Steven Sipple: Craig Bohl strongly supports expansion of coaching staff duties, and you just know Matt Rhule would be ready for it
Craig Bohl regards it as the right thing to do, and I’m guessing Nebraska coach Matt Rhule will be ready to act when this latest shift in college football occurs.
During a period of massive change, here comes another one.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee introduced a legislative proposal this month that would expand the abilities of a football support staff, permitting all staff members to provide players skill and tactical coaching instruction — both during practice and games. The proposal eliminates the long-standing policy of limiting coaching instruction to only the NCAA’s maximum of 11 “countable” coaches: the 10 assistants and head coach.
“It is absolutely the right thing to do,” says Bohl, the former Wyoming head coach and Nebraska defensive coordinator, who’s a member of the oversight committee.
He says never mind to the opposing “competitive equity” argument that suggests expanded coaching staffs will further distance the college game’s “haves” from the “have-nots.” The distance is already so massive that using it as a reason to limit staff numbers is sort of ridiculous.
“So much already has changed,” said Bohl, 65, who retired from coaching in December. “When you’re looking at (N.I.L.) collectives, and you’re basically looking at athletes being compensated — when you say ‘competitive equity,’ you don’t really have equity there.
“Say a school has a collective of $9 million, and somebody else has a collective of $1 million. From that standpoint, you just throw competitive equity out the window.”
Bohl told me Saturday that he regards the coaching staff adjustment to be minor compared to the onset of paying players. So, his attitude is, “Let’s do it.”
There are plenty of good reasons to do it.
Matt Rhule has lofty expectations this spring for Nebraska’s rookie quarterbacks
Rhule and others no doubt are ready for this change
Let’s be clear, this particular change could be in place in time for the 2024 season.
I’m betting Rhule will be fully prepared because he’s discussed it publicly and forever emphasizes his desire for Nebraska to be a cutting-edge program.
For Rhule and many other head coaches, mobilizing may not be all that difficult.
“A lot of these institutions basically already have these coaches in place,” said Bohl, who on Feb. 1 became executive director of the American Football Coaches Association. “They’re analysts and quality-control coaches. They’re already on the payroll. It’s just that now they’re going to have the ability to go out and coach during practice. Most them — a lot of them — I’m assuming already are observing practices.”
Yeah, that’s a safe assumption.
“I get it: Some coaches are saying, ‘OK, we’ve got to get ready to go,’” Bohl continued. “But if the legislation does pass, I think the change may not be as cumbersome as some people might think.”
The proposal keeps the number of off-campus recruiters to 11, but offers flexibility to head coaches to potentially designate any 10 staff members as “countable” coaches who are eligible to recruit off-campus.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the proposal is now in a six-week socialization stage as members of the oversight committee receive feedback from their respective conferences. The committee is scheduled to meet in mid-May to assess feedback and potentially adopt the legislation. Any adoption from the committee is subject to the approval of the Division I Council, the primary NCAA governing board that consists of 40 members from all 32 conferences.
The proposal failed to gain approval last spring. But there’s much more momentum this time around, is my read.
NCAA faced a nightmare in this area of enforcement
Let’s be clear, most FBS programs — including Nebraska — have at least two dozen support staff members with various titles such as analyst, quality-control coach, recruiting coordinator, and directors of player personnel, player development and player relations.
According to current NCAA rules, those staff members are not permitted to provide coaching instruction to players within the building, at practice or during games. As one might expect, adequate enforcement is nearly impossible.
“It’s turned into a real compliance nightmare,” Bohl said. “Around the country, people say, ‘OK, what exactly are coaching duties?’ People have different opinions on what coaching duties are. There’s this idea that some people are following the rules tightly and others aren’t. This change would remove all that.
“Plus, just from an opportunity standpoint, it would allow younger coaches to be able to have more opportunities. There’ll be more of an avenue for them.”
There are plenty of veteran coaches who could also benefit, including Bill Busch, 58, the former Nebraska assistant who’s enjoyed a distinguished career on the sidelines for several schools — but is currently thriving as a sports-radio co-host on “Early Break” (93.7 FM) alongside yours truly and Jake Sorensen.
Busch’s keen football insight and unique sense of humor make him a natural for radio. But if this legislation indeed passes, I’m betting Busch will be back on a sideline somewhere in 2024. Think about his strong coaching and recruiting acumen. He belongs on a staff — a big-time staff with an on-field role.
Busch discussed the matter during Friday’s show, and pointed out that expanding staffs could help improve the overall quality of play.
“Everyone feels it’s going to pass,” said Busch, who stays in touch with colleagues around the country.
It’s an especially important shift for places like Nebraska that have sizable rosters, he said.
Proposed legislation illustrates folly of Alberts’ stunt
By the way, the discussion brings back memories of a regrettable moment in Trev Alberts’ tenure as Nebraska’s athletic director.
It was strange then, and seems even more so now.
In August of 2021, then-Nebraska coach Scott Frost’s program was the subject of an NCAA investigation into the improper use of an analyst during practice and games (Frost ultimately was given a one-year show cause penalty).
In a memorable scene, Alberts appeared briefly alongside Frost immediately following a preseason practice and gave a brief, unscheduled update on the proceedings. Frost was visibly annoyed, for good reason. Alberts made a big to-do over a relatively minor situation to turn up heat on Frost. It’s really that simple.
Nebraska’s leadership over the years has proven it can be as petty and spiteful as the next school. I mean, you ever hear of Harvey Perlman?
Granted, Frost broke an NCAA rule, but he broke a rule that dozens of schools around the country have been abusing for years, and his A.D. made it seem like it was SMU during the 1980s.
At any rate, it’s all about to change because the limited coaching staff rule is poised to go the way of straight on-style kickers and Electric Football games.
“This is long-past due,” Bohl said. “It’s the most common-sense thing that I think the NCAA could do.”
OK, those words mildly concern me because “NCAA” and “common sense” don’t exactly go hand-in-hand. In this case, however, I don’t think even the NCAA can mess it up.
The post Steven Sipple: Craig Bohl strongly supports expansion of coaching staff duties, and you just know Matt Rhule would be ready for it appeared first on On3.
