Don’t Feel Sorry For Fired College Football Coaches

Charlie Strong And Mark Helfrich Get $22 Million In Buyouts From Texas, Oregon

There’s been a lot of media talk and fan reaction on social media about how Charlie Strong was treated before being fired at Texas and the “bizarre” press release that Oregon issued when it fired Mark Helfrch.

Both have merits, of course. Strong was strung along for more than a year – having to answer question after question, week after week – about his job status. He did so admirably, by the way.

And Helfrich was thrown under the bus in a release that rehashed all his and the team’s shortcomings in his final 4-8 season.

But don’t feel too sorry for them. Strong was given a $10.5 million buyout and Helfrich $11.5 million. Together, that’s $22 million the schools are paying their former coaches. For that kind of money to go away, could you not put up with a little harshing on your way out the door?

Both coaches will soon get other jobs – first, most likely as coordinators at good programs or perhaps even as a temporary TV commentator and perhaps later as head coaches at lesser schools – so it’s not as if they are left out in the cold.

Quite the contrary. In fact, they’ve got it made in the shade. They no longer have to be under constant scrutiny, don’t have to work from 5 a.m.-midnight (or later), pour over recruiting lists and go on recruiting trips, manage a staff and players. and get grilled with questions they don’t want to answer by the media.

Instead, they can spend Christmas with their families – and afford gifts most people can only dream about – go on a vacation to a warm and tropical island, and relax. All while pulling in more money than “normal” people can ever envision.

Yes, coaches have to go through a lot, especially when they are on the hot seat, but the financial compensation makes it hard to feel sorry for them.