A recent ESPN story from Andrea Adelson looked at two college football coaches who recently walked away from head coaching jobs to assume assistant coaching roles with other programs.
One was former Alabama-Birmingham head coach Garrick McGee, who became offensive coordinator at Louisville. The other was former New Mexico State head coach DeWayne Walker, who, as we all know, returned to the NFL to become defensive backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Walker's story has been hashed over before. Still, it was a good rendition from Adelson, who I thought was fair in her analysis while also speaking with Aggie Athletics Director McKinley Boston.
For Walker at NMSU, it was a resource issue. He made no bones about it during his tenure at the school, from his first couple years with the program until his last.
Yet I will also say this: If Walker had stability at offensive coordinator in all four years with the Aggies, I believe he would have turned it. If Doug Martin - who did a quality job as offensive coordinator in 2011 - returned in 2012, would the Aggies have been a bowl team? I obviously can't say that but, regardless, I know they would have been more competitive. A three-to-five win team in my estimation, not 1-11.
Instead, Walker had four coaches in four years at that key coordinator post, with little chance of developing continuity or consistency.
I still believe Walker's chance will come again, either as an NFL defensive coordinator or as a college head coach somewhere. And, yes, I believe he will be successful with it.
Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg
1 comment:
Teddy,
The lack of continuity in the offensive coordinator position was due to Dr. Boston's inability to deliver the financial and other resources required for retention.
Considering that Coach Martin left for higher pay and then agreed to return to work with Coach Walker speaks to their relationship, which would indicate the lack of resources was a key to his leaving.
Having the worst paid staff in D-1football would be a high hurdle for any coach.
Ironically, many of the basic resources requested by Coach Walker four years ago are now being provided to Coach Martin. Sometimes a good coach has to take one for the team to allow a program to grow. Ask Coach Martin, he knows what that's like.
CDW
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