This cutthroat business of coaching college football can get awfully nasty.
Indiana’s Terry Hoeppner has had two brain surgeries – one to remove a tumor and the other to remove scar tissue – and recruiters at rival schools take the lowest of roads by mentioning to prep players that Indiana is a fine choice if only the healthy status of the head coach wasn’t a question mark.
It shouldn’t be. Hoeppner, who’s undergone more tests than a chemical engineering major at MIT, has a clean bill of health. And Indiana has just embarked on a $55 million project to bring its facilities in line with those at other Big Ten schools.
Fortunately such behavior isn’t the norm. Charlie Weis and Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White were two of many who went out of their way to reach out to Hoeppner and his family.
Larry Coker, a good man in a bad situation, has heard from many friends, urging him to keep plugging even while Miami president Donna Shalala and AD Paul Dee step on each other’s toes in the waltz known as Cover Your Rear End in A-minor.
After Rutgers and Pittsburgh beat each other’s helmets in for 60 or more minutes Saturday, there will be a winner and a loser, but I doubt there will be much smack talk. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano and his counterpart at Pittsburgh, Dave Wannstedt, have too much respect for each other to let that happen.
“I remember when Butch Davis called me and asked if I had any recommendations for a defensive coordinator, I told him he had to look at Greg Schiano,” said Wannstedt.
Schiano, a Jersey guy, has brought respect to Rutgers (6-0 overall, 1-0 in the Big East and ranked 17th by The Post). Wannstedt, a Steel City native, is bringing the glory back to Pitt (6-1, 2-0).
“Dave’s the right guy for that job,” said Schiano.
The game probably will come down to two factors. If Rutgers can establish its running game, which is 16th in the nation, and doesn’t put the onus on QB Mike Teel to win the game, it’s a big advantage for the Scarlet Knights. But if Pittsburgh, which has the nations No.1-rated passer in Tyler Palko and the 8th best scoring offense, can dent the Scarlet Knights’ No.1-ranked scoring defense (8.33 points), then the advantage goes to Pitt.
Whoever wins, expect Schiano and Wannstedt to shake hands at midfield and immediately start thinking about next week. That’s the way its supposed to work.
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Georgia Tech (5-1, 3-0), the only undefeated team left in ACC play, travels to Clemson (6-1, 3-1) in what has emerged as an unlikely showdown for a share of first place. Tech guard Matt Rhodes says that Death Valley is the toughest venue in the ACC.
