt Painter recently replaced longtime Boilermaker hoops coach Gene Keady after serving as an assistant for one season. As with basketball, Burke opted to find a coach-in-waiting from outside the program - the only football program to do such a thing. Danny Hope did, however, serve as a Purdue assistant from '97 to '01. For the last five seasons he has been the head coach at Eastern Kentucky. Bringing back the much liked Hope, has energized a fan base which had grown concerned about the programs future in Joe Tiller's final seasons. The concern for Purdue, however, is whether the succession plan allowed them to hire the best possible coach. There are likely many coaches that would not have had interest in waiting a season to become head coach, but would have been interested in a more traditional hiring process. Purdue definitely shrunk the size of their candidate pool, whether Hope would have risen to the top in a larger pool is very much up for debate.

How popular the succession plan becomes will be dictated by how successful the already in the works plans become. Either way, the succession plan has value if used in the right situation. Joe Paterno would benefit both Penn State and himself if he were to commit to a plan similar to what Bowden has. Athletic directors need to understand that the succession plan is simply a tool. Understanding proper the proper application is paramount to the plans success.