The College Football Coach of The Year

Mark Mangino of Kansas led the Jayhawks to an historic season. To our knowledge (actually, we don't have much knowledge of Kansas football...who really cares about it?), the best in their history.

During a season in which the Big 12 saw their top two spots (up until the end of the season) occupied by traditional doormats, Mangino navigated a modest schedule to put his team in position to play for not just the Big 12 title, but the national title.

A non-conference schedule of Central Michigan, Southeastern Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International got the Jayhawks off to a rousing start. Four straight home wins against four straight cream puffs.

But, in reality, KU scheduled with the Big 12 in mind.

The non-conference poo-poo platter certainly mirrored what lay in wait on their Big 12 schedule. Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, a morbid Nebraska, a distracted A&M and Oklahoma State. No Oklahoma or Texas.

And, one big game. Missouri. A loss. Fortunately for KU, that game was at the end of the season. If it had been scheduled earlier, or right after KU was done wiping off the stench of the non-conference skunk spray; no one would have even bothered mentioning them for most of the season.

We certainly wouldn't be watching them head to a BCS bowl after finishing SECOND in their own division.

And we wouldn't be watching Mangino wrap his mortadello smelling fingers around a coach of the year plaque.

Instead, we'd be praising the job Sylvester Croom did at Mississippi State.

Faced with challenges in recruiting, budget, facilities and the challenge of being located in Mississippi; Croom led the Bulldogs to a winning season playing in the SEC. The SEC, if you don't know, is trumpeted by the media as the best and most difficult conference in the country.

Victories over Auburn, Alabama and Kentucky certainly trump any wins that Mangino managed in the Big 12. And a non-conference schedule that included uber-talented West Virginia certainly demonstrated MSU's desire to compete against the best college football has to offer. Unlike KU, which is more than happy to run off to a BCS bowl payday after losing to the only team of substance on their otherwise insulting schedule.

By honoring Mangino as the coach of the year, the media is signing off on a philosophy of avoiding challenges. Of avoiding competition.

Yes, we know. College sports are about making money. But, at some level, they are about overcoming challenges and facing competition head on. About being taught that taking the easy way out isn't the preferred avenue.

Bestowing coach of the year honors on Mangino and his half-stepping program is to condone all that is wrong with college football. To affirm Mangino as coach of the year is to accept mediocrity.

We at NOIS can not accept mediocrity. Neither in ourselves, nor in in our coach of the year.

One of the arguments made in the debate about the Heisman winner was that Tim Tebow played in the SEC. His accomplishments came against the best of the best, making them all the more impressive. We heard questions about the schedules faced by fellow finalists Chase Daniel and Colt Brennan. Sure, they had great years, but who was on the other side of the ball.

Then, we watched Sylvester Croom take on a monstrous SEC schedule armed with the recruiting crumbs left after the big boys were done feasting and an infrastructure still in disarray after probation. And we don't collectively acknowledge that what he accomplished took far more leadership, planning and downright coaching than running off 11 straight wins over the Hapless Techs and No Talent States of the college football world?

Clearly, some things just don't change.

A Negro doing a white man's job in the Deep South, and doing it well, is just too threatening in this country to give him his just desserts.

Even the SEC knew that it couldn't deny Croom their coach of the year nod and keep any semblance of credibility.

So, as Mangino dines on bracioline ripiene alla Siciliana and gazes over at his coach of the year award:

Know that the collards and fried chicken on Brother Sly's table taste extra good today.

We know it.

He knows it.

Coach of the Year.

Coach of The Year

As the college season winds down, it seems like a good time to reflect on the performances of some of the men that orchestrate the programs around the country.

Time to talk about the coach of they year.

Certainly, ND fans would like to nominate Charlie Weis. After a tough start to the season, Weis' team gelled. Unfortunately, it was just a bit too late. But no one can argue that for the final two weeks of their season the Irish didn't look like a team that - if this were a 20 game season - was a threat to win 5 games. While college quiz bowl victories against Duke and Stanford would have been more satisfying; certainly, gridiron wins will give delusional leprechauns the opportunity to fortify false off season hopes for a big '08 campaign. And will be the basis for a #24 preseason ranking for the sons of Molly Maguire (edit).

Out in the former Big Eight, two traditional doormats rose to the apex of the flat lands conference.

Kansas and Missouri capitalized on the consistent mediocrity from top to bottom in the league. Also, weaker than expected Oklahoma and Texas teams opened the door for the 'Hawks and Tigers to continue to keep this long April Fools Joke running.

Mark Mangino and Gary Pinkel certainly deserve consideration in any COY debate.

And down in the SEC, Urban Meyer has used his system to win 9 games with a young team and get his marginally talented QB Heisman consideration. Any coach that can reload his system the way Meyer has, certainly should be a factor in COY talk.

But, quite clearly, the man who has done the most coaching and pushed a boulder completely up the hill of respectability is the man in Starkville, MS.

Sylvester Croom took over a program still reeling from the Jackie Sherrill years of 'son of a bootlegger' style recruitment and booster support, and turned it into an up and coming SEC power.

Hampered by the torched reputation of the program and the effects of probation, Croom arrived undeterred in the Old South's Magnolia state to the same sort of hospitable welcome that Sheriff Bart received upon his arrival to Rock Ridge in 'Blazing Saddles'.

Faced with the task of sorting through marginal in state talent and the tough sell job it would take to bring out of state athletes back into the 19th century, Croom was left with no option but to mold the bodies already present into football players.

His effort led MSU to a 7-5 record, with victories over such ranked programs as Auburn, Kentucky and Alabama. Certainly, the victory over Alabama was pleasurable. Croom, being a 'Bama man and never even being considered for the huge paycheck that was directed at miserable first season failure Nick Saban.

The Bulldogs finished .500 in the murderers' row SEC line-up that was originally intended to be the death warrant of the SEC's first Negro head coach.

Certainly, the future in Starkville looks bright. The victory over the Colonel Saunders' mascoted Ole Miss team led to the dismissal of rival in-state coach Ed Orgeron. Ole Miss brought in Ozark refugee Houston Nutt. All this should play out well for Croom, as Nutt can be counted on to turn Mississippi high school coaches against the the Rebels' program.

While 7-5 might not be the sort of record that legendary coaches accumulate; doing it in reconstructionist Mississippi as the first Negro head Coach in the Deep South Conference can not be overlooked as an amazing achievement.

'Sly' Croom, your COY.